GLF

This was in my back yard today. Looks like a bearded hen to me. Is it a bearded hen or a small tom? Sorry about the image quality. I took the picture through a screen.

I have heard a few new names for fish that I have not heard before. What are some of the names and what species are they for?

There are several members that are interested in getting a Captain's License. With all of the Charter Captains on board, we should be able to come up with the requirements. What are the requirements for getting a Captains license?

Welcome to GLF John. I love to have charter captains and seasoned vets as members. When questions come up, there are experienced people around to answer them. If you need anything, just give a yell.

I now have an image on a green fleece jacket. I can have the image put on any jacket.

Here is the image on a green fleece jacket. This is my sons.

Dont forget about the chat tonight.

Sorry to hear someone backed into your trailer. Nope, it was not I. Nice to see you involving your kids at a young age. I was 7 on my first trip to the big lake.

Yes, very good point Rich. Nothing like being blinded by another set of head lights while trying to back up the rig.

The steeper the ramp, the harder it is to get it straight on the trailer.

Many veterans are unaware that their GI Bill benefits will expire after ten years and just over 50% of eligible veterans use their GI Bill at all. You only have ten years to use your GI Bill from your date of discharge. Remind your loved one or friend of this important but limited benefit. Since the GI Bill currently pays out over $1000 a month, or $37,000 over 36 months, you could be missing out on a huge benefit. To learn more about your GI Bill benefits, visit the www.Military.com Education Center. To learn more about GI Bill benefits and military-friendly schools, go to: http://edu.military.com/education/gi_bill/index.jsp

You might want to think twice the next time you want to get within 1,000 yds of a nuke plant.

CBC News - For the first time since 1817, U.S. Coast Guard vessels on the Great Lakes are being outfitted with weapons – machine-guns capable of firing 600 bullets a minute. Until now, coast guard officers have been armed with handguns and rifles, but the vessels themselves haven't been equipped with weapons. The War of 1812 saw violent battles on Lake Erie and Lake Huron between U.S. troops and British forces, which were largely composed of militias from Britain's colonies in what is now Canada. After the war, the United States and Britain – and later Canada – agreed to demilitarize the Great Lakes waters. The Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1817 allowed each country to station four vessels, each equipped with an 18-pound cannon, to safeguard the Great Lakes. The antiquated treaty has recently been reinterpreted because of U.S. concerns about customs violations, human smuggling and international terrorism. Each vessel is now equipped with a 7.62-mm machine-gun, a light military gun with the same caliber as a deer rifle but capable of shooting 600 bullets per minute. The guns are typically mounted, but the U.S. Coast Guard said they will be stored below decks on the coast guard's 11 Great Lakes cutters and will be mounted only when needed. Warning shots will be fired when vessels refuse to stop. Staff members have conducted live-fire drills in the past few months in American waters off the coast of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. A Canadian Foreign Affairs official said Ottawa has agreed to read the treaty in such a way that coast guard vessels may be mounted with guns by considering them weapons of law enforcement rather than war. Canada reserves the right to arm its own vessels as well, the official told CBC News. Under the reinterpretation, which both sides say honors the spirit of the original treaty, vessels may be outfitted with machine-guns of sizes up to .50-caliber. That would be big enough to bring down a helicopter and shoot through a light-armored vehicle. US Coast Guard officials said the United States has no intention of equipping the vessels with .50-caliber machine-guns at this point. Frederick Stonehouse, a Michigan-based historian who has written 26 books on the Great Lakes, said the Rush-Bagot treaty's references to wooden ships and cannons have long been obsolete. However, Stonehouse said the spirit of the treaty remains both clear and respected by both sides. "Certainly the Great Lakes [have] not had any military vessels stationed on [them] since – gosh, really since the advent of that treaty."

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Judiciary Committee on March 29 voted to ban imports of Asian carp, a fish that officials from Great Lakes states fear will wreak havoc on the lakes' ecosystems. "This invader is a threat to the Great Lakes' multibillion-dollar fishing industry, and Wisconsin's fishing tradition," said Rep. Mark Green, R-WI., the bill's sponsor. "We have an obligation to stop it while we can." The bill would ban the importation and interstate transfer of Asian carp, which southern fish farmers depend on to control parasites. Some carp have escaped the farms and made their way north along the Mississippi River and its tributaries and could soon push into the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes region, the world's largest surface freshwater system, already is battling other exotic species, such as zebra mussels. The voracious carp, which often leap out of the water, can grow to more than 100 pounds. The bill passed the committee without dissent Wednesday. Southern lawmakers are likely to oppose the legislation on the House floor.

