mj6131

First skunk of the year.

Out of curiosity, we ran to where we perched last weekend, 18 fow in the first trough. Water temp was 50 on the surface, 51 on the bottom. Went to 40 fow, warmer on the surface, still cold at the bottom. In 60, it was 44 degrees from 30 on down. (These temps from FishHawk TD, a cool tool).

Tryed in that depth for awhile, went out to 130, fished back in, had our one hit in about 90 fow: a screamer on a full core. Ripped a bunch of line, turned and came straight for us until the board was almost in the boat, turned the other way, line snapped just below the board.

Here's a tip: If you get lazy, and only change the leadcore, and leave the backer on for a third season, you get to change the backer and the leadcore. Had a 7 color just go slack, lost board and all, thinking it was from the same problem.

Hope I don't hurt my leg trying to kick my own a**!

Fished from 6:00 to dark, 150 in to 90, thought the first skunk of the year was happening, right at dark a little king hit a rigger,50' orange flounder, and saved us. Talked to a guy at the ramp who works at the nuke. He said three days ago the temp at their intake was 72, yesterday it was 59. Sounds like I should have stayed in closer.

Side Note- The guy at ramp said prob no seasonal permits this year and maybe never again. Amazing his buddy i talked to last week has one(Saw it and talked to him). What a croc at this launch. I wish there was an alternative to there BS:mad: Was told so far that we would be able to turn in receipts. So what now....... Spoonwasher please hijack this like i did urs.

Maybe it's time to talk to someone in city management, instead of these goofs at the ramp. I was told the receipt thing too, had to take them out of my wallet, getting to big to sit on.

Rick GJ on the sunrise side. Thanks for the report.

Has anyone heard how the herring plants are doing?? Herring are native to the GLs.

About 9000 went to Thunder Bay last week. None last year, can't remember how many the year before, somewhere in the thousands. Haven't heard of any returns. Still refining the process for getting enough eggs.

They did not have the season pass working as of yesterday. (6-18).

Took my wife and oldest daughter for their first trip of the year.(probably my 15th:D) 4 for 8 or 9, 3 5 or so pound kings, 1 laker released.Started in 100 fow, 105 to 120 was best. 225 copper (with a white w/black ladderback pro-king that I don't know the name of) went 3 times, landed two, one driveby. One on full core, lemon ice. Riggers took 3 hits, grn dolphin at 60' twice, ms orange flounder at 50' once, lost all three. After my daughter lost the first two, figured I would show her how to do it. The fish showed me that he could swim faster than I could reel. Laker hit dipsey w/blue bubble sd and unknown siggs at 140 loc.

Just as it was getting really interesting(about 8:00), had to head in. Wife can take any chop the lake can give, but a long swell gets her every time. I believe that everyone has a certain wavelength...

Kept my streak alive: only catching one king (5 color, lemon ice). Plus one laker (full core, orange crush). One breakoff on a rigger while we were both looking the other way (my last orange flounder, looked all over, everybody in my area is out:mad:).

All in 88 fow. Foggy!

Got on the water at 5, did some running around (out to 130) to see if we marked anything, finally set lines at 6 in 60' just south of the pier. A little after I had everything set, 7 color with Lemon ice took off, 14 lb. king. Reset, no more than a couple of minutes, went again, laker this time. Decided to move a rigger up to about that same depth, as I raised it, it released, another laker. That concluded the festivities for the night.

About 8, it seemed like a good time to run from that storm! Nice night out there until then. Wish I could turn my catch around, and catch 1 laker, and the rest silver. I think the last 4 trips, the first fish has been a decent king, and then if we caught any more it was all grease.

Fished mostly in 50 fow just north of the pier. 6 for 12ish. Hardly lost any before this trip, tonight I think the first four fish came off. Kept 4 lakers, 2 of them big pot-bellied pigs, 1 king about 12 pounds, 1 little skipper coho. Double orange crush on rigger at 30' took the most hits. 7 color with lemon ice, 5 color with orange flounder. 2 color with blue dolphin took the king, thin fish on flat line took the coho. The lake laid down nicely tonight, beautiful night to be out. Hopefully it holds for awhile in the morning, headed to St. Joe, see if there's more silver there.

Just couldn't find them. Fished from way shallow with the coho program, to 60 fow with a mixed program. Caught 1 7# Laker, lost a 15+ king right at the back of the boat after a 10 minute fight. He popped to the surface, decided he was a coho, did a death roll, threw the hook. Both fish hit the same jointed rapala. Beautiful day to be out there.

