melsell

After your incident, when you were writing about not fishing the big lakes any more. I am glad that you have been getting out and enjoying the lakes again. It didn't take you very long at all. We will have to try and get you down to Huron this fall. I know that you love ReefRunners:grin:

In the next couple of years I am coming up !

I have not fished that area since April but, I believe they are still catching them around there. Not the big pigs. Best to call them and hopefully they will be honest with you.The big concentration of fish is WAY east ! I have talked with guys catching them west of the Islands though. Hope this helps some

Welcome to the site Dave! I think that you will like it here;)

As hard as it is to find Sampo swivels in my area anyways. I never liked the coastlocks or the "regular sampo snaps" I always wanted the round bend. I think I got the idea from this site and just started putting my own duolocks on them. I used to use Sampo and opti swivels. There were days when I could catch just as many fish on each, more fish on sampo, but never more fish on Optis. So I went to all sampo. 30 lb (the smallest with the welded ring)

Nice job

NO ONE has ANY clue as to what a long line is! They will come right behind you and cut across:eek: I had one guy that could of netted my fish this year (ON a dipsey) .On Lake Michigan 9o percent understand what is going on. I mess up once in awhile myself. If you are being overtaken you are the stand on vessel and have right of way. But throw all that out the window and remember that downrigger cables trump leadcore ! You never want other boats to go behind you! When a guy comes from behind and cuts in front of you, calls you a name,blows his air horn..........He does not understand the trump rule.

It is actually the one in my profile pic. That day it was 22 degrees and snowed 1-2 inches in the boat. The main motor froze in the straight position (old boat with cable steer) I had to steer with my trolling motor:cool: Man the fish were biting though:grin:

I have a guide wear jacket that I purchased in 1997! It still keeps me bone dry (cept I get a little around my neck because I keep it open a lot) The outside shell was absorbing some water ( again not letting me get wet) I washed it in the NikWax wash that they now recommend and it beads water like a freshly waxed car! I have no personal experience but have heard bad reports on tech h2o( the gander brand)

These guys over there have NO clue how to troll. We had two different guys that day that got right behind me. The fish was jumping by his boat and it was on a dipsey:smileeek:

Highlights of our day. We caught 18 in 4 hours. UDrWP8QiEq8 Somedays you are glad that you are not running leadcore

KISS = 3 or 4 oz inline weights and spinners 100 to 140 back. If you want to get a little more fancy go with dipsies (on the inside)and willow blades. If you need cranks , just use snap weights.

It is funny how those rigger rods can be bouncing so long and you never notice them......until you edit the video, then it all comes out

Fishlander out of manistee?

It is a long run right now ( at least 15 miles 18 is probably better) but it is really worth it. They bite all day long, you could really slow down and pick up a nice limit of eyes too. I have caught sooooo many walleye this year that I just save them for the fall . I just want screamers this time of year:grin: The Golden Minnow bucket tourney is Sat. I am after that dang bucket made of gold !

Fished in the middle of the 2 ports in 65 FOW. Took 4 hours of fishing to get our 15 bows and 4 walleye. From 12 to 4 pm. Downriggers were good 45-55 for about an hour then down to 60 and 65. Dips out 140- 150 were good at first then out to 190-200 on 2 and 3 settings. Yellow dolphin has been good this year but the U.V taped spoons really smoked them today. Steelhead candy, mixed veggies, and frosted veggies Warrior spoons all rocked.

I have shimano charter special reels ( smooth drag). No break offs but you must keep it away from downrigger cables.

Fished all around out of Wheatley, 4.5 hours of searching produced 5 walleye ( a couple were 7 pounders) Finally landed on the rainbows t 1:30, had our 15 at 3:30. Someone(Me) left 2 of the dipsey rods in the garage, so we were only running 2 DR's and 2 Dips. All spoons were copper backed from Warrior lures. Superchicken was really hot on dips set at 3 back 140. Riggers produced with watermelon and yellow dolphin holo. Out 15 miles on a 110. 67 FOW

A short video with a dipsey/downrigger double and a nice jumper at the net6T7DUMmIrc0

All the folks that I talked to really struggled on bows this weekend! With warm water top to bottom over there. My club Downriver Walleye Federation is having our tourney in Erieau on the 4th. I am thinking of heading back to lake Michigan and blowing off the tourny.

Those St. Joe steelhead have a reputation to uphold ! Meanest fish I have seen in the great lakes. I can remember losing 8-9 in a row a few times:eek:

I would love to see it when you are done

19 for the weekend and on Sunday we set up south and trolled North....proof reader was slacking .

Pulled in to Muskegon at 8pm Fri, drove by the beach, saw the flat lake and combat guys and had to put the boat in. Got out to 80fow and lines set at 9. Had 5 in an hour with a newby 12 year old kid reeling them in. We got out early Sat and didn't want to fish in combat mode so went to 80 again (bad choice) couldn't get anything going until we got back in front of the piers in 65-70 then we got a couple of doubles on Warrior Hot glow blueberry muffin and Dr. Death on riggers 40 and 50 (free sliders were good again too)and wonderbread hot Glows on the 4 and 5 colors. We worked that area for awhile then found some fish in 100 fow and picked up a few more hits on full cores with mag blue dolphin. Ended 6 for 13. Went out Sun to be greeted with some rollers. Worked our way slowly south to 55-60 fow and set up for a South troll (thanks to all the reports that let me know I overshot sat) Had a steady pick with 8 or 9 hits on that pass. Same Hot glow Blueberry muffin and Dr D on the riggers 40 and 30 ,Wonderbread on the 5 color but the blue bubble spinny went 3 times on 3 at 110- 120 out. Waves were kicking and we seemed out of the fish so we pulled lines to go back for another pass. Nothing !Worked our way straight out and caught one on a full at 115 Blue Dolphin. Turned after awhile and pulled a nice steely on a Warrior orange easter egg 60 on rigger in the same water. Trolled in had a couple rips in 85. Ended up coming home with 19. Not bad not great. Thanks for the other reports it heped. I was on my phone so I didn't report( fat fingers). Hopefully my next trip will be in Canada for steel:thumb:

This mid teens Muskegon king decided that a Dr. Death U.V. colored Warrior flutter spoon was going to be his last breakfast