Alternative to Combat Fishing?

[Dagwood]

I am hoping the weather is going to cooperate this weekend and want to get as much fishing in as I can. Not a big fan of fishing the crowds and don't necessarily need to catch the big ones as well. What setup do most of you start with and where do you start if you dont want to fish the channel or right out front- I will be fishing out of Holland.

What about after the run is over? Do you stick with plugs?

Thanks in advance for the much needed help.

Dave

[fisf crazy]

run deeper and look for the younger salmonand steel there out there

[SeaCatMich]

Go out to deeper water (150-300') and fish like spring/summer. If you have down temp find the high 40* water and/or watch the graph for marks. I would also run a couple of 2-5 color leadcores off boards to target coho. Spoons seem to be the better bait for me in the fall... plus I can run a little faster speed when trolling to cover more water to find the fish.

Did this a lot in St. Joe in Oct/Nov back 5 years ago or so with great success on steel, kings, and coho plus the occasional suspended lake trout that got returned (out of season). Didn't get out last fall but in 2010 fished a couple of times out of Whitehall and went to the deeper water just south of Little Pt. Sable and had lots of young kings schooling deep -- that was the year that we had hot water stacked to 90' deep for most of the summer.

[EdB]

Out of Ludington, I'd go west to the 37 line, set up and troll west. Spoon program like SeaCatMich said but I'd throw some spinners out on the low divers. I'd have some orange spoons on top for steelies. Hope I can get out there this weekend if weather cooperates.

[1mainiac]

Here's my fall program Only got 180 Stealhead last fall. So it could use some improvement. I run a spring program only faster with no divers. Lots of boards repeat lots of boards if I have enough people on board I will run 8 boards a side. 300 coppers will have plugs usually a Ace Hi Yellow Tail on one Blue Mylar on the other. 200 coppers will have a Blue Dolphin on one a Carmel Dolphin on the other the outside boards will be 150 copper 125 copper 115 copper and 100 copper theses will have bright spoons lots of Orange. That is 4 boards per side If I have rods left I will run a 5 color and a 3 color or even 2 of each 3 color will have red Thin fins. Did I mention I mean run fast 3.8 is dead slow 4.5 is nice but will run well over 5 even up to 7 mph. I start in 225 to 250 depending on what I see running out. I am guessing the 300 coppers will run about 40 down at these speeds. Once on the fish it is not hard to box out a 4 man limit in a hour or so. From now till the end of the year when I pull the boat I can run the same lures on the same rods every trip.

[Dagwood]

What size spoon? Standard, magnums, thins?

[BlueCollarOutdoors]

Maniac thats a very interesting response. We have talked about doing something very similar with all spoons. Cover twice the ground get your baits in front of twice the fish and see what happens. You know they can run down your baits at a much higher speed that we are trolling. Do you care for any brand or style of spoons at that high speed?

I have never fished into October out in normal depths like 100 to 300, but would surely like to give that theory a chance this year.

[jerryriggin]

One day in november out of manistee fishing steelhead couldnt get a bite under 4.5 mph on the gps.

[hear fishy fishy]

Had one day earlier this year could get a bite if we ran under 3.6 and did the best at 4.2 pulling spoons.

[1mainiac]

Personally I run a lot of Silver Streak and Moonshine spoons standards and mags I like the heavier spoons they handle going fast better and don't self destruct when a fish hits them hard. Ace Hi yellow Tail plugs on a 300 copper always get big Steelhead had one that was almost 16 lbs at the fish cleaning station and we bleed it out a couple of years ago. We had one rip a 300 and then follow the boat Steve reeled the board in was holding it say the fish was gone and should he just reset it when the fish yanked it out of his hands and took about 200 ft of line before he could get it stopped. Glad he caught the rod before it went with the fish that was a 10 lber. When you see bait fish jumping out of the water you'll know why going fast works.

[Just Hook'n]

I've run with Jim on these "race track" runs. It's fun.

I've gone out with others too though we didn't do the mag spoons.

I've had luck running minis this time of year (orange, lots of orange) up high for steelhead in 300 feet of water.

The challenge is finding a nice flat day this time of year.

[Bakers Dozen]

We catch a bunch of 2 and 3 year olds out deeper in Oct. Once you find em, it can get nuts