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SeaCatMich

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Posts posted by SeaCatMich

    seeking a 19 to 22 ft GL fishing boat

    in Classifieds - Buy, Sell, Trade or Rent

    Speed & Temp Probes

    in Marine Electronics

    Posted

    The break-away cable just needs to be of a lessor breaking strength than your main rigger cable. Personally I have never had a problem with loosing a weight due to hitting bottom and it getting snagged... and I have hit bottom with the weight on the probe rigger and others relatively often. I do use the break-away cable furnished with my X4 but the cost of a replacement from FH seems pretty high to me. Should be able to remove a single strand from a 1' segment of regular rigger cable to weaken it to make a break-away cable.

    Speed & Temp Probes

    in Marine Electronics

    Posted

    The FH probe has a gravity switch in it. If you turn it upside down the probe will turn off. Plan on about 1 9V battery for every weekend or two depending on how much it is in the water. One of the nice features of the X4 is that it does not turn on until it is submerged in the water.

    You can usually test the probe by putting it about 1" below the transducer.

    Speed & Temp Probes

    in Marine Electronics

    Posted

    I had one for 8 years and it worked very well. When its head unit got damaged in moving, I changed to the Depth Raider because of the great reviews it was getting. The DR worked very well too but I went back to the FishHawk when the X4 came out -- mainly because I didn't like the coated cable. As you mention, you can always buy the X4 probe and have the performance and battery life of the new unit, minus the new style display. With a probe upgrade, you would have less in the used 840 + probe than a new X4 but about the same as a new Depth Raider.

    Really depends on your preference of coated cable (DR) vs transducer (FH) and the initial buy in cost.

    How long are your trips on average?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Here's a question I got for ya guys: how long do you stay out when the black flies are biting bad and in high numbers? Also, how long if there is a lot of sea fleas thick on the lines? Just curious...lol.

    If we have caught a bunch of fish, then the flies might cause us to quit sooner. It has to be a combination of negative stuff... waves, heat, flies, bad fishing, etc to get my boat to come in "early".

    Started using a new to me repellent called BuggSpray (http://www.buggspray.com/) that I heard about and it works very well to stop the flies. Menard's is the only place I have found it in Michigan.

    The spiney water fleas have never caused me to shorten a trip. They can be a pain but just something to deal with.

    About the only thing that really causes me to come in early is when the waves get over 4'. The whole idea is to have fun and when it isn't anymore then it is time to head in.

    Why do I need wire?

    in Salmon Pro's Connection

    Posted

    ... I also tried a cheap Eagle Claw roller rod and almost threw it overboard on the first trip...

    You triggered a memory which I haven't had in a very long time.

    Way back in the early '70s was actually the first time that I tried wire. If I remember correctly the reel was a Penn 309 and I know the rod was an Eagle Claw 8' with rollers and a wooden handle. It was so bulky and heavy :eek: The line was not forgiving at all and kinked a few times. Ran it down the chute with a lead ball on a sinker release. Never got a hit on it and pretty sure we only tried it on one or two trips and went and got some manual downriggers. If I remember right we bought it at Armstrong's in Whitehall and he took it back in as credit toward the pair of Riviera 300 downriggers and a pair of rigger rods/reels.

    Why do I need wire?

    in Salmon Pro's Connection

    Posted

    The 47lc reels will be fine for wire. I'm guessing these are the older Great Lakes 47LC reels (all black, no chrome/silver trim). They or the newer SeaLine SG47LC or LCA will be fine for 1,000' of 30# stainless wire -- with a mono/flouro leader the 1,000' will fill the spool almost completely without any backing. You will want to coat the spool with either electrical tape or some mono to prevent the wire from slipping on the spool though.

    I started out with SG47LC reels for my wire with Heartland rods with Twillie Tips. After hearing rave reviews on the Shimano Tekota 600LC reels, I bought a pair of them along with 7' Talora roller rods. The 600LCs are nice and smooth, but for nearly twice the cost of the Daiwas, I can't say that I would do it again. Both the SG47LC and the 600LC are 4.2:1 retrieve ratios and both have good drags. The roller rod did make it a lot easier to use the wire though. I didn't damage the Heartland rods with the wire at all, but like Jim/1Maniac I can sure tell there is a lot less resistance with the rollers. I later upgraded to the 9' Talora rollers with the swivel tip -- very nice wire rods (pricey too, but I got a bargain on CraigsList).

