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Turfwrench

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Posts posted by Turfwrench

  1. When I lived in the Keewenaw we just used our regular ice fishing gear usually after the stocked trout which were plentiful. Occasionally you will get some splake, lakers, and whites. Russian hooks with waxies or small spoons for the larger trout. Toss out a line on the bottom with half a minnow was usually good for the whites. If you are adventurous and want some lakers drive down the shoreline towards Eagle Harbor and you will usually see some people out on the big lake itself providing there is plenty of ice. They will be fishing between the ice piles where the ice is thin using gabu and jig tipped with minnow, piece of smelt, or if you have some - belly fat from laker and jig it just like you are bobbing on the open water. This fishing is not for the faint of heart as you will see most of them drag a canoe with them when fishing these thinner ice sections. Do not go it alone, ask to go with someone that has experience out there.

  2. For King Salmon fishing stick with the inline boards.

    Why???

    I guess I haven't seen the light yet. For 30 years or so I have used big boards and mast and find no fault in them. Yes I have and use inlines on occasion but never seen any benefit to them that makes them superior to running the big boards. Call me old fashioned but I really despise having to stop bringing the fish in to unclip a board off the line .... especially if the fish decides it is time to make another power run while attempting to remove the board. And I still love the sound of a fish ripping the line from the tether and shaking the mast :grin:

  3. I run the otter boats. For my uses are great, Walleye on Saginaw Bay and silver fish on Lk Huron. They ride nice in the water, riding over the waves instead of crashing into them like my old double boards did nor do they take off flying off the top of a wave. They pull well and have ran as many as 4 lines off each side. They are a breeze to retrieve once you start to crank them in they turn toward the boat and fly right in. For running heavy gear some people opt to get the second keel kit for them to add even more pull. I am well satisfied with them.

  4. I know you can get it at Michigan Lumber and Truss and also I believe Lowes or Home may also carry it in some areas. For the aluminum boat be sure it is the CCA Aluminum safe plywood. Got mine for $80/sheet for my project boat.

    newtransom.jpg

    This pic was the test fitting and final sanding before finish cutting out outdrive hole and epoxy.

  5. Welcome. You may want to add a couple wire diver rigs to your arsenal. Very effective rigs. If you are after lakers and they are deep and sluggish a great tactic is to replace the diver with a 1 or 1 1/2 lb ball attached to a 3 way swivel and run either cowbells or a flasher with a peanut trailing. Lower until you hit bottom then raise up and lower bouncing the bottom and raise again. I have found that most hit come on the raise. Yes, you constantly have to work the rod but it sure is a fun way to catch those lakers and will put some fish in the box on those slow days. We used this method a lot when fishing Lk Superior in depths from 180-225.

  6. It really makes one wonder if cannonball color really matters or if it is just a personal feeling that certain colors don't work. I run only black balls and black dipsys. That is my personal preference with the thought that black is fairly neutral as far as an attractant and the fish will put their eye on my lure instead of the divers or balls. But is this logical thinking or my own superstition. Looking at it another way, big paddles and spinnies of assorted colors approximately 2 feet from our fly or bait and we are also successful. Does the color of that big flasher differ in attraction from the color of the ball????? Does the fish key in on the ball, the flasher, the bait, or all the above. A good question indeed.

  7. Welcome Jeremy. Choosing the boat that is right for you can certainly be a tough decision. I notice you say you go out on Superior 5 - 7 times a year, really not much time on the big water......do you mostly spend time on inland waters?

    Glass or tins is a good question. I lived in the Keewenaw peninsula for 8 years fishing Lk Superior on a regular basis where I progressed from an 18' Starcraft Mariner to a 22' Islander, mainly for the larger hull and the cabin. Both boats served the purpose well as most of our fishing was done within 5 miles of shore and when I got the Islander I would make trips to Isle Royale. Now that was a bit of a run but the sleeping accommodations were included in the boat so that is why I went with the islander. I towed that boat a lot to Lk Michigan, fishing out of Manistique and Menominee area for various tournaments. Being aluminum made it easier to tow and was great on gas with a 4 cyl 120hp engine. When I moved to Mesick, (35 miles S Traverse City Mi) my port of choice was Frankfort. I really appreciated the lighter weight of the Islander making that tow every weekend as the hills from Mesick to Frankfort can really put a strain on the tow vehicle. The Islander served me well while I was there and on good days would run out 10-17 miles scum line fishing. During all those trips I never felt in peril that the Islander could not handle the waters. Granted I did not deem it necessary to go out in high seas as I don't enjoy fishing when it is that nasty on the water.

