FBD

Ok, finally time catch up.

Started last night with a mix of riggers, divers, and planer boards.  After marking nothing in the clear water and fishing out to 30' and seeing the other boats doing nothing, I recalled how we used to fish ports where it's shallow out front.

Trolled north, swapped the riggers out to spoons so we could stretch them back enough to be a head ache then put out four planer boards way out.

First pass in close board gets smoked.  While that's coming in rigger bounces a couple times.  Still not convinced that was a fish.  Land the first king, start dialing it in but hard to work the spot as I need to cut big arcs with boards out.  Have a good pull back that doesn't hook up, then another, then get a nice buck.  Lose a screamer that was out over 400' when it buried the board in some weeds then ran back towards us and we could not keep it tight.  Picked up one more at dark.

All smaller fish, like 12-15# and all hatchery.  Gonna share this thread with the d n r so they know we are seeing returns.

Pulled the riggers and put two flatlines out instead.  Ever see a king hit a plug 25' from the boat?  Ever see a king hit a plug 25' out when you just choked in four planer boards to make a pass up the channel?  We got him but he effectively ended our night.  I think we didn't get the last rod untangled until Coral Gables.

2/6 rip that didn't stick on a rapala. 

2/5 now.  13# buck on a rapala and lost a hell of a screamer when the board got  buried on a clump of weeds and he doubled back on the boat.

I always troll fast no worries there.

Boat stinks.  Just doubled lost the rigger hit but took a 15# egg wagon off a deep thunderstick 20' off a yellow bird.

In my effort to beat 2MD to the first post about harbor fish, we worked Holland last night.

First skunk of the year.  Broke a rod and didn't bring rain gear either so it was a trying night.  And plenty of salad to boot.  Back at it tonight.

Any idea how big that last one is?  Serious tank of a king.

Thanks for sharing.  I waited for the CO to choke on your last name.

You needed to troll the channel in Holland ten years ago.  Literally would see or hear hits on other boats before they did and we'd wrap the hot lures in a towel and throw them to our buddies as we passed each other going in and out without stopping.

Need an intern?

Tournament fishing lakers it's pretty much a full time gig at the stern on a calm day where you can maintain a constant depth. Throw in four foot waves, or a troll in / out where the depth changes...

People think the mature kings are four years old.  That ship sailed a long time ago and as the kings adapted to Lake Michigan most now run when they're 1-3 years old.  Google search it for a ton of info.

98% of kings mature and run at 1-3 years of age.

The ugly stik diver rods are absolute pool sticks.  Not much action at all.

How do you tell how old they are?

You're going to need a bigger cooler.

Menards $1 pliers, about 4-5 per boat.  Spray the metal with cooking spray when they get gummy.

Thanks for the report.  Loved the details.

What port, what fish, how deep is the water?

Sweet.  Other than all those breakoffs.  You know every one of those was a 30#

I'm 4/6 on meetings this morning with a 10 am double on Ford Escape rear knuckle PPAP and GM C8 Corvette dimensional review.

Missed the Daimler 8:20 and 9:30

You win.

Trolling bags aren't drift socks aren't sea anchors.  A trolling bag will typically be much heavier construction.

I can get 2.7 without bags, 2.2 with small bags running 900 rpm's in a 260 Hp 350, on a 21' glass cuddy.  You should be fine on one motor.  Not sure if you'd have to run one bag to offset the power coming from off the center line of the boat.

I messed up.  Slide divers are modular with weights.  Dipsies you get what you buy for weights and would have to swap stuff around.  Probably not worth it.

Both you can equip with standard and magnum rings.

Yes, they will.  I've run regular dipsies on M action Okumas and while they don't like it, they work.

Adding a magnum weight to the diver will get some more depth without too much extra drag.  The larger ring or mag diver will pull a lot harder, but get more depth too.  I think magnum divers come with the heavier weight.

Magnum dipsies make sure you have heavy action or dipsy specific rods.  They pull hard.  Good rod holders I.e. not plastic are a must.

Sounds like you've done your research. I'd run the ones out the back at about a 0.5 setting and the ones off the side at about 1.5-2 to get some separation without sacrificing too much depth.

Kings will destroy balsa baits.