Daybreak

This was an episode of "Discovering", a TV Show here in the UP. We filmed out at The Rock about a month ago, and the show aired up here last week.

Thought you guys may enjoy this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl_dJ_Ex52I

Thanks a lot, Dann! Appreciate the comments. It makes me feel like I am doing my job the way I should be! And this "job" offers the opportunity to make friends I would have otherwise never met.

You guys were a hell of a crew, and that's a trip I won't soon forget. I have a few pics as well that I'll put up when I can. And Garth's fish will be delivered to the taxidermist tommorow morning.

Thanks again, Dann, and good luck in October! Shoot em straight my friend! BLOODTRAILS!!

He was 34lbs. and 42" long!

How were you running the spinning reel? Were you trolling with it?

Negitive, John. We are drifting over structure out there, while either jigging or casting spoons. It's a mid-lake reef, nearly 50 miles offshore from Marquette.

This fish actually followed another fish to the surface that was hooked, about a 10lber. Josh dropped the spoon off the bow, and before he even locked the bail, the monster turned his attention to the spoon and smoked it! The video link above will tell the rest of the story! Yes...sight fishing for 30+lb lakers, 50 miles from port, on the most beautiful(and most dangerous) of the Great Lakes

I can't say my life sucks! Michigainiacs live in a pretty special place!

With the forcast yeasterday calling for increasing winds after noon, we decided an early start was in order. Left the dock just after 3 a.m. Saturday and headed North with a crew of great fisherman and friends to cause some carnage...and carnage they would cause! Fished for about an hour before the sun came up near the Lighthouse, and then went hunting. With a Northeast breeze to start the day, then straight East for a couple hours, then to the Southeast for the ride home, I think it may have effected the bite some. We still boated about 25-30 fish in 6 hours, but for the amounts we were marking in some spots, we should have had twice that many. But the cooler came home clean, as we only kept 1 fish. Kinda nice not cleaning any fish after a Stannard Rock trip!

Then all hell broke loose when we heard Josh and Bo start screamin! Ill let Josh tell that story! Though it ended with the biggest Laker ever aboard the RELENTLESS! Over a dozen fish on my boat in the last couple years between 30-32ish, but its tough to break that number for me....until today.

I give Josh all the credit in the world. From the time we netted this fish, he intended to release it as soon as possible. We snapped a few quick pics and got him back in the water within a minute.

With the surface temps still about 45 degrees, we really thought he had a good chance. Josh spent over 25 minutes bent over the side of the boat trying to revive the fish. He just wouldn't come around. After his hands went totally numb from the cold water and the fish showed no sign of getting better, he decided to bring him back onboard and put him on the wall. The good thing was, now we could get an exact weight on him and a few more good pics before we wrapped him up in Borax and prepped him for the taxidermist.

This is what the graph looked like when Josh hooked his fish... :rock:

Though we didnt measure him, he made my 140qt. cooler look kinda small...

34 lbs!

Thankfully, we also captured most of the fight on video! Here is a true testament to the strength of a Gander Mountain Guide Series fishing rod! Pretty sure it was bending all the way down inside the cork handle! The entire fight took about a half hour, and when the fish bit there was less than 20' of line between the rod tip and the spoon! Without someone on the rod like Josh with patience and knowledge to just let the fish go, and dont try to stop him, this fish would have never made it to the boat.

Enjoy! And Congrats Josh on the Fish of a Lifetime!

Thanks a lot guys! Now if this dam wind would just lay down for more than a day at a time I could get back out there!

Bromley....How the hell are ya?! Long time no see! Gimmie a shout next time you come thru MQT! My boat is in the Cinder Pond Marina now.

The first of the year to hit the 30lb. mark! Caught on a Moonshine casting spoon in 70 feet of water...50 miles from the dock!

Here is a link to the video of the Catch and Release.... http://greatlakesfisherman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26947

Being a Charter Captain is a great way to end up with a Million Dollars!! ....as long as you start with 2 Million!

Education is ALWAYS most important...but you only live once, and chasing a dream is what lifes all about!

Do yourself a favor... Take an hour out of a fishing trip to make your own! Those charts are not even close most of the time.

Get into 30' of water. Let out line until you bump the bottom with the diver. Record the line out, speed, and bait(flasher-fly or spoon). Then go to 40'.... Same thing. 50' of water....same thing. Ect,ect...

This the the only way I have found to know exactly where the divers are. Current and wind will always have some effect...but this method will get you much closer than some generic chart!

The actual florocarbon "leader materiel" comes on the small spools and is best suited for flys/meatrigs/ect. where a bit more stiffness and abrasion resistance is needed. The fluorocarbon "fishing line" is still 100% floro, but comes on bigger spools for a better price and is a bit more flexible.

I use Seaguar fluorocarbon and I love it. 15lb. "fishing line" for my leadcore leaders and 50lb "leader materiel" for flys and meat rigs.

Or stay in the Backcountry! I know its hard to do that Downstate, but here in the UP I can ride all weekend and never see another sled. I ride off-trail in the deep stuff and I only need to worry about trees and stumps...Not drunks and idiots! We have many people die up here every year on sleds...ALL of them EVERY year are on the marked trails. Stop "diamond pounding" on the trails and take your sled into the WOODS...where its more fun anyways!

Get off the main trails which all lead to and from a Bar!...leave that for the speed freaks and drunks!

