littleboat

Mystery solved! When I first saw it, I thought of a smelt, but I couldn't understand the very long frontal mouth area. But with the change made in the stomach and the angle of the picture, it makes sense. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

I haven't seen a fish with such an upturned mouth. With the fins flatten and without picture from another angle, it would be hard for me to identify it. It looks like it feeds from the surface (Brook Silversides?) You're there, so what were your thoughts Was its shape changed during the digestion process? Could also be a pike-perch from Europe called a Zander. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Solo, fished 100-140 fow, 120-135 the best, sw trl, waves 0-1.5ft, surface temp 68.9, wind 10. 3/5, 1st was a small laketrout which I released. 2nd was a KILLER Alewive, which viciously struck my mag RV flounder pdr, but in the end, the Flounder pdr pulled him in. Hooked him behind the eye. I released him and swam away, looking for his next victim. There were two other flybys who didn't want to become my lunch today. But I did pull in a 14# king, loaded with eggs. She looked like she was starting to turn color for a final run. Anyway, the stats: King. (10:11am), 14#, double trouble mag, 2.3 sog. Sw trl. Btmp 65.3°, Bdepth 76, 132.6 fow. Right in the thermocline. That's where they are trying to fill up. I cycled the Optimum DR with an 8ft range with 5 up speed, 1 dwn speed & 5 sec pause( giving it a jigging action adding flutter to the lure like a wounded bait fish) Caught all 3 using cycling mode at various depths. Look at the cycle pattern in the picture. No hits on 350cu or low diver. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

The current seems to be all over the place this season, making the bites harder to entice. The deeper thermocline isn't helping either. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Nice bunch catching them at the breakfast table. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Two nice-looking dinner fish. Great job poking the fish to get them out of the bathtub water. Good solo run! Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

GOOD LUCK to all of you. I would probably do 95-160 fow. Big range, water is warm, and there are lots of cross currents. Watch which way your boards are pulling. Keep at least one line in the thermocline. I'm staining my deck this weekend. Won't get out probably until Tuesday. Save me some. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

The waves didn't start out as 3-4 feet, which I wouldn't have gone out in. They pretty much jumped to that with the sudden wind changes. When they didn't go back down, I packed it in and headed back to Holland. The biggest thing about cycling the DRs is that leaving enough slack on the rods releases so they don't pop on the maximum bottom of the cycle and not an excessive amount on the top part of the cycle. It's really not too hard to figure it out once pops a few times (trial & error). I probably wouldn't do an extreme cycle spread, making it too hard to keep an eye on with all the other activities on the boat. My sliders seem to work as usual without sliding down further. The downrigger creates its own network with Bluetooth connections to the Humminbird , fishhawk, my phone, and other DRs if equipped. I'm not sure how the older drs would make those connections (maybe hardwire). When I watched the fish follow it, their trails were going up and down with it. It was amazing. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

I started my troll in 90fow. My ball temp was 51-58 when down at 84 ft. Surface temp was 66°. Water was warm unless you were farther out, but the waves got even rougher, different than the bouy. I pretty much stayed between 110-120 fow. If it had been calmer, I would have fished 120-145 fow. I cycled from 87-93 depth because that was where my chip sonar was showing the fish, letting the downrigger do the work while I got used to dealing with the new process. I played with the rod slack so I could see at what point and cycle range would pull the release so I could work with bigger cycle ranges next time. It's kind of like jigging with the boat holding your rod. I think it's a real advantage for fishing. Next time, I'll tell it to go get me a fish while I wait in the parking lot. Love it! It's time to enjoy that coffee now. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

I saw an early morning break in the wind and wave forecast, so up I got up to try out my new downrigger (Optimum) I just installed. Picked up a king at the back of the boat and promptly lost it when it and my bad net job hit the transom from a 4 ft wave. They already started to build quicker than predicted. Estimate 8-10#, in 121.5 fow (7:56am) with Rv green jeans std on slider on a N trl., dwn 75ft, btmp 53. Next came at small laketrout 3-4# in same depth 121.1 fow, (8:09am) , atomic melon std, dwn 90, N trl, btmp 51. Released him to lake (cycling up/dwn 6ft). Had 3rd release, but I think it was just the waves that tripped it. There are really strong currents out there today. The new rigger was really why I was out. The freezer was already full. The rigger had several valuable screens integrating the fishawk, humminbird, and my phone with depth. Speed, temp, etc. But what I really like is the ability to cycle the rigger up and down as you trolled from a few feet to as much as you could cycle without pulling the release out. I like about a 6-10 swing cycle. You can control your rigger from its own control, the humminbird, or your phone. Attached is a picture of the screen, but it was after I put the fishawk away. I was going to take it on the lake, but it was just to dam rough. But it shows you how it appears on the screen. No, I don't store my fishawk in a freezer. I called it a day after getting beat up in 3-4 footers. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Nice box of kings Reely hooked! Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Fished solo, 3 for 4. 55-100 fow. 3 kings, 7 10 & 11#. One tangled which was quickly resolved. All catches were between 60-63.5 fow. Lake was flat. 1-King, (6:02am), Bloody nose RV mag, DR dwn 45 bk 40, 11#, S trl, ball temp 43.4, 2.4 sog, 60fow 2-King, (6:05am), Bloody nose RV mag, DR dwn 45 bk 55, 10#, S trl, ball temp 43.4. 2.4 sog, 62 fow 3-King, (6:35am), 7#, Flounder pdr RV mag, 8C, 63.5 fow Finally got a drink of coffee in. One miss about 45 minutes later flyby. New Humminbird Xplore I installed worked GREAT! Love that Chip sonar. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Nice looking fish. Great dinner! Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

What Great pictures! Certainly is a HAPPY CREW! Nice box of fish. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Great family outing, picture, and catch! Always have a good time when you have family with you. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Moving the ball up and down does make a difference, shaking up the neighborhood a little bit. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Nice catch! Good eaters too! Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

60-85 fow was the early morning sweet spot. You hit it well. I overshot it with my net jam up. Congrats on the catch! Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Solo 5:30-12, 2 for 3, steelhead and laker, both on J-plugs. Lost king and blue ladder back j-plug when 150 cu broke at the knot when it entered the rod eyelet. Lost 30 minutes trying to get plug out of net. Green ladder back Jplug took the steel in 105fow. E trl, on 110cu. 7#, 6:10am Purple chrome J-plug took the laker, 8-1/2#, off rigger. Dwn75 in 105fow, W trl. 9:15am Lots of boats out. Fish were in closer, as reported by PUG. Beautiful day, though. Very flat, glad it changed during the night I thought it might not be able to get out after the 11pm bouy report. Fished 80-148fow. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Good eater size. Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

Nice big KING! Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app