Walleye Express

It's No-Wake now for the first 3 bouys going out, about 1/3 of the channel. After that, just marker bouys. If they were fishing within the no-wake zone that would be fine. But many set up right at the end of the channel. My ourdrives are almost 3 feet down to begin with. Those first few yards after I "hammer down" and the boat squats down another foot or so are what I worry about at the end of that channel. And if you got a strong off-shore wind the risk is doubled. I won't even talk about coming in and dropping off plane in 3 foot of water. That' when you can really tear some stuff up. I've heard we have about 4 new charter boats coming from Lake Michigan this coming spring to Linwwod beach for the walleye. Hopefully all this snow will translate to more water in the Lakes.

Hey Frank. You'd love Hoyles/Linwood beach marina then. Channel is about 30 feet wide and theres always 2 or 3 bass fishermen working it's edges somewhere along it's 1/4 mile long stretch. And when the dredged channel stops at the last bouy buddy, she really stops. Goes from 6 feet to 3 feet right now. So the best bet is to get up on plane in the channel and plane out. I've recieved more then a few one finger greetings from those "Bass-Holes" as I go by. :no:

IMV, even though I only chase salmon on the rivers is. If we were talking about a fish that lived 10 to 15 years in the ecosystem, naturally reproduced in high numbers and had to live (say 5 years or more to do so) then I would have some reservations about keeping/killing more per man/per day. I'm positive these number and the new reg were all figured and considered into what adult salmon the DNR see's and takes eggs from at all the harvest weirs every fall. A move like this most likely will bring more fishermen into the sport via charters and/or with new fishing boats. All of course improves license sales. And if the resource can be more utilized at this time by this move, I'm for it. What I'm not for is the new 3 rod law. Not concerning the boats but the shore or piers. Can't wait to run into the guy on the pier with 6 of his kids along and 21 rods set out.

SWEET..........And I mean that in a frying pan kinda way.:grin:

With a little over a week to go. I thought it might be time to dust off my Christmas Poem and post it. I've tweeked it just a little from last year. And in this time of real strife for many citizens in our country, I hope it brings at least a smile to those who really need it right now. “Twas the night before Christmas, and on Saginaw Bay” “The shantys were all a-glow with fishermen wanting to stay” "It was twilight, dead calm, almost perfectly still" "The time when BIG GATORS can give you a thrill" “I had sat out a Tip-Up that I positioned within view” “But concentrated more on jigging, as Tip-Up's catch but a few” “My Do-Jigger fluttered and had just settled, awaiting it's fate” “As a thick band of red appeared near it, on thee OL’FL-8” "Few things in life stay as exciting, as a man reaches old age" "As the expectations of this moment, that were about to be staged" “Your pulse will quicken, your rod hand may even start to shake” “While you sit almost motionless, awaiting the take” “With the first twitch of the rod tip, and a snap of the wrist” “I drove home the sharp trebles, in the jaw of the fish” “Her struggle was valiant, with violent bends in the pole” “But with slow steady pressure, I worked her up into the hole” “Her girth was impressive, Her length 30 inches or so” “My buddy looked kinda puzzled, when I said...... "I think I’m letting her go” “Some things need explaining, and others fall into place” “I knew I had to say something, from the shocked look on his face” “Think of this buddy, before we call it a night” “Tomorrows Gods birthday, and He's blessed everything with life” “I’ve caught plenty of walleyes, and taken home my share” “I’m giving this one back to him, I think it would only be fair” “So down into the hole she slid, and under the ice” “Now swim away, swim away, and give someone else a good fight” Capt: Dan.

Thanks Mike, but I didn't take it. Took it off my board from a member who went this morning. Hoping to get some of my own if and when we get more stable/freezing temps.

Ya....I know it sounds preverted, but it's not what you think. This was this morning after yesterdays Typhoon. They were hauling slabs from this very same shallow water spot just a few days ago.

Next year will be season 7 for my TR-1 Gold. The steering and throttle adjustments immediate and precise, the trolling straight and flawless, and not a lick of trouble with it yet. I could give you many more reasons for having one. But after running 5 charters last summer on 65 gallons of gas, it's hard too think of a better one.

Wulp. I may have been a little hasty. I didn't count on this Typhoon this morning along with last nights rain and warm temps. Probably be starting from scratch again both on the rivers and the bay.

The wife told me last night when she got home that she seen a few people ice fishing on the west side of the Independence Bridge when she went to work yesterday morning. Not out in the middle yet, but near the edges closest to the ramp, where most of the fish were caught last winter anyway. If that holds after the next 2 days of moderate temps and possible rain showers, yours truly is going to give it a try.

