killerbe20

looking great! such an exciting time!

i could save some dime if i didn't drink as much beer too!

i know, supposed to be awesome.....i just am worried because the fishing has been really good a lot earlier than usual around Racine and Milwaukee. And right now the southern boys are dying.

i think the mother load left Racine three-four weeks ago and you caught the tail end of them by you this weekend. They were very scattered out of Racine today.

nice russ looks like the crappy launch in Racine is paying off for you up there. i'm hoping to be able to get out tomorrow finally myself.

I use the uni knot for everything mono. Never had any issues with it and I can tie it super fast blind folded and hand cuffed.

hey guys, I know i already posted about the best of Milwaukee area voting but with less than three days left i really need a strong finish. PLEASE, if you have not voted already i would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to vote for Proposition Fishing Charters. There is no prize for winning except for personal satisfaction in a friendly competition. a huge thank you to all who have or are going to vote! http://wisn-springfever.cityvoter.com/proposition-sport-fishing/biz/545692?for=on-the-water%2Ffishing-charter

nice russ! i figured they would be gone from Racine as soon as I got the boat in!

nice fishing! hope you guys arent stealing our coho already! jackets look great jim! have to get in touch with you on doing the work i never had done.

Glad to hear everyone is OK. Very scary stuff. as you realized personally, a fire can double in size every minute or so. Not sure if it even crossed your mind or not in the heat of the moment but shutting the door in a situation like that can hold a fire back for quite a long time. Good rule of thumb is to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks in the spring/fall. makes it more of a routine and easier to remember. Sounds like it probably would not have mattered in your case, but its also a good idea to have a fire extinguisher or two in your home. we all have them on our boats, why not our homes.

whats up mike! Had a good time hanging out with you at the Outdoorsman's booth last month. I have to get that ceviche recipe you guys put together!

I have up to 400 feet 45lb on 55 okumas with mono backing.

I try to do my haywire twist so the copper unravels. Makes for a lower profile and the to copper pieces almost fuse together. I do not see a need for shrink tubing because the ends are nearly flush with the other stands. I have been computer less for nearly a month so can not post any pics right now.

i have a 25hp Nissan 4 stroke with basically no usage its whole life, MAYBE 75 run hours. Its been sitting for over a year. not even sure if it would start right now. Anyone have an idea of what might be worth? I am thinking of selling it but have no idea what i would even ask for it. thanks! josh

fish above, in, and below the thermocline. Its a general area to start and concentrate because you know the water temp change. that does not mean the fish are going to be strictly in that small section of the water column. as mentioned before, it is a preferred place but fish travel in and out of it especially for feeding. no different than us sitting outside at a picnic in 99 degree summer heat to eat when the house is air conditioned. its all about the food.

this will be my 18th season either working on a charter boat or running my own boat. The level of anxiousness seems to grow every spring. I do not know if i can pin point what exactly it is that drives me every year. Its a passion and drive that is unexplainable. All the reasons already mentioned seem to fit into why i love fishing lake michigan so much. so far 2011 has seemed worse than ever for me for a couple reasons. The fishing reports out of Racine the last month are truely unbelievable. Its been over 15 years since i remember steady limits of cohos in april. I have spent all winter re-conditioning my new ride. I am so anxious to see how she is going to perform with the new bottom job, rudders properly a lined and props reworked. The First In is truely an outstanding fishing machine and i cant wait to see how she treats me after all the love i have given her. Lastly, i am looking very much forward to enjoying the summer with my wife. She has been persuing her education for the last couple of years and has not been able to enjoy the new boat or fishing with me. She will be done in may and will finally be able to enjoy herself. I know some guys see fishing as an escape, but i still enjoy my wifes company and can't wait to share my "other" life with her.

here is where i got mine prior to being able to find them in wisconsin http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/store/Brads_Thin_Fish.htm

I was using the lite bites. still have them and may possibly set them up again. I did not have all the extra parts anymore so it was difficult to get them to hold on the braid. If i re-rig them again, i will probably use mono.

I have always used brads with great success. Recently picked up some McShads from Bass Pro to try them out. Nearly identical as the storms but much better price point, less then $3(?). If i ever get my boat in the water i will find out if they work....

you are correct, by "regular" i am referring to the power swivel

I use the #10(?) 35lb spro regular swivel instead of the heavy swivel. It is super small and fits through very great especially with Okuma's wide mouth guide.

Thanks Phil! the weather is the only thing helping me cope with not having the boat in the water yet, but seeing all the salmon out of Racine is not helping! I heard about the boat out of Pastrick. Thankfully everyone was ok. Doesn't take long for hypothermia to kick in in 60-70 degree water. 30-40 degree is almost instant! Also thanks to anyone else who has voted!

nice fish russ. I saw randy's catch yesterday, what are you doing up in milwaukee still?! One of the Racine charter boats supposedly caught a 34lb brown last week off Racine. I saw it on GLAngler but have not had a chance to talk to him yet about it to confirm.

I like the trolling motor plugs cause the have a twist lock

I have too many rods and reels as it is already, I don't see having separate setups for ff/flys and spoons. Besides I change a lot at times and don't want to worry about whether I have the correct rod/reel for the bait I am changing