Whitehall - 6/21 - hit unmarked nets

[Mega Byte]

122 FOW, 5.3 miles NW of the pier

GPS format 1:

N43º 25.554'

W86º 29.702'

GPS format 2:

43°25'56.22"N

86°29'57.78"W

There's no salmon up there either, just Lakers. Was intending to stay closer to the piers but had someone else drive for me while I was setting lines. They went way north. I couldn't tell in the fog.

We pulled all our lines and backed right over top of the nets. I marked them on the fish finder and then set the waypoint. I know they drift some, but be aware they are out there. I snagged them with a 300 Cu. On my graph, it looked like a pole leaning on a 45º angle from the bottom and reaching as high as 20' off bottom. I didn't know my 300s would run so deep, but maybe we were going a little slow or there is more that was higher that I didn't mark on the graph.

Hindsight 20/20, I should have slipped a hook on my spare roll of downrigger wire, sent it down there and then hooked something the floats to the other end of the wire.

[EdB]

Did you report this to the Coast Guard and DNR, good idea to do so. The tribe was pulling the unmarked abandoned nets, having those coordinates may help them get that one.

[Mega Byte]

I reported it to the DNR.

[Mega Byte]

I just called the coast guard in Ludington, they said to call Grand Haven. I called Grand Haven and they said to call the DNR, which I already did.

[Boltman]

Awesome report Jason, thanks for the coordinates, I'm going to lock them into my plotter when we get there this weekend, and mark it to STAY AWAY... from there,even though they do drift...

We've picked up a lot of lakers to the North this year.....

[sparky30]

What did the DNR say out of curiosity, you would think coast guard would have took the coordinates and contacted them for you.

[Mega Byte]

Yesterday, when I called the DNR they took the coordinates and said a local DNR officer would be notified.

This morning I called the Ludington Coast Guard first. I explained I hooked into some nets and asked if they should be notified. They said 'Yes' and I gave them the coordinates and described it as being about 5.3 miles NW of the Whitehall pier. They said that was Grand Haven's area of operations. When I called Grand Haven, they said they don't do anything with nets but the DNR does and to contact the DNR.

[silver vixen]

thanks jason thats great information to have

[Leidel10]

I contacted the Chief CO for the Odawa Tribe and gave him the numbers. He will be contacting the proper authorities. To try to get them removed.

[sparky30]

The amount of unmarked gear out there is unreal, the barges that pulled all of the nets earlier this year were full and there is still some left, they should revoke the rights of the tribe issuing if they cant use better judgment on who to issue to, its a saftey hazard and just a waste of our lakes. Sorry just had to vent that.