SeaCatMich

Most of the time the tow vehicle and boat fuel are divided up between those on the trip -- often/most of the time my "regular" guys will cover all of the fuel since I'm furnishing the boat and tow vehicle (part of the reason they have become my regular team). I'm the one with the Great Lakes boat and the other guys don't have much along the lines of big water tackle. The same thing applies though when we go bass fishing on one of the guy's Ranger or head up north for the weekend with the guy with the cabin. If it is a multi day trip with lodging then it gets divide up the same way too. Overall, I maintain the boat, trailer, Avalanche, tackle, registrations, insurance... I get some labor help from my friends for fixes and maintenance. It is good to have a group that know this isn't a cheap activity and cover the cost of trip expenses/consumables. When I lived closer to the lake costs were less in the sense that tow distance was negligible and boat fuel was the biggest cost (not really too much with the twin 4 strokes). The general rule of thumb applies whether going fishing or trips to a ballgame or concert: Everyone covers their own food, ticket/license cost... and the rest of the cost of the trip are divided evenly among whoever is going (fuel, parking, lodging). This also keeps it legal with the DNR in that you're not running a charter (IE: no one is paying to to take them fishing).

Of course I bought a new 300 yd spool of the 45# at the Grand Rapids show. Got it spooled on a Tekota 800LC and a week later, Dave posted the test info off of the Profishient boats. Prior to that my own tests with 45# showed much deeper max depths achieved (lures hitting bottom) but I didn't have any 32#. I'd go with the 32# if I was to do it over. The extra backing or extra copper would be nice. I would hope that the thinner diameter of the 32 would also make it easier to work with and yield smaller knots.

For colored flies, I like to either match them up with similar colors (daytime) on the flasher or go with a glow crush (early morning) or a UV (1 hr after sun up and throughout the day if cloudy). As for the copper, you can run any presentation/lure you would normally use elsewhere. My inclination is to stay away from big flashers. I generally use mag or super mag spoons and plugs. I have had good luck with Brad's Cut Plugs off the copper in mid day.

Thanks for the report. Heading down for Tuesday and Wednesday to try to get some of those West Sister walleye. We're going to go out from Sterling and have talked to others who have been doing pretty well west of West Sister. It has always been a good spot for me in past years.

Yea, I thought the same thing about those lakes. To drain a large area of Ontario to put more water into the Great Lakes seems ludicrous to me -- expensive (if doable at all) and just creates a new problem with consequences that would likely be bad. I agree, some expert.

This seems odd for me to say since I have never had Cannon riggers, but based on the specs, the Mag 5 ST ($399) or the Mag 10 STX ($549 retail) look hard to beat. Both have 250'/minute retrieve and 20# weight capacity. The 5 has a 24" arm while the 10 is adjustable from 24 to 53". They also include auto-stop. I'm not a big fan of the fixed boom (can't lift them) design of the Cannons and they just seem very bulky to me. The single standard plastic (lexan) rod holders are not real impressive to me either -- but you can add their aluminum rod holders and get the best out there. The standard models also don't include swivel bases which is actually good if you go with a track system with pedestals instead. I have had Riviera, Invader, Big Jon, and Vectors on my boats over the years. If money was not a factor, I would have put the new Traxstech models on two years ago. Of those I have had, the Vectors (now the Traxstech) were good for close to 10 years, but two of my 4 have issues and I bought a pair of Big Jon Brutes to replace them. Brutes are not as fast as the Vectors but work very well. I wish both had auto stop. Big Jon Captain Packs are good solid units as are the Pro Tournaments but are relatively slow.

Wow, most of us get TwoFootitis, not 13' . Welcome to the site.

