Twill23

I haven't been able to post much because we've been so busy lately. Fishing everyday and many days twice a day for the last 2 and a half weeks. Fishing continues to be fantastic. We were lucky enough to take a 3rd place finish in the Holland Steelheaders, as well as a 5th place finish in the Holland BRC Save the TaTas. A big shout out to Don, the captain of Tangled Mess Charters for helping to raise over $200, then donating the money from our 5th place finish back to the cause. It's a great cause, and i encourage everyone to try and fish the ladies tournament next year. The real reason for this posting is because of the recent oppurtunity to take a young man fishing with us that has been wheel chair bound his entire life. Unfortunately he has had Spina Bifida since birth. Aaron From Lakeshore set up the trip. All of us jumped aboard "The Black Pear" Mark Rapson's boat(CasseyII here on GLF). After the trip Aaron did a little write up on facebook, and i personally could not have said it any better. So here's what he had to say: "Good Fishing! I had the opportunity to go fishing with Dan and his friend Shannon from Fulfilling life Ministries last night. Shannon has Spina Bifida which has caused him to be wheelchair bound since birth. This did not stop him from reeling in 6 really nice Salmon. When we were going out we asked him what his biggest fish ever was, her replied “8lb Catfishâ€. It wasn’t more than 15 minutes later he was fighting his first fish of the night, an 18lb king on a downrigger. I have never seen someone so excited about catching a fish, his smile was so big I’m pretty sure other boats around could even see it. We had a total of 20 other hits on various rods, some never hooked up and others were lost on the way to the boat. Never once did Shannon get upset or discouraged, he just smiled and waited for the next rod to go off. He constantly was laughing and joking around with everyone. He said it was one of the best experiences of his life. I watched as he took pictures of the sunset, fish and the shoreline. He just kept saying how awesome it was and how blessed he felt to be there with us. I think we can learn a lot from someone like Shannon, I know I did. It seems like every day at the store someone is discussing the latest tournament drama or who they thought cheated and always hoping for one more fish. I know I am guilty of getting discouraged when a fish gets off at the back of the boat or a buddy bumps one with a net. Or when the last fish you needed for your limit slips out of your hands and misses the cooler.. happened twice to me this year.. Things happen and often times in the heat of the moment we lose our cool. I thought about this while I was standing at the back of the boat moving back and forth I watched how my legs compensated for the movement of the boat. I thought of how I am able to run to the other side of the boat to grab a rod with a fish on it. Dan and Shannon shared stories of others with physical disabilities and the healing they have received by hunting and fishing. This made me realize quickly that we are blessed much more than we often realize. I encourage everyone to take someone fishing that normally would never get the opportunity, not only will they truly value the experience but it will change you as well. All this great fishing we have this year made me forget about when a great day of fishing was 6-8 fish in the cooler at the end of the night. Experiences like this help remind me that 6 fish is an awesome night, with the right perspective." It definitely was a changing experience for me. Salmon fishing is a great privileged that we are all blessed with. Everyday someone is trying to prove they are better than the next guy. Everyday someone is stretching the truth, making fish bigger, adding a couple to the cooler that weren't really there, cutting off some of the time they actually spent on the water, and adding a few bites to their statistics that really weren't there. I fully admit i have at one time or another done each and every one of these things, but after seeing the sheer pleasure in this young man's eyes after catching these fish really made me realize again what is the most important aspect of salmon fishing. Having a good time. With that all being said, i really really encourage you to take someone on the lake the wouldn't normally get to go. Show them a good time, and don't worry about trying to deck load the fish. A couple of nice kings will make more memories than you can imagine.

Nice job Phil! What time did you launch?

My opinion was based on trying to make as many people happy, with as many entrances as possible. Not a "powder puff" division. The biggest issue for the Big Red committee SEEMS(i dont know for a fact because i am personally not on the board) to be trying to make guys who feel they're "legitimate" fisherman AND the "average joe" fisherman enter the same tournament but still feel as though they're fishing a level playing field. We won't personally be fishing the main event unless fishing is extremely tough, or unless i find a crew who wants to go out and fish for fun and drink beers. It does cost a TON of money to fish a big time tournament, and I know, that to most of my crew and I, it's not about the purse at the end of the day, it's the name at the top of the board that we're after. When we're beat we congratulate the guys who beat us. Just look at the Grand Haven tournament. EXTREMELY tough fishing and for those that put their fish in the boat and finished in the top truly deserved it.(Flycatcher ) It would have been a COMPLETELY different story had it been a weigh 5 tournament. I just think that on a weigh 5 tournament, when fishing is GOOD, you may not see the top fisherman at the top of the board. I still have this opinion after having won a weigh 5 tournament this year.

