Ludington

[Adam Bomb]

Well, we got a late start this year, but we finally made it over. With all the cold water from last weekends blow(49-56 surface temps:eek:) the fishing sure was different this year. Normally we're out in a 100'-175' of water pulling mag dipseys with spinnies and flies, long cores and mid-deep range riggers, but this year we found ourselves hanging out in 40-80' of water with all of our presentations in the top 30' most times. No surprise the dipseys were dead, but i was puzzled why the slide divers with long leads wouldnt go:confused:...Fortunatlely we brought lots of lead core:grin:...and its a good thing we did because they saved us big time. We ran 2 to 6 color cores with spoons and plugs. We took fish on them all, but the 3 and 5 were definitely the best. We also took a handful of fish on riggers 20-40' down and 80-100' back off the ball. Although dipseys were pretty grim, we did take 3 fish on them, lost a couple and had a couple more rips. Fish came on a #1 set at 1 1/2 75' back on lows, and 3 1/2 on highs 60-85 back.

To keep things poppin we had to change things up quite a bit. Seem like we'd hit a fish on something, then itd die, switch it up and bam...We worked for every bite we got, other than last nights crazy triple...We had two big Kings going ape $hit around the boat when another fish hit. Dad was helping mom with hers and Kurt was fighting a big fish on the core...So, i had to net mine myself. And after he went out around the dipseys and was trying to pass the boat i didnt think i was gonna get him. But luckily i got him back to the side of the boat and after a couple unsuccsessful tries i got him with a less than graceful net job just as he was going to get into the high diver....Good thing it was hooked good. Just as i got mine in, Dad did some quick rod juggling and netted moms...and just as we cleared one net kurts board was at the transom. It wasnt long and we welcomed another feisty king on board...Got all 3 of those ornery devils.

Best water was 55-60' along a slick that set up and the same depth a bit outside the peir head for staging four year olds. It was fun fishing around the slick, there were kings and steelhead cruising all over the surface in the flat water. Several times we had fish cruising within 20' of the boat and even had one that made a pass within a foot of our inside board...It reminded me of shark week on the discovery channel.

As far as baits are concerned, it was a plug and spoon bite for us. We had a couple rips on flashers/flies and nadda on cut bait...As far as the hot color, there wasnt really. We had a couple repeat, and that was it.

Plugs

Ace High Green Glow Splatter back

Ace Hight Glow Wonder Bread

Silver Red Headed J Plug

Double Crush Glow Silver Horde

Chrome J Plug

Blue/Chrome J Plug

Emerald Green/Blue #3 J Plug

Spoons

Mag & Standard Blue Flounder

Mag Flounder Pounder

Mag Mongolian Beef

Mag Do-Dee K

Mag Moonshine Moonshine

Mag Happy Meal

Lemon Ice

Michael Jackson

Mag Blue Chilli Willie

Mag Smurf

Mag Gold Mongoose

Mag Green Dolphin

Flasher/Flies

SD Blue/Chrome w/Blue Chaos Fly

Fisher Tackle Vibe Fly Dbl Glow Green Ghost

Our fish ranged in size as well. We took fish anywhere from 5-17#, with the bulk being in the 12-15# range.

Maiden Voyage on Tuesday evening 2 for 6 all Kings

Wednesday 10 for 15...all Kings, 1 Steelhead and 1 Coho

Thursday 11 for 16 all Kings

Friday morning before a disaster with a rigger and going home. 1 for 2...1 King lost a steelie

[JWheeler]

Thanks for the report, sounds like a sweet trip. When is that smoked salmon going to be ready????

[Adam Bomb]

In a day or two...You missed out on the blackened Salmon...Had that tonight...Damn i love those little Kings and Cohos!!

[GLF]

Way to put the smack down on the salmon. Ummmm.....fresh salmon!

[DIRTY DOG]

Excellant

[Adam Bomb]

Heres a few pics from the trip. Wish we woulda took allot more though.

[Priority1]

GJ Adam. If the weather cooperates I may make it to Manistee this coming week.

[Nailer]

Nice Adam. Looks like the crew had fun.

[Adam Bomb]

Sure did, cant wait to get back!!!

[ELLIOT]

good job! Nice catches!

[Alligator]

those like look dept 16 rod holders, we have a couple of those too. Great job on the fish. We are headed to Manistee in the morning.

[Adam Bomb]

Thanks Aligator. I dont know what Dept. they came from, but they are definitely custom!

As far as the fish, this report is from last fall, but thank you for the compliments none the less. Thats said, i just got home from Ludington and the ol girl treated us VERY WELL to say the least. Smacked em really good yesterday and had our 3 man by 7:50 am this morning with some PIG Kings. Weighed several 17-19# fish and had a 22# in the mix this morning.:D:D Will post a report either tonight or tomorrow...I am absolutely beat and may need shoulder and wrist surgery as well as a massuese and ciaropractor after this trip...Damn they were fiesty!!!

[Boltman]

We can't wait to et over there on Friday..... hope the weather holds out..

[fishctchr]

As Adam said the fishing has been awesome. The fish we've been marking for weeks finally turned on big time. It's been limits every trip, both am and pm. Mostly a spindoctor and DW paddle bite for me. 80 to 160 down on riggers and 320-280 on the high wires, 260-220 on the lows. A few spoon and plug bites on the cores and coppers when I have a chance to get them out. We've been fishing from the 53's to the 58's and out from the 35's to the 38's. Glow blades and blue blades all with glow tape and blue fairways flies and green mirage and pickled sunshine flies.