mrhookup

Yeah I don't mind trolling, it's the whole blasting into them in the dark that gets me. The rivers down here seem to be empty and everyone fished 80-160 last night with not too much luck. I'm confused at where the matures are all at.


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If I had to bet I'd guess they're sitting in the 70deg water at the pier heads with lockjaw waiting for the river temps to cool down a bit more. I did hear Muskegon lake fished well the last few days or so, I've just been too busy with other things to make it out. No north winds forecasted this week so it will continue to be a slow run for kings down here I bet.


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Great to see you posting again Terry, good stuff as always! What fly do you like behind that chrome/mtn dew spinnie? A chartreuse bead mirage has been good for us.


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Managed to get out on the water three times over the holiday weekend. We did harbor patrol each morning and it was pretty slow for those that stuck it out in there including the charters. Here's how we did...

Friday 9/2am - Fished from 5:30-11am and finished 2 for 4 with a 9lb king and an 8lb coho. We lost a real nice king and another good coho both at the back of the boat due to user error with newbies on the rods. Fish came on MOP DW Captain's Choice plug on diver out 25-35ft, Gold ladder back Ace Hi 35ft down on rigger, and flounder pounder 15ft down on rigger, not a single hit on the boards.

Sunday 9/4am - Fished from 6-10:30am and finished 2 for 5. All 5 of our hits were by 7:15am and then couldn't buy a bite after. Bagged a 10lb king and 8lb coho. Four of them were coho's and probably the reason for the low landing percentage as each spit the hook unexpectedly. Fish came on MOP DW Captain's Choice plug on diver out 25ft, and Happee Meal mag Moonshine on 50ft. of copper.

Monday 9/5am - Fished from 6-10am and finished 2 for 2. Got a nice 19.5lb king on the MOP DW Captain's Choice plug on a diver out 25ft first thing and then nothing until 9am when we decided to slide out to 60ft and troll north for a bit with the waves where we took a 9lb immature king on a dbl glow green back Dreamweaver Captain's Choice plug on 75ft of copper.

6/11 in three trips and 14hrs on the water so fishing was slow in tight, seems to have been the general consensus in most ports this weekend.

Congrats! Looks bigger than that even, great pictures


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Made a trip up to Ludington to try some new water, we had originally planned on doing a four day weekend but my crew wasn't able to get work off and then Mother Nature didn't cooperate as we all know. Still managed to fish Saturday morning before the storms, got a late start so we missed the early bite and didn't start setting lines until 7:30 off Big Point. Still managed to finish 5/5 by 11am, 3 kings and 2 cohos. 130-140FOW on the south edge of the point was where we found them. Sounds like it was a tougher morning for most after speaking with the DNR officer at the launch. Here's what worked:

Low diver back 130' - 8" crush glow spin doctor with Pickled sunshine fly - 6lb coho

Low diver back 130' - 8" crush glow spin doctor with Pickled sunshine fly - 12lb king

200' copper - Magnum Dreamweaver blue/green dolphin - 18lb king

Rigger @ 95' - 11" white pearl fish scale paddle with UV Oceana fly - 4lb king

350' Copper - Ace Hi MOP Black Dots - 9lb coho

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Forgot to mention that our down speed is typically 2.5-2.9, rarely go slower than that which is the reason for the long stretch on the big paddles


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We've had more success when we stretch our big 11" paddles back a ways all the time regardless of depth, 70ft back with a 50-55" lead to the fly is standard for us now, rarely deviate from that, some times it's on fire sometimes it just brings fish into the spread. We start doing that consistently in mid July typically and always have it down now. Otherwise, riggers have been very hit or miss for us this year and only get bit in low light situations if fishing kings. Coho's are a different story as they love a pair of spoons set close to the ball in early season. But for kings we're typically running glow spoons and plugs 30-50' back at the temp break or just above in the dark or very low light conditions when fishing outside of 60' of water. When in shallow around the piers we stretch them back 60-100' feet until they get bit. Once the sun is up we just switch things up until it takes a hit, sometimes they want the SWR, sometimes it's a meat rig but we switch up our rigger without the big paddle every 30min or so when it's light out until we get the pattern dialed in.


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Is this what you mean by snap swivel?

Correct, but you'll want one that's a ball bearing model. We switched to the Torpedo brand ones this year and couldn't be happier, best on the market IMO, we use the 55lb size for everything but some use the 90lb with flashers. They're these ones....https://www.torpedodivers.com/scart/product_details.asp?ItemNum=S0020



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Use snap swivels with the Ace Hi's, that's what they're designed for so you don't have to retie. Only tie direct to the old style traditional j plugs with the swivel/hook harness so it can slide up the line when a fish is hooked.


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Ace Hi plugs in Green Lightning, green and blue spatter back, dbl glow, yellow tail, lucky charms, and pearl/glow dots are all consistent from year to year.

11" pearl fish scale paddle with UV Oceana fly in the bottom third of the water column on the deepest rigger. Switch the fly over to a UV Frosted Fern with green and yellow beads in high sun.

Our best spin doctor the last three weeks has been the 8" chrome frog/fat Nancy with a pickled sunshine fly.

