Leafybug

I usually buy fairly cheap rods for walleye trolling. I don't think I've ever caught one that really fights good enough to justify an expensive rod. Actually, all my rigger rods are wilderness too. I haven't broke one yet, but I have noticed the reel seats and threads on the lock nut seem to be exceptionally cheap and I've been thinking of starting an upgrade for both salmon and walleye setups. Franks in Linwood and at shows, will in my opinion, be your best bet, those guys are great! Good luck.

Dave, not to sound overly green at this but after my slow year last year (mostly due to lack of time to fish and boat problems), I'm gonna ask a question I should know the answer to, Whats BLL?

I almost always leave mine on, until I decide what to do with it. For pan, oven, locs, chowders, canning and sometimes grilled, the skin comes off once thawed. For smoked, char grilled, or dry cured (jerky (not always)), the skin stays on. I see it as a possible guard against freezer burn, although thats been rare since my vaccum sealer. Ya know, I got a big hankerin' to go trolling.....

Wow Dave, thats an aggressive list! Power to you my man and best of wishes in completeing it.

Ya know, I've been wondering the same thing. Does color matter? I'm kinda thinking it does. I set up a new spread this past spring do I decided to run new balls too. I went with a local guy down in brighton (I think), cool guy, nice product, and in my opinion a bad color. I've never been blanked so often with downriggers! These were blue 10#ers with prism tape. Tape came off and catch rates slightly improved. Blue balls were replaced with black and hook ups went back to normal. Now night fishing didn't seem to be affected as much by ball color. Also longer leads caught more fish for me last year on the riggers too, which only went hand in hand with all the screwy currents I always seemed to find last year. Just my 2 cents

You must have read my mind Dave, thanks. I've been trying to find something that was long lasting and works well with the large sword sized blades of salmon knives. Will surely give these a try

Cats are cool, I've only been out on one and it would have been comfortable on a rowboat that day so I don't know much about rough water handling other than what I've read. I have a 25' Grady White Sailfish and I'm fairly comfortable heading out in some hairy stuff. I personally don't think you can get a better hull design than a Grady. My fishing partner has an older (mid/late 70's) 20' Grady. I've been on all different sizes, types, models, and brands of boats all with varying power set ups and even though I think that Tiaras and Hatteras's are the best boats on the water, I prefer to fish my Grady. It's just built to fish. Just my 2 cents... best of luck in your "pursuit" (another great boat) of a new boat.

James, I think your spot on with the changing attitudes, I wasn't around back then but from what it seems fishing used to be a leisurly passtime... Kevin, it sounds like you have a friend for life in that guy! ha ha ha, way to set him straight right away

Not to down play your problems but welcome to boats my friend. Bring On Another Thousand! My experience is that all things will break at about the most in-opportune time, and they break for no reason at all. I like to think of my "issues" as gremlins. I'm always chasing the little buggers all over my boat, sounds like yours are in your engine well. Keep your head up and best of luck to you, I feel your pain...

Yeah 696 is a whole new sound off thread (another bad topic) lol! Sounds like that guy running all over your gear either has too much money or absolutely no brains. Although he will be good for keeping our local gear shops busy!

fishing out of northport has been pretty good as compared to further south into the bay. Night bite I've found is better. I've had good luck on moonshine happee meal, pink panties, and flounder pounders. For me, the bite has been all spoons no meat or flies. Best of luck to you, I'll be back in a week or so...

