WRENCHED 4 IT

Great idea having a portable propane heater. I was a little apprehensive on using one since most of the time I’m fishing in waves. Let me know how that works. 

I wont have the boat out of storage till April 9 and have some new items to install before I do my shake down run. Fishing in early to late April is usually spotty do to water temp. I think where your at I’ve heard that once the ice moves out fishing starts.

ill send you a pic once I hit the water, my phone number is 1-616-401-5069

Thanks for the info Ed ,and good luck to you also.

Good talking to you too Paul. No enclosure on my boat, at times I wish it did. I’m kicking around the thought of bringing out a portable heater. My previous boat had an enclosure and I do miss having a place to get out of the wind and cold. As far as going fishing together I’d be open too it, Im always looking to learn and the best way is to fish with another captain.

Paul,

I used straight braid on my regular dipsy rods and a braid backer about 100ft on copper dipsy rods. I use a fluorocarbon leader from dipsy out to lure of 20 ft with a rubber snubber on front of dipsy . Lead core I run the same 100 ft braid tied to the lead core and a 45 ft leader of fluorocarbon tied to the end to lure. On my copper long lines I do the same as the lead core.

My boat is a 21 ft deep v center console Robalo with 200 hp Yamaha 4 stroke. I run a maximum of 12 rods. I trailer this combo giving me the advantage of traveling port to port as the fish move up the coast from St. Joe in the spring  to Ludington in the fall. I’ll be getting the boat out middle of March and will hopefully get out soon after.

Paul,

I know a lot of guys who use straight 15lbs - 20lbs mono and a few that run straight 30lbs mono all year long. Hears my thoughts. The lake, do to zebra muscles, has cleared up to a point where the fish can see the line. To me in 15 to 45 ft depths the water is so clear that I want every advantage possible, I’ll even run out farther leaders sometimes out maybe 100 plus feet depending on the bite. Thus I went to the fluorocarbon line. I found early morning before sunrise I could run mono with no problem in shallow. Once the sun came up  my fluorocarbon rods would out produce the mono. Maybe it’s just on my boat but this is what I’ve found. Once I start fishing deeper water I  don’t see as much of difference in line size or mono versus fluorocarbon, which kind of proved my point. So I switch to 20lbs fluorocarbon, reason being I might start my day in closer but head out to deeper water. This way I’m covered for both. Hope this helped.

I use 30 ft of fluorocarbon on mono and braid and lead core 15 lbs line till I start to run into more of the green water and the lake starts to get cloudy. Then I switch to the 20lbs on all the above mentioned. On all the copper long lines I run the 20lbs all year long and usually I use a little longer lead to get more shock absorption, I’ll run out 45-60 ft . Paul that’s a good starting point. Don’t be afraid to experiment with longer or shorter leads depending on depth of water and clarity. I let others chime in with what they use. Good fishing.

If I’m not mistaken fluorocarbon line is different then fluorocarbon leader. Regular fluorocarbon line is thinner at same weight and softer more pliable. Fluorocarbon leader is thicker and is more resistant to fraying, also just a little stiffer, but has the same characteristics as the regular fluorocarbon. I’ve been using 15lbs and 20lbs fluorocarbon leader for the last couple years and it’s worked very well. 

Welcome Paul to the sight. Ed is right it’s slow this time of year. Keep watching for posts as boats start to come out of storage. You can also go on You Tube and watch Reel to Reel or Tangle Tackle, they do a great job about what current tackle is hitting and a lot of great information. Paul don’t forget when you post to give the good and the bad, sometimes knowing where a person got skunked is just as important, also giving as much information as possible really helps, for example, water temp at what depth, direction of troll, speed over ground, speed at ball, rods and spread , what lines were hitting, and so on. Paul glad to have you and love the boat.

Put away my big lake boat last week and broke out my 14 ft Sylvan to run the channel and channel mouth. Had the place to myself with a few boats on Muskegon Lake. Wind kicked up early which kept me in tight. Marked very few fish . Ran only 2 lines both 5 color with planner boards. Caught 2 drum and lost 1 steelhead in 30fow  1/4 mile off north pier. Then waves picked up and I had to bail. Used only slim spoons, 1 drum and steely were on DW slim 3 days at sea spoon , other lure DW uv blue /green spotted.  
 

Hey everyone sorry haven’t posted in awhile went out west for 3 weeks . Fished from 6:00 to 1:00 this morning and went 4-5. What worked . North troll ran 1.7 to 2.0 sog. Found a scum line around 10:00 am about 1-2 miles north of pier in 94 fow out to 100 fow and worked back and forth on a zigzag pattern across the scum line. Followed it till 1:00 and headed in for the day. Ran a six rod spread for the two of us, ran  two 5 color, 6 color 7 color 2 braid dispsys one with mag diver and 1 slide diver. What worked  Blue mirage fly  on mag braid diver 1 1/2 setting 83 ft back 15lbs king. Lemon ice mag spoon  2 fish on slide dipsey with 35 ft leader and set on 4 with 115 ft back, took 8 lb coho and 20lb king. Bloody nose mag spoon 5 color 8 lbs steelhead. Most of the bait and fish hung in the 20 ft to 40 ft down.

Warning: the channel going out of Muskegon lake and the  mouth of channel out to Lake Michigan were packed so tight with boats that I had a hard time getting out, if you plan on fishing in the mud go earlyyyyyy morning. Also there are 2 nets out both north of pier head. First one at 65 fow and 1 mile out and second at 95 fow about  2 miles from pier head.

