New Guy joining

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Hello everyone, I'm the new guy and my name is Paul.  Although I am new to boat owning, I am not new to boating in general, nor fishing.  I bought a 21' Steiger Craft Miami DV in late October 2023 from an avid Chesapeake Bay fisherman in Maryland.  This boat's not been in Lake Michigan yet, let alone any freshwater!  She came with a Honda 225 hp OB motor, a Garmin GPS/FF/Chartplotter, a marine radio, and a permanently mounted, 5-tube rocket launcher on the roof.  I'm upgrading her for Lake Michigan/Lake Erie Sport fishing by adding 2 manual downriggers and 2 electric planer board motors for running extra-large planer boards, capable of spreading out 3-4 lines per side.  Also, adding a Garmin Radar Array which integrates with my Garmin GPS/FF/Chartplotter.  Once she returns from the OB Mechanic, installations will begin, along with bottom prep/painting.  High hopes are to be in the water early March 2024.  Since this vessel was never named, Reel Therapy was chosen!  She's a fishing boat!  Primarily! Except when the wife wants to go to the beach in the summer.  Read on an you'll understand! 

So why did I buy a boat?  I bought her because the expense of Charter's limited my fishing and was tired of trying to coerce friends with boats to go out.  And fishing from shore on the Big Lake just doesn't hold my interest. I had been looking into buying (a.k.a., searching boat selling sites), and dropping subtle hints for 6-9 months. Whenever that subject was brought up, it was immediately shutdown.  Clearing the wife-hurdle was NOT going to be an easy task!  After coming to the realization, it was about perception, I knew the hill had been taken!  You see, her minds picture of a boat was something in the Bass Boat variety, like a Tracker; you know, sits fairly shallow in the water, overpowered OB engine on the transom for getting out to those hotspots super-fast!  When she saw the boat photos in which I had interest, the GREEN light was given! 

The icing though, was her encouragement to invest a little more if it yielded something better, which is how a Steiger Craft ended up in Indiana.  Steiger Craft only make 100 boats per year, each handcrafted hull is completely fiberglass and includes a lifetime warranty.  They are an East Coast fishing vessel with dealerships in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.  Emails between myself and Steiger Craft left me with the impression "Reel Therapy" will be the only Steiger Craft on Lake Michigan.  As much as I am impressed with the boat, I am more impressed with my wife.  Obviously, she really loves me, sees the same future of fun times ahead with fishing and boating, and is my perfect 1st Mate!  So that's my boating story for now, with much more to be written.  

Speaking of stories to be written, does anyone on here contribute.  I don't see much in terms of recent posts! As I navigate around, the Forum posts are old (a year or more), and new posts are just selling equipment.  I joined in hopes of finding/sharing tips on what lures and colors are working, and other techniques fisherman are having success with for filling the cooler.  It is disappointing; however, sometimes, it just takes someone gets things started.  Once I get the bugs worked out and am more familiar with the operation of my vessel, expect Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy to post-up!       

[Dr Hook]

Welcom Paul!  No there's not many "story" posts on this site and I haven't posted anything in quite a long time.  You'll find that most posts are either reports or sale items.  Posting should pick up as more people get back out on the lake.

[EdB]

Welcome to GLF!   Things slow down in the winter months and should pick up in a couple months when everyone starts trolling again.

[WaveWhacker]

Man with a plan, I love it. If the plan is fluid, I'd not spring for the power planer mast. You only have to crank them in once a day and you can do that pretty easy even with bigger boards.  If you are only going to fish lake Erie with downriggers, the manual crankers will be fine. If you are mostly going to stay in Indiana waters of Lake Michigan, the manual riggers will be okay.  Still, electrics are a convenience, like manual vs. hand cranked car windows and don't forgert you will crank them multiple times each trip.  Manual riggers are much more compact, in general, if that's an issue. 

You might want to look up www.thesouthend.org for Indiana-based fishing info.   

[WRENCHED 4 IT]

Welcome Paul to the sight. Ed is right it’s slow this time of year. Keep watching for posts as boats start to come out of storage. You can also go on You Tube and watch Reel to Reel or Tangle Tackle, they do a great job about what current tackle is hitting and a lot of great information. Paul don’t forget when you post to give the good and the bad, sometimes knowing where a person got skunked is just as important, also giving as much information as possible really helps, for example, water temp at what depth, direction of troll, speed over ground, speed at ball, rods and spread , what lines were hitting, and so on. Paul glad to have you and love the boat.

 

 

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Dave,

Again, thank you for the good advice and info.   I will check out those YouTube vids!  I was planning on posting whether it's a good day or not so good day.  Notice no mention of bad day; let's face it, if you are out on your boat, it ISN'T a bad day!  

Back in the day, I used to keep a pocket notebook to log specific fishing info, even though I did not own the boat.  Since I have a nice, unused journal, it will be my Captain's Log and the plan is to use it for fishing, as well as general boating.  I'm pushing 65 and forgetting is easier than remembering, so I've learned to write it down!

Paul   

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

4 hours ago, WaveWhacker said:

Man with a plan, I love it. If the plan is fluid, I'd not spring for the power planer mast. You only have to crank them in once a day and you can do that pretty easy even with bigger boards.  If you are only going to fish lake Erie with downriggers, the manual crankers will be fine. If you are mostly going to stay in Indiana waters of Lake Michigan, the manual riggers will be okay.  Still, electrics are a convenience, like manual vs. hand cranked car windows and don't forgert you will crank them multiple times each trip.  Manual riggers are much more compact, in general, if that's an issue. 

