CITM

Okuma CV55L with high speed gears and upgraded drags from Tuna Tom.

Sunday 55-75 FOW was best for us. We trolled from 75-95 without a bite, turned back in and started getting bites at 75. I'd check the water temp in close and if it looks favorable, give it a shot. If you don't get bit, put it on a SE troll and go until you find them.

So the charter captains cant fish for 3 days prior to a tournament? How far from the port? Am I QD'd if i talk to boats that aren't fishing the tournament? Sounds like either more biased or unenforceable rules. I try to prefish 2 days. Somtimes it helps, sometimes not.

Big Jon stuff generally sells very well on ebay. Check expired sales and see what they are going for. I'd probably sell the slide bases separately.

Mine works fine in most any weather, my biggest complaints are that its noisy and it makes the boat hard to steer manually. If you can afford $2500 follow Hondam's advice. The extra money is worth it in my opinion.

If your thinking the weigh 5 brings in more participants, maybe you should do that for a lower entry fee, beginner/U24 division.

Catch 15 weigh 10 or 12. Not a fan of weigh 5.

I hate to sound discouraging but by the time you buy a couple of reels, line, terminal tackle, (downrigger weights?) and lures you'll probably have $150 into it (at least) and a chance of not catching much. If you can swing it, you'd probably get more bang for the buck if you were to take a charter or two. Watch and learn. You're likely to find that you like salmon fishing and maybe you'll take a few trips a year back to Lake Michigan with your new boat.

That said, there's nothing wrong with trying it on your own. It would help a lot if you could choose a port ahead of time and swap phone numbers with someone from this forum that will be fishing on the same days and could help get you on the fish. I hope to be in South Haven on the 17th & 18th and would be happy to help. However, that wouldn't be my first recommendation for ports to fish. I'd shoot for somewhere between Frankfort and Holland, probably Frankfort or Manistee.

Most importantly, make sure you have the required safety equipment.

I have one of the Okuma Convector wire rods, just use it as a spare or occasionally as a chute rod with a torpedo diver. I'd say it's as nice or nicer than the GM rods. Taloras are nice, over priced but they do have a lifetime warranty.

Pretty sure they are discontinued. Too bad, they are good rods.

15-25 gals per trip. 26' single 260 merc I/O 8,500 lbs.

Check your county website. If you can't find what you're after, call the township planner and they'll tell you where to find it

Change one of the full cores to a 200 copper. Maybe change one of the 300s to a 250, 350, 450... whatever.

Try dry curing rather than brine. Straight kosher salt, no spices or sugar. I cure it skin on, salt the flesh side with as much salt as will stick to a fillet placed in a plate or bowl of salt. Stack the fillets or pieces of fillets in a bowl, cover and cure 4-7 days in the fridge. Rinse, pat dry, and smoke.

Might want to switch the reel, bait caster looks a bit out of place. Looks good otherwise.

First of all, keep a pair of side cutters near your riggers and be ready to cut rigger cables if you get into a net. If you get your riggers tangled in a net, the forward motion of your boat and/or wind and waves can pull the stern down or at least hold it in place and allow a wave to come over. It doesn't take much to swamp a small boat.

The easiest way to stay out of the nets is to enter their coordinates in your GPS and pay attention to it. It also helps to understand how they are laid out, there is a drawing at the bottom of this page. http://www.ludingtoncharterboats.org/netalert.html

I installed one a couple of years ago. I really like it. The caveat is that I am on my 3rd unit. The clutch keeps going out. They have been great about replacing them but it's a pain to swap it out and not have it when you want it. I wouldn't go without an AP again though.

Same here but I'm on my 4th one. They supposedly have the issue fixed though. My biggest complaints are that it's noisy and it makes the boat hard to steer manually. Otherwise, it works great in most any conditions.

I have four of the Saltist STTLW50LCHA. Two on wire divers and two on coppers. They are very nice except that the line counter hits your wrist (bad design) and the handles are kind of cheap for a reel of this cost. You'd probably use the 30 series for rigger rods, so I'm guessing the line counter wouldn't be an issue due to the smaller size of the reel. The handle could be switched out. These are probably best quality (somewhat reasonably priced) high speed level wind, and I think the only option if you want a line counter. Okuma Clarion is a non-line counter, high speed option and is a pretty nice reel at a much lower cost. Long term, I think the Okuma drags will hold up better as they are carbon fiber. I haven't serviced my Saltists yet but I think they are paper drags, they're smooth now though.

How did know it was in need of replacement? My stringers need some work, I don't have a heated barn to do it in though and am not having much luck finding one.

I have an X-5 Sportpilot and power assisted cable steering. I like it for the most part and it works great but if I had hydraulic steering I would definitely have a conventional unit. One drawback to mine is the boat steers much harder with the X-5 installed, another is the wheel isn't as solid as it is without the X-5. Another is that it's mounted behind the wheel where you can see, and more importantly hear it. It's not quiet. You'll probably be able to hear the pump on a conventional unit but it shouldn't be as loud.

Both of my units are combo units but i do like being able to have separate full screens to look at.

Same here.

You're right, I do want a soft rod, but I also NEED backbone to steer a fish around and the Okuma's just didn't have it with mag divers- standard divers, they're fine. As for the stretch in the wire- if you're losing gear with the diver- check your knot, if you're losing it after the diver- add a snubber.

I agree on all points. A reel with a good drag is also very important with wire rods.

If I could only have 2 lead/copper setups, I'd have a 3 and a 5 color or maybe two 3's but they'd be on linecounter reels and I'd have an assortment of snap weights & torpedo weights to get them down deeper when it was necessary. The linecounter reels help you repeat the setup once you find something that works.

I use the gander rods but mine don't have the swivel tip. 8'-6" I think. Very good rods for the money.

vicious is crap line in my opinion

That's what I was trying to say without actually saying it. Not saying fluorocarbon in general is bad. I've had really good luck with Seaguar, and you can get it in bigger spools to save some money.