Archived Daily Updates

3/31/13  Thanks to everyone who placed an order during my special preseason sale that ends tomorrow (4/1/13) at midnight.
               Story about conditions at Manistee, MI's boat launch and the new fish cleaning station construction tomorrow.  Manistee treats their fleet first-rate!

3/30/13  Reserved this afternoon for something very important.  That being putting the batteries back in my boat for the 2013 season. 
              Predicted high today is supposed to hit 54 degrees in Manistee County. MI.  This week we lost a lot of snow cover and it looks like we will have a spring after all.
              Thanks to all who have purchased tackle in my preseason sale thus far.  This sale will end on midnight 4/1/13.  There will be some price increases for the 2013 season on 4/2/13.  So, procrastinators this is your last chance to purchase at lowball prices!

3/29/13  Whew ...what  a week!  With Herculean efforts we cleared up the backlog for Leader Lockers that goes back to February preorders.  All orders have been shipped!
               Preseason sale got extended by about 10 days, because Leader Lockers were slow coming into full product stage, ...in-hand ready to ship. Click Leader Lockers
               This weekend hope to get video footage video about the Leader Lockers.  Been using these since 2008 and have some enlightening wisdom to share.

3/28/13  Current preseason sale has been extended thru 4/1/13.  Special offer lowball 2004 pricing will be going up on 4/2/13.  New 2013 Leader Lockers will increase from 24.95 to 29.95 on that date too and ...be worth every penny of it!
               If you liked yesterday's Mamba-ized rigger weight photo? ...now, there's a trio of 3 Mamba weights ready to go wet in 2013.  Will this help catch rates? ...don't know? 
              Do know I've caught at, or over 30,000 Trout & Salmon from the Great Lakes with plain-Jane lead balls going back to 1968.  Click trio of fancy Mamba weights
              Good news!  We're finally shipping Leader Lockers today.  Hope have the backlog completely caught up by tomorrow.  Many thanks for your patience.

3/27/13  Title of today's featured pic is, frustrated fisherman.  Maybe, you share this same malady waiting on the big lake fishing season to begin?  Too much thinking and a little extra free time led me to Mamba-ize my rigger weights used for shooting video.
               Hyper holo tape on rigger weights with Mamba spots might be a little overkill,  but it sure is eye catching for this frustrated fisherman. Click Mamba-ized weights!

3/26/13  Renamed the formerly Meat Rig Cases to: Leader Lockers, because that's exactly what they are.  Our 2013 Leader Lockers secure and organize meat rig strings and trolling flies like nothing else.  I've been using them since 2008 and know how durable the Plano Pro Latch boxes are.  That's 6 seasons of hard usage with zero issues.
              White vinyl lettering is to cut down on the sun heating up the dark colored inserts while still offering a peek-a-boo see thru effect. 
              On sale until 3/31/13 for 24.95. What does the 24.95 sale price buy?  Peace of mind, protection and organization for 24 meat rigs, crawler harnesses, or trolling flies for many, many seasons! Click to purchase 2013 Leader Lockers
              Will be shipping Leader Lockers very soon.  Plano shipped the Pro Latch boxes last Friday.  So, our truck shipment should arrive today, or at the latest ...tomorrow.

3/25/13  In limbo waiting for Plano to complete my order for the boxes the foam inserts go in.  Order was turned in 3 weeks ago on 3/4/13.  I've ordered from Plano before and had my order in-hand in 2 weeks, or less.  There will be a video on sharing what I learned storing flies and meat rigs with these cases going back to 2008.
               Need to get a machinist to revamp the arm on the video cam rigger weights to carry a light source for filming in depths from 100' to 200' down.  It's trail and error, cuz there's no instructions for what I'm attempting to accomplish.

3/24/13  Resolved myself to the reel-fact my boat will not be coming out of storage until the 12-18 inches of snow melts.  Plain and simple my boat is snowed in for a while.  My guess is with the right weather? ...in about 2 weeks.
               Decided to use this delay of game to re-tweak my underwater video system.  Rigger weights are stable and do not wander due the large tail fin.  Need to mod these weights to carry light down below.  So, I can capture better video at depths to, and plus 100'.  Was limited by ambient light to 70-80' last fall. Click down below video cam
              We fish in a mostly hidden realm.  Unlocking this fascinating underwater environment is going to be on the front burner for the 2013 season aboard my boat.

