1mainiac

Out this evening madhouse out front took one look and drove on thru headed north to 95ft set lines and got first fish in a few min 5lb king on a Nitro AREA 51 down 42ft reset it and got another hit on the dipsey with a Siggs Gold Mirage and a Glow Coyote flasher a few min later and brought in another 5lb king. Pretty good start plan seemed to be working but it is a work night and I had program planed had two more hits but no more fish.

Tight Lines

Jim

I live close by so sat will be fine with me

Personally I always stay short in combat mode 10 to 30ft behind the balls depending on lure. 2 colors with snap weights or dive bombs and stay closer to the boat if you have some room. I run lots of dipsey's I run mag dipsey's on wire set on 1.5 Standard dipsey's on 2.5 on braid. I always used to keep a bag of 8oz sinkers close to throw at those who run my lines over I can't throw them very far so if you are in range you are too damn close. As long as everyone runs north south out front there is no real problem it is just the dummies who want to run diagnally thru the pack as they know they are the only one who matters. And lets not forget the guys who get in the middle of the pack and troll in circles I actually enjoy running their gear over will miss my bow mounted electric anchor made clearing out lines a lot easier.

Tight Lines

Jim

Well you could just about fish non stop the entire 2 weeks and not get bored on the big lake you have King salmon Coho's Steelhead Browns and Lakers and perch if you can find them. Muskegon lake offers Walleye Bass Panfish Catfish Pike to name a few basicly every fresh water fish you could want is here somewhere. There is a chance of catching record class fish in all species though the Salmon have not sized up much in last 15 years you can still run into some over 20lbs. There are hundreds of streams rivers and inland lakes so you can pretty much say what you would like to catch and how you would like to do it and someone here can let you know where to do it. There are numerous charter services and guides as well as a number of guys who post here that often have a open spot on board to fish with. So let us know what you would like to do and see how many guys offer suggestions.

Tight Lines

Jim

I buy all my Owners in bulk 50 packs or more have got them as cheap as 45 cents a piece that way. The Outdoorsman in Jenison has them in 50 packs for 28 bucks I usually buy them off season easier to haggle price when no line of guys wanting them. I won't fish a chrome hook very often I usually replace them with Owners as they are the best hook I have ever used. I used to sharpen all my hooks on a bench buffer and touch them up with a emory board 600 or 800 grit I don't much like files as they remove to much metal if not carefull. My dad showed me how to sharpen on a bench grinder with a buffer wheel when I was a kid no better way to sharpen that I know of.

Tight Lines

Jim

Well so much for the Secret part Frank. Now we will have to rename it or create a new secret fishing system and not tell Frank Ha ha

Tight Lines

Jim

Temp breaks try and find pockets of cold water close to warm water Salmon live in cold water bait fish live in warm water get them close together and they will stay and feed. Find a area where there is warmer water outside a nice cold pocket and you will have trapped fish to work on. Last Sun I stayed out cause the water was warmer at 65ft so fished 80 and out all morn ended 3 for 7 ok but chk GLF's report for same morn he found cold water at 50ft that was pushed in by the warmer water further out and went 12 for 16. Had I considered wind direction I should have known to fish where he was but gas is killing me so now I take a short program and run it if it works great if not I go home so I leave with a plan and stick to it I make some minor changes but that is all.

Tight Lines

Jim

Here goes this is my rod setup 2 wire divers 2 rigger poles with 30lb Ande 2 rigger poles with 25lb maxum 2 rods setup SWR with 2 colors can run of riggers or behind boards alone or with dive bombs. 2 5 color rods 1 full core and one 7 color 2 copper rods 2 power pro braid poles. That is 16 rods and if I put the dive bombs on the copper and ran as a SWR could probably hit bottom in 300ft but sure can hit any depth from 200 up. I would suggest a SWR setup for the spare rod as you can use it a lot of differant ways.

Tight Lines

Jim

I just noticed the post about the ties and you said we get them when we pay I pre paid for all the league events when I signed up, and was not planning on launching from fishermans landing anyone gonna be around Sat so I can pick up the ties or can I just use my own? I guess I could just sort and install the ties prior to weigh in. Second question is there going to be 2 big fish awards or just a winner take all since this is actually 2 events?

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Jim

1 MAINIAC will be there may be short handed but will be fishing.

I crimp all of my wire but you have to make sure you use the right crimp for the wire and get a good crimp or it will fail. Being that i am somewhat anal about doing things corectly and using the right tool for the job i allways match the crimp to the wire and the crimper. Also i am going to put thimbles on mine next time as i don't care what anyone says no wire likes to be bent or tied.

great job way to many idiots out there today had 2 differant boats completely circle me just out of sinker throwing range. Kept hearing someone complaining that he was running double cores in the pack and wanting more room. Was in the pack just south in 80 fow looked around and nearly every boat was going in a differant direction what a mess headed west and left them to run each other's lines over.

