Mega Byte

Are any of you guys adding a scent attractor to your baits? (Not talking about herring, but rather an oil, gel or paste scent attractor.) Or religiously cleaning them to remove unnatural scents? Just wonder if people are doing this and noticing a difference.

Love those tattle flags for the walleyes. Mine are rigged to raise the flag when there is a strike. I use Tx-22s for walleye fishing and for towing my 100 coppers. For the bigger coppers I use the TX-44s and I haven't had an issue with them.

Hate it when that happens! Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

From this Michigan DNR page: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79136_79236_80538_80541---,00.html "If you are out fishing or boating on the Great Lakes, you may encounter commercial trap nets, gill nets and hook lines in most Michigan waters."

I received an email back. Just wanted to provide an update: Thanks for the email Jason, I’ve forwarded it to our Great Lakes biologists. Since I don’t usually have the particulars myself. -Frank- W. Frank Beaver, Director Natural Resources Department Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Thought I'd throw this thread in here since it only affects Lake Michigan Waters. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is placing temporary, 24 hour gill nets from Manistee to Grand Haven. There were some set in Ludington on June 12 in 100 - 130 fow and 150 - 170 fow. They are graded mesh gill nets to assess fish species and size. Typically trying to locate whitefish and lakers. I thought I would post this here since the tribe doesn't like their nets getting damaged we don't like getting our gear stuck in them. Sure would be nice if their buoys had lights on them or we had GPS coordinates and a heads up on when and where the nets will be placed. I've reached out to the tribe about net locations and timing and if I hear anything back I'll post it here.

Just burned up a motor pulling too much weight. But, that might have happened after the cannonballs crossed and one rigger pulled up both cannonnalls. I can't remember...it was a couple of years ago. I am getting old. That was the only issue. I just remembered the comment he made and wanted to share it. It was the cannon service center in Muskegon. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

He was repairing my Cannon 5 when he made the comment. I like them too though. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

I run 19 pound shark cannonballs. I run the standard cannon downrigger terminal kit. I also include a rubber shock absorber link (like a big snubber or two) above my weight. This makes the starting and stopping a little more forgiving on your gear, especially if you have fast riggers. By the way, my cannon repair guy says don't believe the 20 pound rating. Technically it can pull that weight, bit you will ultimately burn up your motor doing it. I offer a little manual assistance when my riggers pull up my heavy weights. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

When we fished Pentwater on Thursday, we were 8 for 9 by 7 am. It slowed down after that. You might be right...with all the bait around it is a feeding frenzy as soon as they can see well enough to hunt. If you get out there after they have feasted and stuffed themselves for two or three hours, it makes sense they might not hit as aggressively. Back when there was less bait (think 2015), I think they were constantly hunting. That might not be the case anymore. I wonder what a biologist would say. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Got home from Pentwater at about 2:30 AM. Got a little sleep and wanted to give you guys and update before getting the boat set up for walleye fishing. We were setting lines by 5:20 yesterday AM. Started in 48 FOW and were on fish as the we set our 3rd line. For the next hour and a half it was like that. Love the chaos! We put 7 smaller kings and 1 steelhead in the box by 7 am (and missed another one). All hits came in 48 - 55 fow, most around 20 - 30 feet down. Big white paddle and fly took 3, orange, blue and green spoons took the others. Most had some element of glow to it. You could probably catch one on your shoe if it glowed. Circled around came back through the same area we had just spent an hour and a half in, just a little deeper and got a couple more. I figured they were moving out deeper, but I don't think they ever did. We ended up heading West and got a few more in the 160 - 180 range, but no marks. Came back in and still found them in the 50' - 60' range, but they weren't hitting. Picked up a laker on that final troll. Ended the morning 11 for 13. Most were small kings (5 - 10 pounds), one 17 pounder, 2 steelhead, 1 laker. For the morning, most of the hits were in the top 40 FOW. Got the fished clean, swapped out the crew and headed back to the same 50' - 60' water at 3:30 PM. Got a nice king within one minute of having a blue flounder pounder down 30 on a SWR (first line set). Then nothing. Trolled that same area 50-60, then 60 - 70, then 70 - 80. Marked a lot of fish, nothing real big, but still no takers. Headed west. Had a couple of hits on the way out to 170 fow, small kings. Things picked up as the sun was about to set. Ended up getting a nice 18 pounder and 19 pounder in 110 fow. Got a few more hits in that 110 - 90 fow range at sunset. Finished 8 for 11. 1 steelhead, 1 coho, the 2 nice kings and the rest were smaller range kings again. Had a first time salmon fisherman with me. He was a friend of my son's from high school. He had a lot of fun. We only saw 5 other fishing boats all day. 4 in the AM and 1 in the PM. That is in as far as the eye can see...only 5 boats. Lake was calm all day. Most of our fish were taken just north of the dunes. Surface temp was 62 degrees in that area. Not sure where all the big kings are but the younger classes represented well. Mainly a spoon bite for us. No hits on the meat rigs. Most of the fish were in the top 40 fow. 250 and 300 coppers and deep divers didn't take a bump all day. Slide divers on 3 setting with the #3 ring back 135 and 150 took fish. 100 and 200 Cu took fish. Riggers down 25 to 40 took fish. Gotta get the boat switched over for walleye. Leaving in a couple of hours. Tight lines boys!

Thanks. We will be in Au Gres Friday and Saturday. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

I should add, if your short-range radio test works, maybe it's an antenna issue or a transmission power issue. Obviously you need it to work from longer ranges. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

You should be hearing someone on the radio. My last trip out Grand Haven I was picking up boats from Holland to Whitehall. Some guy wasn't catching fish so he turned channel 68 into a trivia channel for a hour or so. On some radios, you can turn your broadcast power down from 25 watts to 1 watt. That way you are only getting picked up by the boats really close to you. Maybe yours is switched to 1 watt? I had an issue with my radio last year where I could hear people just fine, but no one could hear me. It wouldn't transmit. Maybe yours just can't receive? Next time you launch, ask another boat to help you with a radio check right there at the dock. That is one piece of equipment you need to rely on, especially if you get out of cell range. Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App