3/23/13  Word is Manistee has 3 docks in at the First Street Public Launch.  Next semi-kinda warm day I will probe water depths to help Manistee fishermen know whats-up. Need to see how much concrete ramp is actually available.  Look for a full report on launching conditions from the Port of Manistee, MI soon.

3/21/13  In case where you are does not present the opportunity to take part in the joy of plowing snow on the 1st day of spring 2013?  ...snapped a pic from the inside of my plow truck.  So, you too ...could experience all the happiness of pushing snow into huge 6' white lumps to adorn your driveway. Click 3/20/13 snowplow POV
              All kidding aside, it's going to take a good week with temps in the 50s and 60s to melt the snow before my boat can make it's maiden voyage in 2013.  Generally, hard winters mean good shoreline fishing in April.  Guess, we'll have to wait and see?

3/20/13  First day of Spring 2013, but in name only.  Mr. Winter decided to give us a parting shot yesterday in Manistee County, MI with about 10" of snow at my place.  More snow is predicted for today.  Our recent snowfall is lake effect from evaporation, not system snow that adds to water to Lk. MI.
               I have the inserts in-hand for the 2013 Meat Rig Cases.  Waiting on Plano to ship the cases that have been on order for 3 weeks.  Plano said they would be shipping my order towards the end this week. Click inserts for 2013 Meat Rig Cases

3/19/13  Miserable March weather in Manistee, MI with a snow advisory for up to 7 inches is today's headline.  Spring seems like it's located in another universe, cuz it sure ain't happening here.  We had cool October and November turned chilly fast.  For the past 6 months I've witnessed not even the smallest signs of global warming a-at-all!
   My Manistee, MI snowometer now stands at 125 inches for winter 2012-2013!

3/18/13  Did a pull test on a 10' diver rod.  Drag was set at 4.6 pounds of straight line pull.  Arched the rod to a 45 degree angler and was able to pull 6.6 pounds before the drag system slipped.  This kinda exploded my idea of a rod being a force multiplier.  Additional gained 2 pounds of pull was probably from rod guides and rod tip friction.
               The new 2013 Green Mamba is installed and ready to go at my web based tackle store.  Green Mamba looks good. The X-Glow Green Mamba is a sight to behold combining equal parts of the Mambas and X-Glow Green Frog.  Look to the combo deal, flashers, meat rigs and meat heads pages for more info. Click for webstore

3/17/13  Some things are just mean to be.  Debuting the new 2013 Green Mamba wasn't planned for today, but it just worked out when we got the right paint last Thursday.  New metallic green is a very pricey 90 bucks a quart. 
              All Green Mambas in flashers, meat rigs, and meat heads have our exclusive hyper-holo lure tape.  The X-Glows tackle in the Green Mamba line feature the best extended glow green lure tape on this planet. Click new Green Mamba lineup
               Need to photograph the individual products.  The Green Mamba flashers and Combo Deal are installed at my tackle store now: Click to purchase these flashers
Should have the 2 and 3 Fly Meat rigs listed by this afternoon.

3/16/13  Major accomplishments this week.  Installed 2nd computer workstation in the shop and trained the help to process orders and make shipping labels.  This will free up some time for me and still maintain company policy of same day shipping.
               Dropped in 2 more sticks of RAM in my home built computer.  I now have 16 gigs of RAM.  My 1st 1999 computer only had a 8 gig hard drive.  Performance of my system is more then I ever could have hoped for.  New RAM does have heat sinks for over-clocking for those that are more advanced than me.  Click 4 sticks of RAM
               Re-plated the aged 1978 Sea Ray logos on my boat.  This was done when I sent our last order to the plating company for more silver bullets.  Extra solid thick hulls on the older Sea Rays will never be built again due to cost.   Click like new logo

3/15/13  What a difference a year makes.  This time last year Manistee, MI was experiencing temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s.  Yesterday morning at my place it was a frigid 8 above with spring 2013 5 days out?  Click 3/14/12 thermometer
               Every time I do testing/research more questions always arise.  Direct pressure on the reel set at 5 pounds of pull before the drag slips equates to 8 to 10 pound of pull thru the rod.  Need more pull test experiments to confirm if a rod is a force multiplier?

3/13/13  Yesterday was a glorious day in Manistee, MI if it was the middle of January.  Snow and below freezing temps makes spring look like a distant galaxy, far, far away.
               Last night we were lucky enough to get another 6 inches of snow at my place.  This brings our seasonal snowfall for Manistee, MI to 121".  Official spring 2013 begins 7 days from now on the 20th of March.
              Thanks to all who watched my most recent "how to" movie.  Plans for more video work this weekend about the simple EZ task of re-spooling downrigger cable.

