Holland am, 7-26-16

[littleboat]

Fished 7-11am, 1/1 laketrout (12.91#) on slide diver bk 200, set 3 with blue dolphin, nw troll, in 102fow, 2.4 sog.  Covered water 90-160. No other hits. Water temp was 45.1 70down. Bite came early.

[mrhookup]

Ed, nice job, sounds like yesterday's wind may have either moved the fish a bit or they're migrating north. I heard of good action in Grand Haven this morning from 100-120 FOW.

How are you liking the autopilot on the new boat this year? Is that EV200 performing well for you? Our boat is almost identical and I'll be adding one this off season and starting to compare what's out there.

[littleboat]

Ed, nice job, sounds like yesterday's wind may have either moved the fish a bit or they're migrating north. I heard of good action in Grand Haven this morning from 100-120 FOW.

How are you liking the autopilot on the new boat this year? Is that EV200 performing well for you? Our boat is almost identical and I'll be adding one this off season and starting to compare what's out there.

I have an EV-100, hydraulic steered boat. Installed it myself. Absolutely love it. I use alot of the preprogrammed patterns along with just adjusting the control head itself.

There was alot of bait out there today, but I think it maybe more south according to a couple of guys I talked to at the cleaning station. 6 rods vs 3 rods makes a big difference. I now run a high and low slider on my mainline. Just to get the extra attraction.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

[Reel-Deal]

Hi Ed - Nice catch - just curious - did you mark a lot of fish as well? It's been a blank screen for Muskegon much of the time I've been out...would appreciate your thoughts - thanks - Jim

[mrhookup]

43 minutes ago, littleboat said:

Thanks Ed, does it hold course well in rough water at slower speeds for you?

 

I have an EV-100, hydraulic steered boat. Installed it myself. Absolutely love it. I use alot of the preprogrammed patterns along with just adjusting the control head itself.

There was alot of bait out there today, but I think it maybe more south according to a couple of guys I talked to at the cleaning station. 6 rods vs 3 rods makes a big difference. I now run a high and low slider on my mainline. Just to get the extra attraction.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App
 

 

 

[littleboat]

Hi Ed - Nice catch - just curious - did you mark a lot of fish as well? It's been a blank screen for Muskegon much of the time I've been out...would appreciate your thoughts - thanks - Jim

I marked alot fish from 80-125 today, not as many out to 160. I marked more this past Saturday when I fished in the AM. Most of the bites I get are about 600ft from a bait pile image on my sounder on the average. When I have done a figure eight through a bait pile image (did this as a test, earlier this season) it took about six trips of figure eights through it to turn on a bite. Not very efficient, so now I may do two at the most.
I have found areas around PS, Holland and south where fish seem to congregate so that's where my 3 rods go. I can usually get 1-3 fish per trip, somedays better when the fish are really stirred up. I check the water temperature in 5ft inclements with a fishawk gauge before I put a rod in the water. Hope this helps.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

[littleboat]

Autopilots in rough water while trolling have a hard time maintaining course especially if you are trolling with a larger motor at a very slow speed (i.e. 2.2 sog). You need either a much bigger boat than your in or a smaller motor for trolling use. I have trolled with my 20hp 4 stroke in waters up to 4-5feet high, but at that point fishing is no fun for me and I head in. I have enough fish in my freezer to come back another more favorable day.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

[mrhookup]

We have a 9.9hp kicker, would like something that can hold course in 2-4ft seas down to 1.8-2.0 if possible


Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app

[littleboat]

1 hour ago, mrhookup said:

We have a 9.9hp kicker, would like something that can hold course in 2-4ft seas down to 1.8-2.0 if possible


Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app
 

 

What is the size of your boat and main motor? Have you tried it under those conditions just using the tiller arm and arm friction holding knob and see if it will hold a course? Another option is an eztroller plate on the main motor also. Finding the right boat weight kicker ratio is the key. If for some reason my kicker were to fail, I would engage my main motor troller plate and achieve the same results. Without that plate, I couldn't do it. I'll attach a picture.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App
 

 

[Reel-Deal]

2 hours ago, littleboat said:

 

I marked alot fish from 80-125 today, not as many out to 160. I marked more this past Saturday when I fished in the AM. Most of the bites I get are about 600ft from a bait pile image on my sounder on the average. When I have done a figure eight through a bait pile image (did this as a test, earlier this season) it took about six trips of figure eights through it to turn on a bite. Not very efficient, so now I may do two at the most.
I have found areas around PS, Holland and south where fish seem to congregate so that's where my 3 rods go. I can usually get 1-3 fish per trip, somedays better when the fish are really stirred up. I check the water temperature in 5ft inclements with a fishawk gauge before I put a rod in the water. Hope this helps.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App
 

 

Thanks Ed - it sounds like, from what I can tell, that fishing north of Grand Haven has been hit or miss and that there seems to be more fish concentrations south of GH - it does help - as I am heading out on Saturday early. Think I will head south from Muskegon unless there is other information that would persuade me otherwise - thanks again!!! Tight lines

[Mega Byte]

I can usually get 1-3 fish per trip, somedays better when the fish are really stirred up.

That is really good for only 3 rods. Nice job.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

[EdB]

Nice trout and thanks for the intel Ed.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App