Take Six...

Finally took some perch home. Took 70 to find 40 keepers. Trolled right from the pierheads straight out to 30fow. I was using the usual crappie rigs with minows. Things we're a little too slow for my daughter, she got bored and started watching the fish in the Aquaview. She was watching upwards of five fish just staring at my minnow but not hitting it. I changed to a similar rig that had some bright yellow feathers with a beaded head. The change up made the difference. I was catching five to one compared to the standard set-up.

The launch at Bridgeman isn't much more than a flat sandy area off the paved parking lot to back your boat in the water. Just know that you and your crew will have to walk into the water to get in your boat. I believe the park has placed concrete slabs in the water so your truck doesn't sink, I haven't tried it yet. For me, I have a single axle 19' on a bunk trailer. If the waves are less than 1 foot or so and I have a partner who would stand in the water and hold the boat near the shore while I parked, I'd do it.

Thanks for the tips! 99% of the time I launch from St. Joe. For perch, I generally cover from Gene Clock to the Cook Plant. Had to stay near calm waters Sunday since I had a newbie with me and I figured the wind was going to make it choppy out of St. Joe. When they decide to eat, I'll have plenty of practice in.

Fished St. Joe Saturday for perch and ended up a long afternoon with only twenty keepers. We sat on top of a small school and I would watch the perch come up to my crappie rig and turn away. I guess we weren't using the correct DNR registered minnows. So Sunday, we decide to put in at New Buffalo to cover some new ground. We roll up to the guy to give him our $12 bucks and he says "Don't waste your money, theres no fish here." I though he was kidding. It was around eleven and he said had been out all morning and was coming in empty handed. He even stopped a guy who was retrieving his boat and asked while I was sitting there, still stunned and the guy looks at me and they only got three perch all day. So, we turned around and headed home. That was a first.

Because that's the majority of what I saw saw both Saturday and Sunday out of st. Joe. I ran between Gene Clock Park and the Cook Plant spynig on the other folks enjoying the glass like waters this weekend. Sure I saw a one maybe two fish being caught as I trolled by each pack of anchored boats but they we're few and far between. I heard on the radio some had caught limits but I don't know where or what size they're running. But I can tell you the alewive population all along the coast was mighty healthy. Each mark I picked up, I stopped and pitched the camera over. I was hitting the fish with the camera on they way down. I'd drift it along the bottom for a few minutes and if I din't see any Perch, I moved on. On some occasions, they we're so thick, you could see them from the surface. However, on one occasion, I was drifting along and was coming up on what I thought was a patch of weeds on the bottom, just a big circular black spot. When I drifted into it, I found it wasn't weeds but a dense, small, thick school of perch! Hit the anchor, dropped lines and picked up a few, but they were very small. Maybe I just found all of the alewives and missed all of the perch. Hopefully the view will change this week.

Mine has 60' of cable. This is my second unit. The previous was an "Outdoor Viewing System" that just wasn't robust enough. The camera leaked after the first year. There is no other tool in fishing that guarantees you're actually fishing in an area that holds your target. In some cases I feel guilty having it. But it passes when I see everyone sitting in one spot burning daylight. Since it uses infrared light, muddy or silty water doesn't effect the picture clarity. I could pitch it over the side in the river or the lake and you can't hardly tell the difference. I live in Niles and in the winter I would drift the river to study the bottom structure and find, holes, or rocks or gravel or weeds as I drifted along. I can see about 20 feet and it has a wide field of view. Perch are very easy to spot. You instantly see the vertical stripes. It really maximizes your time catching fish instead of waiting for whatever it was you marked to start biting. Newer units have multiple CCD units in them to give a 360 viewing ability. Too cool.

It could be in the valve. That was one of the earlier versions. It had batteries and sent RF signals to a receiver tied to the computer. A less expensive and more widely used version works on sensing tire rotation. A slight drop in tire pressure would reduce the number of revolutions the tire spins. The unit is calibrated at the factory after the tires have been inflated to their proper pressure. The latest types do montior tire pressure and energy to run it is through inductive energy produced as the wheel spins. A magnet passes by a copper band to produce the minute current need to run the RF sensor. I've quoted building automated machinery to assemble these sensors. New government standards require these devices on new cars.

Didn't get to the water until afternoon on Saturday. Started my search North of the pierheads where everyone else was grouped together. Tossed the Aquaview overboard and took a gander. Nothing but sand and alewives. Repeated this process across about two mile increments until I reached the Cook plant. Same results. Would mark a school on my Eagle. Stop. Back -up and toss the camera overboard. Just alewives. Never even dropped a line. Granted, I gambled to find a honey hole versus drift and possibly pick one up here or there but I didn't. Should have brought the big stuff. Guys we're in 60 FOW picking up steelies and coho.