3/12/13  Finished the written text article abut my snubs to expand our Encyclopedia of Tips &Tricks section.  Combining text, color photos & video all in one instructional package is why the paper-print medium cannot compete with the internet.  Not to mention the high costs involved to print & distribute. Click Super Snubbers article

3/11/13  Special video update for today.  See interesting Super Snubbers reel-facts, hook demonstration, & Twili-Tip installation.  Learn a EZ way to secure divers on divers rods:
 

3/10/13  Buttoned up the new Super Snubber 2013 video.  Shot and uploaded in full HD video with extreme clarity that far surpasses any of my previous attempts on my You Tube page
              New computer I built recently made possible a journey into You Tube video that began about a year ago.  Finally have HD quality that I'm really proud of! 
               This is only the first installment of what's on the agenda ...for the soon to be here, 2013 season.  Now, if the snow drifts would melt and go away?
               Task for today to finish the companion written text article that goes hand in hand with the new snubber HD movie.  Hope to debut both tomorrow.

3/9/13  Tonight is when we yo-yo our clocks forward one hour to adjust for Daylight Savings Time.  My task for today is to complete editing the snubber movie that will feature a EZ way to store your diver rods intact without your Dipsys flopping around.

3/8/13  Hard to believe, but a week from now I splashed my boat for the first time in 2012.  No such luck this year.  It's gonna take a good week of warm weather to melt
the drifts that have my boat landlocked in my pole barn.
             Need to re-shoot certain parts of my Super Snubber video today.  Then, dig in over the weekend to wrap up this video project to debut early next week.

3/7/13  Gained more knowledge when we shot the video test footage for our new Super Snubbers.  Found out snubbers must stretch/cushion between 5-10 pounds of pull to be effective.  Straining a diver rod to 10-12 lbs. of direct line pull tested against a hand held scale was getting close to where ...I felt we were going to break the 10' rod. Lever and fulcrum laws are not in your favor with long diver rods. Click 9 oz mag diver
              Mag dipseys weigh at rest a static 9 ozs.  Under actual fishing conditions they can weigh much more with water pressure resistance.  This water resistance increases several fold when a good King smokes the drag.  Almost forgot to mention the water drag of your attractor that needs to be added in. Having a snubber that can absorb the shock-snap-pull of the diver will turn missed Houdini fish into captured victims!

3/6/13  2013 lineup is now complete at the webstore.  Added last year's sell-out, Stealth Cable.  New 2013 Super Snubbers, Meat Rig/Fly Storage Cases, & Flasher Storage Cases have built in preseason discounts. Click for just added 2013 tackle
            Extending the current hyper holo sale thru 3/20/13 due the reel-fact it took longer to develop and stock the new selections for 2013 then expected.
            Word of note on the storage cases: we're about 2 weeks away from shipping these handy items.  Your credit card will not be billed until we ship your order.

3/5/13  2011 & 2012 Chinooks/King Salmon planted were all wire tag coded adipose fin clipped fish.  Coded wire tags are imprinted with where and when these fish were planted.  Any skippers you caught in 2012 without fins missing were naturally reproduced Kings.  Same goes for this year, but now we have 2 year classes of clipped & tagged Kings.  This mass tagging program is slated to run for 5 years began in 2011.
             Gained volumes of knowledge on rod pressure & drag pull settings.  This was to figured out where the sweet spot is on diver snubber functionality. Raw video snubber footage was shot yesterday and is in post production now.  Click video shoot setup
              Diver snubbers hook and hold fish.  This tiny piece of your program will reap huge rewards once you understand all the reel-facts in your favor!

3/4/13  Best news on the horizon?  Later this week Manistee, MI will see extended days above freezing.  We need a thaw with the record February snowfall of 55 inches.  Road to my pole barn is snowed in with 3 foot drifts of hard frozen snow. 
            Shooting a video today about our new snubbers to go along with a companion written article that's already in the beginning stages.  Hope to have both of these projects completed before this week's end.  Click 3/3/13 Manistee snow

3/3/13  Yesterday's world reveal on the snubbers marks my entry into generic tackle industry that appeals to a boarder marketplace.  Some might not be into pulling attractors, but will still be using divers.  Our Super Snubbers are the most thoroughly tested piece of tackle I've introduced thus far.  The technology behind this product will be explained in great detail in a new article and new video side by side vs. comparison.

