Holland/Saugatuck evening 9/30

[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

Janet and I made a late push to get out tonight, clearing the pier heads just after 5:00pm.  Headed south and set up 4 riggers and 2 high dipseys just north of Saugatuck in 45 FOW with a south troll then moved it to SW.  Didn't start marking fish until about 70FOW.  Very large hooks at the bottom scattered between 70-80FOW but could not get anything to go.  Moved back inside for a skinny water run and did not find any marks.  Lines in the skinny water needed constant cleaning as we kept picking up weeds on the lines dipseys, the SDs and the rigger balls.  Must have been a lot of floating debris.  Moved out to deeper water but by then the sun was setting and we came up empty for the evening.  Very nice night to be out.    

[2MD]

despite the fish not eating, it sure looked like a beautiful night to be out there - PUG and I are admittedly a bit jealous 

[Reel-y-hooked]

Sounds like you had a great boat ride on Lake Michigan on the last day of September. We are all blessed with that opportunity over here on the west side of the state. 

[FBD]

Tried Mac last night for walleyes.  Just too few fish marked for as much salad as we needed to clean off.  Mind you I had a great trip this year where we caught a pile but I probably set 100 boards that night constantly cycling through the spread.  But when a lady in a Four Winns ran right up my stern as I was trying to figure out what board to clear for her then made a turn and decided to run over a couple that was the last straw.  The look on her face as my board was slowly getting pulled into her boat as it slapped on the surface was kind of funny.  She didn't like when I told her she'd better go to the marina and get her outdrive seals checked out.

Tried to troll the channel apparently slow no wake stupidity knows no social economic boundaries.  Everything from a 50' going through at 10 mph to an obese guy in a John boat that between his girth and the half throttle he was applying looked like it was going to flip over.  

Finally get out front that wasn't much better.  Wasn't expecting to fish kings so I was running two riggers two one colors and two walleye boards with 12# leaders and Flicker Shads.  Got a few sheep then a flicker shad got smoked.  Yep J plugs and Thundersticks all over but nooooo the king decides it wants to hit a little pink pearl walleye bait.  Game on.  By the time this thing got to the boat it had the port rigger J plug and a one color with another board in tow.  Crew could not pick the fish up enough for me to net it, fish was straaight up and down and no where near tired, just as I decided to chase it down with the net as the least worst option it turned and took off and was gone.  Actually broke a point off the hook and not the leader a testament to the skill of the guy on the stick playing it just right.

Soon after that a one color took a huge rip that we were sure was another king but nope a mid teens side hooked sheep.

At that point the traffic slowed down and the graph really lit up so we thought we'd be on them but nope, that was it.

Not what I was expecting but a fun trip none the less.

[FBD]

Sheepzilla with the front hook of the lure in its gill plate…

[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

I have had several of those fish straight down at the back of the boat and have not come up with a good solution how to get them up.  Speeding up will get them off the back but does not bring them up.  In those situations, the fish eventually wins the battle as the hook releases or the dreaded breakoff occurs.

[Reel-y-hooked]

Big kings are tough to get in the boat. That’s why we fish for them

When the hook  breaks you know you played the big boy correctly. 
we lost a good one down deep under the stern also. It escaped when when the point broke off the hook. 

[littleboat]

I think there must be a hidden no wake speed sign that I must be missing that says 10+ mph when near small boats!.

Sent from my SM-A156U1 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

[FBD]

Smoke plume that only got bigger.  Coming home they were still spraying down a smoldering car in 196 by the Ottagon overpass.