Holland 07/12 Evening - 2 for 10 (I believe)

[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

Fished this evening between Holland and Saugatuck sporting 4 riggers, to 1.5 set mono dipseys and 300 weighted steel & 15 color leadcore.  Lines down just before 7:00pm.  Lowest bait was 55' down.  Most were 30-45' down.  Started at first in 115-100 FOW on a south troll.  Speed at the ball was 2.7mph for the most part going south.  One quick hit near Saugatuck and that was it.  Very disappointing.  Flipped around North working 90 FOW and not much happened till I started changing the baits.  SD/fly set ups were stone cold.  RV/UV mag spoons brought no interest.  Moved the SD/flies out of the spread for spoons keeping a SD/Brads Cut Plug on 300 WS.  Moved all the RV/UV spoons out of the spread for either white or dark Mags.  After the sunset we got most of our action.  The Silver Streak Mag Pink Panties on a dipsey down 32 feet got bit 5 or 6 times just before and after sunset.  Several good runs with a brief fight came up empty.  Changed out the bent hook and replacing it with a sharp 2/0 VMC allowed us to land the last strike on that set up, about a 12lb king.  Had a good long fight on the 300 WS with a Brads Cut Plug but lost that one close to the back of the boat.  DW Mag Blue Green Spotted Dolphin 42' down on a rigger go us another 12lb ish king.  Other bites came on a dark hand painted J-plug (SWR); Moonshine Mag soda (12# test rigger); and something else I can't remember.  After sunset we had 2 short lived triples and landed only one on each occasion.  Too many tips going ujp for the three of us to keep an accurate count of the legitimate strikes.

Looking back on missed opportunities, I think the RV/UV lures that were high in the water column was the wrong way to go.  After changing to non-reflective spoons, we go interest.  Green or blue orSalmon Candy UV flies on a 8" spin doctor, 24" or 30" leader, rigger or dipsey was not a salmon favorite tonight.  My purple Stinger high on a dipsey did not get hit after sunset.  This presentation is usually money.  Bloody nose likely would have been a better choice.   Currents were strong and heading north was easier than south to control speed.  Heading south, SOG varied from 4.0mph to 3.2.  Trolling valves were engaged and disengaged many times to try to manage the speed changes.  Troll direction was a better manager of speed.

[littleboat]

Looked like the shadow crowd was a little fickled last night. I wonder if the reflected light of the RVs ran into a dark density wall in the water column, not letting the fish see them?

[2MD]

good hearing from you on 68 last night sorry I never checked back in later those currents and the intensity of trying to keep the speed nailed down kept me super tied up

[SeaFoam]

That’s some great action, Zgrinder.