    The Great Lakes 47LC are actually faster than the newer SG models with a 5.1:1 retrieve ratio. I used them as my half core reels for years mainly because of the better speed for clearing lines.

    How long are your trips on average?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    As long as it takes! Most of the time that is 4-8 hours but have been known to fish dawn to dark. If I'm going to tow the boat for 2-4 hours to go fishing, then I'm going to spend as much time on the water as I can to catch as many fish as I can. Only thing that will bring me in early is rough seas with little action on the rods. 4' seas and no fish stops being fun.

    Why do I need wire?

    in Salmon Pro's Connection

    Posted

    Your Daiwa 47lc reels are not going to be very good for copper as they will not let you put much on them. Copper takes about twice the space of leadcore on a reel. A 47lc with backing is max'd at 5 to 6 colors of lead (150-180') which means only 70-90' of copper. The level wind on the 47lc is also too narrow to handle the knots needed when copper is attached to the backing and leader.

    If you want to run copper, you're going to need bigger reels :). I run my 300 coppers on Penn 895LC digital line counter reels and Cabelas 8' large guide rods. Lots of guys run the Okuma 55 size reels in various model lines and the Okuma leadcore/copper rods have got very good reviews too.

    I found deploying copper without getting nasty bird nests on the reel to be a challenge. After lots of good advise on the boards I don't have many issues now. It must be deployed slowly (pulling line off the reel a foot or two at a time by hand) and the best advice I got was to keep the rod tip in the water until the leader plus 75' or more of the copper is in the water. Even then you have to keep the rod tip low and not let the spool over rev as the rest of the line is deployed. It definitely takes patience compared to other presentations.

    I have pairs of both braid (50# Power Pro) and 30# Wire (Mason 7 strand & Torpedo Diver 19 strand) outfits for my divers. The last three seasons the wire has gotten 2-3 times as many hits. I run the wire on the inside rods (Talora roller 9') with the diver on 1 to 1.5. The PP (10' rods) are set on 2 or 3 to run out farther from the boat and I vary the amount of line depending on how deep I want the presentation to be. I will often start with one of each out with them both set to be low divers and let the fish tell me if they have a preference -- most of the time it is the wire they want. Fighting the fish on either PP or wire is a blast as you feel every move they make on the other end.

    out of state boat

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On the SOS web page referenced in my first reply it also says:

    Watercraft Title - Requirements

    All watercraft 20 feet and longer, and all watercraft with a permanently affixed engine, regardless of length, must be titled. Watercraft not required to be titled may be titled as an option.

    So since it is less than 20' long, if the boat does not have a "permanently affixed engine", you don't actually need to title the boat.

    out of state boat

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Found this form on the Michigan SOS web site:

    http://www.michigan.gov/documents/tr-205_16198_7.pdf

    It can't be used in your situation since the boat is from out of state but on page two does say that in that case: either "an assigned ownership document" or "a surety bond must be purchased". Not a clue as to what either of those entail specifically, sorry. I think you'll need to call or visit the SOS office to find out what is needed specifically.

    out of state boat

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    You should be able to just go to a Secretary of State (SOS) office. Without a title you may be able to just use the bill of sale but I would call the 1-888-767-6424 SOS number and ask. Normally the fee would be $5 for the title ($10 for an instant title), $42 for the 3 year boat registration, and $75 for a lifetime trailer license plate.

    Boat Registration/Title info: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1585_15242-34638--,00.html

    License/Title Fees: http://michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127--75432--,00.html

    Time to winterize is NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    in Calumet Marine

    Posted

    If the weather gets nice I have been known to fish on the big lake way into November many times. Biggest problem is finding a usable ramp. Actually went out 2 times on Christmas day when living down in St. Joe. Sure is nice to have outboards. Actually the only months that I have not had the boat on Lake Michigan over the years are January and February... but was tempted a couple times in January one year.

