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

OK thanks

Thanks, Randy. Yep, the Fish Hawk improved our catch more than any other piece of equipment. We bought the X4 but if I had to do it again, I'd get the X4D. You could know the actual depth of your lure and not just how much cable is out. Also (they claim) you could mount a tablet in transom area, and get all depth and temp data on your tablet back there where you're setting lines? We're planning a day trip to Ludington next few weeks. Any tips?

Finally got into some fish. The new Hewescraft was great in the varying winds and current. Two planers each side. 250', 300', 350', 400' copper/ weighted steel. Tues May 25 Port Sheldon approx. 8am to noon. 170' to 190' FOW. Fish were 40' to 80' down. Mostly blue or blue green spoon - both mag size and Super Slim. Of course one hit the Kevin's Girlfriend spin doctor with Pickled Sunshine type fly. First fish within 2 minutes of setting first down rigger 80' - blow back was nuts even with 200# Power Pro and 12# ball. Lure was likely 65' to 70' ft down? Mag blue DW spoon maybe 45' back at 2.5 to 3.0 MPH at lure per Fish Hawk. Fish Hawk was showing currents were strong and constantly changing. Planers were all over. Signal from brand new probe was in and out all morning. Called Fish Hawk and tech called back (after we got home) and said its very common when fishing deep in strong deep current, like when you're getting huge blow back, and then not. Tech said simply turn up the GAIN. I didn't even know you could. We tried to reset it by unplugging two cables but of course no change. While scrolling buttons we saw the screen that said "GAIN 15" but never realized you could just with lower two arrow buttons on left. But we ended up with 6 for 8 fish and had a freaking blast. We two old guys - 68 and 78 - had a double on. They crossed lines and it was panic time. But between laughing and screaming we changed places and rods and threaded rods around and got both darn fish into the box. Then we both couldn't talk for a while until we calmed down and caught our breath. That's exactly what I bought the new boat for. What a morning. So final score was something like 4 kings and 2 coho for total of approx 44 lbs. Nothing really huge but 3 were approx. 10 lbs. Fish were hitting 400' a bit more than others. A couple hit on Downriggers approx. 80' down. Mag and reg spoons blue or blue green, and the one on Flasher Fly. We'll be back, baby!

Sorry for length but I'm a bit frustrated, too. Certainly no expert for sure, but try to get as much different info as possible. Way different year this spring. Retired and new boat all decked out and been trolling since March during tiny "windows" between weather. Fished New Buffalo, South Haven, Holland, Port Heldon so far. Planning on moving north. People in Benton Harbor saying they missed their spring king "peak" and they've moved north? Heard one theory that most trout/salmon did not come as far south for winter, and that may be why spring bite in south is light? South Haven seems like maybe their peak is finishing? Ludington and Manistee charters are doing real well right now. Last week some people were saying Whitehall - Muskegon? Just seems like "great spring king migration north" maybe kinda not on fire in Holland-Port Sheldon a bit. Some kings caught last week and today off Port Sheldon finally, but not like last three years? One boat at PS was 5 for 7 today with no downriggers- 40' to 80' down in up to 200' FOW. Best king was over 15# on Kevin's GF flasher with Pickled Sunshine. That's a Tangled Tackle from You Tube basic for 3 years. Don't give up. Call bait shops. Look on line. You Tube sometimes helps? Ask at the launches. Most people are willing to be truthful? Sent from my SM-N960U using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

Limits all daylong.Best walleye fishing anywhere. Not huge sizes. Seriously over 100 boats inline at Wyandotte ramp. Try to launch before 4 am.

May sound funny, but I'm for real. Are Big Weenie glow meat strips "thicker" and cut differently than other meats. They don't fit into a Diabolical brand meat rig. I've trimmed them down and they crumble and fall apart within 30 minutes. Are the Big Weenie meat rigs designed to hold thicker meats?