Tight Lines

Jim

well that explains where they went. 3 for 6 this morning fished north and south 80 to 130 we lost another screamer on a Gold Mirage Siggs was 130bk in 85 fow never stoped it or turned it hook came back with fish chunks so may have been hooked on outside of jaw was still razer sharp. We refished the same area as yesterday where we went 3 for 11 made sure all the hooks were sharp. Fish were not there water temp was a little warmer than yesterday so we moved out found colder water but still no decent fish numbers. Pointed back in at 9 am trolled in to 70ft and pulled lines guess we should have fished in further but when we moved the probe up 8 ft to stay off the bottom the temp jumped 6 deg up saw all the boats north of pier perch fishing and figured the water was just gonna get warmer so gave up costs to much to drive around looking for fish. Out 3 times this weekend ended up 8 for 18 spent 200 bucks on boat gas lost or wrecked 80 bucks in gear. Might need a cheaper hobby sure starting to miss my little boat wish the wife would go out on it with me but at least she is having a blast catching big fish and for the first time in years not complaining about how much I spend fishing.

Tight Lines

Jim

Out this morn with my youngest brother and went 3 for 11found out my brother can't catch fish. Actually was mostly knock off's but had to give him some crap. Caught on fish on a Moonglow Jacksmelt 50 dn in 85FOW straight out had 6 other knock off's on the riggers then they went dead. Rest of morn was all fly bite second fish was on a dipsey 150 bk in 90 ft blue killer spinner with a blue hyponist fly. While my brother was fighting that one second dipsey went off 160 bk glow coyote spinner with Siggs gold mirage fly my wife got that one. Reset the poles and the Siggs pole went off again my turn grabed the rod and had a screamer started working it in when it made another run and the cheap snubber let go sending the fish and my fav fly combo on their way. Had a couple more hit and spit the flies trolled back around for a bit but bite was gone so headed in at 8:30 so my brother could get home. Darn good day could use less miss's but still beats not finding fish at least we kept busy. Will be back out this evening and see if they are still hungry.

Tight Lines

Jim

Going out tonight will try similar program planning on setting lines at 90 ft about 7:30 and heading sw

tight lines

jim

3 for 3 tonight fished between 90 and 120 mostly straight out. First fish was a laker 110 dn on rigger green spoon did not see which one. Second fish was a small king on 4 colors with a 3 oz dive bomb in the middle area 51 nitro spoon was setting it out had just attached the board and letting it back when it hit. 3rd fish was a nice king that grabbed a high nrg spoon set as free slider on rigger set at 80 dn. Have to work in morn or might still be out there.

Tight lines

jim

Nice job glf gonna try port sheldon tonight

Have to agree with billy never saw a need for less bait action i like them working fast.

Nice catch

Cold water every where Thermo is 30 down guys are catching fish inside the arms. Still not getting skunked but not doing very good either not sure spending 20g to get a bigger boat and better gear was worth it. Fri morn out with co worker and his family ran north to the nets and fished south between 90 and 110 went one for two nice king on rigger with high nrg spoon 110 down. Since 2 of the kids were chumming over the side we gave up. Sat night followed advice of a friend and went deep marked tons of fish only neted a laker headed back in and picked up a 19lb 2oz king in 55ft 28 down on rigger Siggs Blue Green Glow stinger flasher. Out for a bit tonight stayed right out front but had to pull and get home wife was pulling lines when rigger went off in 40 fow 28 down green glow ghost spoon 7lb king listened to every one yelling about how great the bite was out front as I ran in. gonna try and get back out Tue night

Tight Lines

Jim

nice job we were out last night as well not as lucky went out to 140 and trolled S marked a million fish none very hungry all down deep 120 or deeper finally got a 8lb laker and headed in. kept reseting and moving up ended up watching my wife get the best fish of the year in 50 FOW

tight lines

Jim

Great read Caz I have a big bag of glow heads I bought on Ebay to make my own with. Just finished building a bunch of Siggs Rigs I bought gonna try and get some photos in for the month if I find some fish Fri morn. I don't buy pre made flies anymore since I retie them anyhow. I spend way to much on this sport but love catching big fish.

Tight Lines

Jim

Thanks to all was a great time will look forward to next year.

I had a couple of snubbers come apart on me last year so I added a 14 in section of 30# wire along side the snubber for a while. It didn't seem to help or hurt anything so I stopped doing it but do inspect my stuff more often and throw away anything questionable. I know guys who cut off and retie after every fish I did this most of last year and this year however I found out Sunday I no longer had enough braid left on my port diver pole to get deep as I was having to send out the backer. So I put on 300 yds of fresh Power Pro and will be a little less zealus about cutting it off in such big chunks that stuff is not cheap. Anyhow had a great time Sunday wish I had caught more fish but at least lost no gear and ended 2 for 2 looking forward to the next one will be out of Muskegon Fri morn with a friend and his dad so if anyone has a good idea sure would like to find some better fishin.

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Jim

here is the list as of now.

1MAINIAC

CAZNIK

JOEL SANDERS

DEADWATER

TADPOLE

JUST IN TIME

This is cool lets get some more and hope one of us wins so we help the charity some more.

Tight Lines

Jim