jdh

I'm out. In New York that weekend.

What two dates are we talking about? August 11 is a Tuesday - is that supposed to be August 1, or August 15? (Just for clarification)

I could probably do August 1st, 8th, or 15th.

Started in the dark at the pier heads and was marking lots of bait and good numbers of bigger fish. Right at dawn we hit 2 fish back to back in 25 fow. After nothing for another hour we started working out to deeper water and picked up a laker in 60 fow. I pulled out my favorite superslim program at 10 am in 130 fow. Picked up a coho in 120 fow. Worked into the mud at Saugatuck and lost a steelhead in 40 fow on the edge of the blue/brown water. All in all a decent slow day of fishing on a beautiful day.

What worked:

25 fow - King - rigger down 20 - 11" white paddle/poofster fly - SW troll 2.5 mph

25 fow - Steelhead - 100 copper - mag purple silver streak/glow back - SW troll 2.5 mph

60 fow - Laker - slide diver out 60 ft - 8" Green/UV spin doctor & yellow fly - SW troll 3 mph

120 fow - Coho - 3 Color LC - Suplerslim Orange Icicle - E troll 4.5 mph

40 fow - Steelie (lost him) - 6 Color LC - Superslim black with green tape - S troll, 4.5 mph.

Not going to make it to this one. Good luck out there.

Fished the deep water today looking for any temp breaks. Set lines in 200 fow and worked out and around to 400 fow. Didn't find any surface temp breaks and I didn't want to go out deeper as I might be crazy for going out as far as I do already. I did find a few pockets of colder water nearer the surface (temp break at 35 ft down vs 50 ft down) and that's where all fish were marked, and where we got bit as well. Ended up 3/4 finishing with a coho, a nice laker, and about a 6 or 7 lb king. Picked up the coho and the laker in 260-280 fow and got the king, and lost another good fish in the 360 to 370 range. Mostly worked a WSW W & WNW trolls directions and all 4 hits came in these directions. 2.6 to 3.3 mph for downspeed.

Rigger down 60 - Dreamweaver standard sized Yellow Leopard DUV - coho

400 copper - Moonshine Mag Blue Flounder RV - Lake trout

Rigger down 90 - Dreamweaver SS - Raspberry Dolphin (king?) - I saw him streak up and start following the downrigger ball on the graph before he slammed the rigger lure.

Rigger down 45 - Silver Horde 4" mylar green & yellow plug.

Was also running meat, various coppers and a few high lines with nothing.

Thanks guys! I'll probably have a few reports from this coming weekend.

What methods do people like for trolling in shallow cold water for skams?

I'm thinking about trying my browntrout spread mixed with my offshore spread? Lots of orange and several body baits.

Any other tips?

Seems like some fish might have been out deeper. I like to pick a SW or NW direction and keep going deeper until I find some fish.

I also agree that high lines can surprise you!

Nice job! Looks like some good eating fish right there!

Started out the day in 70 fow trolling SW. Marked a lot of big arches on the graph all through this water, but didn't get bit. Move around some traffic in the area and got pointed on a NW heading and picked up a laker on the 400 copper. Decided to keep going on NW heading and picked up a king in 135 on a free slider. Kept going and got another kings on a 300 copper in 155. Final hit of the day came near 180 on a 400 copper - but this one didn't stay hooked up. So final tally 3/4.

Meat rig on a diver didn't get touched. Flasher fly on the diver didn't get touched.

Trolling speed - 2.3 - 2.6 mph.

400 copper - Mag Moonshine Dancing Anchovy RV

Free Slider on Rigger @ 90 ft - Stinger UV Yellow Tuxedo

300 copper - Mag Silver Streak Blue Dolphin

400 copper - Mag Silver Streak Chilly Willy

King Possible can fish either day.

If you want something without batteries - I was thinking about trying some reflective tape. Put a 1/2 x 2" strip and fold it over the top edge of the board. A good flashlight should find them pretty quick with the tape on them.

Shoot. Must have been one of the many boats fishing just past us!

I keep waiting for the water to set up out there, but the east wind keeps messing with my plans.

Started around 7:30 am in 100 fow straight out of Holland. Trolled around for an hour and a half trying to avoid traffic, but never got the troll I reciting I wanted, and with the chop from the east wind I decided to point west. Trolled out to 260 fow and then back to 200. Ended up 3-3 with a nice king, a 3 lb coho, and a 3 lb steelhead.

King came in 180 fow - 300 copper mag blue dolphin 2.5 mph

Coho in 200 on a free slider, rigger at 80 ft blue whale superslim 3 mph

Steelhead in 230 - 3 color orange superslim 4 mph

As highpointdf said - matching speeds are ideal. After you get that though, you still need to figure out what speeds work best on your boat with certain lures.

King Possible is in!

I'll just have to try again!

I think I know what the problem is (for the superstitious) - I have been using my grandfather's old Coleman cooler for the past 2 years and whenever I'm using something of his the fish seam to bite better. A week and a half ago, the hinges on the cooler broke so I replaced it. I just need to break the new cooler in and it's gonna be Fish On! again.

I didn't want to report this as it's my first skunk of the year - but oh well.

We started a little before 8 pm in 40 fow fishing the cold water (48 surface, 42 at 20 ft or so) and working our way out 110 fow and slightly warmer water trying S, SW, W, NW, and N troll directions. Nothing.

Worked our way back in trying NE, E, SE troll directions. Nothing.

That's about it.

-JD

I haven't really fished them yet. I'll try and run one on a long line on my next morning trip and see if it does anything.

Took a couple cousins fishing tonight - and the two girls did great for a slow night on the water with a lot of flies! Fished for about 3 hours. Marked lots of fish from 100 - 60 fow towards the end of the night. Ended the night with 1.5 for 2 with a coho? and a king in 75 fow. Back to back on the fish on a free slider with a flounder pounder on a rigger set at 35 ft. The first fish was about 2-3 pounds and I shook it loose right at the back of the boat as I attempted to pull it over the transom. The second put up a bit more of a fight - a nice king about 10 lbs. Packed it in after catching the fish.

I wasn't really too concerned with trying to do well tonight, but a few things I noticed to keep in mind for other trips:

1st: The flasher-flies were seemed to be bringing fish into the spread, but they were just coming up and looking quickly before diving back down to the deep. Should have probably just run 1 diver instead of 3. Should have ran more long lines - 5 instead of 3.

2nd: I over-ran the fish again. I was pretty sure I would find some fish out deeper, but there is a good pocket of cold water set up in the 60 to 100 fow area - and had the most fish in it.

3rd: I didn't get to play with speed very much because I was in search mode most of the night - trying to get to good water. It seems to work a little better to keep playing with the speed of the boat to find the best speed - and the changes in speed seem to trigger strikes often.

Fishing right now. Trolled from 100 for to 180 fow. Nothing yet. Not marking much.

I'll update this report if anything happens.

-JD

Great job!

Hi Eric, good report. I also have Dave Ash to thank for showing me how it's done, and selling me his boat!

I'll look out for you at the launch. Gray/Blue Lowe 1720 - Named King Possible.

Those are the ones. Thanks Kevin.

Thanks guys.

Lure pics:

Unknown spoon I picked up at the show in Grand Rapids this past March:

It rolls just like a meat rig baitholder does.