Yes I do! It outfishes ANY other bait, on ANY other delivery device, on ANY givin day on Lake Michigan aboard my boat, and also always catches the biggest fish. Mostly whole Alewifes for me, but I'll use Herring if I have to as well.

But its not just another bait...like most guys treat it who are unsuccessful. Its a whole new pattern, with different trolling speeds, depths, and tactics. You cant just drop it into a spread of spoons and flys and expect it to shine.

Since I got spring fever on this 48 degree day in January in the U.P.... Here are a few of my best shots from last season. Got a favorite??

Only 3 months of winter left

April 30th Lake Superior near Marquette

May 3rd Lower Harbor in Marquette. 26 degrees. I think this is one of the best pics I have ever taken...except for the "Boyers" pic below.

May 10th Upper Harbor in Marquette

May 22nd Runnin to The Rock

May 26th 40 miles North of Marquette

May 30th Upper Harbor in Marquette

First week of June Lower Harbor

July 8th Cedar River

Beginning of July Manistique

July 14th Manistique

July 15th Manistique

July 16th Manistique

End of July Headed for The Rock

Mid August 80 Degrees at 4:30a.m. 5 minutes from Stannard Rock

Late August Nice and Early at The Rock

Beginning of September headed offshore in Marquette

Sept. 5th Lower Harbor Marquette

Mid September 10 miles North of Marquette

Late September off Marquette

My last trip of the year. Late September. Looking at the Huron Mountains, North of Marquette

July 9th Off of Boyers Bluff Washington Island My favorite picture I have ever taken, and one of the most unreal sunrises I have ever witnessed, and the one I think about every cold, ****ty Winter morning!

SOLD

2008 Mathews Switchback LD

Specs...

-31.5" draw length

-60-70lb. draw weight

-33" axel to axel

-80% let off

-4.3lbs.

It also has the Zebra Twist string and 4 Limbsavers. For an additionl price I could include the rest, sights, stabilizer, ect... as well as 6 Beaman ICS 340 carbon arrows.

$425.00

I run the Furuno Nav-Pilot on my boat. Expensive, but bulletproof...like the rest of Furuno's stuff. Worth checking out if you can swing it.

I wont get into bashing here....but 3 different friends this year gave up dealing with all the issues with their Garmins. 2 of them have since sold the units, taking a huge loss in money and time. They raved about how good the customer service was...on the other hand, the units spent more time with Garmin then they did on their boats. They look nice, and have lots of options...but they NEVER work right for very long.

I have had the Furuno Nav-Pilot for 4 years now and have never even had to call Furuno to ask a question. :thumb:

SOLD! Thanks Stan.

Well here is another video for ya guys!

Its a bit longer than the last....but should take a good 8+ minutes out of your work day!!

This was another evening "off" for me, so I went out with 2 of my best fishin buddies for some fun! I even get into the action at the end of the video under a Full Moon at 1 a.m.!

Thanks Guys!

Eric, The tops are usually right around 6K. I got mine for $4,200 on a "end of the year" sale. Not cheap at all, but WELL worth it. I looked at many brands, and I really like the AT better than the rest...and they were on the cheaper side. I found some for 8K+ I also dont like the big forward supports on some tops and this design dosnt require them. I had the 8 rod holders added to the top as well as spreader tabs and slide-rails to hold the enclosure so there are no snaps to the hardtop, its totally waterproof.

I also have about $1800 into the enclosure. I went with the very expensive (but very worth it) "Strataglass" materiel for the windows and "Top Gun" wax impregnated marine vinal for the rest.

$6k for the project aint cheap...but I spent 800+ hours on my boat last summer.

I am FINALLY gonna have the headroom I need (I am 6'8").

Here is my baby during the transformation this fall. Original factory top and Atlantic Towers Arch came off, and a new Atlantic Towers Hardtop and full new enclosure with drop curtain went on.

It was a shame to finish the project and then go directly to storage with her! Gonna be another loooong winter waiting to "test" it out!

Now I get to spend the winter re-wiring the Radar, 2 GPS antennas, VHF antenna, Spreaders, ect... up onto the hardtop. Then a new coat of some Navy Blue bottom paint this spring and she'll be ready to go!

Thanks for the comments guys! I am glad it helped a few people with the early cabin fever!

That was a special trip last summer for me. I only get to see my brother 1-2 times a year, so to have him up fishing with a few of our old friends together... I will never forget it! That was the last trip of the season for me on Lake Michigan, on the last evening, and the last rod in the water, at 11:30pm, and comes the biggest King I have boated in 5 years, just under 25lbs.... And my brother grabbed the rod! That's the last pic in the video. Pretty sure my ole' man was smiling down on us that evening!

The fish caught on video was a mere 20lbs, caught earlier that evening.

Here is a short video from this July on Northern Lake Michigan.

Dam.....I wish is wasn't December!!

After chasing the same deer for 3 years, with Bow and Gun, on the ground and in the trees, and hundreds of trail cam pics....he FINALLY screwed up!!

Here he was last year under my bow stand...

And here are a few of him this year while he was growing up...

And the BEST trail cam pic of him EVER!!! The camera caught the moment that 220 grains of Win Mag hit him behind the shoulder!! He died in his tracks.

YESSSSS!! Public Land. Marquette County, U.P of Michigan! He was aged at 5.5 years old, 178lbs. dressed, 33" neck, 18.5" spread, and rough scored around 130". After passing dozens of smaller Bucks for the last 3 years trying to be patient...It Finally paid off!