3/2/13  February 2013 set a Manistee, MI record with 55" of snow.  This broke the last record set in 1958.  Good news is that's 5 inches of rain, if every 10" of snow equals one inch of water.  Bad news is it sucked to deal with that much snow in a short month.
            Today is the official World Debut of our new 2013 Super Snubbers.  This new piece of tackle was developed because existing snubbers are Mickey Mouse ...and do not offer much elasticity to cushion hard charging King Salmon rip & tear wire diver hits.
            Idea behind my new snubbers began last May 2012 when we missed a couple-three diver bites.  I don't get to fish that often and there's just no excuse for dropping fish that should have been landed.   While the new snubbers were developed with wire divers in mind ...I have no doubt you'll see increased hooked-up and boated fish on super braid divers too!  To be continued tomorrow  Click Super Snubbers
            Reason behind calling them Super Snubbers?  At 22 pounds of dead pull these 100% made in the USA 12" snubbers that will extend to 32 inches.  That's 20 inches of a soft cushioning effect that outperforms ALL competition by a factor of at least 2!  USA Roscoe coastlock & swivel is typically overbuilt at 225 pound test.  Video coming soon!

3/1/13  Flint Steelheaders Boat & Fishing Show opens this afternoon.  The place is easy to find at the Birch Run exit off I-75.  Expo Center is due W of the E-way.
             Should have some detailed photos of cost effective new product we tested last season with great results on cutting down on missed fish.  More info on the way....soon!

2/28/13  Need to call in sick today.  Good to see snowy February 2013 come to an end.
Flint Steelheaders Show at the Birch Run, MI Expo Center opens tomorrow afternoon.
              This Saturday will be the world debut of new piece of tackle that will add more fish to your season with one simple change.  Been working on this project for a year.  The K.I.S.S theory of "keep it simple stupid" is how I came by the idea behind the tackle.

2/27/13  Snow fleas ...ever seen 'em?  If you haven't you'll probably think I'm pulling your leg, or was going nuts.  When the temp starts pushing 40 degrees tiny insect life starts flicking around on melting snow.  I know not what they are, but know that are very tiny and black and do move.  Click yesterday's snow flea infestation

2/26/13  Please note yesterday's review about our tackle withstanding the rigors of the Pacific Ocean's saltwater environment.  Having interchangeable coastlock hardware and not stationary welded split rings explains itself.  Salt water damages even stainless steel.
               Today we're scheduled to receive our inventory of meat heads for 2013.  We're shifting over to machining heads for a day.  Reason? ...we have almost no Super Mag X-Glow Meat Heads in stock.  Orders that came in last evening & today will be shipped with only a slight delay tomorrow.  Credit cards will not be billed until we ship.

2/25/13  Here's a customer testimonial from B.C. Canada on the W coast:

2/24/13  20 inches of snow on the ground at my place in Manistee, MI and we got more today.  Season total for the 2012-2013 season I'd estimate at 90 inches plus.  This is probably more snow then we got the last 2 winters combined.  90 is no big number for my area that normally averages 160 inches, or more  during a winter season.
              Ranking a winter is difficult until it's over.  This winter has not been horrendous, but our snow events have been packed pretty close together.  We jumped from 40" of snow to 90" in a few weeks.  Good news is most of the snows were system storms (not lake effect) and will add (at least some?) water to the Great Lakes.

2/23/13  Searching thru my 2012 photos ran across an interesting reflective green bouncing off the backside of the new Kevorkian pattern.  Setup on this pic is mid-morning with the sun behind the shoulder of John J.  Seldom do I shoot photos into the sun.  But I did use fill-flash to counteract shadows.  Then, upon review yesterday noticed the green mirroring off the laser glow backside lure tape.
               It never ceases to amaze me on what cameras capture that might go unnoticed without thorough evaluation. Click for this interesting green reflection

2/22/13  Next week the daytime highs are at, or above the freezing mark for Manistee, MI.  It's been a long time since we've seen consecutive days this warm.
              Flint Steelheaders Boat and Fishing Show in Birch Run, MI will begin a week from today on Mar. 1, 2013.  All proceeds from this show are donated back to Michigan fishing.  This is made possible by all volunteer help.  Show starts on 3/1/13 and runs thru 3/3/13 at the Birch Run Expo Center. Click for detailed show info

2/21/13  2 topics on the front burner today.  First off, it's exciting to deal with USA industry when bringing new tackle online.  But it's a hurry-up and wait deal too.  Wait is for tooling design.  Then, accepting the new parts in-hand before full production runs.
               New items will directly enhance your fishing experience with increased fish output & solve problems overall.  My job to innovate what other manufacturers do not!
               Second, this winter has been a sneaky rascal that lulls you to sleep only to get pounded by 10-12 inches of snow the next day.  Mother Nature's winter storms cause shipping delays and there's no way to guarantee she'll play nice all the time.