Totally agree on the first part. I also think a lot of it has to do with egos. Not to bash people, but what's the first question you get asked when you hit the dock? "How many you get?"

I agree with most of the post. I do think that the separate divisions should be treated differently. If you truly trying to get everyone in involved, AND trying to get as many participants, Then the two divisions should be different. IE; Am: Catch whatever weigh 5. While pro:Catch 15 weigh 12. Your getting at both target audiences, and those who really want the competition will get it by having your best fisherman fishing for the toughest boxes, while still having the amateur division weighing in a much easier box to come by which is more appealing to the weekend warrior. Just what i think.

Wow......

Still available!

Fishhawk TDR places the 300 45# at 63 at 2.5 and the 10 color at 40. Nice job fishin!

Nice Job Jimmy!

That's a good point too. The fish cleaning station there is considered public.. but don't tell that to any of the captains... They do help pay for upkeep, but it wasn't funded by them when it was built. You can clean fish there at any time, just have to be respectful. that's just what i've been told. We only cleaned fish there during the tournament, and had no problem getting a key from a charter after the building was locked up at night.

I wanted to add a little bit to this. Salmon want to be comfortable. It's one of the reasons they didn't survive and find a new feeding source in Lake Huron. It's also one of the reasons they will cruise across the entire width of Lake Michigan in one day. They don't like to be uncomfortable. That being said, as we understand it, kings are comfortable with eating our bait, on average, at 2.5mph. I believe this is speed related to effort like mentioned previously. That's how much effort they want to spend to eat something. As far as making a bait go an undetermined speed saying a salmon can catch it may put a few fish in the boat, but may not put the numbers in the boat that most fisherman are looking for. Although it may not be the optimal speed, kings CAN be caught going over 4.0mph.

My personal opinion... Launch in Grand haven and run the boat up to Muskegon... I don't mean to bad mouth anyone who may live in the area.. But it just has poor facilities. Just my 2 cents, and i hope not to offend any1 from the area.

There are several gifted fisherman on the lake who have fished long enough before all the special electronics came out that are extremely good at reading their gear. They do this by reading their chute riggers and dispies. Knowing the angle of sway back at the correct speed. They also understand how their divers are supposed to be pulling when things are right.. I personally depend on my down speed. Personally, i stopped using a gps speed several years ago. Sure, Then we can get a few boats together and get the kids on the lake! As far as fish not knowing their moving is not totally true. Remember fish have a different sensory system than we do. They will feel the vibrations with their lateral line, as well as different in pressure. They will also notice when extra air is rushing through their gills. Remember, if they stop swimming in a current, they drift away(to a certain extent). It's ALMOST like an earth with no gravity, and the chance of wind. Also, their reference points are a little bit different than ours. They use temperature, pressure, vibrations, sight, and even smell as a reference. Also, salmon have almost like a built in compass. They know at all times which direction they're facing.

Congrats and really whackin em too! lol

Yea, there are some monsters in the refuge. Only problem is, you can't fish inside of the refuge, and its one heck of a run to get to the edge!

As far as fish are concerned, when current is in place, speed over ground has absolutely no bearing. Essentially what your doing is measuring effort of this fish. What your trying to do is essential imitate bait. We do this by trolling 2.0-3.0mph. Bait is comfortable swimming at this speed. Now throw current into the mix. If a bait is swimming into that current at a comfortable pace, they will be swimming slower than what they normally are, while exerting the same amount of effort. Think of it this way, Your late for the school bus. As it pulls away from you, you begin to chase it luckily the bus is going only 5mph. You easily catch that bus. Now toss in a 40mph wind and chase that same bus. The bus is still going 5mph but because your running in to the wind you just missed the bus. You just couldn't catch the bus and now your late for school! Essential a fish hawk measures speed in relation to energy spent by a fish to chase down and eat. We know they are comfortable hitting bait this is traveling at 2.5mph. If they also have to swim into a moving current, then they are spending more energy to swim 2.5mph to catch that same bait. You have to remember, fish dont understand MPH nor do they understand ground. They live in the water. They want to be comfortable. We as humans measure their effort to chase down bait in terms of speed. Again, they don't know how fast they're going. But they do know how much energy they exert to chase a bait. Even if the current is restricting them, they will still exert the same amount of energy to eat. This is because the bait is also exerting their normal amount of energy to swim. If they're going into the current they will swim slower(in our terms of speed over ground) If they are swimming with the current, they will be going faster.