Interesting idea. Any idea how long a fish can be on ice and still bleed from the gills? Maybe Thirsty Whaler can tell me! Bringing over a big fish from Lake Ontario to enter is always a concern. Those fishing with the person entering the fish will also have to sign the entry as witnesses as a first level of prevention. The option to subject anyone to a lie detector is on the table (and rules) and personally I would not want to risk my reputation and potential fraud charges over a fish, but ... Another solid way to prevent such shenanigans would be great. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Weigh in would be at specific locations at each port -- mostly tackle shops. Since many/most don't have certified scales the plan is to purchase scales to be issued to each weigh in station that would be used to weigh the fish. The scales would be identical and while not state certified would be quite accurate and being the same at each location' date=' create a level playing field. Of course weigh in will only be available when the tackle shop/weigh in location is open. Fish will be required to be entered within one day of being caught so a fish caught at 7 pm would need to be promptly weighed the next morning. A couple of the weigh stations are also likely to be closed on Sundays -- a participant would probably want to drive a few miles to the nearest open location to weigh a big fish. The grouping of certain ports is somewhat due to this issue. The fish will be entered in the daily contests on the day it is weighed. The incentive to a tackle shop to be a sales/fish entry location is to generate sales outside of selling the entry. Each time a fish is entered is an opportunity for the shop. How they use it as a selling tool will be up to them, but a "leaders" whiteboard and hot derby lures display would be ideas. Some have also talked about X% discounts on purchases for derby participants. Back in the '70s I remember tackle shops like Springs in Muskegon and the Army/Navy Store being open VERY late due to the amount of activity in the ports during the derby periods. You could weigh in a fish at 11 pm if you wanted to. It would be great to see that kind of excitement again at our salmon ports. That's the idea! To eliminate a lot of "extra" fish being entered, a minimum weight to enter is also being considered. No sense in someone going through the process for a 4# Coho. As a side note... each fish weighed will be marked to make sure that it can't be weighed twice or at two locations.

Ooops... missed putting Saugatuck in the list. It would be grouped with Holland and Port Sheldon. Payouts are not based/dependent on numbers of entrants. The numbers work out based on how much participation is anticipated. It also assumes a certain amount of sponsorship. Prior to this poll/thread (posted both here and on GLA) informal discussions with anglers indicated a big derby as outlined would be well received with lots of participation. The two polls/threads on these web sites is an effort to further qualify whether this is worth doing or not. Everyone's feedback and votes are VERY important toward that end.

This too was discussed and that is the main reason why a daily big fish per port was put in -- competing against others at the same port, not those 150 miles away. It really depends on the year though as far as where the big fish show up. A lot of it really depends on when the fall rains come and let the fish go up the river. Had my boat in Ludington from 1984 through 1996 and then when I moved to St. Joe in 1997 the boat was there until 2004. I would say that the week prior to Labor Day was good in St. Joe the vast majority of years and the big fish were comparable to Ludington -- big difference was you had to go out further to get to the deeper cold water holding the fish. I lived right on the river in St. Joe and by the first week of September we usually saw fish in the river. In Ludington, the Pere Marquette river often had fish by early August and even late July some years. The last couple of years I have generally launched from Holland or Muskegon and have caught the same size fish as my buddies were reporting from Ludington and Frankfort. There isn't enough time to get organized for this year, but a July 4th centric derby is under serious consideration for 2014. That time of year evens out a north is better than south concern. St. Joe may even have a big advantage due to the Skamania Steelhead hitting the pier heads in mid summer. Again, ideas are welcome!

A boat level registration is a possibility that has been discussed for the exact scenario you describe! When I kept my boat in Ludington and St. Joe it was common for me to have a different crew of friends every few days -- especially that week. The cost for a private boat registration (not a charter) discussed was $150 which would make the break even point at 5+ adults who would be fishing 2+ days on a single boat. I 'd like some feedback on this idea Also under consideration is a charter boat registration which would allow a registered boat to enter any fish they catch in the derby. The captain could sell entries to his customers or include it as a bonus or marketing tool. Age 10 was the consensus as to when a child was really able to actively fish. It is also the rule that the LOC uses. Unfortunately since anyone under 16 does not need a fishing license there is no other control. Do you think 10 is too young? A parent of a child under 10 would be allowed to enter a fish the youngster caught. During the discussion it was brought up that often when the fishing is good anyone/everyone on board (regardless of age or purpose of being on the boat) would be volunteered to fight a fish. If someone "not fishing" catches a big one, it would be awfully tempting to have someone else enter it (and break the rules). If anyone has any ideas/suggestions... post/email/ or PM! Issues/concerns like this are welcome and why a post like this was done. Better to have as many things brought out now rather than later. The official rules are being drafted. A boat registration would also eliminate the need for everyone onboard to be registered individually -- regardless of age or intended activity.

I believe the rule (Michigan) is/was that gaffs can't be used on designated trout streams, not that gaffs were illegal for use on salmon/trout on other waters.

