Duke11

Launched at 5:30 and fished until 11:00 AM. Started north nearly half way to Port Sheldon in 90 FOW and ran in and out to 135. Ended up 3 for 5. First fish was a 15 lb king on a flounder pounder slider with the ball at 56 down. Next was a coho on a silver SD with blue meat rig on DR 56 down. Lost a nice fish on the same blue meat rig 56 down. Had another release on a meat rig and DR. Landed a 12# steelhead on a green splatterback plug on 10 color. Marked lots of fish before sunrise and then steady marks all morning.

Fished 5:00-9:00 PM in 120-130 FOW just south of Holland. Ended up 2-5 with coho and a laker. Tried paddles/flies, spoons, plugs and meat. All hits came on meat. 4 hits came on dipsy divers 150-200 back set on 3. The laker hit a DR near bottom with a SD and white meat rig. The water was a little bumpy but still fishable. Marked quite a few fish throughout the evening. After sunset the graph was covered top to bottom with fish.

Fished 6:00-10:30 AM in 120-150 FOW. Marked lots of fish up and down the water column. Finished 6-8 with 2 kings, 1 steelhead and 3 lakers. Caught most fish in 120-135 FOW. Two lakers on a spin n glow, 1 king on a mixed veggie slider just off the bottom, another king on a dipsy back 135 with a mixed veggie paddle and matching spoon. 1 laker on a 200 copper with a flounder pounder. Don't recall what the steelhead grabbed. A very nice morning and a nice mixed bag of fish.

Launch at PS was fine. We were the 3rd boat there. Pulling out was quick also around 1:30 PM.

Launched at PS and ran south to Holland. Dropped lines just north of the pier in 30 FOW, Trolled south to Naugatuck in 25-40 FOW. Picked up a 10# steelhead on a red/yellow thin fish behind a 3 color. Made a pass by the Saugatuck piers staying just clear of the mass of boats swarming the piers. Turned out just south of Saugatuck and missed two hits on a 5 color and 10 color in 50-60 FOW. Then picked up another 10# steelhead on a 200 copper with a yaeger bomb in 80 FOW. Ended up 2-4.

Fished 75-95 FOW. Ended up 5 for 6 with four lakers and a steelhead. Steelhead hit a 200 copper with a camel dolphin. Lakers hit a variety of set-ups: 300 copper w/ yeagerbomb, down rigger with flasher and spin-n-glow (2 fish), 10 color with double orange crush. Marked fish consistently in top 30 ft. and just a few fish deeper. A nice morning overall, the water was cold and calm.

Started by the bubbler for the first 45 mins. Marked fish but no takers. Then trolled along the beach south of the channel toward Holland and went 1 for 2 with a ~5 lb brown. First trip out this year. All went well, a beautiful night on the water. Noticed that they have finally fixed the lights at the ramp. It's far from bright, but an improvement from last season.

I just received a call from an official from Holland State Park responding to my email last week. She confirmed that Consumers has an open work-order to repair the light. She believed that it would be done this week. I thanked her for the call and also asked who could look into a longer term plan to provide adequate lighting for the entire parking lot and docks. Repairing one light is hardly going to solve the problem. From her comments, it sounds like Consumers is reponsible for this lot. If so, I'm guessing that they can afford to invest a little capital to ensure safety and security of those using the lot and ramps. Either way, she agreed that it needs a review and she committed to look into it. It can't hurt to ask...

Great! Thanks for the follow-up!

I agree with the concerns about lights at the ramp. I sent an email to Parks and Recreation and also called and talked to someone in Lansing about it today. I'm not holding my breath but hope it gets some attention soon.

Fished 6:00 AM-9:30 AM. 3 for 4 with 2 kings and a laker in the boat. Kings hit Ace Hi plugs (one green, one blue) on riggers 65 down in 100-120 FOW. Both were approx. 10 lbs. Another rigger released on a j-plug 65 down. Nothing there. A good morning out there, the lake layed down nicely after daylight. Good luck this weekend!

Yes, we bounced the spin n glows on bottom with a chrome flasher for the lakers. No lights at the launch.

4-4 tonight. Fished 6:00-9:00 in 90 to 130 FOW straight out from the channel. 1 king on a green speckled back Ace High Plug, Rigger down 60 ft. 1 coho on a dipsy back 150 with white SD and meat. 2 Lakers on a rigger with spin n glow. Only saw 2 boats out there all night. Not sure where everyone in the lot was hiding. Marked very few scattered fish throughout the night until just before dark when the underwater world came to life. Fish and bait were all over the screen just as we pulled lines.

Don't sweat it, I lost 3 Flounder Pounders in the past week! Two jumped out of the boat while fishing on a rough windy day while the other broke off with a brand new 1-hour old Lucky Charms plug last night. They've been very good to me, but for some reason the Big Lake must have really wanted them badly. Lakeshore Tackle's profits are up this season as I continue to replace the losses.

2-2 this morning. Started in 80 FOW trolled in and out eventually ended up in 140'. Hooked a steelhead on a spotted dick meat rig behind a white spin doctor, 175 back on a Dipsy in 130 FOW. Then an 18 lb king grabbed a greasy weiner fly behind a big white paddle on a 300 copper in 140 FOW. Pulled lines at 9:30 AM to get into work by noon. As with last night, it certainly wasn't the forecasted 1 footers or less. Rough rides in and out but fishable.

Fished 6:30-9:00 PM in 80-120 FOW. 1 for 2. Both in 120 FOW. First fish on a down rigger 105 ft down, Lucky Charms Ace Hi plug. Broke the line for no apparent reason. Lost the plug and a slider. Second fish on a down rigger 85 ft down, Wonder Bread J-Plug. It was a 12 lb king. It was full of alewives.

#2 setting, 150 back. Not sure the exact depth. There's a chart out there to reference the settings/distance back and respective depths.

Fished from 6:15-10:15 AM in 90-140 FOW, north of the channel. Ended up 2 for 3. #1 was a 12 lb laker on 300 copper, Flounder Pounder, 7:30 AM, 115 FOW #2 was a 15 lb king on a dipsy back 150, white SD with Spotted Dick Meat Rig, 8:00 AM, 120 FOW #3 was a downrigger release 83 feet down on a blue dolphin, at 8:15 AM, 120 FOW. Nice morning on the water.

1 for 1 tonight. Fished from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Landed a really nice king on a dipsy 150 back, white SD with speckled dick meat rig in 90 FOW, north troll. Nice night on the lake.

Fished from 6:00-9:00 PM starting in 75 FOW trolled NE to 135 FOW and then back to 70 FOW. Marked a few fish but not many. Finished 1 for 1. Picked up a 12# king on a downrigger, 115 FOW, NE troll, 50 down on a Founder Pounder. A nice cool night on the lake.

First trip of the year. Fished from 6:30-11:00 AM. Beautiful morning, calm seas. Started in 80 FOW, trolled to 130 then headed north staying in the 90-130 range. Ended 1-1 with a 8 lb king on a downrigger down 37 ft on a mixed veggie spoon in 115 FOW. Marked a lot of fish near the surface 10'-25' down and quite a few at 35-45'. All equipment and gear functioned as expected, it was nice to get out there again.