Ergude

Actually, the little winged friend is a nuthatch. Google it and you'll see an exact picture of it. There are two varieties in Michigan. You won't see warblers upside down like that very often but nuthatches do it all the time. 

You're not the only one. Been twice out of holland and once out of Muskegon so far and have two small steelies to show for it. Have fished all depths from 50 to 300 and have marked maybe 15 fish total. Last year was marking fish all over and catching as many as I wanted. It's really scary.

While we're on this subject, what do all you veterans use? Does everyone use fresh or brined alewives/herring or do you use artificial strips such as BTB dipped in herring oil? I'd like to know as it's not always easy to get the real stuff.

Hey Don,

Great job. How are the water fleas at Muskegon?

Great Pic, Mark. Take lots of pictures and video, and enjoy every moment. Just graduated my third and youngest son. They grow up faster than you'll ever believe.

Well thanks for noticing! Where did you see that? I don't remember establishing I was going to talk about the big sink, but if that's what they say I'm going to talk about, then I sure will!

Sorry about the late reply, been out of commission with the flu. I got the info from the Ultimate Sport Show link for this year's show. http://www.showspan.com/USG/Seminars.aspx

Did it.

Hey Dave, thanks for the update on the new and improved GLA mag. You mentioned the latest issue was 64 pages and the next will be 80 pages. I was 1 year into a 3 year subscription with them, but haven't received one in almost a year. Are the old subscribers kaput with the GLA mag reorganization, or can we expect to start receiving them again?

Also, I see you are on the docket for the Ultimate Sport Show in GR this March. I'm looking forward to having two of my adult sons there to hear your story about ending up in the drink. You're going to make a difference in a lot of people's lives with that one.

Thanks

Was there yesterday with a 20' Sea Nymph. It's very shallow but was able to launch. I believe my trailer wheels went off the cement slab while backing in as there was a definite drop at the end of the dock. There's a lot of dry sand and mud showing on the east side of the launch docks. Good luck.

Went out of Muskegon for the first time in over a month. Forecasted 1 foot waves were gusty 2-3 footers out of the east. Set up in channel and went straight east with the wind. Marked a few fish in channel and in front of pier heads. Caught one big sheephead on jplug just outside of lighthouses. Water was 64 degrees on surface and 63 on bottom all the way out to 150 feet. Unbelievable if I hadn’t seen it myself. Found first 55 temp 150 down in 160 feet. Trolled all the way out to 250 without marking anything, just a few tiny bait balls. Did bring in one king about 2 inches longer than the spoon in his mouth when pulling lines. Suprisingly, it was still very lively and released unharmed. Worst day of the year for finding fish.

Solo trip. Went SW out of the arms and set up on south troll in 90 feet. Ended up 5 for 5. Took 3 kings, biggest 14 lbs 1 on moonshine white/green ladderback off ball 75 feet down, and other two came off mixed veggie glow spoon slider. Later picked up 5 lb coho and 10 lb steelie on black/white/green ladderback spoon slider. The steelie really put on a show. All fish came off downrigger, in 90-110 FOW. No hits on diver or lead core. Starting to pick up sea fleas. Surface temp was nearly 70 degrees, temp upper 40’s about 80 feet down. Beautiful day on water.

Good job, the steelie could have been a skamania. Summer run strain heading for the Grand.

That's something I didn't think about. Still learning alot about the big lake fishing and had never seen a skamania before (that I knew of anyway). Thanks for the info.

Holland 6-13

6:30 AM went NW out to 120 to set up with my father-in-law. First time out since May 19. Gusty east winds had us out to 150 by the time we were fully set up. Angled NE to Port Sheldon, with only a small laker lost on the surface close to the boat to show. Forecasted light E winds turned gusty N NW so we turned south and trolled with the wind into 100 feet and found them. A few good bait balls, stayed at 100 all the way back to Holland. Ended up 9 for 16. 4 nice steelhead, 3 lakers, and two 14 lb kings. Lost three other big kings and a couple real nice steelhead. Caught 1 laker deep on white paddle/fly mag diver on 1 back 180, two steelhead on half cores with snap weights, and all the rest on riggers down 70-85 feet, about half off the ball and the rest off sliders. Divers were mostly dead. Tried a bunch of colors, but white spoons, mixed veggie glow with black spots, and black/purple were the spoon colors that worked. Sorry, I don’t even try to keep up on all the names.