Just got back from my tour around Lake Michigan vacation Sunday. We started in Grand Haven where we we're invited by friends to stay at their cottage which was built in 1898. It's located walking distance from the Grand Haven Pier right on the beach! All built from the popular trees which surround it. Saturday we ran out to 240 FOW and trolled for about three hours. We ended up 0-4 with my rookie passenger. Sunday, the winds kept most everyone off until the afternoon. Ran back to 185 FOW and couldn't make a connection. Monday I departed for the U.P. Nine hours later, I ended up at a buddies dear camp in Iron River. We fished Emily, Indian, Perch and Lake Ottawa. Water temps on the lakes we're between 64 - 66. Too cold for bedding gills so we focused on Musky, Northerns and Walleyes. Picked up a few Northen and Musky but no keepers. The most productive was night fishing the eyes. In the water no later than nine o'clock. I trolled all stick baits like reef runners, yozuri's and tad polly's. I bought the little glow sticks that attach to you rod tips and I used electrical tape to attach a large glow stick to my yellow birds. That way I could see strikes with no problem. It really worked well. Ended up bringing home 22 walleye in the 17" - 22" range. If you can get up there, there are more lakes than you can could ever cover over a vacation, expenses can be kept low with the exception to gas. Starting in Niles, going to Grand Haven, over the bridge to Iron River and back down Wisconsin through Chicago back to home cost me about $400 bucks in gas over all. Yea, I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Fished with sixty other boats in 50 FOW for about an hour. Only saw one net hit the water and it wasn't mine. Radio was silent. So I ran out to 100 FOW and dropped lines. No hits for another hour. However, on multiple occasions, I marked huge schools of something right near the bottom. The mark would stretch for nearly 100 yards. I went throught three of these patches and finally dropped the riggers down there. No action. Must have been pearch or smelt or something. Finally, ran back into 60 FOW and trolled into 30 before giving up. Nada. Fished Diamond Lake Sunday and threw five undersized Northerns back.

Oh boy. You really hit a spot. I have a springer that fits this picture. Words cannot describe the pain of the loss but the good memories will never leave you. They will always be available to tap into to brighten your day for a moment or to pass along a cherished story to a child or friend. A new puppy would be on my mind.

I've used both launches before. The one across from Tackle Haven is a public launch and there is a fee if someone is there tending the shack. Yes, you can drop in there and use the channel which crosses in front of Clementines. I haven't done it in a while but there is a small (invisible, underwater) channel that will lead you to the inlet. I'd have to use my outdrive to find it again like I did the first time. Last year, you could follow marker bouys but I don't know if they're out yet. You may want to call Tackle Haven, I bet they've been getting asked alot as well. They may have talked with the Army Corps of Engineers or Donkersloots.

Assuming the radio is emitting the wattage they advertise, the range limited by the ability of two antenna's to "see" each other. If the tip of your hand held is four feet above water and another guy has a hand held thats four feet above water the curvature of the earth will block their view after about four or five miles. If your usingt your hand held and are trying to reach a guy who has a fly bridge with an eight foot antenna you might get ten miles of range. (The previous information is entirely an estimate and carries no warranties, rebates or a high level of accuracy) I'm in a 18 footer and I went with the 36" SS whip with a full wattage water proof radio.

There's one picture in the gallery GLF shot from the bank in St. Joe and I have another one hooked up to my truck. It's really nothing special, I've seen many others that I've drooled over. The hardest thing that I try to overcome when rigging is pleasing the wife. She wouldn't care what I mounted to the boat for fishing as long as when she goes, it doesn't interfere with her catching perch or going for a cruise or taking the kids tubing. I can change my set -up in ten minutes and you wouldn't know we can run eight rods and double stack two riggers. Everything is quick change mounting. The one thing that has suprised me is the addition of trim tabs to a 1850 aluminum boat. She really liked that. (Note: Make it about her and she will allow it.) I can bury the bow and that thing turns into a tank plowing through chop. With the 135 hp and the 15 hp kicker, I couldn't get the bow down. The ride is so much smoother and you can run faster without chipping your teeth. I'm debating the addition of a jack plate. Their cheaper than adding horsepower. Tried to mount an autopilot but couldn't get it to work since the fluxgate compass couldn't be mounted far enough away from any ferris metals. You know, its just all too much fun. Life is good.

Thanks. It has to do with the name of my boat as well. Take Six. Its taken me six tries to get the set-up I like. 15' Rinnker to an 18' Celebrity, then 9 years in a 28' Carver, a year in 1650 Crestliner, two years in a 1750 Crestliner and "Take Six" is my 1850. I'll tell you what though, if anything, I can install radios, GPS's, depthfinders, trim tabs and downriggers with my eyes closed. See you next weekend.

First day on the big lake for 07'. Couldn't have asked for a better sea-trial on the electronics. If someone would have flipped the switches on the satellites cruising overhead, you would have heard screams of fear echo from the water on Saturday. 6.9 FOW and couldn't see shore. Thank God for GPS. Water temp was around 42 - 43 from the mouth to 5 miles South of the Pierheads in St. Joe. I was very pleased with picking up only one brown on a orange double jointed J-11 on the first day out. Silver One was in the groove somewhere in fog. Sunday was a nice kite flying day and the fish seemed to be afraid of all the daylight they were swimming under. I didn't have one knock-off and only heard one other boat catch fish. Until next weekend...

I'm about to burst! Just short of an unexpected event of biblical porportion, I will be trolling along the shores of our prized Great Lake. St. Joe and heading South till. It won't be about the catching, just the fishing on this voyage.

