Racine 7-11 to 15

[Grey Beard]

A little update on Salmon A Rama and fishing at Racine. Fish are where you find them and that sure changes. We pre fished Friday and out deep struggled so we decided to look shallow for browns. Found some near the Racine reef hitting a quad before we had all the lines in. Shallow leadcores with Andy Reekers and 3F Evil Eyes were the ticket. We decided to box our 4 and leave them for the AM and Super Sweeps so scouted Wind Pt and no bites there. The plan for Super Sweeps was score ten browns then go find some kings for weight. First part of plan worked getting 6 on at once first pass and boxing 5. Had a big brown on for quite a while and saw it jump so know it was in the teens. It bull dogged as big ones do and stayed down next to the boat and just popped of. UGH!!!By 615 had around 20 bites and headed east for salmon.

We caught a couple of coho in 120fow south of town and released 2 and kept on Laker. Finally had a king bite on Brad’s Shamrock and teaser on 200 copper and screamed out like I can’t remember. The board was almost out of sight and then the fish was gone. It opened a 75# snap!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very sad to lose a fish in a tourney due to equipment failure. Nine browns and one Laker did get us 11th but just like Kenosha, 2 lbs short for a check.

We went south of town for 2 on a Boat contest and fish 55-110fow looking for Chinooks and never had a bite in 2 hours. We pulled lines and ran back to “Brownville†and managed to go 8 for 10 on same sets as the day before. Hot rig in 30fow was 2 color and 3F Evil Eye Chicken Pox. We were very surprised that 2 fish short of our 10 limit would place us 15th and get a check albeit not enuf to cover our entry. Lots of others now know where the browns are and they continue to cooperate and some in the teens being taken. The water is cooling with the SE winds and the Chinooks are also coming shallow from their deep water haunts.

Once the contests were over we were given a valuable tip from one of the best tournament fisherman that lots of coho and bows were in 220-260fow. We headed out at 4pm and done by 715 with over 30 bites. Couldn’t keep them hooked up plus I had been out so couldn’t box a limit. A number of coho 8+lb coming down 40-60 on riggers. Dipsys 80 & 120, 2 full cores, 175 and 200 copper. I ran all Brad’s cut plugs except one 7 color with orange spoon. Temp on the Depth Raider 56 down 40 and 52 down 45 so a crisp break. Below 45 into the 40s and marking a lot of fish in top 80’

This AM tried the edge of the 3rd hill with a glow spoon and flasher fly king spread and 1.5hr and finally a coho on a wire dipsy. We pull and ran back to last nights numbers and had a repeat performance with around 40 bites!!

Last night and today I experimented with Big Al’s Flashers that I got as freebie/prizes at Salmon A Rama and was really pleased with how they performed. I ran them on 2 full cores with teasers and Brad’s, 2 downriggers same and 1 copper and one dipsy. Every setup fired. I stared last pm with a green Inticer and LBB and took one of the first bites and then went dead on 45’ rigger. I pulled it for a Big Al’s flasher UV Blue/glow cracked ice with a LBB teaser and Brad’s Seahawk. It fired 4 times in the next 1/2HR. Put same on 45 and 55’ rigger this AM and crazy good.

Brad’s cut plugs have their own action so the attractor doesn’t have to work them and Big Al’s looked like a great fit and so far it is. They don’t pull as hard on copper and leadcore as do Inticers so that’s a definite benefit. When you look back in the water at the flasher plus teaser and then the bright cut plug you sure can see them from a distance. But I wonder why the salmon hit such a combo but they do with a vengeance. Next effort is to use them in Chinook infested water to see if they like them. Out deep only Lakers , bows and tons of coho.

The only problem I encountered with Big Al’s flasher was twice while setting a full core the flasher tangled back on the teaser and pulled very hard to get back in and un do. I think because of the way it cuts through the water they are able to fall back faster than the teaser. No more problems since keeping a little more tension on the line while setting.

Weather permitting I plan to fish for 4 more days and still looking for the Big One.

Grey Beard

[KJ pluggin]

Thanks for the report Michael, good luck during the rest of the tourney.