    Weekend fishing

    in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout

    Posted

    Plugs off riggers and divers is the main presentation I have used for trolling but a lot of guys will also anchor and jig for them with spoons. Super Mag spoons have also worked for me in the past. Trolling speeds vary, but I usually go slower (1.8-2.1 mph) than on the big lake. I would anticipate combat fishing at its finest which means shorter leads than on the big lake (usually no more than 40' or so) and be ready to adjust depths quickly as the water depths change quickly too.

    big king tournament

    in Lake Michigan Discussion

    Posted

    I was considering it, but with 15-20 knot N/NW winds pushing 4'+ seas forecast all through the weekend... does not sound like getting on the lake is very viable. Could be very crowded in the channel.

    I hope we can get a break sometime next week as I'd like to get one more trip to try for some staging fish before they all head up the rivers. With showers forecast for the whole weekend too... next week could really see some fast action on harbor patrol.

    Choosing a downrigger release

    in Fishing Videos

    Posted

    The only time I set the Chamberlains very very light is when I know that there are lots of real small fish around. If most of the fish are able to pop a normal tension setting then that is how they get set. I have not tried it, but I also think that a rubber band from the line to the release arm with the arm set slightly less tight than "normal" might be a good way to get a good hookset but also trip on small fish. The rubber band would give some stretch/resistance to set the hook before popping the release's arm. It has been 2 seasons since I fished in a situation where there were enough small fish around to warrant trying the theory.

    Speed & Temp Probes

    in Marine Electronics

    Posted

    Had a FishHawk 840 for a lot of years but it started acting flakey and I had heard lots of good feedback on the Depth Raider the first year it was out, so I changed to it. Worked very well but I didn't like the coated cable and because of the cable and antenna, it could not be moved to another downrigger. When the X4 came out and got rave reviews, I got it two years ago. Only problem with the X4 was when a probe went bad but Trevor at FH shipped out a new one the day I called him (and then I shipped the bad one back) -- in the middle of July :). Haw worked very well with no other issues -- have run it down to 230' in late July and no problems with speed or temp readings.

    Personally I prefer the FishHawk and to me, is worth the extra cost. I would not be without a down speed/temp unit.

    FishHawk advantages:

    1) No coated cable -- had to repair the DR cable quite a few times where the coating came off. Would probably have bought the new Torpedo Diver cable had I kept the DR -- but then the total cost is a lot closer to the X4

    2) Can move between riggers by moving the probe.

    3) Battery life is outstanding -- 4 AA per season

    4) Surface temp/speed and surface temp/speed on the same display is nice to be able to see the difference

    5) Very good customer service

    6) No spring antenna (but does need transducer)

    7) No "special" termination necessary to maintain electrical connection to probe since no coated cable so any type of release can be used

    8. Less blowback

    Depth Raider advantages:

    1) Can run more than one per boat

    2) Lower cost

    3) Very good customer service

    4) No transducer (but does need spring antenna)

    5) Can have multiple displays by splitting the antenna cable

    6) One 9v battery per season

    7) Lower replacement probe cost

    Choosing a downrigger release

    in Fishing Videos

    Posted

    Been using the Chamberlains for 4 seasons now. Started using them because of the numbers of non-walleye hitting at times on Lake Erie and for the early season Coho on Lake Michigan. They work great and as advertised. No problems adjusting them tight enough to drag flasher/meat rigs or light enough for crawler harnesses while being able to really put a bend in the rod.

    I got a "beta" version of the stacker version of the release that I wanted to use on my Depth Raider coated cable. The early version worked on regular uncoated wire but would not hold on the coated cable. I subsequently went to the X4 so I don't know if the production stacker would work or not. I heard that they did make some changes so it might (and would be a nice solution for DR or Subtroll use.)