I started fishing Lake Michigan for salmon in 1975 with my father. We may have caught one or two fish in the dozen or so times we went out that year. It only takes one salmon peeling line off your reel and you are hooked for life. The next year my father put a trolling speed gauge on the boat. There was nothing fancy about it. It was a sinker on the end of a cable that we dropped in once we started trolling. There was 5 or 6 colors that a needle pointed to. Depending on how fast we was going, was what color it was pointing to. Sorry I do not remember the name of it, but I am sure some of you old timers may remember the set up. That year it seemed like we always caught fish each time we went out. Obviously knowing how fast we was traveling was a huge improvement. I am not sure when the first paddle wheel speed sensor came out. When it did, this was a blessing to the salmon fisherman. Everyone that could afford one at the time, had a digital read out, that broke down to tenths of a mile per hour. Somewheres around this time is when someone came up with the idea of putting a speed and temp sensor on a down rigger cable. Now we know how fast and what the water temperature is at lure depths. With underwater currents, your baits may actually be moving faster or slower than the boat. After all of these fancy gadgets, they came out with gps. With gps you can track your speed over land or water. If you are using a gps for speed you need to pay attention to if you are traveling with the waves or traveling into them. If you are traveling with the water current, you are traveling faster than if you was traveling into the water current. ie...if you are traveling 2.1mph with the waves and you try to travel 2.1mph into the waves, you will not be trolling at the same speed. You have to compensate for the water current, and may have to slow down some traveling into the waves. Which ever one you use for fishing is your choice. Each one has its perks and disadvantages. The point I am trying to drive across is you must know how fast you are trolling. Knowing how fast you are going is a very important part to repeatability. How do you control the boat speed? There are several ways you can slow your boat down. In the beginning, we use to tie a rope to a bucket, and tie the other end to a cleat. On my fathers second boat, he installed a home made "beaver troll". This was hooked to a hydraulic cylinder and lowered down behind the propeller. There are manual ones that you can purchase for doing this. Most people now are using drift socks. Drift socks come in various sizes for different size boats. Having a drift sock in the water also helps stabilize the boat in rougher water. This works best with one on each side of the boat. The most expensive way to control the speed is to change the pitch of the propeller. This means you have to shell out some $$$ for a new propeller. The speed you are traveling is very critical to the baits you are fishing. Some baits fish better at slow speeds and some baits fish better at higher speeds. Learning which baits work at which speed is a learning experience. The easiest way to find out is to attach a bait to a line and hold it over the side at a known speed. See how the bait reacts at different speeds. As a general rule, the lighter spoons troll better at slower speeds and the heavier ones at higher speeds. Knowing what bait to use at what trolling speed is an important key to successful fishing on the Great Lakes. See you on the water GLF

Nice post Take Six... Bass fisherman are usually the best at getting a boat in and out of the water. I know, I use to be a tournament fisherman. You would be amazed at how fast you can get 100 boats on trailers. Seemed like the only time the process was slowed down, was when there was a pleasure boater or salmon fisherman holding up the ramp Usually one person is dropped off on the dock to get the vehicle and trailer, and the boat backs away. When it's their turn to get out, and the trailer is backed in, the boat is put on the trailer. After the strap is hooked to the boat, it is pulled out to a parking spot or the staging area. There the boat is strapped down and the transom savor is put on, and anything that is still not stowed is put away. There is no boat sitting at the dock waiting for a vehicle. I realize these are not bass boats, but only the really big ones should have issues getting a boat out of the lake. I realize not everyone can back up a trailer, but it is a good practice to learn and should be learned by anyone who fishes with someone with a boat. Now if we could get everyone to do this with their boats there would be no congestion at the ramps.

I went on a charter trip last year. We had a really good trip and caught lots of nice kings. I kick myself in the arse for not paying better attention and asking questions. Anyways, they had egg sinkers on their lead cores. I did not pay attention how they stopped them or if they were on a half core. Anyone have some insight???

Alot of the boats have not been identified. If you and your boat have not been identified, let us know who you are and what boat is yours.

I was not ever sure what post I had your picture until Mike pointed it out.

There is a section on 131 near Stadium drive that caught fire last week. I am not sure if a cigarette caused it or not.

I saw this same picture on another site. I wonder if I can get coot for copywrite infringement? What did you catch your two fish on?

This is a very nice boat, and yes it is Spoonfed.

Did you have an image of you on the water before? How many fish did you end up with at the blast?

One of the goals of this site is to help everyone become a better fisherman. For those of you that were successful during the Brown Blast, what worked for you? What was your hot baits? What was your presentation? Do you mind sharing some information with everyone?

Matt, I am not talking about disassembling the entire unit. Do you see the long flat piece that in on top of the helm? This is the flat part that I was talking about. I think there are 4 bolts that bolt it to the helm. Inside this flat piece there is a flat bar with teeth on it. This is attached to the cable. This is what I was saying to pull off the helm to lubricate. The other end, I said to remove the nut to lubricate. You may be able to turn the wheel far enough to expose the cable at the motor. Key word is "maybe" Squirt the WD-40 there. Do not attempt to pull the cable out of the casing. If you do decide to change the cable, I would recommend using a 'No feed back" assembly.