1mainiac

Overcast can prolong the feeding period however even on overcast days the light angle is high meaning it penatrates deeper into the water. The light angle and color spectrum it provides is the biggest key. Think like a theif you don't want the light shining on you but you want some light on your target so you can see it. Ideally as the sun comes up or goes down you have a period where only the top 20 to 30 ft of water gets light this gives the entire food chain a dinner bell. Many times when we are out fishing in the evening we will miss our mark and be in what should be dead water and yet still pull several fish this is because of the dinner bell going off and since we were there the fish came to us. My evening fishing pattern is simple find the bait fish early mark them then I head offshore for Steelhead with the plan of being back near the baitfish at sunset. When I am on target the results are amazing several times we have had every rod on the boat fire within a matter of minutes. One night we went 7 for 10 in about 45min had 5 on at one point could not reset lines it was just a fire drill we were dumping the fish on the floor and pileing the rods forward still hooked to the fish while we fought other fish for 3 guys in a 18ft boat it was cool. Nothing better than deck loading kings with a boat that looks like a bomb went off in a bait shop LOL.

First it has to do with the fact Salmon like sharks can't sneak up on anything in well lite water. They need some light to see to feed so they are low light preditors based on the idea of using the least amount of energy to feed. To do this they must be able to get close low light conditions allow this. They are also cycloic feeders much like us however they are to me more like 3rd shift workers. I see it this way they wake up in the early evening and have breakfast based on whatever is close to them. As darkness settles in they move into warmer water and begin to herd the bait fish sometime around midnight they have lunch taking whatever they can grab easy. As dawn approaches the light angle lights the upper water column allowing them to see the bait while still hiding in the darker water underneath and they begin supper. Once full they become more neutral and begin to slide off to bed which can be moving out to deeper colder water or just laying on the bottom depending on the water temp. That's my theory anyhow for mid summer fish Spring fish and staging fish however seem to stay in the bait zone all the time and eat any time they have room in their stomach for more food.

I had a couple of the older Okuma lead core rods and the eyelets were pretty crappy I do like the new Okuma copper rods but at 40 bucks ea is a toss up on the TDR rods.

Were you fishing the structure or the open water west of the rockpile. That is a great lake have not fished it in years but pretty much always productive lake when we used to fish it. We used to go up and spend a week camped at the state park great times were always had and lots of fish many days would catch a limit of nice perch and a limit of Walleye. Or work the edges for bass and pike for fun.

I have several of the Diawa Wilderness rods that are going into their 4th season they come in many sizes and actions very hard to beat for 15 dollar rods. I also like the Diawa Firewolf which I beleive they dropped that line to move more of the Heartland series which is a good rod but starting to get too close in price to the Shimano TDR rods which I would take over the Heartland rods any day. So for fast and cheap buy the Wilderness rods they will get you several seasons then move up to the TDR rods which are a better rod but not sure they are worth double the money. I guess I will know if my Wilderness rods ever fail but no matter what they have caught a lot of fish.

never had 2 big fish on at once but have dbld on Steelhead several times. Used to dbl on coho down south may have to try it next weekend.

My fav for fixed sliders is Alberta Clippers I hate rubber bands the Alberta Clipper snaps on your line making setup and removal a breeze. I use sliders a lot the true fun is when you get multiple fish on the same rod.

I have been changing decals on trucks RV's and other vehicles for decades. Heat will work agree on the go slow fast what I mean is apply the heat slowly over a large area this can be done with a hot gun moving fast or a hair dryer moving slower. Use your bare hands to remove the decal if too hot to use bare hands use less heat all you are trying to do with the heat is soften the decal and glue. When the decal is at proper temp it will stretch as you peel it off. Use acetone to remove any glue residue then buff the area to get rid of sun fade. When installing the new decal you may consider using china marker to give you reference spots to line up with. Also depending on the size of decal and your ability you may want to use a soapy water spray on the surface prior to putting on the new decal this slows the glue down and gives you time to correct mistakes and get any bubbles out.

3M makes a nice decal stripper it is a wheel you can put in a drill is the best thing I have found for old stubborn stickers. Heat works great when they are intact and fairly new after they are old and cracked the stripper is the way to go once completely removed you will want to buff it out to clean up the sun fade. I have several friends who have vinyl machines south end of Grand Rapids Extreme Grafix is a great shop also check out Scotts Signs in Grandville I have known Scott since my kids were in diapers he does some really cool custom work.