    Sold the boat when I moved to Kentucky but when I returned to Michigan I bought a 19' Thompson (glass). It is a used boat but was in good condition, the price was right, and I was itching to get back on the water. Yes, she is a bit heavier than my Islander was, I believe the listing was 1800lbs for the Islander and 2200lbs for the Thompson. My port of choice where I live now is 60 miles away to which I trek to almost every weekend. Yes, I now burn more fuel towing each weekend than I believe I would if I had the Islander. The boat does ride fine on the water and can handle some pretty good surf but again, I try to stay within surf limits that are comfortable to fish in. The downfall, no cabin and it does have a tendency to dive into the waves (when trolling) whereas the Islander being lighter seemed to rise better into the waves. Both boats will pound and beat on your body when trying to run fast in heavy surf. Yes, to a lesser extent in the glass but still not enjoyable in either.

    This summer I was able to pick up an older 24' Starcraft Chieftan (aluminum) that I currently am restoring. The cabin area in this boat is much larger than that of the Islander and has a deeper hull. Now I will again have the option of slipping the boat for a weekend of fishing and still have the lighter tow. It has a 140hp mercruiser which will be good on gas but still plenty enough power to cruise along.

    So for me I still like the aluminum boats and feel they are suitable for the conditions that I like to fish in. (I am no hot rod on the water, relaxation is the name of the game).

    Good luck with your search and hopefully your decision is satisfying for your needs.

  8. Update:

    After a lot of research this spring I purchased a Standard Horizon GX2100 Matris AIS radio, price around the $250 mark. Installation was a breeze and easily hooked up to my SH plotter with both NMEA in and out ports. I can say that I am well pleased with the AIS function. The below pic shows a freighter in the upbound shipping lane (the triangle with directional pointer). By moving the cursor over the ship it will display the ship name, course, speed, time to closest point of approach, and distance to closest point of approach.

    0407020916.jpg

    Now I have plenty of time to adjust my trolling pattern to move clear of these ships. I have also seen that there are other boats that send out AIS signals, mostly blow boats.

    The DSC feature is a wonderful item. I have read past post on this and would highly suggest that if you have this feature on your radio that you utilize it. Obtain a free MMSI number from BoatUS and input that # in your radio. One of my fishing buddies got my old Cobra radio and got his MMSI, now we can send position request back and forth digitally without others seeing our locations. When I send him a PR it pops up on my plotter and shows me exactly where he is so if he is on fish I can navigate towards him without letting the fleet know.

    I also got to observe the DSC Distress function in action. Apparently a boat was in distress on the Canadian side of the lake but once the signal was sent out the alarm went off and the boats position was displayed on my plotter. Wow, this certainly could be a lifesaver! So if you have DSC and a plotter be sure to hook it up and obtain your MMSI. According to the Coast Guard information 90% of distress calls received did not contain position information and 60% did not contain registered identity. You may read more here : http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtDsc

    For me, this was a great investment. Not only am I pleased with AIS function and the position polling, I also have a greater comfort knowing that if I ever had to use the distress function others would be able to locate my boat.

  9. What do you guys use?

    My slider lines are usually around 8' and 10' for the divers. Usually keep these on the walleye style crawler harness holders (tube type).

    My 3 way rigs I wrap around a section of swim noodle.

    I can't say I am a real fan of the harness holders. As I run swivels on both ends of the line, I clip them together and start the wrap from the swivel end and the end of the line when wrapping goes in the slot of the holder. Usually have to skip a section or 2 to put the next one one as the swivels have a tendency to come loose out of the wrap and can make a mess. The diameter on these thins are small and a bit time consuming putting the leaders at the end of the day. There must be something better.

  10. I can only assume the buoy was in 80-100fow. The depth fluctuate rapidly in that area. I lived up there in the 80's and can say that you earn a great respect for that lake. I have seen it go from flat to OMG in a hurry. A group of us were coming back from Isle Royale one spring in an attempt to beat the approaching storm. Unfortunately we did not beat it to the north entry and at 11 miles out from Portage we hit a wave that stood my 22' Islander on her tail. I was afraid to look down on the floor to see what rolled out of my pants.

  11. This is my Cheiftan project. Got her for a great price and couldn't resist.

    b1b.jpg

    c1.jpg

    Engine up and out.

    c2.jpg

    Rotted transom out.

    e1.jpg

    Inside almost completely gutted

    newtransom.jpg

    New transom made up and test fitted. Had to do some sanding to get her perfect, now to finish cutting out outdrive hole and seal it up.

    th_0805021533.jpg

    Engine out and fired up, with some tweaking was running fine. Was told it was rebuilt a couple years ago. Still pulled the head and checked things over, checked the exhaust manifold for cracks, etc. rebuilt carb. Nice 140 Merc, gas sipper.

