When to hang it up for the season?

[fish-hub]

When do you hang it up for the season, what's the reason? Deer hunting? Bigger salmon are up the river? Boat repairs? Ice?

[fishy1]

When the marina closes October 15.

[JWheeler]

Keep it out as long as possible. With hopes of getting out as weather allows. We fished into November a few years back, I scraped snow off my boat that 27* morning. We also WHACKED the steelhead, coho and juvenile kings that day. When I see the weather predicted to go below freezing for multiple days in a row, or the extended forecast indicates cold/wintery weather is coming, that's when I winterize and put the boat away. There is still some really great fishing to be had.

[fish-hub]

I have never fished lake Michigan into October and beyond because of deer hunting. This year I plan to go out Sat morning but that's fading fast due to the weather.

[mattmishler]

Never!!! latest I have fished is the 20th of December. One of my friends has fished lake michigan 12 months total, not in the same year. We will be pulling charter boats in a few weeks yet.

[SeaCatMich]

Since I'm no longer right by the lake it is the forecast of high temps below 50 for a week or more. Since it is usually gong to be a day trip since most of my fishing buddies won't go and the combination of an available day and good weather (especially winds) are few and far between fall trips have been rare the past few years. The boat gets put in the pole barn before the first snow - sometimes just a day ahead of time.

When I lived in St. Joe I managed to go fishing on Christmas day twice in the early 2000's. Have not made it out in January or February but seriously thought about it in 2013 when we really didn't have winter... but due to an early snow the boat was already in the barn.

Edited October 2, 2014 by SeaCatMich

[jgaul]

Having a smaller boat, 19', I typically wait till the first weekend in December to winterize. Love the outboard, cause it's pretty easy. LOVE Oct./Nov. on the lake!! The water just seams to be a different shade of blue, the fish are putting on the feedbags for winter and there is NO pressure! Gotta pick your days, but it is really a different feel on the water late in the season. Kinda eerie..... I have a totally respect for the water after going in the Fall...

[fish-hub]

I heard something like 70% of vessels go down in October, November and December.

[Play Dough]

Once mid-September arrives, I find a nice weekend for an oil change, clean up and to pack up and put stuff away so everything goes into storage dry. Lining up those days with a weekend becomes more and more iffy as the days pass. The nice days after that are used to catch up on all the chores around the house that I've neglected for the previous four months. Next year will be a different story. Retirement will allow me to stretch the season and enjoy those calm, crisp fall days that always seem to fall Monday through Friday.

[jay d]

I never put the boat away for the season.We get a decent day and a clear launch and its on.we have caught fish on the big water in every month of the year,only 2 January trips tho.Fall fishing is my favorite. We had 43 fish to the back of the boat last sun so the fun is just getting started:thumb:

[instincter06]

What is the typical setup for Fall fishing? Lots of high lines? Way out deep?

[Boltman]

Play dough you're going to get bored hahaha let the boredom reign right???

Boltman

[Boltman]

Play dough you're going to get bored hahaha let the boredom reign right???

Boltman

[jay d]

What is the typical setup for Fall fishing? Lots of high lines? Way out deep?

All depends on the day and the conditions.We start out running and watching the graph untill we locate baite or fish and dial our setup in from there.We do tend to concentrate more on the top 50 fow most days.

[Play Dough]

Play dough you're going to get bored hahaha let the boredom reign right???

Boltman

North Channel, Georgian Bay, Inland Waterway, Drummond, Calm, uncrowded weekday outings...yeah, 2015 is going to be hard to stomach.