You might want to look up www.thesouthend.org for Indiana-based fishing info.   

Thank you for the info regarding Indiana-based fishing info.  Maybe in the next year or two, I'll go to electric downriggers.Excluding the purchase price of the boat, I've already got over $10k into the upgrades, equipment purchases, etc.  So they'll have to wait, for now!  Did not want to turn them down as they were free from one of the friends who owned the boat we fished from back in the day.  

Not installing a Planer mast.  The roof of the helm sits 8-10 foot above the water, so I opted to do quick-release roof mounts, pulleys on shock cords, and planer board snubbers.  Saw this set-up crush it on a Lake Erie Walleye Charter last year.  Was so f...ing impressed with the simplicity of this concept, I just knew I had to have it for my boat!  Now that I'm about $1500 into this project, it's going to be time soon for the rubber to meet the road!  We'll see how they work for Salmon.

What weight ball do you use on your downriggers?  I have 2 - six pounders and 1 - four pounder.  Was planning on running both 6's.  

Paul

[FBD]

10-12 and those are on manuals.  Anything lighter and you get a ton of blow back and poor hook up’s.  

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Good to know, before I go!  Thanks!

[WaveWhacker]

you can get by with 10s and they aren't that hard to crank up. I've not used a 6 pound before, but at salmon speeds - say 2.5 mph average, I'd guess you'd get a lot of blow-back even if you are only dropping them 25-30 feet.  More than that blowback would be rediculous. 

[WaveWhacker]

Also, good call on going with big planers as opposed to in-line boards. If all you want is dead fish in the box, the in-lines are great. If you want to have some sport when reeling in the cohos and walleyes, big boards are the way to do (and you'll still end up with plenty of fish in the cooler).

[FBD]

I know you just bought a boat so you’re used to spending $$$ but cannonball prices are stupid these days.

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Yes, they are pricey!  Ebay seems to have the best prices on downrigger balls, and some are brand new or out of the box new, but never used.  I am not too proud or bougee to save a few dollars here and there.   

[WaveWhacker]

look up Schellfish charters on the internet. He lives over in Crete, IL, so not far. He makes and sells 12 pound weights. Usually, there are a few guys that make rigger weights posting on The Southend who pour a  bunch and post them on that site.  You'll see lot's of guys swearing by round balls, pancake, fish shaped, etc.  They ALL work and if theres a difference between them, it's slight. 

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Appreciate the info.  I should probably just buy a mold because I have about 40-50 # of lead I've collected for recycling never cashed in, Lead melts around 620 deg, and with 35 yrs of steel industry experience (including melting, pouring and casting), this wouldn't be difficult.  However, with other boat preseason prep, I bit the bullet and secured 2 new from Ebay for $74 with the shipping.  Thought I got a really good deal; "but it's only a deal if you think you got a deal," says my wife!  These were offered in 5 or 6 different weight sizes, up to 15 pounders.  Know of anyone interested in a couple of 6 lbers?    LOL

 

[WaveWhacker]

Paul:  You already have the molds you need and if you have the lead and experience you can easily make your own. They are called empty beer cans. If I were home I'd send you some photos and instructions on how to make your own. Do they work?  As a charter operator, I have to use gear that works and I can afford to pay. It wasn't always that way and 40 years ago when I started fishing Lake Michigan, I learned about the "can weights" from some guys that worked at (then) Inland Steel.  They worked and since then I've used round balls, fish shaped, pancakes and others. If you look on my boat, all I have are 12 or 16 ounce can-weights. They absolutely work as good or better than any of the others.  (12 ouncers are @ 10#,  16 ounce = 12#.  

And when the Coke or Miller Lite gets all scratched up, melt em down and fill a new can.  I melt the lead in a small cast iron skillet on a propane fish fryer. If you are interested, I'll post some photos how to do it mostly safely without burning the paint off the cans when I get home middle of next week. 

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Wow!  Now that is thinking outside the box, and I like it!  Yes, some photo posts would be great!  

Where is your home port?  From what I surmise, we are around the same age (64-65).   Would love to meet you in person for a beer (or three) and talk Boats, Salmon fishing and give you some of this Lead because you have been providing some great advice!  I do appreciate you sharing; however, sharing is a two-way street.  Since I presently don't have much to offer in terms of Sage advice, I do have a small cache of Lead I'm willing to share with only you, since I already committed to purchasing 2 - 10 lbers.  At most I will only need enough to make a couple back up balls.  I can always get more Lead.......admittedly yes, I'm a Scrapper! 

[WaveWhacker]

I "normally" go out of East Chicago in March and April - by June I've usually switched over to Portage. Occasionally, (when the wind it NE) I head for Hammond Marina to fish at Calumet Harbor. 

I live in Newton County about halfway from Roselawn to Rensselaer near the Dairy Farm. I'd be happy for you to come down and we can meet up. We'll melt some lead and make some weights for you and swap fish stories.  I will be back next week.  Pick a nice sunny day, and the porch is always a comfortable spot to fire up the fish cooker.  My boat is here - the fifth one I've commissioned for Lake Michigan over the years, so it's pretty well set up.  

Call or text 219-819-0000

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

That sounds like a good plan.   I need to gather up my lead.  I got pieces scattered here, there and everywhere in my garage.  Will get in touch with you later today.  My number is 219-306-1225.   

Paul

[WaveWhacker]

Call me Monday or Tuesday.  I'm fishing the next couple days.  

[Paul Pogo - Reel Therapy]

Sent a text to your number just after 3 pm.  Because today was so nice, thought you might be on water; so didn't want to step on your fun. Got my Lead together, too!