2/20/13  Heard the one about, "the mail must always go thru?"  That doesn't apply to where I live in Manistee, MI.  No mailman for us yesterday.  That means I have all the orders from the weekend and yesterday are still waiting go into the US Mail system.  As a matter of pride I dislike any delays.  Even the ones I have no control of.
               Shipping update: our USPS driver made a special package pickup this morning at 10am.  Yesterday's heavy snowfall, 10-12 inches had everything all goofed up.  Main road where I live is covered with a good 1", or 2" ice today.  So, if driving on the main roads is that bad? ....the secondary roads will be far worse.  Too cold for salt to work.
     My Manistee, MI snowometer now stands at 80 inches for the 2012-2013 season.

2/19/13  Glad another Monday bit the dirt.  Mondays are always the most hectic workday of the week for any small business.  I go out of my way to tie up any loose ends on Fridays previous to the weekend, but the dam always seem to burst on Mondays.
               In production on a brand new secret weapon that was thoroughly tested in 2012.  This hush-hush item should be ready in about 2 to 3 weeks. Interested in upping your fish production 10-20% per season? ...then, stand by for reel-amazing more info.

2/18/13  Today is Washington's birthday i.e. Presidents Day.  A federal holiday for the US Post Office.  That means no orders will be shipped until tomorrow.
               Predicted high temp for Manistee, MI today is in the low 40s.  Then back to cold until the weekend.  Long term forecast says temperatures at, or above freezing for next week.  We're looking at only 4 weeks until the official start of spring 2013.
               New page named Clearance Corner is where reel bargains are.  Like up to 33% off to move overstocked and discontinued flashers in both 10" and 12" sizes.  Moving these flashers is necessary, because we need the room for the new 2013 tackle.  Want to see all the price reduced flashers before they're gone? Click Clearance Corner

2/17/13  Happy Sunday!  Daylight comes now a little after 7am.  About an hour earlier then last month.  Keep looking for moderating weather, but there's no sign of improving temps in the immediate future. Batteries will be going in my boat in about 2 weeks.
       My Manistee, MI snowometer stands at 65 inches for the 2012-2013 season.

2/16/13  About half of Lk. MI's watershed is listed as long term abnormally dry to moderate drought.  This is part of reason for the falling water levels.  Manistee, MI has had more snow/moisture this winter compared to the last 2. Click drought monitor
              Prices listed now do not reflect the passed down increases from 2012 & 2013 we pay for parts and pieces to manufacture at: www.michiganangler.com
              Prices will be raised on some of the tackle we make after our early preseason hyper holo promo 10% off sale is over.  Here's 2 examples: rubber bands went up 20% and shipping has gone up around 10% for incoming and outgoing.

2/15/13  Tackle store is back up and accepting orders again.  All sold-out tackle has been restocked.  Want 10% off, free shipping, and a bonus free flasher? 
               Buy over 125 in tackle and enter hyper holo in the promotional code box on the secure server checkout page.  Click checkout page with promo code
               Bonus flasher is the 2013 test version RF 12" Green Mamba.  These are not for sale.  Will this new Green Mamba be the hottest thing since sliced bread?  Don't know, because this mamba pattern hasn't even got wet yet.  Click for tackle store
                This is a limited time preseason 10% off promotional code.

2/14/13  Valentine's Day alert to do something special for your mate.  In my case, wonder if she'll accept a new rod, reel, or sonar as a romantic gift?
              Major progress has been made restocking my tackle store.  All sold out tackle is back in stock.  The will be a special sales promotion.  Just don't know what it is yet.
              We would have never caught up without shutting down for the best part of 2 weeks.  We pride ourselves on fast service with no delayed backordered excuses.