Back in the 1970's through the early 80's salmon derbies were quite common and popular on Michigan's Lake Michigan coast. In 1980 my Dad and I managed to catch the 2nd place fish in the summer derby and won $1,000. We also won lots of lures for fish we entered that finished lower in the standings. In the fall 1981 I took my college buddies with me and I caught a 38#+ King that a week earlier would have won the fall derby. At least for me, derbies have always been a lot of fun and a relatively cheap way to be involved in competitive fishing. I have been talking with a few people trying to get things lined up and we are very close to starting a Lake Michigan salmon derby for the Michigan side of the lake for late this coming summer (2013). Below is the baseline info as it currently stands. Lake Ontario has had the ESLO/LOC derbies on the US side and the Great Ontario Derby in Ontario for years. Wisconsin has had Salmon-A-Rama for years too. Michigan has not had any major derby type contests since the American Salmon Derby events of the late ‘70s/early ’80. There are lots of weekend port oriented tournaments for Pro and Am boats, plus the 333 but no real derbies. Maybe it would be good to first discuss the difference between a “tournament†and a “derby†as that seems to be a common question. A tournament involves weighing multiple fish caught during a specific period, while a derby is based on the weight of a single fish also caught over a specific time period. Michigan’s current tournaments are mostly single port oriented with entry fees of $300+ per boat for 2 days. A derby is more oriented to the “amateur†angler who is going fishing and for a relatively low entry fee can potentially win prizes based on the entry of one or more fish during the derby. This is not a done deal but is quite likely to go forward. Give me some feedback! Is this something that you would be interested in entering? Any questions? Suggestions? Post replies below or PM or email me! Derby Info Dates: Saturday, August 24 through Tuesday, September 3 Entry Fees: Full derby -- $30 for adult (17+); $15 for age 10-16 Daily -- $15 per person (age 10 & up) Everyone over 9 years old onboard must be registered (fishing or not) Charter boats: Captains/mates do not have to be registered to have a derby team fishing onboard. Captain/mate must be registered to enter a fish themselves. Will be available at tackle shops at event port towns and via Internet online. Prizes: Derby: 1st - $5,000 + replica mount; ; 2nd - $2,500, 3rd - $1,500; 4th - $1,250; 5th - $1,000… 10th - $500… stepped down to 100th at $50. Daily: Port -- $100 big fish for each port each day by weight; All ports -- $250 for biggest fish entered across all ports each day by weight Sponsor: Individual sponsors to award prizes for catching/entering fish caught using their products and/or at specific ports Ports: New Buffalo, 2. St. Joe/Benton Harbor, 3. South Haven, 4. Holland/Port Sheldon, 5. Grand Haven, 6. Muskegon/Whitehall, 7. Pentwater/Ludington, 8. Manistee/Onekema, 9. Arcadia/Frankfort, 10. Leland/Traverse City/Petoskey & further north Fishing Area: This will be a lake based contest. Fish must be caught in Michigan waters of Lake Michigan. Pier/shore based fishing is allowed, but fish caught in rivers/tributaries upstream from the natural mouth of the river/tributary at Lake Michigan will not be not eligible. Species: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Steelhead/rainbow trout, Brown trout, Lake trout

It has been a few years, but when I had the boat near the lake I went solo over half the time. I have long/telescoping handle nets (7-8') with bigger size hoops. My technique is to get the net hoop in position out the stern of the boat with the handle resting on the boat. I then lead the fish to the net with one hand/arm on the rod and the other on the net to lift with once the fish is in the net. I also have a stretch cord on the rear of the net handle to make sure the net does not go overboard (don't ask!). Not having two hands on the net is also one of the reasons/inspirations for creating my NetBungee to keep the net bag from drifting into the fish during landing. When I'm fishing solo here in Michigan I want to maximize my lines so I run all three rods. Generally I will run a diver and rigger on one side of the boat and a long line board presentation on the other. The reason for this is that 90% of the time I will land the fish on the side with the board. The inline board is far enough out to not interfere when the fish is on one of the other rods and if it is the board rod, that side is then completely open. My boat is nice in that with the twin outboards split to the corners of the hull on the catamaran, I can also land fish directly up the chute between the outboards if I need to -- uncooperative fish or weird wave conditions. I generally run 6-8' diver leads or go with Slide Divers when fishing solo to be able to get the fish close enough to net. When I have someone else on board, this is not a big issue as the person on the rod can walk forward up the side of the boat with a longer lead. Not an option going solo. I used to carry a gaff on board as my 3rd option after my two nets, but found that the fish needed to be a lot closer to the boat to make it effective compared to a net. I use gaffs much of the time in Florida for Cobia, King Mackerel... but the fishing conditions are different in that it isn't trolling. One of the main reasons that I originally purchased the SeaCat center console was for the ability to do solo fishing. Having twin engines was my first decision related to going solo (safety out 15 miles from port) and the center console design to allow for ease in docking and 360* fishing. Between the twin outboards and center console, going to the catamaran hull was an easy decision.

