georgeb

Finally got my boat out for this year. Had a little trouble with a rivet that needed replacement before the boat could go off shore. We launched at 5 and dropped in at 80FOW to set lines. I set a 10 color with a green splatter back plug, a 300 copper with a Deep Thunderstick, 2 wire deeper divers 1 out 240 and the other was out 300 both with Mag spoons. Also set 2 riggers 1 at 90 down and 1 at 110down both with Mag spoons. We headed NW to 160 when the Starboard rigger bounced and after a nice few drag screaming runs put a 15 Lb king in the net. He managed to get around the wire when he saw the boat - that made netting very interesting trying to not have the wire cut him off. Just as the sun disappeared over the horizon we were in 190 FOW, the port rigger was thumping but not released. I popped the release and we netted a 5LB coho with no drama (or hardly a fight). After clearing the fish from the net I tried to wind up the rigger to find the hand crank does nothing. I had to hand wind the cable on the spool from 90 down with a 12 Lb ball on the end. After that we pulled lines and headed in. As soon as we hit the 160FOW, the graph got crazy with bait balls and hooks at 100 down. Ended 2 - 2 with 15LB king an 5 LB Coho. King came on a MS Mag Double Trouble and 'Ho was off a MS Mag Rasberry Carbon 14. New motor ran perfectly and the rivet fix looks like it is good to go for the rest of the season. Happy night on the pond.

a nice thing about freighters is they do not try to hide at night. They are as lit up as they can be. With their steady speed they will sneak up on ya real quick. The way to know for sure you have annoyed one is when they hit you with their bow light. Night turns to day reel quick when they turn on that bow spot and if you are really in their way you get the horn. I have even heard a tug captain go off on a tri-hull that was jigging in Muskegon channel and waited to long to pull their anchor. "I can tell I'm in Muskegon, the assholes are here"

I am thankful Lake Michigan does not have a tide to deal with. The river mouth plumes can be enough fun.

prior to going out check the N and S mid lake buoys for wind and wave action. If there are waves heading toward the port you are thinking of fishing that can mean the waves will be as big at the port. Wave energy takes a long time to dissipate and will not decrease in height in the 40 or so miles from the buoy to the shore. If the shore wind is going the same direction as the mid lake wind/waves then you can assume the waves are being helped to shore. If the shoreline wind is opposing the mid lake wind/wave direction then all kinds of weird can happen. This is the recipe for rouge waves or a dual pattern wave set. edit to add, there can be more than 1 wind direction on the lake at any given time and that will create wave patterns that do not make sense or follow the mid lake wave directions and heights.

it was a blo-boat delivery to Chicago for a race weekend with 2 others on board. It was common for us to deliver boats and race in any weather. The boat was setup for open water racing and we were quite safe, the real problem was both the other delivery crew were seasick and the auto-helm went out so I had to drive down and up the waves for 9 hours without relief. I have been out is stuff that most people only read about in lake Mi. I used to be into the thrill ride aspect oi the deliveries and the racing when I was younger. No matter how well setup the boat is or how experienced the crew bad things can and do happen, that is the risk I was willing to accept. I have lost friends to the lake so I know how dangerous it is and NEVER underestimate what is possible.

If you ever want to feel totally alone and small on Lake Michigan, try being 40 miles from any land with a SW wind at 30 to 40 knots and 15' waves while headed to Chicago on a 35' boat. That can change your outlook on what safe means. I agree completely, respect the lake and expect it to not care about you.

Port Sheldon bubbler ?

Port Sheldon PM 8-14 Fished straight out to slightly South from 6:00Pm till dark. Setup in 140 FOW and fished out to 200 and back into 155. Lost a big King on a SUV Reel Flasher and meat rig 72' down and 20' back on a rigger in 155 FOW on a S.E. troll. He was all twisted up in the meat rig and broke off taking all the hardware. We put a nice 10.5 Lb. Laker in the box off a 10 color with a Mag Blue Dolphin Stinger off a S.E. troll in 180 FOW. At dusk we were marking bait with hooks 160 down in 170 FOW, overall we saw lots of marks in the 155 to 170 FOW deeper than 175 the graph went blank. We finished 1-2 and to add to the lost flasher and meat rig pain, when I pulled the probe I managed to knock the cannon ball off it and it went to the bottom. Beautiful night on the pond, expensive but beautiful.

Port Sheldon 3/19/17, 2:30 - 6 PM Last day of winter and the weather / water was perfect for my shakedown trip. Fished around bubbler dropping lines just after 2:00 PM, also fished N of bubbler in 10 - 20 FOW. Ended up 2-3 with a 10" laker we threw back and put a 5.5 Lb. Brown in the box. Laker hit a mixed veggies supper slim and the Brown hit a Michael Jackson Stinger, both on single color of lead core on an inline board. Laker was next to the bubbler, the brown was N. of the bubbler. I know I said 2-3, well the third one that got away was a bird. Had a gull pick up a small body bait while setting lines and it was a pretty good fight until he let the lure go. He was trying to fly away with the lure 30' of lead core line and a board, he was not able to. Lucky for me he was not hooked, just had the lure in his beak and did not want to let go of his dinner. He finally gave up and flew away screaming at us. Ended up with just the one fish in the box, boat ran great and all equipment worked. Made a list of things I need to make and or repair before my next trip. A very good shakedown trip with a nice eating fish for my crew to take home for dinner.

We fished PS Sunday evening from 6:30 - 9 and went 1 - 1 boating a nice chubby 7 Lb King. The fish hit on a S. troll on the deep rigger with a mag moonshine double trouble off a 1 color SWR down 70 in 95 - 100 FOW. Ran 4 meat rigs on the wires and riggers with J's on the cores until sunset started without a bump. Switched to spoons on the riggers and wires and finally took a fish right at sunset. We were looking at the smelly kitty in the cooler (again!) until the rigger quietly pulled back and bounced 1 time - not an exciting hit, but he went into the cooler with great relief !

At least 1 was last weekend

Finally got the shakedown cruise in and ended 4-4 with a 4Lb steel, 2 1.5Lb browns and a shaker King that was returned. I got a tip from a friend that black and gold was a good choice and he was right. the first brown was on black and gold body bait and the steel and other brown were on a black and orange spoon that I have no idea of make or name. Shaker King was on greasy chicken wing stinger. Spoons were on 1 colors and body baits were flat lined all behind inline boards. We never went deeper than 10 FOW and went north first. Great early May evening on the pond, motor ran perfect, caught fish and never needed to change from shorts and a T-shirt.

This was my shakedown trip for this year - better late than never... Setup in 70FOW headded SW with a 6 mag Moonshine spoon spread and just as I got the last rod set the 10 color with a double trouble took off screaming and went to 700' in a couple of seconds. My friend fought that in about half way when it just left. Next up was a hugh rip on the wire diver with a green dot half moon on it back 150' grabbed it but no one was home. While I was resetting it it got hit again and I allmost lost the rod overboard ! We spun around headded NE and went back through that water and took a double of Cohos off the riggers with the smaller 5Lb on a green flounder pounder down 35' and the largest 7Lb on a seeded water melon down 45'. Turned around and repeated out original troll taking a 1.5Lb coho off the seeded water melon that I sent back. If a couple of minutes, the same rigger fired and I really believe the same fish was on it. It had the hook hole in it's lower jaw exactly where I just took the hook out of it. I could not release this one as it ate the spoon. We saw lots of bait balls suspended 20' - 60' down. While I did not put the big fish in the box, we had good action all evening with a really nice moon to enjoy headding in. It was a fun first trip and we were able to put some really tastey Cohos in the cooler - Nice...