    New cabin walls are made, were done with mahogany....looks real nice. Will also be sealed before install. No leaks in the hull but will Coat-It the seams and rivets. A couple small dents to be fixed yet. Haven't decided on paint color yet but will figure something out. If all goes well this winter she will be ready for action in the spring. So far has been a lot of fun.

  12. I hear ya Jason. Made 2 trips to the west side in less than ideal conditions but at least made the best of those trips and got some fish to boot. Seems the weather most of the summer was good till it got to August when I like to go west. I certainly cannot complain on the fish that lower Lk Huron gave up to us this past season and am looking forward to spring. I winterized the boat this past week and will spend the winter getting my project boat ready for the water in the spring. It will help keep my mind off of fishing over the winter.

    For you big tin can lovers this is my project, so far have her gutted, new transom is made as well as the cabin walls.

    b1b.jpg

  13. I guess I am fortunate as I am by no means a professional fisherman. I am however a very passionate fisherman and spend my free time plying the waters of southern Lk Huron fishing waters that many claim are void of fish. I catch plenty of fish out of these waters and also am an avid promoter of fishing these waters. A couple years ago I came upon some lures and gave them a try. To me these consistently outfished the other lures I ran. Unfortunately they were not readily available in our area. I had contacted and met the owner on numerous occasions and well the outcome was not only being put on the Pro Staff but also a sales rep for them. So I believe in my situation it not only shows that Pros can promote and catch with their products but also you avid local fishermen can too.

  14. As I sit and watch my big screen tv and think about what I paid for it, I ponder why marine electronics seem to cost well above that. We have televisions in plasma and liquid crystal in a magnitude of sizes, computors that can do virtually anything for us, phones that keep us in contact anywhere and apps that do amazing things on those phones. The price of these electronics are in reality quite affordable. Now on the other hand lets look at marine electronics. The bigger the screen the higher the price, much more so than other electronics. So the manufacturers make a basic model with a small screen and a base price, add a couple bells and a few more dollars, add a couple more whistles and a few more dollars, add a larger screen and bam.......big dollars. Just doesn't seem right or on par with the price of other electronics. Yep, I would love a nice large screen for my plotter and fishfinder. If the cost between screen size does not create such a huge gap in price, why so in marine electronics??

    So the poll goes on how you feel the prices are. Feel free to add your opinions too.

  15. The grandson is quite the fisherman. He has been on almost every trip on the water this season including both trips to Frankfort. This is a pic of him in his fighting chair from on of our trips, he uses the cup holder in the top of the cooler to put the rod but in and away he goes. Now that is a look of sheer determination. It is pure joy to watch the expressions on his face when he battles fish. Take young kids fishing. It does your soul good.

    bubbs2.jpg

  16. Hit up Pt Sanilac yesterday. What a beautiful day to be out on the water. Lake fairly flat with light winds. Worked skinny waters in the morning, marked plenty but no fish wanted to play. Turned the boat out towards deeper waters and at 60' a rigger came to life. Stayed within that area for the rest of the trip going 8 for 12, 7 steel and 1 small king that I drug around for a while...dooh. Nice to see the younger kings, shows signs of continued improvement for the lake. Fish came in top 30 fow over 60-75'. Spoons trolled 3.1 - 3.4 did most of the damage with a couple on highlines with body baits. Largest steel just shy of 9 lbs @ 31". Saw several fish throughout the day skimming the surface and chasing bait, several shiner were spit up in the cooler. These fish were not boat shy either as we caught a couple on the dipsys set on #3 40' out. Now that is close to the boat!

    PS9-29.jpg

  17. It is always a pleasure to take my grandson out on the water. He calls me every week to see if we are going to go fishing. Even after we got off the water he would break out his pond pole and fish at the campground. He certainly is hooked. This is a pic of his first fish of the trip out of Traverse City. He was awful proud.....and so was I.

    BubbaTCWest.jpg

    The king in the original post was a story in itself. I thought I had it pretty tired out and close to the the boat. So I handed the diver rod to him so he could walk toward the front of the boat so I could net it. (Yea, I run a long leader) I had the fish in the net and started to lift it and the dang thing flew out of the net and took off. He held on to the rod for dear life and the fish started to drag him. My wife grabbed him so he wouldn't go overboard but he never let go of the rod. A real trooper.

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