dan agnello

5 for 5, 4 coho and 7lb 8 oz laker. Laker on 3 color on Dreamweaver SS red pepper spoon in 77 fow. 2 coho on 100’ copper on DW SS Gold Rasta Goose spoon, 1 coho on rigger slider (main at 32’) on DW SS Silver Rasta Goose spoon and 1 coho on DW SS Silver Rasta Goose spoon on 150’ copper. All coho caught between 120 and 150fow. SOG 2.4-3.1, waves 2-4s in rain at 1:30 that settled down to 1s around 5. Fished 1:30-6:30. No kings. But guys that came in behind us got a nice king, a steelie and 2 lakers. King was in 50fow down by Palisades. 50-55 fow is where the kings hang out when they first come in here.

Went 3 for 4, 2 lakers and coho jack. All hits in 67fow trolling downhill, south. 1 laker on dipsey on 3 out 110’ on Warrior Whammy spoon, coho in 150’ copper on green glo frog w/wh back and laker on rigger down 64’ with Dreamweaver Blueberry Whirly Gig and chrome flasher. Got short hit on same, broke both rubber bands but no one home. 1-3s out of northwest were supposed to calm down to 1-2s but when we pulled lines at 1:45 2-4s were building to 3-5s. Speed 2.3 to 3sog. Water surface temp was 45.

Went 4 for 4, 3 Coho and I laker. Got all fish in 17-20’ by Palisades Plant, Coho on firetiger thin fin around 60’ back and laker on 3 colors on uv Dreamweaver SS Rasta Goose spoon. Beautiful day, 1’ sw waves, speed around 2.5sog. Coho came on uphill, south troll; laker downhill.

Thks

Heard some guys have been getting limits of Coho Jacks in St Joe River near pierheads. Here in SoHa in Black River few days ago friend got a brown by launch area and nice female farther up river at Stealheaders Park. Today is slow with no bites. Would like to be fishin Black bank right now but am on crutches until 3/24 with slight fracture at end of femur at my knee, torn meniscus also. End of the month I’ll be out in St Joe cruising 12-30fow south for Coho Jacks.

Doesn’t seam to be many lakers left at the river “corner”! just in front of the city south marina. On the pier still getting whitefish the past week. Sunday me and Bill caught 22” ers, and Mark got a big one after I left; Bill didn’t text me back on how big it was; probably bigger than 24”; Lance caught a 22” burbot and another guy caught at least a 15lb channel cat. About 10 days ago Bill got 2 24” whiteys. No steelhead yet on the pier or in the river. We are using single spawn eggs on two single hooks on each pole; one tied to the end of the line and a 2-3” dropper tied a foot of so above the bottom hook.. Whitefish Guru Bill swears by his single hook setup with fluoro line and even gave me a setup he made, but caught mine on my reg mono leader w/singles on a treble hook. Yesterday I did make up 2 fluoro rigs and one regular mono to see if there is any difference in catch rates. We expect steelies any minute! Happy Thanking! Capt Dan

Quite a few lakers in the river just up from north n south city marinas. I foul hooked one on spawn and returned it to the river. Heard a few whitefish have also been caught. Another month or so when water cools down we should be getting some steelies.

I am a retiree that has been fishing Lac Mich for a long time and moved to SoHa end of April. Most of the time we fish St Joe and SoHa. Would love to get a list of fisherman in the SJoe, SoHa, Paw Paw, Holland, etc area that would be available next season to fish. For worker bees will go out on weekends before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. For us retiress, we go out during the week. If interested please text me at 517 750-7452. Thanks. P.S. Putting the boat up Thursday until first week in March when I get her ready for SJoe Coho Jacks late March/early April.

Will have to try it. Sounds a lot better than my sea salt and brown sugar brine. thks

Fished 40-75’. Got skunked with 6 lines out. Small laker on rigger down 73’ bouncing off the bottom got off after a short while. Hit blue dolphin spin n glo 42” behind chrome SD w/green reflective tape on one side. As predicted 3-5s had built up by noon so we pulled lines..Got in 3 1/2 hrs like we thought. Oldest son was in town so we planned a day off from helping us move in to our new house..

Ditchmafia: I live here now so will be my first fall fishing here. if I get out this week or next I’ll run some high lines in the river and around the pier heads. Then run out to maybe 50-130’. Covering top to mid water for steelies and down to 80’ or so for maybe some 3 yr old kings. Most of steelies we caught this yr were 40-60’ down.

Thks. I’ll be out a few more times. Saw guy last week at fish cleaning had 4 smaller lakers he got in 120’ and one guy in small boat got a dark king in the river. It Il Do charter is running 4 boards n 2 riggers up n down the river and heard that day they had 2 rips but no one home.

Saw a report that Monday a wall of kings came in to the Betsie. But, there should still be some straggler 4 yr olds, 3 yrs and lakers and steelies. We got a decent amount of marks for this time of year. Stopped at Manistee launch on the way up. So sad. Only six tow vehicles in the parking lot with just a few boats doing harbor patrol. I was surprised that Frankfort launch lot was full. I had to park on the grass. Didn’t hear of any catches and no one was at the fish cleaning station. Heard someone got a king Thursday night and a laker was caught yesterday. Pretty bad. We marked some decent bait balls and one was the largest I’ve ever seen. Think in like 120fow it lit up the entire screen on my Lowrance. Crazy! Getting new steering cable installed this week, but will be out here in SoHa until mid October, then will put her to bed for the winter.

Fished south of the pier to the Point from 7:30 to 2 with 8 lines in the water and only 1 15” coho that we threw back.

Only 1 for 3. Got nice steelhead on CJohn King Ghostbuster flasher n meat rig on rigger down 85’ in 136fow. Steelie got off earlier in 118’ on pink akewife spoon on rigger down 86’. That spoon again released a few times with no one home. Fished 8:30-1, 85-165fow, sog 1.8-3.2. Waves 1-3s, 1-3s nw.

4 for 6 today, 2 lakers, a steelhead and small coho we threw back. All fish in 118-122 fow around 10am. Had double on the 200 cu and dipsey. Got small laker on blue bubble SD and blue bubble fly; steelie on dipsey on 3 back 165’ on mag modified green dolphin; and laker on 200cu on john king ghostbuster spoon. Had short rips on 300 and 225 cu but didn’t hookup. Fished from 90-180. Some nice marks and some bait fish in 180. Sog 2.2-3.2.

Went 2 for 3; 15 lb and 18 pound king. 18lb on 200cu in 128’ on west troll on mag green dolphin; 15lb on CJKing 4.65 Ghostbuster spoon on 300cu on north troll. In 118’ on west troll long run on dipsey on 3 out 160 after long runs got off.

2-3s were actually 3-5s; fished 8-12:30; 1 17lb 6 oz female, natural reproduction king on mag green dolphin on rigger 71’ down in 118fow. sog usual 2-3.2. King came on south troll. 6 lines in the water and no other hits. Fished 80-130fow.