I don't run stackers very much but always ran the stacker longer it seems to give you a better chance of not having the bottom line grab the top line. Does not always work but seemed to work better for me to have my top setup back further some fish just won't play by the rules so is anyones guess which way they will run. I also tend to run the stacker rod on the inside of the spread but again is a just a guess that has worked for me in the past. One reason I do it is I know which rod is which and that helps a lot when starting the fight if you can steer the fish even a little it might avoid a problem.

top heavy, too much sail area, we don't sight fish, more crap too fail on you. First time you sit up top on a rough day you will have a for sale sign on it. I disagree with Mike we all let price make most of our decisions on purchase but price aside you will hate a bridge boat much more than you enjoy the low price. And why is a major expensive option like bridge control a devalueing option on a used boat? The answer for us is the dominate wave period on the Great Lakes is very short making 2 to 4 ft waves here as bad or worse the 8 to 10 ft waves on the ocean. Second question if you get it and decide to run it from up top how long can you ride the tilt a whirl? Personally I would not even look at it long enough to consider buying it.

Well the sad part is I am not going to lower the price without removing stuff from it cause it is priced at pretty close to scrap value as is. With Aluminum going up in value that big heavy hull may be worth more as scrap than as a boat to some.

No it is a 1973 Ford Bronco that belongs to my son now it has been in the family since new. My dad bought it new and sold it to my younger brother I got it a few years ago and was going to restore it but my son wants it so it is his now he is buying parts for it to get it back running again.

I don't think any of the charts are all that close I have pulled my 300 copper in 65fow at 2.5 GPS and only hit on turns at 3.0 I have been in 55fow with the same results. At 4.5 to 5.5 I have caught Steelhead on it then I hear guys saying they are hitting bottom in 100fow with a 300 copper. The last couple of years I just go out and run a pattern and watch the rods to see when they hit no 2 setups are the same.

here are some pics

Yep she is a older boat but you don't have to marry it or mortage the house to fish in it. Put in new floors and carpet 3 years ago dbl planked 1/2 plywood built in a staorge box in center of floor for rods ect. ShoreLander trailer with nice tires. 1972 Merc 80hp with newer lower unit has Stainless shafts new water pump new Chargeing system Stator and rectifier had 170 or better in all cyl runs very good will troll all day no issues I am aware of. Includes a older Lowrance Loran fishfinder unit that also works and a Lowrance flasher unit. Has a DeckHand 40 remote anchor on the front with a 25lb anchor all new last year and a remote controlled 400,000cp spotlight on the bow so you can see to get home. Also includes 2 Rivera long arm manual riggers with 4ft arms and counters with rod holders on them. Will probably need a little TLC and fishing gear and you should be good to go. Will sell as is or part out the fishing gear and power anchor. I sold this to my brother last year and he never finished the deal so I got it back was asking 1500.00 OBO it is a solid hull that served me well. Will try and get some pics up this week. Let me know if you are interested. Tight Lines

boats in so far 1 maniac poor boy fishsniffer dave mull 7mary3 high seas charlies angel my ty Little Red 1 Double J Dreamer The Arvle "O" inreeltrouble wolfs den Mad-Ambush Wind Drift Green Machine face first Onefishook Pulp Fishin

He is used to sleeping on the boat it's the cast iron frying pan that really hurts.

Very good post guys remember the difference between a great day on the water and a life and death situation can change in 20 seconds or less. For some of the newer members please take heed several of us have done this for decades and myself included often joke about stupid things we have seen or done this does not make them any less dangerous we just tend to kid each other afterwords. When you see someone having a hard time try and help them out. A couple of years ago I came in to the boat ramps and a husband and wife were trying to load their boat neither of them had a clue and there was a group of people standing there laughing at them. It turned out the guy had broken his left hand because he forgot to latch the winch and when he let go the handle spun and broke his hand. But rather than offer to help this group just stood there and laughed at them. My wife and I loaded their boat and then loaded ours now beleive me I love a good show at the boat launch as much as the next guy but you sometimes need to put yourself in their shoes. The season is upon us and once again many of us will get to see both the best and worst of our fellow fisherman lets just try to keep our efforts towards the best side.

It is funny my wife gives me crap all the time about how much I spend on fishing so I took her along a few times and she spends more than me. I really don't think it is as much about the money as it is who gets to do the shopping.

Filet it absolutly not I chunk up the big ones into steaks for the smoker.

I suppose they just let them out for some exercise LOL.

Some guys used to jug a few fish they would catch them the night before and tie a milk jug to them and release them. One morning years ago we were fishing out of Grand Haven early on Sat morn of the tourny and we saw a couple of milk jugs floating so we picked them up they both had nice sized kings tied to them with about 50ft of planer board line. I am sure someone was bummed when they could not find their fish. I assume they were put there for someone in the tourny but have no way to prove it. However why else would you tie off a couple of Kings and leave them out.

Looks like a new dog is on duty very nice Terry can't wait for the reports to start coming in.

got you there Josh Depth Raider first battery lasted 2 full seasons and left with the probe still working LOL. 2nd battery and new probe going into 3rd season will see when it dies and yep I can fish without it and have many times last year most of the time. But the min I am unsure of what is going on under me it is in the water and has many times had me on fish and kicking butt while others sometimes within sight are haveing a tuff day. Being able to find and fish temp breaks and pockets of water can be the difference between a full cooler and a rough day of fishing.