If you REALLY want to explain it, take him to the beach and fly a kite!

Here is the best way i would be able to explain it to him. Remind him that speed over ground is different from speed related to moving water. The water which may not be moving at the surface could still be moving below. Look at wind as an example. Think of a anemometer(a too used to measure wind speed). This tool is at all times stationary, but yet will read a speed directly related to the wind. It doesn't move because it is anchored down... Let's fish for birds today. we'll do this with kites. Say those tasty seagulls want the kites going 2.5 mph. The wind today is blowing exactly 2.5 mph! Essentially what you can do to "fish?" effectively for the seagulls is to stand in one spot while your kite does all the work. The kite will act as if it's going 2.5 mph(because that's what your anemometer says its going) But what happens if there is no wind?(Or current) Your kite will sit on the ground not catching any "fish?"Your speed will be reading 0.0 on the anemometer...You must move your body at 2.5mph ground speed to read 2.5 mph on the anemometer. Reading speed over water is much different than reading speed over ground, and it just doesn't work in the same way. Now say again that the wind is blowing 2.5mph. For the bird to get to the kite he has to fly faster then 2.5 mph. Now say he wants to just sit there behind the kite, how fast does the bird have to fly? His speed over ground would be 0, but his speed above ground would have to be 2.5 mph to stay right next to the kite! If it were 0mph than he would be blown away by the wind, and not be able to keep up with the speed of the kite. Moving water vs the ground, is in essence the same as wind vs the ground. Now say you have no way of reading speed at your kite. Your going 2.5mph over ground, but the wind is blowing 2.5 also. Is basic terms your kite will be going 5mph. Why? Because essentially that bird will have to fly 5mph to stay even with that kite. From experience, seagulls just don't like it that fast! Now change that wind to water currents, and those birds to fish and you have a simple explanation! His non moving surface water on the lake is ground in this example, and his moving water below is wind! I would also point out that fish don't live on the ground. They live in the water, which is sometimes moving, and tools used to measure water speed are much different than tools used to measure ground speed. My last point would be this. Tell him to go sit on his couch.. Now ask him if he's moving. If he say's no...Give him a GPS and when he says "See! 0.0mph." tell him he's moving. If he doesn't believe you, ask him how every day the sun sets and rises. This may confuse him more, but in relation to space, it makes perfect sense.(the earth is rotating as well as orbiting around the sun). His speed over ground may be 0, but he is still moving! Only his speed would be measured in speed relating to space rather than speed relating to ground! His gps is again incorrect. I hope this helps!

Passing this along. 2012 Alpena, MI Brown Trout festival Walleye Extravaganza Walleye Extravaganza - July 14 & 15, 2012 - New this year - $6,000 pay out for first place and 95% of purse for second through fifth. Thunder Bay is becoming one of the top walleye fisheries in the world. this is one tournament that you don't wanna miss! To find out all rules and regulations: http://www.alpenami-browntrout.com/2012_Rules.pdf Scroll down for exact rules on the Walleye tournament. Brown Trout festival home page: http://www.alpenami-browntrout.com/index.html

Awesome Dave!!!!

When you put braid on first, you either have to tape it down, or if your reel has one of those pins on the spool, then you first tie it to that. As far as backing for walleye, cut as much off as you'd like

Moonshine Moonshine, or yellow submarine depending if its half glow or not

Lake Trout. These fish are not 4 year fish. A 15+ pound lake trout is anywhere from 10-20 years old. Lake trout also feed on goby, which are plentiful.

Nice job nick! good fishin!

Closest thing I have. It's not digital though.