Take Six...

I've owned six different rides, from a 15' fiberglsss to a 28' fiberglass and aluminums between 16' and my current 19.5' Crestliner. The way boat builders can roll form, shape and seamless weld aluminum hulls these days, they can make them look great as well as integrate hull features to reduce splash, better plane and deliver clean laminar water flow to the prop. Without help, the fiberglass will ride better. But there's a price for the added weight in both the tow vehicle and boat power plant. IMHO I chose aluminum and added hydraulic trim tabs to my 19.5' Crestliner. This puts me under 3,500 towing, with a 135HP Merc Opti I run 44MPH. When theres spine crushing 3 foot whites caps, I bury the bow into the waves with those trim tabs and bulldoze my way through instead of slapping the water and going airborne. Happy hunting!

My home port is St. Joe but was staying in Elk Rapids last week. I made the 4:00AM trek to Frankfort last Friday and hit the water at sunrise. Water temp was 64 degrees on the surface. Lake was dead flat. There were probably ten to fifteen boats between the in front of the harbor and Point Betsie. I started in 140 fow and trolled between the two points for three hours. Marked five fish and didn't have one release. Radio reports indicated the guys who hit the water while it was still dark had the most luck. I'm going back up in two weeks, let me know if you have any better luck.

I was running 2.2 - 2.5 speed over ground from the GPS. I couldn't tell you what the speed through the water. My buddy from the previous night said the action picked up when they ran 3.0 mph over ground.

After my buddy sent me a picture of his 15 coho last night, I drug my kid out into the sleet and 20 mph east wind out of St. Joe. Set lines in 18 FOW down at Church hill and trolled back to the harbor. Picked up 5 coho and pulled lines when the rain set in. Speed was 3.0 - 3.2. Bloody nose yellow rapala and lemon ice spoon and thin fin.

Decided to go back to NB instead of St. Joe. (Good call guys) Was out at first light and hung around the mouth in the 40 degree water. Picked up the first fish around 9:00 and pulled lines at 10:30 with three coho. All three came in a narrow track 100 yards from the rocks in 14 - 18 FOW. Green/chrmoe hammered spoons and a green thin fin. My buddy called me from St. Joe and just had lines set in 20 FOW around 10:30 and two in the box before he could get all his lines out. What a great opening weekend!!!

Put in New Buffalo around 10:00am this morning. Channel is open and no less than 4 feet was under me. Started at the pump station and trolled West. Water temp was 39 between 12 and 20 FOW. Murky. Decided to try by the mouth where the water was 41 only had one bump. Then ran almost to MC and found 41 water and again just one bump. Going to try St. Joe tomorrow.

Only had three hours to fish but managed two coho. Both were flat lines in about 14 FOW. Wind was off shore and the surface temp was 41.7. Any farther than 25 FOW and the temp dropped to 38. Body baits were a bloody nose rapala and an orage thunderstick diver.

I did go to Turtle Creek that night but I think I left all my luck on the lake. Its a new day though!!

The best is I'm still getting goose bumps as I read it again...

Camped in Elk Rapids, wife at the horse show in Traverse City, I left Frankfort, Mi/Point Betsie/ 133FOW Hit the rigger at 85 down on a dodger and fly. Stripped all my 20lb test spectra and half the backing. Had to f-ing back down on it to gain line back. Got it up to the boat and my 9' Cabela downrigger rod snapped in half. All I could do was watch him drift away. I grabbed the port side rigger, popped it off the ball to see if I could snag him. I snagged the dodger rigging. Got him back to the boat and just as I went to scoop him up, the rigging slid through the line and he was off again. I dropped that rod and grabbed my copper rig to try and snare it, I got it. Got him up to the boat and went to scoop him up but he was to big for the net. I snagged the swim platform twice before I shifted to the side of the boat. Finally, I let him slide in tail first and couldn't lift him out with one arm. I threw the copper rig to the floor, hopped over the bench seat and winched him out with two hands. I finally got that mother - fer! 34" x 22lbs. I hadn't felt like that since I landed my Marlin. Great day!

Dropped lines in 55 fow at 8:00am yesterday and left with a two man limit before 11:00am. Radio chatter (for what little there is down in these parts) was saying the same thing. Anything orange or red took fish. Best depth was between 44 - 47. All coho's.

Glad you found them! I'm heading out in the morning. I'll run out to 55 before I shut down. Thanks for the info.