jdh

Nice work Kevin. Unfortunately I came down with the flu this week and didn't make it out today. I'm thinking of starting my 2016 season early than most if this warm weather sticks around. How does a limit of lakers on January 1st sound!?

I'm always thinking about it!

I'm always thinking about it!

I was feeling bummed out after the Michigan game and decided I needed to catch some fish to cheer myself up. Saw the weather was going to be nice so I called up my buddy kid coulson and decided to try Port Sheldon. After taking our time getting to the launch and messing around with my new fishfinder, trying to jig for some whitefish we decided to start trolling around 10 am. Took our limit fishing in 20-35 fow from the pierheads to a half mile north of the bubbler Mix of browns, steelhead, coho and shaker kings. Every line caught a fish, but the best were long lined Smithwick Rogues. Had some fun with my pier spinning rods. Second best were 1 color lc with Rogues or mini streaks. Nice trip to end the year with, but hopefully I'm not done yet.

I picked up an Islander I/O this weekend. I have plans to convert it to an outboard setup next winter. I'm planning on getting this thing restored and using it for a long time.

Late start. Bumpy ride. Decent fishing. 6-9. Set lines in 100 fow and worked out to 260, and then back to 230 before heading back in. Fished 8:30 - 2 pm. What worked: West/East troll. 2.5 mph heading west (mixed variety of spoons). 3.5 mph heading east (with all superslim spoons). Fish in order: 0-1 Steelhead - 170 fow - 3 color orange stinger 1-1 Steelhead - 175 fow - 300 copper mag blue dolphin silver streak 1-1 Steelhead - 175 fow - 200 copper mini miami dolphin silver streak 1-1 Coho - 180 fow - rigger @ 60 uv blue dolphin stinger 1-1 Laker - 200 fow - 300 copper mag blue dolphin silver streak 0-1 Laker? - 230 fow - 300 copper mage blue dolphin silver streak Took the following 2 fish as a double on the same line: 1-1 Coho - 240 fow - rigger @ 90 - blue dolphin superslim 1-1 Coho - 240 fow - free slider off rigger - custom superslim 0-1 Steelhead - 230 fow - 100 copper orange tranny superslim

I've been fishing out of a 17' Lowe Side Console boat for the past couple years and because I'm running and outboard I've been able to fish in very cold weather. I'm looking to upgrade fishing boats in the next year or so - to something a little more Lake Michigan worthy, and wanted to make sure I don't have problems with the colder weather. Anybody have some tips or good/bad experience with keeping a boat ready to go fishing until Mid-December and bringing it back out in early March? One of the styles of boats that I've been looking at are 20-23 foot fiberglass walkaround style with single or twin outboards. Are there concerns with fiberglass in freezing weather? Am I better off looking for an aluminum boat in that size range? I've been toying with the option of picking up and old Starcraft Islander or similar and removing the I/O and rebuilding the transom to support an outboard. Again, any suggestions?

Launched at 545 am and were done setting lines by 630. We worked at the morning bite in 55-70 fow in front of the sliders and ended up 1-3 by 730. We fished until the storm chased us - ended up running to Port Sheldon. Waited a 30 minutes or so to see what the storm was up to before heading back out. Set up this time pointed towards south in growing waves. From 1030 until 1 pm we went 2-6 fishing in 150 to 170 fow. Ran back in to the pierheads and got soaked with my open bow boat... I do not look forward to taking a pounding like the lake gave us today again. Travelled 5 miles into 2+ footers. Then got to the pier and my engine dies. Thank goodness for my kicker. I think it's a fuel pump issue. What worked: South Troll 2 to 2.7 mph. 0-1 150 copper Ace Hi wonderbread with black dots - copper snapped at backing 0-1 200 copper double trouble mag moonshine 1-1 Full core Silver Horde 4 -looked like a yellowtail pattern? King 1-1 Slide diver on 3 out 240 Kevin's girlfriend 10" sd with glow/green/white fly. King 1-4 Rigger at 125 white paddle 11" & poofster fly. Laker 0-1 400 copper silver blue thinfish - hook bent Overall a good outing bite wise, but I wish we could have put a few more in the boat. Now I have to get my big motor running again. -JDH

If you look at this video, you can see this paddle actually reverses direction occasionally. you can also see the fly wandering around behind it.

I would still prefer a 6 am start.

Check the battery terminal connection. If it's slightly loose it will click.

King Possible is in.

Finally made it out for a morning trip again for the first time in about a month. Ended up 5-7 with 3 nice kings and 2 steelies. For us it was a SSW troll with a 2.2 mph downspeed (@60 to 70 feet) that did the trick. Fished from 80 to 100 foe. 11" White/slick tape paddle with a bw poofster fly went 3-4 on kings on a trigger down 60 to 70 feet. Also took a hit on the 400 copper with a Kevorkian sd and poofster fly. Steelie #1 hit a 4" green mylar plug on a 150 copper travelling 0.5 mph while messing with some tangles. Steelie 2 hit a 200 copper with a lemon ice superslim going 4 to 4.5 mph while we were travelling back to the Holland pierheads.

I drove to the launch, and didn't even unload the boat. Took a two hour nap and drove back home. I'll try again tomorrow.

Yes, July 18th I'll be in New York.

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.