Can't help think of an old Saturday Night Live Skit when I think of fresh/cold water Gills and Specs in the frying pan. "Like Butta"

I know many of you guys on this site fish rivers exclusively. Remember the bullet bobber I ordered this past fall for fishing below my favorite river spillway. Well, I have yet to try it out, but the same guy in Ohio has come out with another planner board of sorts for river and possibly lake use. Heres his E-mail to me today and the new product he's making. Hello to all BulletBobber customers and friends, We hope you are all happy with the BulletBobber but have had many request for larger sizes for deeper water, faster currents, faster trolling speeds and larger lures. So I have developed a new product called the Dualfin and wanted to start by offering it to our customers that might be looking for a neat stocking stuffer for the holidays. It is called the Dualfin an In-Line Planer/Surf Board. It is only 6" long and ultra light. They combine planer board and surf board concepts. It has a spring jaw that will release when the fish hits and a wire loop you pop your line into. The wire slides in and out to lock the 2 pieces together. Here is how the Dualfin stacks up against other in-line planer boards: It is by far the lightest at only 1 1/4 ounces It is the easiest planer board to reel in It will not knock the fish off or hurt it and easy to net with the fish It has the fastest rigging time It has a patented direction control design. It can be used on either side of the boat. It is 100% impact resistant and is crush proof. It comes in a pouch that fits comfortably in your pocket. It is the more sensitive to a strike for even small fish like crappie. It puts the least amount of strain on trolling rods. It is very sensitive to a strike It has simple one handed operation The surf board affect keeps it riding high like a Dolphin. They are 100% made in the USA. Please stop by and watch the Dualfin videos. http://www.bulletbobber.com/buydualfin.html I know times are tuff but there was a lot of work that went into developing the Dualfin. The $15.00 price includes shipping in US and great fishing tool. The BulletBobber Combo Pack also makes a great stocking stuffer. Please forward this to your fishing friends. We only contact our customers when we have new products! Happy Holidays, Paul & Kathy Lieb BulletBobber Enterprises A family owned business 3586 Wadsworth Rd. Norton, OH 44203 USA Phone 330 608-7539 Fax 866 605-2269 www.bulletbobber.com

Finally got a good satelite view of the Inner Bay that was taken on the 10th, showing that the ice is almost across the whole thing. We will be on the ice anywhere by January, guaranteed. And having it freeze all the way across is the best scenario and does not happen every year. But when it does, it becomes less likely to shift, break apart and carry you and your gear off shore with a heavy wind when this happens. You can get a better/bigger view by going directly to their site. I downsized this one. http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.cgi/modis?region=h&page=1

Those whitefish things are good to eat, huh? Eric. Yupper Eric they sure are, one of the best tasting fish you'll ever eat. I can see where other parts of the country might think otherwise, being they resemble a giant shad or alewive. I remember the first one my buddy ever caught while ice fishing a few years ago on Saginaw Bay, and threw it back because he thought it was a giant shad. But whitefish are actually in the Trout family and have delicate and delicous flesh. Heres some info. Capt. Dan. Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Identifying characteristics: (Native Fish) Two dorsal fins including one adipose fin, blunt nose, fins clear or nearly so, greenish brown back, silver sides. Lake whitefish, a pale, shy member of the trout/salmon family Salmonidae, has long been a mainstay of the commercial catch in the Great Lakes because of its exceptional flavor, convenient size, and habit of schooling. Until recently, few sport anglers had discovered the special techniques required to catch lake whitefish, but this situation is changing, and any angler who has learned to fish whitefish successfully will find it well worth the effort. The reclusive lake whitefish prefers to swim in the company of a school of fellow whitefish in the gloomy, cool water of the Great Lakes at depths of up to 200 feet and deeper as summer’s heat climbs, the main reason it requires extra skill to catch one. The whitefish spawns in early winter in shallow rock or sand bottomed lake waters less than 25 feet deep. The young hatch the following spring, and grow large enough to leave the protective shallows for deeper waters by early summer. Whitefish generally grow rapidly, but this varies by region and food supply. Lake whitefish can reach a size of more than 20 pounds and an age of over 25 years, although this was more commonplace 50 years ago. Although depletion of whitefish stocks by over-fishing and environmental deterioration had drastically reduced commercial yields, environmental cleanup and careful fishery management of the late 1960s has largely remedied this. Unlike its large-mouthed trout and salmon cousins, the lake whitefish has a small, exceedingly delicate mouth (another challenge for the angler) and it is therefore confined to dining on insects, freshwater shrimp, small fish and fish eggs, and bottom organisms. Most feeding takes place on or near lake-bottoms. Whitefish eggs are consumed by yellow perch, ciscoes, burbot, and even other whitefish. Young whitefish fall prey to lake trout, northern pike, burbot, walleye, and probably other fish-eating predators. Adults are taken primarily by man.

