Prof Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Hi all,My boys and I are also just hoping to get into big lake trout and salmon fishing. We have just acquired an old Sea Nymph Great Lakes Special 195 and, if we are fortunate, the old Evinrude that’s hanging on the back can be resurrected. We all love fishing and we are certainly excited about the expanded possibilities. (I’m not sure who’s more excited, my 11 and 16 year old sons or me.) Anyway, I’ve been looking around trying to learn something about Big Lake fishing and it looks like this might be just the ticket. Here’s the rub. While we are familiar with many other types of fishing, both stream and from small boats, canoes and kayaks, we don’t have any experience with big game out on the big water - salmon, trout, walleye, etc. Any help will certainly be appreciated. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumkrazy Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 welcome aboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nailer Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 John, Welcome.There are many here that will help.What area are you from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulywood Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Welcome. There are many good people and resources here for you to learn. One suggestion that I can make is to tag along with a few people. I am sure that there are many on this site that would be happy to have you along, myself included when I get my new boat. This is what I did when I first started and really learned a lot. A good place to start is with a list of equipment that you have, would like, or are planning on using. Also, the big lake is nowhere to take chances. Make sure your boat is in good condition and safe to run on the water. Older boats are fine as long as they are mechanically and structurally sound. Good luck this season and feel free to ask any questions you might have.Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIRTY DOG Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 WELCOME ,just start asking and you shall learn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 We're from Big Rapids so we will most likely be hitting Lake Michigan but the Bay is only a couple of hours to the east. Lots of options! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reel World Fishing Team Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 ProfHi. A couple things, first welcome to GLF. It's a great site and one you will learn a great deal from. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Do you plan to fish in Ludington? It's about the closest port for you in relation to Big Rapids. If you do plan on fishing Ludington, shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] and I can give you current information. Our boat stays there all year and I plan to launch it on the 25th of April this year. We stay at the city marina which is the closest marina to the boat launch in the harbor. Spring fishing can be sporadic in Ludington and it really depends on the weather more than anything. If you look up the satellite images of the lake surface temp and find water above 40 degrees, you can catch fish there. Last year on the first weekend in May it was like August out there. We found a 6 degree temp break in 100’ of water and everything was going. Riggers, dipsy’s with rotators, core’s, copper, you name it, it was going. Every time we passed thru the break we would hook up 2 or 3 at a time. The next week all that water was gone and we were hunting for fish, but still getting a few. May and June is rather quiet for boat traffic which is nice, and if conditions are to rough, you can still fish in the harbor and do well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Yes, boat reliability is at the top of the list. I'm also looking to put a kicker on which will have the added benefit of being able to limp in if necessary. I do have some experience on the lake, just not fishing, so I’m very aware of the concerns. As for equipment, we’re starting from scratch! Any help will certainly be appreciated. Tagging along? That would certainly be a great learning experience! Also, do you or any others ever meet up and go out and fish with several boats in the same area? I think that might be a great way to learn as well. Thanks again for the welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Thanks Dan! That's great info. Yes, Ludington is likely to be a preferred choice, but the Sea Nymph tows very nicely behind the PU so we hope to explore many areas. We’ll be sure to drop you a line when we head out your way. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priority1 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 John, A warm welcome to you. Just holler if you need any help. You will like it here. I fish mostly out of AuGres MI on the Saginaw Bay. I fish out of my 22 Starcraft Islander Hardtop. I do make a few trips a year to Lake Michigan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trollperchsand? Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Good luck from another newbee to this site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulywood Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 As far as equipment I had a few suggestions in another post yesterday on some different rod and reel combos. Other than that, it really depends on your budget. I would get a quality sounder and some sort of GPS. Downriggers depend on your budget, I personally use Big Jon's and love them. Rod holders need to be metal, and as many as you can stick on your boat. You can never have enough rod holders. There are many different setups you can use, again, it depends on your budget. I use Bert's ratcheting holders for my dipsey's and a set of 3 rod trees for my board rods. The layout of your boat will depend a lot on what you can mount and where. When you get a chance post a picture and I'm sure guys will have suggestions on laying it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLF Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Welcome to the site John. Thanks for taking the time and doing an introduction. I keep my boat at Muskegon. When it comes time to equiping your boat, just give us a holler. We are good at spending other peoples money. If you have any questions, make sure to ask. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Thanks Nick,After getting the power in tip top shape, I think my next step will be looking at a sounder and GPS. I've been looking at the combo units. The other concern is just what type of rod and reel combos will get me started. Obviously I'm not going to go out and buy a dozen different setups so I've got to figure out what will be the best to start with. Get a couple this year, a couple more next... Got to have something to look forward to hey? :-)Anyway, I appreciate all the help.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Thanks again Mike,Your help is certainly appreciated.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitalidle Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Welcome to the forum! Depending on your budget like as been stated you might want to use boards or dipsys first before you buy any riggers. There is alot of fishing stuff for sale right now from people who are upgrading or just need the money. Start surfing the fishing forums for sale ads and craigslist is another place to find some good used fishing equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulywood Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Good call Sean. I bought good used equipment when I first started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Thanks Sean,That's a great thought... I just have to decide what I really need to get started and then I'll have to figure out how to recognize equipment that is in good shape and at what would be a fair price. Should be simple! :-)However, I’ll definitely check out craigslist. Any other sites? Do many of the members on this site upgrade and sell off stuff? I did check out the “Classified Ads” section but haven’t seen anything yet that I would be interested in. It may be that as the boats come out of storage and people get fired up that more will show up. Anyway, thanks for your help. Hope you have a great season. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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