I'm going. Just trying to decide between St. Joe and South Haven. I can have lines set in 1 hour from home at SH, 2 hours + for St. Joe, but possibly better fishing.

Mike, sounds like we should go with the tracks. Some good points have been made and I am convinced that is the way to go. That is a good idea about setting the riggers far enough forward. I was wondering how well that was going to work out. Did you run downriggers on your boat? If so, how did you set them up and did it work well for you? Fortunately the boat came with a cover.

Thanks,

Alexa

I was lucky enough to get a pair of used Big Jon electrics real reasonable. When I set up the 17sc, I didn't want a board in the way, (needed to keep things open for perch fishing, that's what the wife likes to do.)so I made some plates, and actually set the riggers on the gusset on the very back corner. That's how I know it's really a PITA to have to crawl on your knees to the back of the boat to set riggers. I have a Targa 18 now, and I moved the riggers to just ahead of the back deck. That had it's own challenge, as the rail isn't flat, it's crowned slightly. I made some stainless plates, mounted them, mounted a quick connect plate and swivel plate from BJ. Still have to lean a little because of rod lockers, but still way better. Ahead of that I have 2' pieces of track with three holders each side. Wish I would have put longer track. It's nice to have more holders than rods, so you can set a rod out of the way for a minute if needed.

I used to have pretty much that same boat. My suggestion is tracks. If you have that long deck at the back of the boat, keep the riggers far enough forward that you can set them without having to be on your knees at the back. I would go electric if money allows. Do you need a cover for it? I still have the cover from mine.

I was boarded by the CG at St. Joe about three weeks ago. Something to bear in mind: not only do you need the PFDs, they need to be usable. He checked sizes, pulled on all the straps, showed me on the label where the "coast guard approved" label was. Your throwable needs to be "immediately accessible", in other words, out on deck somewhere, not in a locker. They did not look at the anchor.

(We passed, by the way)

I think there are definitely more fish, as the plants were nearly doubled from the year before, but it is also the conditions. Last year, we had that really quick warm-up, and there was really only one good fishable weekend in St. Joe for coho, then the fish shot north and west. Our first trip was around the last weekend in March, and water temps were still cold, and the fish were just starting to hit. The next weekend was the really good weekend, then the big warmup happened. Did well on kings in late April and all through May, but the early coho were a bust.

I've seen at least one picture where they were using the hook that you use to hang your waders upside down.

You dont have a blue boat by chance do you?

Black Tracker.

Started just south of the pier head where we had been catching, nothing. Picked up and ran south about 10 miles, 4 man limit of coho(one small steelhead). The usual suspects took fish: red and black thin fish, jointed rapala, rainbow trout pattern thunderstick, double orange crush on dipsy. I was far enough south I think the boats south of me launched from St. Joe.

Just wondring has anyone ran from south haven to st joe on the water and if so how long does it take at what speed or how does it compare to port sheldon, holland and saugy in distance. thanks jimmy

GPS says its about 17 miles pier to pier.

If they are paralleled, it doesn't matter where you hook up. (As long as you don't hook black to red or vice versa.)

Where did you fish?

Pump House about 1 mile, Junk Cars about 3 miles , A frames around 6 and the Cook plant I think is around 8 miles all south.

Im probly way off on my estimate , Ive never looked at the gps to no for sure.

Pretty close estimate. On gps, the first two are about right, A frames about 7 1/2, Cook almost 12.

They seemed to in pretty good shape, just a little short.

Short but tasty!

Good job.

As of today the docks were not in at the DNR launch in Benton Harbor. I did hear that the docks are in at the city launch in St. Joe. This is almost directly across the river from the DNR launch. However, there used to be a big sandbar in between. I haven't been down there this year but hopefully someone else who has will chime in. The DNR launch in Benton Harbor is right next to Tackle Haven. If you map Tackle Haven you will see the launch.

The docks are in at the city launch. You just need to go straight across the river, then kind of hug that east bank all the way to just before the first bridge. As you are passing the DNR launch it gets to around 4 feet deep, but that's about the worst of it. Just don't go over where you can see the birds standing up in the middle of the river.

If you do launch from the DNR launch, stay toward the river side of it as much as possible, along the edge it is 2 feet or less quite a ways out.

Nice job. Do you guys do this at day break, or a little later?

We actually started fishing at 1 in the afternoon.

Did it again today, it was a little slower: to get a 2 man limit, we started at 10, finished at 1. (Mostly because I dodged around a lot more to avoid traffic.)