Wonder if they'll implant them anywhere you want?

Ditto on the $600.00. But I've needed something for my ice fishing clients to watch while they jig on the other side of the Otter Sled I use, that is much easier to read and understand then my FL-8 vexilar below. Personally, I love my Vex and won't be using anything else until she's dead. But it took me even a few trips to get the hang of how to both adjust and read it. This showdown unit seems to be so compact, easy to use and read (I hope) that the customers will pick it up fast and appreciate knowing when a fish comes in their holes, versus me telling them that there are fish in mine and to be on guard. I never have liked cameras. There needs to be some mystery and anticipation left in fishing.

Thanks for the imput Duck, but I hope your wrong. I hate returning things.

TODAY!!!!!!

Just watched the In-fish Ice fishing guide show on the outdoor channel. Watched them catch some real nice late-March/pre-spawn walleyes and some very nice Pike on the ice. Also seen an advertisment for a new type fish finder for ice fishing. Take a look. http://www.showdownfishfinder.com/ I'm thinking about buying a second finder for my ice charters.

Remember King Midas who turned everything to Gold by his very touch? Well, all it takes for me to do that very same thing is 5 White Fish, 1/2 gallon of Apple Juice and 2 cups of Hickory Chips. Try and keep the drooling to a minimum. I plan on vaccumm packing half of these as a special treat for my ice charters clients this year. I do the same thing with white bass and walleyes.

Heres the scoop. I fish a river, the stretch of river where I fish is only 100 yards wide in or about. water temp is 38.8 mostly rock,river stone and sand composition some holes 15' to 17' deep. went out everyday for the last 2 weeks walleye have been on the edge of the main channel right where it dips into deeper water caught 19 today lost 4 majority have been 16" 17" 18" some a tiny bit bigger. all have been caught on suspending baits trolled .25 to .75 mph what I am getting at is where the he#$ are the bigger ones!! should I be targeting outer edges of holes? are the big ones where the smaller ones are? the water I am fishing doesn't have alot of current I am also fishing the slack water line. any suggestions on tactics would be great, thanks in advance! Merry Christmas!! Chris. Chris. If these are migrating fish from a bigger main body of water, the male to female ratio can be a many as 100 to one right now. These smaller males are very opportunistic during their day time feeding hours. Try doing what your doing but at night versus the day time. Don't be afraid to troll near or along long stretches of shallower flats areas, where those bigger fish squeeze the water column to easier catch baitfish. You didn't mention it, but always try to use your trolling motor versus the main motor when trolling at night. Pump the rod as you troll. 90% of the fish I catch at night hit on the stall. If you isolate a pocket of bigger fish when trolling, stall or anchor nearby and cast to that spot from different angles for a while. This just may be one of the key spots the big ones prowl and find suited for their foraging needs. Pump and stall even while casting but try to use a suspending lure like a #14 Husky Jerk when targeting specific spots. Many fish will hit the lure after the pump, while it sits suspended and motionless. I've even custom weighted some of my Shad Raps to make them suspending for this application. Fish near lighted areas on this river if there is any. Go up a size or two with the cranks if you can. My personal favorites on my river is the #8 and #9 Shad Raps. Hope this helps you out. Capt. Dan.

They are one of the best tasting fish IMV. I have had them 4 different ways now and they are awsome. Smoking is one of the best ways if you like smoked fish. But I also grill them in foil on the grill with lemon, onions, garlic and minature shrimp. Man that's good eating.

Good point Frank. He actually helped me make up my mind about what to do with these. They are now soaking in my magic brine and will hit the smoker tomarrow.

Heres a picture of 5 of the 7 fish I caught last night. The board they are on is 27 inches long. There would have been 7 fish, but brother Dave showed up this morning at 9:00am, woke me up and thought 2 of my catch was a good enough payment and would keep me in (Real Time) cell phone wave/ice Bay reports for the 2009 calendar year. As you may or may not know, he works at the Karn Weadock Plant at the mouth of the Saginaw River. The rat, took the 2 biggest ones I think.

Thank's Frank. But I didn't feel that tough on that slipery pier on the walk back in. And no, I tried tipping some of the spoons I use a few times on prior trips, but it seems not to be what they want. Plus a lot of the hit's are actually misses, where they lunge at the spoon and you can feel them hit it or the line, and you end up catching them under the jaw, or in the side of the head or face on the next jig up. Even they have a hard time manipulating that small little mouth of theirs.