I did that last year and they worked fine through the end of the year. I vacuum packed them in packages of 6 to keep the air out. Dave did you get the alewife off the Holland piers? I need to get mine collected for the year!

Here is the web site that has all the data from the Holland/Port Sheldon UGLOS buoy: http://uglos.mtu.edu/station_page.php?station=45029 Note: the location shown on the map is wrong.

I'm pretty sure that the BJ 2000TP use the same 6" diameter spools that the Captain Packs used. As Mark suggested call Big Jon to confirm. If you do need the 7" let me know as I have one in my parts bin that you can have for the cost of postage.

Milk jugs???? :mad: Well marked nets are hard enough to avoid. Not only do I hope it gets removed but whoever put it there needs to be identified then be prosecuted to the extent of laws/regulations on the books. Glad to hear you and boat are okay.

Welcome to the GLF site and thanks for the report. 5 for 6 isn't bad at all for anyone. A few more days on the water and you will be addicted to salmon fishing like the rest of us and in a year or two have a full case of ThreeFootItis

Here are the pictures:

Here are a couple of course computers out on eBay that I think will work for you. I have the Type 100 on my Raymarine ST6001 and it has the same connections as the others for the control, drive, and rudder-reference. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-RAYMARINE-RAYTHEON-AUTOPILOT-COURSE-COMPUTER-COMPASS-RUDDER-REFERE-/171042792866?pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item27d2f1e5a2&vxp=mtr http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAYMARINE-ST6002-S1-SMARTPILOT-E12106-AUTOPILOT-HYDRAULIC-INBOARD-/251278117962?pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item3a8157cc4a&vxp=mtr

I would think it is enough. My Avalanche with a 5.3L (327 CI) has a minimum suggested of 610 CCA with a 730 CCA as the alternate if running lots of "stuff".

Check here: http://www.littlebaydenocfishingreports.com/

I have my wire outfits setup with 1,000' of 30# with no backing. It fills a "30" series reel nearly perfectly. In addition to having the capacity for the line you want a reel with a good drag for diver use. These reels fit both criteria: Daiwa SG47LCA or Saltist STTLW30HW-C, Shimano Tekota 600LC, Tica SeaSpirit SS348LC, or Okuma Convector CV30L or CV30LX. As for rods, the length really depends on your boat's configuration but I much prefer wire . On my boat I have 9' Shimano Talora roller/wire rods (TLA90MRG2) because I need the extra length to clear my outdown downriggers. If I could run shorter, I would as I prefer to play the fish on a 7' or 8' outfit. Yes you can use a "regular" diver rod and put a Twilli Tip or a Torpedo Diver roller tip on it, but reeling in with a roller rod is much easier. I then have 10' rods for my braid diver rods. I agree with Highpointdf on the Talora roller rods. If you can swing the cost I would go with the them and if you can, go with a model with the swivel roller tip (MRG in the model number). The advantage of the swivel tip is that you can lock the rod into the gimbal of the rod holder so the reel is on top of the rod and the tip will swivel to have the wire running off the roller at the correct angle. With the non swivel tips you may have the wire running off the tip and not be on the roller depending on the angle of the rod. The Daiwa Heartland roller rod would be my second choice and the Okuma Blue Diamond roller in third. The Taloras are very well made with quality components and have a lifetime warranty (which really does work -- I have had two regular guide Taloras replaced by Shimano due to an eye insert falling out). The overall weight of the Talora is significantly less than the other roller rods too (which is really nice 15 minutes into fighting a 20# King on wire )