Luke Tuccini

Best trollng speed? What helped us most was finally understanding difference between speed "over ground"(SOG), and the speed of the water against the lure. Not real detailed but - Imagine trolling in a river current and how different the lure acts when you troll with current vs against current, even thought speed against shore was same. Somewhat same in Lake Michigan, we learned. Deep lake currents sometimes sent us back to boat ramp skunked. Many brands out there but we use Fish Hawk. Shows both speed over ground and speed against lure simultaneously. We were trolling way too fast, too slow, you name it. My explanation of speeds not great but please check you tube, whatever. We are now catching more fish. Have fun.

Try investing in a couple of 124 mm size Deeper Divers (Dipsy Divers)? Not cheap, but under $20, and they include a chart that estimates depth based on how much line is out. There is lot's to learn, but there is plenty of info online. The most basic thing is knowing which direction it's steering towards. Check out sites like Tangled Tackle or Reel to Reel on YouTube. Takes a while, but you'll catch more fish, and without tangling lines. Sent from my SM-S918U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Try Erie Sales in Midwest, or Who Dat Towers in Northwest?. Please make sure the mounts are extremely solid. Huge torque will be yanking on them. Also, please know clearance under bridges that you'll be going under. Some launchers are simply bolted to hard tops. Others will be using tracks on your gunnels. Some are much sturdier than others used. Some are used for mounting radar. Some are collapsible, and most are not. Who Dat is crazy expensive but solid as a rock, and make your boat look really cool. Check the website. I've been looking for years but not ready to pull trigger yet. Sent from my SM-S918U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

For our Hewescraft ProV 200ET, we ordered a Merc 150hp main with a 15hp kicker. We tried to learn the differences in alternator size, between engine sizes for kicker. The alternator in the 15hp is larger than 9.9hp. That's where the biggest difference was. Trolls great and keeps electronics going great. Sent from my SM-S918U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

We got Okuma 55 line counters and 10 ft Okuma roller tip rods for "Wire Dipsies." Huge amount of wire per crank for sure. But mostly used for flasher fly combo? The flasher creates huge pressure to crank against, especially with the high ratio. Sent from my SM-S918U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

A little long but- Was having issues with (fuse) breakers popping too often. Called Big Jon in Traverse City. They are known for their great Customer Service. They sold me pulley and arm and two new breakers - same ones from factory we were at. Soldered them in exactly as old ones were. Now we can't get them them to "pop" at all. Used to hit up button, sometimes let them come to top on the top on their own, like if I was fighting a fish, and breaker would pop and motor would stop. Tension on outside knob was kept tight. Now with new breakers, the motor won't stop and breakers hardly ever pop? Last Sunday I turned around while fighting fish, with downrigger was coming up, and WHAM! My 200# Power Pro braid pops like 4# mono. Now missing another snap swivel, release, snubbers, Fish Hawk probe, and cannonball. Big Jon says I've been using them wrong for three years? Said I need to keep knob loose enough to let "clutch" work and wheel would then spin at top? I'm concerned that knob will just spin off axle when I'm not looking? Like I should drill a hole in the threaded end of the axle and put a cotter pin in? At this point, for various reasons, I'm now out 2 arms, 2 pulleys, one 12# cannonball, three releases, and another $365 Fish Hawk probe? Plus gas from Zeeland to Traverse City and back. Please I'd sure like to hear from you if you've got any ideas besides get some new downriggers with auto stop. Thanks so much for the education... Sent from my SM-N960U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Get Okuma Coldwater Line Counter from Captain Chuck's in Ludington and they'll have Tuna Reels add the Dragmaster Upgrade (for apprx $25 fee) for Super smooth drag. Sent from my SM-N960U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Been out a couple times lately, mostly just to learn where fish are and try some different tactics. Marking VERY few from 60' to 180'. Trying downriggers, SWR (Downriggers with 90' lead), also planers with copper from 65' to 400', and 124mm wire dipsies on 2-3 settings. Thermocline almost nonexistent. Mostly same warm temp from surface to 70' down at buoy. Gotta be at 155' FOW just to see it break to 51 at about 70-80' down? Every time we get another sheep, we go west toward deeper FOW, and deeper down in colder water. Reel to Reel Charter on You Tube claims steelhead no problem off beach 30 FOW at Ludington, and lighthouse, etc? Obviously no major river here but same general patterns? Anybody out there trying Muskegon or Saugatuck, or others? Had a real good year with new Hewescraft, just trying to extend it as much as possible, ha.

Finally catching some fish - last three trips totaled about 16 for 19 with combined weight of over 140 lbs. but.... Got my name and phone on the boards but batting about .500 this year for returns. Finding a few on Facebook Marketplace but new ones are close to $70 now so really trying to not lose any more. Watching "Russel" on You Tube, and he swears by Sam's Pro releases on split ring in front and standard OR 16's in back using a 50 lb. Power pro braid. Now popped free about 9 boards so far this year like this. Recovered 3 and 3 returned with phone call. Thanks Russel. Local bait shop says Russel is full of it, and just use Dreamweaver Ninjas and get it over with. Super easy to set and change but fought a 23 pounder on 350' copper, and the board kinda took some of the fun out of it. Per two other "experts" we put 10' of 30# mono in line to wrap around Sam's Pro and then on back we changed to the heavy super tight yellow "swinging arm" release. Tried popping just the front repeatedly and then both releases popped and that was No.9 lost for the year. More advice was just do it exactly as "Russel" and it that it would well most of tie. Put the split rings back to hold Sam's release, but still like the tightest yellow arm release, and got some tiny (3/4") carabiners to attach to rear split ring and now smack fish in the head? Anybody else got any better ideas, I'm sure willing to listen, thanks.

Per nautical chart is about 4.5 miles, apprx 5 nautical miles. Tomorrow Thurs AM should be excellent weather. Only If you have all legal safety equipment in working order, try working out to 240. Watch weather on phone radar often. Top 40 to 80 feet. Watch angle of cable and or Fish Hawk for strong deep changing current. Pay attention please. Change speed and direction. Try to get planers evened up on both sides. Not easy at all....... Blue/ Green spoons. Or DW A-Bomb in Reg or Mag size, or Stinger Stingray orange with green stripe. Kevin's Girlfriend and pickled sunshine. Planers with weight steel or copper, or downriggers. For way less tangles - Deepest on downriggers. Shallower on inside planer. Shallowest and farthest back on furthest out planers. Don't believe me - just watch ha. Great weather for testing your free slider skills, too. Please - Make your slider from line thats no stronger than mainline. Sent from my SM-N960U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App