Good luck everyone.
 

Wow you really have a fine catch the last two days I’m pretty jealous. Send some of those fish north will ya

Went out this morning. Started just south of pier about a 1/4 mile and bypassed boats on the way out to 200 fow and dropped lines. Ran 6 polls. 1 braid mag diver, 1 copper mag diver, 1 braid high diver, 1 300 copper, 2 lead core 7 color. Went 3 for 4 between 200 fow out to 235 fow at a north slightly west troll running in and out to 200 fow to 235 fow. Fish seemed to be hanging between 85 fow and 100 fow down with an occasional 60 fow down markings of small fish in that depth of 60 fow down.Fished 2.1 to 2.4 sog . Caught 1 steelhead 8 lbs wire diver set at  1 1/2 with 195 ft out on line counter using 8 inch Mountain Dew flasher and green fly. 1 steelhead 9.3 lbs  braid diver set at 1 1/2  with 200 ft out on line counter 8 inch flasher green/silver with green/gold fly. 1 steelhead 1 lbs that we drowned (not knowing it was on) 300 copper green dolphin mag spoon. Lost a screamer on the wire diver with the Mountain Dew flasher and fly (snapped the brand new DW snubber at the swivel). Great day to be out. Good luck everyone.

Nice to get out again Ed on a beautiful day and nice catch .

Thanks for the info. The lake is so clear and with the fish in shallow water it seems to be causing issues . I also have had a rough go, still dialing in new boat. 

Awesome job that’s the biggest king I’ve heard of this year so far. Really appreciate the info. Hey can I borrow your Pug, I could use some luck.

I’ll start with the short story and end with the long story.  Got a late start fished from 6:30 to 11:30 solo water depth 75 fow to 105 fow.Went 2-3. What worked 7 color lead on both sides of boat. 1-8 lbs king using mag spoon Chilly Willy in 88 fow.  1- 10 lbs king on blue/silver 8 inch paddle blue bubble fly also 7 color lead in 78 fow and lost 1  on the Chilly Willy in 78 fow. Sog was 2.4 to 2.6 all three were on a north troll. 
 

Okay here’s the long story. Left this morning and forgot my phone, went back home picked up phone and didn’t realize till at boat ramp that I forgot my jacket and meat rig herring. Left harbor and found bunch of boats all halfway between GH and Muskegon in tight, with some out in the 150fow and deeper but not many. Set up 1/2 mile south in 75 fow heading south while slowing moving out to 105 fow. Marked all the way out till 105 fow. Tried braid and wire dipseys with no takers. Also tried 300 copper with no takers in both directions. Headed back north in same water depths.Wasn’t till I switched to all lead did I get any action. Not sure if between the depth and clarity of the water the dipseys were visible causing concerns but today lead was the answer at least for me. Starting to think maybe I should use a slide diver inside a 100 fow . Maybe someone could chime in on that.

Any how good luck everyone.

Good bunch of fish. Thanks for the report.

Wild fire smoke has been a real issue. Glad you were able to get out and catch a few. Thanks for the post Rich.

Nice job Ed especially fighting the fog and going solo. I went out Wednesday in the fog out of Muskegon and got skunked. Few fish were caught in shallow between 40 - 60 fow. Small steelies and small kings. We went out deep with good large marks in the 155 fow with only 1 hitting on a mag dipsey set at 1 1/2 down 225 ft white paddle with white/blue fly which we lost. So far I haven’t been able to get any rhythm going. Hoping to get out next week. Good luck everyone.

Thanks for the report Jason.

Fished from 5:30 till 12:00 starting out in 80 fow out to 200 fow of water marking most fish in the early morning 89 fow to 110 fow and again in the 147 fow out to 175 fow  heading on a SW troll and NW troll . What worked, 100 ft copper with a McMuffin uv 1 steelhead 16 .4 lbs  in the 155 fow. Also same combo took 1 lamprey, ( yep you read right lamprey ).  Shaker king we released on a braid dipsey set at 47 ft in 187 fow  SW troll. Had a few large bait balls marked but no fish around them. Bite and fish seemed to be somewhere else. Lots of radio chatter of no fish. Good luck everyone.

Fished 6:00 to 12:00 and went 1 -2. Started in 80 fow out to 200 fow on a NW troll. 2.5 to 2.7 sog. Had the first fish hit in the 132 fow on the way out, on the way back in hit 1 fish 147 fow. 1st fish steelhead 7 lbs on a 7 color standard watermelon spoon 132 fow heading NW.  Heading back in on a SE troll in 147 fow lost second steelhead on a 3 color captain Gary’s double uv. Funny thing, we lost the second steelhead after a good fight about 80 ft behind the boat. The fish stayed on top of the water barely swimming. Watching the fish, we turned the boat around as fast as the long lines would allow and got the bow right up to it, my friends son went to net it and it suddenly came back to life and took off. It was awesome to watch, even though it got away, we have a great memory and an overall fun day. 

Thanks for the report Dan.

Great catch Scott. I agree it’s so helpful for guys to post. I once was a weekend only fisherman and depended on any information I could get, time was a premium, you don’t have time to waste figuring out where to go and what was working. Now that I’m  retired I’m on the water much more and I’m able to do scouting and try different lures. I enjoy posting what I’ve learned week to week. After all I hope it helps others to put fish in the box.

Great job. Thanks for the update.