Totally agree. I use it on all my trolling rods. The minimal line diameter allows the lure move more freely in the water than when your dragging lamp cord. Not to hijack your thread, but I've been scratching my head one this one. I go back country fishing in the Florida Keys about every other year. The guide I've been using always sets me up with a 6' 7" Loomis, Shimano reel and loads 8lb test Andy monofiliment. He then ties a bimini knot for the leader which is 30lb test. We normally fish with jigs and shrimp. Anyone who's caught saltwater fish will tell you a 5lb saltwater fish will put up a fight equal to a fresh water fish that is 10lbs heavier. So my wife and I are catching 15lb - 20lb Cobia, Jacks and small Snapper all day long. Granted we're not pulling these in in three minutes but we're not chasing them or allowing them to spool the reel. The tension on the rod, more than a couple times, made her stop reeling and hold the rod with two hands for awhile. Not once, all day did we have a line break. Why don't we rig like this in Michigan? I agree we have to watch nics, but out on the lake its' not like theres a bunch of structure to cause problems?

http://www.edwalicki.com/index.htm I've had a half dozen mounts from local guys that I would say I was pleased with. Before I went to Kona, I researched a great deal about taxidermists and how its done. I came across Ed because of the unusual manner his mounts are created. We spent a great deal of time on the phone and I said if I hooked into a lunker I'd be giving him a call. He promised if I didn't like his work, he wouldn't charge me. He starts out by giving you a camera and a tape measure. Catch your trophy, shoot twenty or thirty shots of every square inch of the fish and make a few measurements. Send the info to him and he duplicates every detail, color, mark and unique feature of your fish. And its carved from automotive foam, not molded from a standard pattern. Then its coated with a hard shell of epoxy then air brushed and painted. The finished product is a flawless replica of your mount. I couldn't have been happier. Ed personnaly came to my house to do the final installation. You can see it on his website. It was a 12' long 400 lb Pacific Blue Marlin.

I had Mercury Alpha drives on my Carver between 1990 and 2000. 12 months and three days later, the seal let loose between the gear lube and the bellows which cover the housing, causing all the lube to exit the lower unit. I didn't know this till the motor started seizing while under way. Luckily, I was near the harbor mouth and was able to allow it to cool till I got in my slip. The seal was bad, the yoke was purple, the gears we're purple and several nasty calls and $400.00 in parts, (1990) Mercury paid for the labor. After this we mounted a Mercury made clear plastic bottle which mounts to the transom in the engine compartment and runs a stainless braided line to the upper oil vent hole in the transom. A quick glance before you go out insures your filled and nothing is leaking.

Fog the engine before you fill it with anti-freeze.

By the way, if it helps, I do see everyones Avatar. Everything else with exception to text are red x's.

Still having problems and I only run into on this site. I did some searching to check my end and the following information. If you get a red x like this: , that's the browser's indication that it tried to download a picture, but was unable to. If instead you get this little icon: that's what the browser uses to indicate that it's still downloading the picture, hasn't gotten around to trying (because it's busy download other items on the page) or at least hasn't yet given up. Be patient, and you'll soon either see the image, or the red x. What if ALL you get is red X's for all pictures on all sites? Most browsers allow you to turn off downloading pictures completely, as a way to download only the text of a website faster. The first step would be to check to make sure that's configured properly. In Internet Explorer, that's in Tools, Internet Options, Advanced, and then in the Multimedia section of the list, there's an item Show Pictures. If that's set properly to show pictures, then you might check to see if you have any ad-blocking or content filtering software installed. Sometimes they can erroneously start blocking everything that isn't text. If you're seeing red X's on only some sites, it's more typically either a problem downloading or a web site design issue. A common place for examples of both is eBay. I've seen eBay simply be too overloaded to reliably deliver it's pages, and typically what happens is that images will fail. This can happen on other sites as well, and the thing to do is simply try again later. eBay also lets you host photos of your auction items elsewhere, and sometimes people just get it wrong. They enter the location or name of their picture incorrectly, and hence the picture simply can't work. This also happens frequently on discussion boards where people try to post links to pictures that end up being incorrect. Another common mistake is for a website to reference a picture by a path local to the designer's machine, say "c:\pictures\image.jpg", rather than via a proper URL, such as "http://example.com/image.jpg". To the designer it works, because there is a "c:\pictures\image.jpg" that their browser picks up when displaying the page for them. To the rest of us, it's another red X. The main logo is a red x and all photos int hte gallery are x's. I've done all I think I can do on my end unless you have another idea. Is anyone else having this problem? Thanks for the help.

The dealer needed to clear his inventory before his sales opportunites dropped off the map for winter and he needed to clear the stock to prep for next spring models. So I got a smokin discount on the rig. In addition, he held onto the engine warranty cards till the spring boat shows when most manufactures offer free extended warranties. As soon as the annoucement was made, he filled out the cards and sent them in. I'm now covered for five years on my Merc's

I'm getting red x's for icons. This hasn't always been this way and I don't know if it's on my end or not. Any suggestions?