So I guess if I'm willing to go into battle in front of a river mouth I should expect the opportunity to lose gear, I'm fine with that. Last weekend I was fishing in front of the Boardman in GT Bay about 6 am. All my lights are on and bright, I was still setting rods so the spreaders were on and yes those are bright as well and I'm in a 25' Grady with a t-top so it's not like I was blending in with my surrondings. Out of the dark I see a 25 or 27' Baha fisherman with a hard top closing in on me. I politely tried to get their attention thinking that maybe they just didn't see us and were too possibly in the back setting rods. Nobody paid any attention what so ever. 2 guys on rods, one driving, and another I think waving at me. The closer they got, the louder I got and less friendly I became. When their starboard bow nearly wiped out my dipsy rods (yes rods not the lines) I had a meltdown. If your a member on this forum and read this you know who I am and who you are. Have some damn respect! I am willing to run short gear in a tight pack (my dipsies were within 85' and tight and riggers had next to no lead length) but when I gotta start worrying about my rods and rigger booms off the side of the boat I lose all patience and cool. Somehow mr. baha and I didnt tangle gear but just as we parted ways some guy in a center console decided to try to swap paint with me and took a right turn directly behind my stern. He managed 2 plugs (one rigger and one dipsy) and a bran new dipsy diver. After that I headed for deeper water. I'm done with you Combat Fishing Fools, I've found fish are everywhere. Just my rant... Mr. Baha I would warn you to never get that close to a Grady with a blue t-top ever again. I will not just yell next time, I keep 1 lb thumper balls for people like you. Tight lines to all...

Not completely horrible. We had a hard time finding the fish, still can't figure what we did wrong. Only weighed 4 for the weekend ending up 35 for 42 in the am division

I was reading though some threads either on here or another fishing forum looking for more fishing info on Frankfort and came accross the name of a newer shop in town. Big Bob's Up North Outfitters. I can honestly say that these guys ( and girl) are some of the most stand up, informative, and willing to help you out people I've met in a long time. I would like to personally like to thank them and recommend anybody to stop in and say high to check them out. Was up there for the frenzie last weekend and I was happy to see their name on quite a bit of stuff around town. Thanks again Ron, Kyle, Amanda, and crew. I will be back this weekend for a bit.

It can be a bit expensive but I love my northface brand rain jacket. It's waterproof, has a hood, wind proof, light enough to wear when its a bit warmer, and dead sexy at the docks (ok so the last part I made up). If its chilly I'm a diehard believer in under armor. I work outside year round and have found the under armor cold gear is by far superior to anything else. As for lowers, I always wear the good old constuction style yellow bibs if its that nasty...not always that stylish at the dock. Best of luck in your search... By the way, my Grady is back up for sale, (the one you looked at near Unionville). New fuel tank and fuel lines and new decks, it's time to get a big boat again for me.

I know there are some really good nets out there but I personally think the cummings nets are the best bang for your buck. Their shop is in Flint, been around for decades, and if you go there, you can customize just about anything you can imagine. I got a custom boat net with an octagon telescopic handle, big hoop, and in scooper style for around 80 bucks. Definitely worth a look. Good luck.

If your making them, I could probably go for a set as well. Let us know what they cost when you get some made.

Might be able to stick some lures under a blacklight to see if they either are UV or are still UV sensitive... Just a thought...

Northwoods can be a great place if you know your prices. Yes some stuff is substantially cheaper to get you in the door, other stuff is the same if not more than lets say "franks" down the road. Both are your "local shops" but they are just local to us east siders and not you west side fisher people. Both are still Michigan owned and operated. I get stuff at both shops and online, just make sure you know what the prices are supposed to be at other shops before you go all "kid in a candy store" like I do when I get in any tackle shop. I will surely make it there this weekend for a few more convectors and boards thats for sure. Thanks for the heads up...

Mark, how many of those rods do you have? I'm always looking for backups or more to add to my spread. What action? How much do you want for them? Are they in good shape?

Thanks Frank, I think a lot of the parts on mine were interchangeable with standard GM parts but the displacement was way up there for a 4 cylinder (I want to say almost 3.7- 4.0 liters). I for some reason thought they were basically gm marine 4 poppers with merc stickers. Any boat you look at, look at it a few times, it's amazing what people do to these things!

I think the 470 mercs were basically the old iron duke 4 cylinder. I've had a couple of them, great fuel sippers that never run great but they always run. I used to beat the snot out of mine and they always lived to run another day. Best of luck with a new boat...

I will take them both, I will pm you asap, for some reason I'm having a hard time doing that... If shane cant get to them. Thanks