Mag flounder pounder and Happee Meal spoons in the dark or low light


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Nice size kings there


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Nice job! Those two spindoctor combos are always hot for you guys


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Had lines down from 6:30-10pm tonight, 70-90FOW, S/SE troll, 2.4-2.6 at the ball, finished 6/7 with a 10lb steelhead, 4lb laker, 6lb and 8lb kings, and a 20lb King. Nothing on any type of a north troll. Here's what worked:

low diver out 100' - Chrome/mtn dew 8" spin doctor with yellow bead mirage fly

450' copper - fat Nancy 8" spin doctor with pickled sunshine fly

250' copper - UV mixed veggie 8" spin doctor with pickled sunshine fly

100' copper - steelie stomper stinger spoon

High diver out 120' - UV fish scale 8" spin doctor with Oceana fly

Rigger @ 65' - 11" white pearl fish scale paddle with Oceana fly

250' copper - Ace Hi double glow plug

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Took dad and his buddy Tim out in Grand Haven on Sunday morning. It was nice to finally have a crew that could make an early start and it paid off big time. We dropped in a touch south of the pier heads in 55FOW on a north troll and were setting lines by 5:45am. By 7:30am we were 5/8 with 5 kings and 1 steelhead all in 50-60 FOW mostly straight out and a touch north. Then it died for us so we tried sliding out and working south in 80-90 FOW because it seemed from the radio chatter that fish were caught as deep as 110FOW while we were shallow. Never got em going again after that, we either weren't on the fish or they didn't like what we had to offer. Went 4 hours without a hit and then picked up a steelhead in 150FOW while making a troll deeper to see what we could find to finish the day 6/9 overall. Marked a lot of smaller bait in the top 30ft in 140-160 FOW so I imagine you could get into some good steelhead action out there running a program for them. No monsters today for us but solid fishing. Here's what worked:

50' copper - Nitro Blue Dolphin Stingray

75' copper - Magnum Happee Meal

High Diver out 60' - Magnum Flounder Pounder

200' copper - Magnum Dreamweaver blue/green Dolphin

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Nice trip right there


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Was lucky enough to spend most of the weekend on the water despite the fluctuating weather forecast for Saturday. Fishing was not on fire for us by any means but we picked away at them and finished 8/15 over the three trips. Our landing percentage was the worst we've had all year mostly due to some big kings tearing us up. Time to change everything over to 30lb I think with the size of the fish out there this year. Here's how we did each day...

7/30am - Took two coworkers out that drove over from the East side, got a late start while waiting out the rain so we didn't start setting lines until 8am and pulled at 12:30pm. Finished 3/5 with a 7lb immature king, a nice steelhead, and a smaller lake trout. We lost an absolute monster of a king on a 250cu with a magnum blue/green dolphin that was probably 700+ feet behind the boat when the leader broke. 90-100 FOW was best on a W/NW troll, 2.5-2.8 SOG. 200cu with Blue/Green Dolphin stingray, 250cu with magnum blue/green dolphin, low diver out 180ft with silver 8" protroll and green fly, and 350cu with magnum modified blue dolphin all took hits.

7/30pm - Decided to pull a double and take a couple friends out for the evening bite, fished from 6-10pm. We again finished 3/5 but the quality of fish was a bit better. Boxed a 15lb laker, 16lb king, and 3lb laker, lost a nice king and another laker. 90-100 FOW was good again on a N troll, 2.5-2.8 SOG. White paddle with oceana UV down 85 on rigger, 200cu/250cu with modified magnum blue dolphin, 300cu with magnum Happee Meal, and 450cu with Fat Nancy 8" spindoctor with pickled sunshine fly all took hits.

7/31pm - Started a bit earlier fishing from 4-9pm. Finished 2/5 with a Steelhead and smaller lake trout. Set up down by Port Sheldon and trolled north into the chop in 90-100 FOW again. Lost a nice fish right away on the 450cu with Fatnancy/Pickled Sunshine combo, took a steelhead on 250cu with magnum modified blue dolpin, a laker on 300cu with the same spoon, broke of a king on the big white paddle down 85ft, lost a smaller laker on the 450cu with FatNancy combo.

 

 

We have a 9.9hp kicker, would like something that can hold course in 2-4ft seas down to 1.8-2.0 if possible


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43 minutes ago, littleboat said:

Thanks Ed, does it hold course well in rough water at slower speeds for you?

 

I have an EV-100, hydraulic steered boat. Installed it myself. Absolutely love it. I use alot of the preprogrammed patterns along with just adjusting the control head itself.

There was alot of bait out there today, but I think it maybe more south according to a couple of guys I talked to at the cleaning station. 6 rods vs 3 rods makes a big difference. I now run a high and low slider on my mainline. Just to get the extra attraction.


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Ed, nice job, sounds like yesterday's wind may have either moved the fish a bit or they're migrating north. I heard of good action in Grand Haven this morning from 100-120 FOW.

How are you liking the autopilot on the new boat this year? Is that EV200 performing well for you? Our boat is almost identical and I'll be adding one this off season and starting to compare what's out there.

Awesome job and great pictures


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Great job! Good chance it was a skam that ran the river the last time the water flipped a few weeks ago but came back to the lake with the heat we've had when it couldn't find cold water. We got one like that last weekend as well.


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Great job, nice lookin fish


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Nice job!


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We never put anything on the radio last night so probably someone else


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Had lines in the water from 8-11:30pm last night, 120-140FOW with 120FOW area being best, straight out and south. Finished 3/4 with 9lb, 6lb, and 5lb kings, lost fish was a larger king. All hits came on S/SE troll, 2.7-3.1 SOG between 9-10pm, had a double at dusk. All 3 kings were immature fish which is good to finally see. Here's what worked:

400'cu - 8" Livewire Spin Doctor, silver hypnotist fly w/ green glow beads

450'cu - 8" Fat Nancy Spin Doctor, pickled sunshine fly

High magnum diver out 150' - magnum flounder pounder

Rigger @ 65' - magnum Happee Meal

Nothing on plugs, meat, or the big white paddle for us.

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