Holland/Saugatuck 7/29 PM - 16for25 + DNR visit

[2MD]

Got all our work done for the day so last minute PUG decides to declare this evening Ladies Night on the Parker – calm seas made it quite pleasant – flies were murder at first but later a breeze kicked up and that helped

What a ferocious bite it proved to be! Went 16 for 25 despite doing a lot of laughing and screwing around - even with a later start while setting lines in 150fow we started getting into them – a little later as the 8 oclock hour rolled around the bite shifted to 120-130fow and ramped up even more

HIGHLIGHT of the night was PUG getting checked at sea by the DNR – he was pretty rattled at first having them appear in his sacred tribal southern fishing waters but PUG plays by the rules so he had nothing to worry about – no honestly… the DNR guy was about the nicest I have ever met – he checked my license and smiled at the kids and confirmed our life jackets and then felt obliged to let us photograph him with PUG – also funny was I had slowed the F300 down to 450rpm while they came up alongside and that was just enough to make our copp200 with size4 green ladder plug that had been quiet all night drop down another 10-15 feet into the cold water and it immediately went off – that quickly turned into a quadriple – there were two times we had 4 fish on at once tonight.  Here is a run down of what worked:

 

Rigger down 65 with SilverHorde green glow plug – went 6 times

Rigger down 72 with Moonshine Mag spoon – went a couple times probably

Low Dipseys dialed on 1 out 190 and also 130 and also 150 and also 120 – these went countless times and we had spindoctors on them with the chrome ones being the best

High Dipsey dialed on 2.5 out 300 with spindoctor got walloped a few times

Copp300 with GreenJeans Mag Moonshine spoon went 5 or 6 times

Frozen Toad spoon on Copp250 played ball once

Copp200 with size4 green ladder got smoked (thanks to us slowing the boat down for the CO)

Copp350 with both the green splatterback plug and also the blue splatterback plug went numerous times

[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

First I have heard of DNR coming around this year.  Having them coming in to check out licenses just before the sun drops down would have been unsettling for me as that is prime fishing time.  Glad you made it pass quickly.  Epic catch.

[littleboat]

Great action and catch for your crew! Thanks for the report.

I was startled when the DNR came so far out on the lake to check the fisherman out. He didn't board me or interfere with my lines in the water. He did it with binoculars and asked me to hold up my license so he could see its color and went on his way. That was from a couple years ago.

Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

[SeaFoam]

What a great family outing!  Pug is on a hot streak.  Keep him safe. 
 

I had the DNR check my license twice last year in deep water. Did the same binocular check with me the first time. The second time he recognized me and just asked about how the fishing was lately. Young, very nice officer. 

[jdh]

DNR tried to check me two years ago I think.  Boat started coming at us in the dark, but was trying to run through my planar boards.  They pushed up to about 100 feet behind the boat.  We were yelling at them - but they didn't respond?  I was not happy.  This was out in 200 fow.

[2MD]

[Lef T]

2MD, you catch as many salmon as I catch bluegills through the ice! 

Great catch!

We love that green ladderback glow plug too.  3 of our 4 fish came on green plugs yesterday.

[2MD]

you run the small plugs like size 3 or the bigger size4 or size5 even? joke on our boat is dad always runs the biggest ones he can find - my boys in particular get mad at me and PUG for this but I swear it works and at heart I am always in fall fishing mode

[FBD]

Seems to be a year to year thing on plugs.  Some years they don’t want any, some years they don’t care, recall a year where it had to be size 3’s.

 

Last time I ran a size five in front of the channel ended up taking a very nice walleye on it…

[Lef T]

1 hour ago, 2MD said:

you run the small plugs like size 3 or the bigger size4 or size5 even? joke on our boat is dad always runs the biggest ones he can find - my boys in particular get mad at me and PUG for this but I swear it works and at heart I am always in fall fishing mode

I run them all.  Silver Horde 5's and 4's and Tomic #4 I think.  A little bit smaller diameter, but good length.

[Dennis hageman]

I lost one of the silver horde 4 glow green the other night. Swapped it out with an ace high glow green. Nothing went to the local shop the next day and they didn't have any small silver hoarde so I bought a couple of the size 4 opti plugs and put one out the other morning on my 250 copper and it worked pretty good. Why are the small silver hoarde plugs so hard to come by?

[2MD]

MacBaits in Holland has the smaller SilverHorde or at least they did last time I was there...

[FBD]

Got checked this spring in somewhat sporting conditions. Asked the CO if he wanted to see licenses I would have to spin around and get the waves behind me.  He asked what I’d do if a fish hit and I said turn around to fight it, but I can’t troll down wind all day.

He said maybe I should reconsider being out in those kind of conditions and my crew kinda agreed.

Wasn’t even that rough.

He was cool though probably the same guy.  I met the new CO in Allegan County last winter while duck hunting  Carter W. and can verify he is cool.

[2MD]

fished solo this AM with outlaw PUG - first fish was 540am and my biggest this year about 38" and by 730am had gone 6for11 and started letting em go - this was just me and pug and a 3rod spread 

am not going to share a bunch more specifics just for the sake of avoiding copycats from the masses with the tourney underway and the guys I know in the tourney will ring my neck if I do

[SeaFoam]

Beautiful fish! Nice solo run!


Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman

[SeaFoam]

Ps I saw you roll in pretty early so I figured you limited out!


Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman

[2MD]

haha thanks Seafoam - pug and I were wondering if you were up & about as we passed through thee narrows

[nordfish]

Had a boat fly in about 500’ behind me out of PS last Saturday.  Thought weird that guy wants to really set on top of me. 10 minutes later boat is 200’ off starboard moving real slow but no rods.  Saw binocs pop out.  Guy and girl officer Rolled over to our 2-man crew.  Thought we were ruuning more than 6 rods since we had 2 extras in rod holders.  Once he saw they were not out, they were very cool.  Checked licenses and PFDs and on their way in their 20’ unmarked Lund.  Sweet boat but they wouldn’t trade for my 1996 Sylvan….i asked.

[nordfish]

PS - nice work on the fish 2MD.  And always like hearing about the entertaining adventures of Pug!

[littleboat]

Great Solo run! That's when I enjoy my coffee the most, right after lines are set and before the fish ATTACK!

Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

[2MD]

thanks guys

went again this AM and got some more

bite wasn't as dynamite as yesterday but still good especially early

we hooked 16

here's one of the bigger ones