Anywhere from south haven to Muskegon

[budwinn42]

Anyone getting on any decent numbers? Taking my dad, and grandpa out this weekend, and this may be our last trip with the 3 of us, so I'd like it to be a memorable one. Not afraid to get off shore 15 miles if that's where the fish are, just hoping for some guidance from you guys that are able to get out a little more. Thanks in advance guys.

 

 

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[FBD]

All reports have been bleak.  Maybe time to look for steel half way to Wisconsin?

[Briand7878]

I'm in st joe right now. I just caught a small king in 140 at 90 feet deep. I was using a black and silver glow spoon. Good luck.


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[Briand7878]

I went 3 for 3 this morning. Two lakers and one king. All on the small side. All in 140 feet of water.


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[Sassy Sharon]

It was dead last weekend out of Muskegon, North to Duck Lake and South to South Haven. There are fish out of Muskegon but all have lock jaw

 

[budwinn42]

Thanks for the reports guys. I'm hoping to get out Friday and pre-fish for Saturday. I don't care if we only catch 3 or 4 fish, as long as they get to reel something in.


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[Sassy Sharon]

Good luck, if you can get 3 or 4 fish you'll be doing better than most guys. Let us know where you find them

[uplander01]

Had our Port Sheldon league night on tuesday, 3 boats out to 160 and everywhere in between----0.  Fish at 130 - 140 and some bait as well, had some lookers but no takers.  I was getting 55 degrees almost all the way to the bottom.  Who knows, maybe they shut off to a degree during hurricane season, water temps just aren't right for it to be fast and furious------all good things come to an end, doesn't grouse season open this weekend?

[budwinn42]

I'm thinking either holland or south haven. The east winds lately can't be helping. Wind out of the east, fish bite the least...


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[2MD]

2 matures in the mudline just outside the pierheads in holland this AM.  Ran plugs from an hour before sunset til 9am anf got no takers - turned out they wanted SpinDocters instead b/c switched to those and took one on each of our last two passes - dark males

[budwinn42]

2 matures in the mudline just outside the pierheads in holland this AM.  Ran plugs from an hour before sunset til 9am anf got no takers - turned out they wanted SpinDocters instead b/c switched to those and took one on each of our last two passes - dark males

An hour before sunset or sunrise? We'll probably only fish for 4-5 hrs, but thank you for the tip. What were you running behind your spin doctors? Thanks again


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[2MD]

sorry meant SUNRISE - trolled from 6am-9am with nothing happening and then right before we were gonna head in tried flashers and boom they were there.  they were there all morning jumping all over just couldn't get em to bite until last 30min.

[2MD]

and just your typical 8inch spindoctor with fly - blue bubble got it done this AM - also a green jeans spindoctor with a green fly

[budwinn42]

Awesome, thank you. I'll let you know how we do


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[2MD]

we have luck running SpinDocters behind 5 colors and also off dipseys with the rings off em dialed to 3.5 with about 40 feet of braid out when trolling Holland's mouth - it was the dipseys that went this AM - last week got em deep in the channel on this same setup and in prior years even get em as far in macatawa as in front of Parkside Marina on the flashers.  Nothing like seeing a big king go airborn with a dipsey and flasher attached

[budwinn42]

Haha I've never seen a dipsy come out of the water. Hopefully when we go we'll have the freedom to run the midline, and channel if we need to. I'd imagine there's less boating activity since we're past Labor Day, but with the weather being as nice as it is, I'm sure there'll be enough traffic to keep me from running as many lines as I'd like.


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[2MD]

good luck and let us know how you do on your outing - I am not sure what the wind will do this weekend but yes boat traffic is less especially with fisherman but holland still has so many sailboats - hopefully it will be calm enough where you can just make passes back and forth through the mud in front of the pierheads in that 22-35fow - trolling the channel itself is a hail mary suckers bet with boat traffic and all the weeds - today was especially bad with weeds with the east wind and go figure our hits came just outside the pierheads

[budwinn42]

Definitely got some weeds in there haha, if we don't catch any fish, atleast we can catch weeds.


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[@lastacyKevin]

I have a feeling Saturday Morning will be a little combat fishing in the mud and out again....in front of pier heads; Monday Night right at sunset had a couple "pop" but no takers in that 25 fow running plugs down 18 feet on downriggers and dipsey went as well

[budwinn42]

I'm thinking you're probably right. I wish I could get everybody out in a weekday. Less boats to deal with.


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[2MD]

Kevin, maybe I am not running my plugs deep enough.  I normally only put the rigger down 9 or 10 feet but have em 80-100 feet behind the ball.  I have gotten jacksquat on plugs this year and maybe I am simply too high up.  Question: how far behind the ball do you run yours and are you normally size 4 or 5 or do you run smaller ones? Thanks, Ryan

[Fish Tank]

When I run plugs on my riggers in the channel, my leads are short - 20' at the most and atleast 1/2 to 3/4's of the way down the water column. The bigger plugs #5 have always done better for me for combat fishing and have had better luck with Silver Horde - green and blue splatterback glows have always produced for me. 

.................Fish Tank 

[@lastacyKevin]

Just need everybody to go counter clockwise in and out of the channel to make it go smooth; weather supposed to be warm so the go fast and beach crowd will shut down fishing by 11am! And then that will be it for the year for me!

[@lastacyKevin]

Fish Tank is 100% correct in my opinion run them no farther back than 20 on the ball and Silver Hordes #5 are my go-to! So listen to Fish Tank as that has worked for me....however this past week has been a bust! So I am desperate to end this draught 

[@lastacyKevin]

2MD I am in love with your 4 stroke Yamaha in the picture!!! Nice set up!! A lot of grass is out there for sure! Anyway I will be out there with my old 1986 17 Boston Whaler with a "smoky" 2 Stroke Yamaha! Hope to see everybody out there and really enjoy your guys tips and reports! Very fun forum to go to see what is working and what is not! St Joe guy is a hard core guy he is out there for hours!