One of the steelhead was a male that looked like he was in full spawn mode. Very bright pink stripe, hooked jaw, and his fillets were very pale compared to the other steelies. Strange.

Nice job on the fish. We were out of Holland, and the NOAA was way off there as well. Light E to NE wind forecast was actually gusty NW wind by mid day.

Monday 5-14

Went with my middle son and father in law straight out to 110 feet, went NW to 150, south for a while then W to 160 before going back to port. No real pattern, picked up two kings on high divers on 3 back 145 using glow watermelon j plugs, 3 kings on half cores with snap weights, using SD and small white spoon, nice 9.5 lb laker on glow frog SD and green fly off rigger down 135 in 160 feet, and a couple other kings and a coho on green dolphin fixed sliders off riggers in 130 down 100. Ended up 10 for 10. Amazing weather, basically dead calm all day long.

Tuesday 5-15

Based on weather forecast of 1 footers south of Holland and success from previous day, took two friends from church out. While heading out to channel NOAA on radio keeps saying 1 foot waves. Hit pier heads and the 1footers were stacked on top of 2 footers, so went out to 100 feet and tried trolling with SW wind. Big swells started building as we ended up south of Port Sheldon, easy 3-4 footers with occasional 5 thrown in. Had one guy chumming so headed in, doing the creepy crawly routine right into a tough wind. Still managed a couple kings, one 14 pounder off DR down 110 feet in 130 on fixed slider green dolphin, and another 4 pounder on half core pulling silver echip flasher and small mixed veggie spoon. NOAA - I wish I could be wrong half the time at my work and still be able to keep my job. Anyway, at least we got home safe!

Great Job Joe. Thanks for the report.

GJ Don. Gotta luv Muskegon. Are all the nets back in place where they were last year yet?

Thanks, Dave. Awesome morning for you, and I sure wish I could be out this weekend. Gotta help my parents move this weekend so I'll have to wait.

Bill

Awesome job Erik. The cohos can't be beat for eating, but there's no comparison at all when you pull that pole out of the holder and a king's on the other end.

BTW, that's really deep. How heavy DR ball are you using and what shape. Blowback an issue?

Video link isn't working, says it is private.

I like fixed sliders vs free sliders... 10 feet above the main spoon....

Just personal prefrance...

:thumb:Yeah, I agree with Dave. A bunch of ours came off fixed sliders last weekend.

Nice job Bill.

You need to add your fish count to your signature, and update it after every trip. You can get to the signature by clickin on the UserCP link in the second navbar.

Thanks, Mike. I'm kinda new to the forum, did a few posts last summer. I appreciate the input and will try it next time.

Bill

Friday, 4-6. 2012 shakedown cruise for the Sea Nymph cc191 with my father in law. Went straight out to 190 feet and headed south about 8 a.m. Ended up in front of Saugatuck & headed back. Spent the whole trip between 210 and 180. Finished up with a two man limit of cohos with one nice laker thrown in(ten total). Threw back quite a few shakers. Most of the fish came on riggers 75 to 100 feet down, with about 2/3 of the fish on fixed sliders. Only a few on divers, and a couple on lead core. Did lose 1 nice steely on 3 color. The laker was on a white SD with a green fly. All the rest were on variety of spoons. North wind picked up pretty good, so it was a slow trip going back to Holland.

Saturday, 4-7. Went straight out again to 190 8:00 a.m. went south for a little bit and then headed north. Ended up with another limit of cohos with 1 nice 15 lb king. Nearly all came on riggers again with a few on divers. Nothing on lead core. Fixed sliders weren’t as hot for us today, most fish came off the ball down about 90 - 100 feet. Mag Divers were set on 1 back 200 – 250, regular diver set on 2 back 150 – 175. Mixed bag of spoons, with a couple on white paddle/green fly. Awesome morning on the water.

2012 Totals

Cohos 18

Kings 1

Lakers 1

Total 20

Trips 2

Bill, GJ on the solo trip. Be careful especially when fishing alone.

I prefer to have someone tag along with me. It's always more fun, and certainly more efficient. But my bud couln't make it, the weather report looked fine, and the fish were calling my name!

That spoon is also my best fish producer on dipsey diver......

I'm not so good with keeping track of the names of these spoons, so I just go with the colors. That black/white with the green ladderback was part of a huge collection of spoons I got with the boat I purchased last fall. All I know is it works big time.