Reel-Deal

Awesome! Worth it Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

I had a single copper rod that was hit 2 times in 1 week this past month that I didn't have enough backing on for various reasons - I had about 150 YDS of 50# PP and both times almost ran the whole thing out on the first run - that was the LAST time that reel would get hit - I added about 250 YDS of PP and now - let the big boys hit is all day...use enough mono to start with IF you don't have a little 'post' on your reel seat - otherwise the braid will slip on the spool - the mono helps keep it in place. After that - add as much braided backing so that the reel fills up properly with the copper or lead core after that.

Fished 8:15 AM - 1:30 PM Hit the lake a little late - headed NNW to 125 FOW with some scattered marks - temps were 76 on top and 51 down 90' Stayed on a NNW troll to about 320 - turned back to 200 and headed back to 320. There were good temps and some bait balls here and there - but we could not get things moving What worked: 3 rips on wire mag dipsy on 2 - 175 back with green/pearl SD and white fly 1 rip on braided mag dipsy on 2 - 225 back with glo blue jeans SD and blue crinkle fly 1 on DR - 90 down - glow mag green and white mag spoon - 8# steelhead not many guys seemed to be catching - not sure these fish will ever show up this year!

Thanks Mega Byte for your reports... Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Good job, we're they kings? What species? Thanks Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Heading to Muskegon Monday... But I agree... It's been very quiet! Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Hi - I need to update my email address - how can I do that? Please advise - thanks - Jim

Yep - pretty much the exact same for us out of Muskegon - lines set by 6:00 AM - started in 70 FOW with TONS of marks and bait - everywhere! No takers - slide out north about 8:45 AM as the marks evaporated - found some active fish at the point about 300 FOW - good temps - scattered marks and bait - took a huge rip on the high 100' CU with double orange crush - gone after a few minutes... 10 minutes later - 250 CU goes with a large fish - ran like a big king - and broke off 30# test as he took most of my backing...that was it!!!

SOG ranged from 2.6 - 4.2 depending on direction - yep - lots of currents down there! Tight lines...

1 for 3 with 2 of us on the boat - me and a newbie - fog was thick so we motored out slowly to about 80 FOW - started just north of port and set up heading south - good marks, good bait, good temps - surface was 64 and 43 deg on the bottom. Had the 300 CU go with a green mag flounder pounder - fish was a mature and fought hard for 3-4 minutes and came off - then 10 minutes later - the 200 CU rips - and this fish was MUCH bigger - never gave an inch or put the brakes on - he turned and headed north and never looked back - he hit a reel that didn't have as much backing on it and I had to muscle him - but he broke off - BIG KING #2 LOST Then - the braided dipsy out 150 on 2.5 with green SD and fly ripped - this was a smaller fish but boated him after a few minutes - 15# king.... Fog lifted about 11 am Very glad to see some kings show up - heading out this weekend and next week!

I was out yesterday in Muskegon from 7am - noon - and fished in 90-120 FOW and there was a more bait then I've seen in quite a while - I was out 2 weeks ago and the screen was mostly empty from 100-250 FOW. I get that it comes and goes in areas based on wind, temps, etc. - But I cut my teeth in Lake Ontario 30 years ago - and the amount of bait there is insane due to such a rich bio-mass from Lake Erie...but I was happy with what I saw yesterday.

What time did you fish?

I prefer drift socks or trolling bags since they stabilize the boat better in windy/rough weather - I have 2 on my 21' Proline - but RARELY use them both...in addition - when a BIG king hits - you can throw the bags in to slow the boat significantly without changing RPM's - (especially with a newbie) land the fish - pull the bags - and you are right bag to the speed the fish hit...hope that helps!

That sounds about right!

Headed out despite the bumpy ride with some family that insisted on going out - started north of the harbor in 110 FOW and trolled with the north winds. Some marks here and there - a few areas of bait - but very little on the screen and nothing to show for it...el skunko! water was 42-43 deg 100 feet down....Had the whole water column covered - not even a knock off! Where are all the fish????

I venture to say that could be mine... I have lost 2 this past year and I have yellow braid on all of mine... Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Muskegon 8-27 Had a group of friends who were all newbies that could only go yesterday - left the dock at 6:30 AM Looked in the 40-50 foot range - didn't see anything - shot out to 75 and set lines and headed north with the waves (little bumpy out there....) had 2 knock offs on wire dipsy - but no one home. trolled out to the 90-100 FOW - lots of marks and bait balls - really good amount of bait - but the temps were not good at all! Tried all the way out to 200 FOW west of the weather buoy - NOTHING! Trolled until 1:30 - and had nothing to show for it - pulled lines and a small laker hit on the deep rigger on the rise - but we let him go - all in all - tough day to be on the water with newbies and nothing in the box - first skunk of the year!

Muskegon 8-24 Sorry for the late report from yesterday - took a few guys out that wanted to go, but could only go yesterday...tried to dissuade them - but no dice. We waited for the storm to mostly pass - and left dock at 8:00 AM. Hit 90 FOW and started set up - nothing much on the screen until we hit the 140 range or so - just north of port. About an hour in - wire dipsey on 2 out 185' took a 6# Coho - then dead for another hour or so - then finally a board went off - nice 10 # steelie on double orange crush - 150' copper line. Another hour or so and the corner deep rigger goes off - 13# laker on white pearl SD and salmon fly. Nothing and as the afternoon started to wane - winds started to shift to more NNW and it got a bit rough - just before pulling lines about 3ish - inside copper out 200' went off - BIG rip - the guy locked down for no good reason - and a huge steelie flew about 5 feet in the air - and unhooked... Pulling lines and a few more knocks on the wire dipsey - nobody home. It was a tough day to fish - but we managed 3 for 6 or 7 - until we got blown off the lake.

Need some solid advice... I have a 21' Proline with 200HP outboard, hydraulic steering... Thinking about putting the Lowrance Autopilot on her for about $1000, can anybody tell me if that is a good fit for me, as I already have the Lowrance HD7 sonar and GPS it ties into? Anybody have ones that can give me input? Many thanks! Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Nice catch! Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

I run 25# on all my reels and rarely have an issue with fleas Sent from my SM-G950U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Muskegon 7-3 5/5 - left the dock at 7 AM and set up in 90 FOW as we were seeing some decent marks - despite the fact that most of the pack of boats was out about 135 FOW. Set up and didn't have a hit in there - water temps were too warm - 65 down 80. First hit didn't come until we hit that 135 FOW on the east side of the pack by the weather bouy. Nice first fish on 100' CU with double orange crush - about 10# silver bullet steelhead. 45 minutes lets - another one - identical to that one - ripped the wire mag dipsy 145' on #2 - white pearl SD with white mirage fly. Trolled east and west from that 135-185 and picked up a 6# king on DR - 135 down with white pearl SD and little boy blue fly. Then we had made our way to the 250-300 FOW - and there were marks everywhere - good temps - and we had to leave after a short while - and managed 2 lakers - 200' CU with a uv frog type spoon - lakers were 4 and 6# Pulled lines at 2 PM - All in all it was a good day as most couldn't but a bite based on the radio chatter - and only hoped we could have stayed for the evening bite - but the 2 guys had to get home.