    FishHawk new owners of Walker divers products

    in Great Lakes Fishing Discussion

    Posted

    Just got this off of the FishHawk website's news page (http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8106120b8bc76f1eb4b489fc2&id=c3cdf92795)

    We have purchased the assets of the Deeper Diver and TripZ Diver from Walker Downriggers. We'll be launcing a new website for them later this fall, trollingdivers.com. First we're going to work on getting everything in-stock. Beyond that we're excited about adding new technology to divers in the near future.

    I had heard that Walker had sold the downrigger part of the business to Bert's and now this. I wonder if anyone will be taking over their under-rod levelwind reel product too? Not much else left.

    Elberta MI: DNR Officer from TC Arrives at Betsie Salmon Scene, Shoos Away Diggers

    in Great Lakes News

    Posted

    Story from the Elberta Alert:

    http://elbertaalert.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/dnr-officer-from-tc-arrives-at-betsie-salmon-scene-shoos-away-diggers/

    DNR Officer from TC Arrives at Betsie Salmon Scene, Shoos Away Diggers

    In Breaking, On and off the Apron, Open Season on September 17, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    Story by Emily Votruba Photos by Chip Marks

    Sergeant Robert Torres of the Traverse City DNR enforcement office arrived at the mouth of the Betsie River this evening at about 5:30.

    He had been called to the scene by reports of the efforts of citizens to save the fish as well as the snagging and bagging of fish struggling through the shallow water.

    Torres spoke with the Alert after he left he scene. He could not comment on whether he had written any tickets. “Compared to last week when there was 50 to 100 people out there, there was hardly anybody tonight. There was lots of lawfully caught fish, hooked in the mouth. There was maybe six people out there. Whether it was word of mouth, or people have gone back downstate, that’s what we want—for people to stay out of there.

    “Fisheries writes the rules, plants fish, and manages the fish population of Michigan. The law division enforces the laws they pass. Most of the time when there’s a law change they seek our input on whether or not it’s enforceable. We’ve been in touch with them since the situation came to our attention through the local anglers about the low water levels. We’ve had a lot of good input from citizens as far as solutions, whether it was closure, or dredging, but the DNR doesn’t regulate dredging. That’s the Army Corps and DEQ, totally different entities, one federal, one state. You need to get a hold of the proper entity you can’t just take it upon yourself to do that.

    “But as far as the fish go, to protect them, to get them to go up—that’s what we deal with.†And there are fish in the river, he said. “We’ve talked to anglers. They’ve been catching them.

    “Last year we had the biggest fish run in memory. It was a phenomenal run that started in August and lasted all the way to mid-October. Anglers are panicking because they’re not seeing all the fish they did last year. But they got to remember that last year we had the biggest fish run ever; number two, water levels are down to their lowest since 1961, temperatures have been high, with a mild winter, so water temperatures have been up and fish don’t run in hot water. The majority of fish are still being caught by boats out in Lake Michigan. It’s not a red alert for Fisheries because the majority of fish are still probably going to come in. They may come in before October 10 [when the Bay fishing ban is expected to take effect], they may come in after, we can’t say, but what we can say is that as long as people are in Betsie Bay, kicking around, that is going to impact fish getting up the river because when it’s ankle deep as opposed to thigh to waist deep, fish spook easily. Instead of working hard to get up there, they’re turning around and beaching themselves. That’s why this emergency closure is going into effect. Some anglers will voluntarily stay out because they realize the importance of letting the fish go and others will say, well, it’s my only trip up here… That’s the problem. We can’t cure certain mentalities.â€

    The Alert asked whether there’d be any kind of DNR presence for the next few days or weeks to stop the snagging. “If there’s illegal activity going on, people should call the RAP line and report it. There’s a lot of different seasons now, bears and small game, so we’re getting complaints all over the place, so I can’t say there’ll be an officer there 24-7. As we can we’ll go through there. I’m hoping the Village of Elberta will cooperate and post the press release when it comes out so that people will be able to see it and read it. As with any new law there’s a posting period that has to occur. When it’s enforceable [on October 10], that’s when all the official signs from Fisheries will go out.†The press release is posted on the DNR website here.

    As this post went up, rain fell steadily and more was forecasted for the rest of the week.

    Note: Pictures are available at the link above.

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