FBD

Never seen a flip being fish to the pier at Port Sheldon.

Labor Day afternoon 2012 we landed 17 kings, three coho and a 10# walleye doing laps in the channel. Had 33 hits in five hours. 2015 no fish in harbor. 2016 no fish in the harbor. 2017 one king and one brown in the harbor, fishing for walleye in October. I've fished pretty much every cold water flip in September for three years and hooked one king. Week of Labor Day 16 years ago in the three king limit era I had a 500# week and never put my boat on plane. So my conclusion is there are next to no mature kings in these parts come mid August as of the last few years. My offshore trips follow this, good in April, great in May, June is June, July is ok and then a steady drop in kings.

5/7, a bit shallower than you, all Lakers that your 21# could have eaten. Only kept two. White paddle 240' out, mag green dolphin on a 300 copper, best where chrome dodger with a green spin and glow and a green dolphin spin doctor with a yellow spin and glow but only on flutter ups.

I won a 7 color core on a reel once, a 45 series reel, with 150 yards of backing. I had a steelhead, not a king mind you but a 13# steelhead take that thing all the way to the knot in the spool. We had to spin a 180 and run the fish down to keep it from breaking off, making a mess of the spread but we landed the fish and my daughter got her trophy in the youth tournament we were in. I now have 250 - 350 yards of backing on all my junk lines.

I'll run j plugs and jointed rapalas up to 5 mph for steel. I run flashers 15-20' from the ball, spoons usually 25-50'. I tend to only run two riggers. More isn't better.

The Fennville Farm Unit in the Allegan State Game Area has good cover for rabbits. Being managed for waterfowl though the rules for hunting anything but ducks and geese area a bit complex. I have heard the sweet sound of beagles baying from some of the outer zones while hunting against the refuge for geese.

Spent a month outting a new roof on my barn. Now gutters on the house. Need to wrap that up before combat fishing time...

My oldest daughter took sixth in a youth tournament with a thirteen pound laker off a wire with a two pound ball bouncing bottom in 130'. She earned that trophy.

That's about 375' more copper than I care for. Just wanted you to know someone noticed.

Guessing spinny autocorrected

No one told him to buy three of everything, so if one gets hot you can load up?

Targeted walleye last night. Got a 4# right away and then thought we were going to beat up on them, but maybe 8-10 sheep and a 6# pike until the traffic got to be too much and we gave up at 8:30. Clipped the gills on the walleye and while the inside of my cooler looks like a murder scene, I pulled a pair of the most beautiful fillets you'll ever see off that fish.

Fished south of Holland, actually pretty close to Saugatuck last night in the 48 degree water on the beach. Found some gulls feeding in a small pocket of green water than had bait in it - we marked bait, could see bait, snagged some alewifes. And it was full of trout. Big, mean, hook and leader destroying steel and nice eater browns. We ended up 7/13 in two big hours, at one point with a quad on, just two guys in a 14' row boat. We lost one that may have been a king, broke off a master angler steel that ran the boat then did a 180 and tore off snapping a 12# leader like nothing. Broke 4 hooks yesterday, three on rapalas and one on a moonshine mag. Those were all steel as they were out of the water before you could get to the rod Moonshine magnum double trouble took 4 hits, as did a blue F11 rapala 60' off a yellow bird. Goldilocks Stinger took 2, the one each on a red thin fish, J11 silver black rapala, and a sliver black prism junior thunderstick. Browns were 3, 3, and 7#, steel we kept were 8.5, 9, and 12# and we flipped a 10-11# out of the net as not to be greedy as he was in good shape. The fish that broke off was 14+ easy, and two we lost were well into the double digits and just could not be stopped. Was a crazy time. Working in Indiana right now and seriously considering skipping lunch and commuting 2.5 hours back up to the lake for another shot.

Trolling bags are more versatile than a trolling plate, and will help "set" the boat down in the water better in any chop, but in particular in a crossing sea.

Frank's and Northwoids are both hazardous to my wallet.

I second both that JDH posted and will add: Captain Chuck's in Ludington PM Expeditions a few miles south of Ludington has a pretty good selection of tackle as well. (And a great selection of booze and munchies)