2/13/13  From experience I know when video cameras come out, conversation wanes.  Camera shyness will be overcome onboard my boat, because of the cams will always be live and soon ignored by the crew.  Did a good 10 regular TV shows in the 1980s and 1990s when I was in the charter business as promotional events.  So, I have a firm idea of what goes into a pro video shoot and have plans to raise the bar even higher,
              News from Manistee, MI: the channel to Lk. MI is open at the US 31 drawbridge.  Ice on the N end of Manistee Lk. looks unsafe.  It's entirely possible in 4 weeks to hit the pond for some shoreline action.  I will be ready when weather breaks.

2/12/13  Yesterday's tease photo of my "dream bags" is camera/video gear for 2013.  In those 2 bags are 3 mini cams and a quality prosumer shoulder mount HD camcorder.
               2013 will be my effort to unlock the underwater realm to provide better understanding of down below with rigger camcorders. Click my "dream bags"
                Early season will be to tweak for the best places for camera mounts that will record all fishing action on my boat (dock to dock).  Been over potential scenes countless times as I dream about capturing the fine tuned reality reel-footage.
                As a rule, ...typical Great Lakes fishing videos are not all that interesting.  Usual fare is a grinning fisherman turning the crank on a reel.  Stuff like this glosses over the process of what went into actually getting a fish to bite in the first place.
                Rechecked the hardtop cam placement in my boat.  The short aft deck is perfect to capture every rod onboard.  My ultimate goal in 2013 is to shoot reel-video with all the unexpected raw fire drill moments that are usually edited out.
                Even the computer I recently built was dedicated towards video production.  Not to use the machine I built, but in gaining knowledge to build a high end almost super computer.  One that will handle HD editing issues with ease! Click hardtop cam

2/11/13  Today's feature photo is the new hyper-holo effects tape vs. the older purple tape.  While the old stuff is good, good is not good enough when there's better.
               One glance into this picture and the razzle-dazzle sparkling effects of the 3D Kevorkian tape is obvious.  The idea behind decorating tackle to use the best and newest technology there is.  Our world exclusive 2013 series of Kevorkian Glo flashers and meat rigs fit that bill precisely! Click Kevorkian vs. older purple tape pic

2/10/13  Restocked with Cortland's Spectron Super Braid line last Friday.  The 6 larger 1200 yard spools you see? ...those were all I could get when I ordered last Monday.
              We are semi caught up replenishing our meat rig supply that was gobbled up during the hyper holo sale.  Set a self imposed deadline to reopen the webstore on 2/15, only 5 days from now.  Hope we can meet this deadline. Click spools of Spectron

2/9/13  Recent snowstorm for Manistee, MI was no big deal.  Over a couple of days we got about a foot of new white stuff.  Good news about this is it added a good inch of precipitation, or water for the Great Lakes watershed.
            Ended this week on an up note for sure!  Lot's a stuff accomplished, but still lot's to do to reopen the webstore.  Restocking all tackle?  It is proceeding, but not near as fast as needed.  Might have pushback the date of reopening on the tackle store more towards the end of this month instead of the 15th as planned.

2/8/13  Today it's about the proposed changes to the cost of fishing licenses by MI Gov. Snyder.  His proposed 2013-2014 budget is to jack up prices on one day licenses from 7 to 15 bucks and double the cost of nonresident license fees.
             Dumb ideas like this will cost our state more in the long run by lost revenue from tourism.  Communities in my area depend on fishermen's dollars. Turning off potential charter customers & out of state fishermen with high license fees to fish is wrong!
  Today's chat is via my 1st computer build completed yesterday! Click inside view

2/7/13  Made major progress on 2 new projects for 2013 yesterday.  Both have been thoroughly tested and should have instant market acceptance.
             Can't teach a old dog new tricks?  That's BS, because I built my first computer from a pile of pieces and parts.  Much to my surprise, it booted up & worked?  I had already prepared myself for the worst ...in case it didn't!
              Building my own computers is prompted by major HD video editing as this season gains steam.  Besides, I have old computers going back to 2001 & 2005.  These boxes didn't have power necessary to make movies.  Click puter parts & pieces

2/6/13  Yesterday was very productive.  Finally had time to order the tackle we were lacking.  Plus, turned in a large order for meat heads.  We were almost out of X-Glow heads and that's just one of several reasons for shutting down the webstore.
             Thanks to all that have recently contacted me by phone, or email.  I appreciate the time you spend in doing so.  It's my job to offer tackle support and help with general fishing questions that might be beneficial to your circumstances.
             Besides, fish talk is a great way to ward off winter cabin fever.  Right about now, Mr. Winter starts getting a bit long in the tooth for everyone!

2/5/13  Today is going to be about decompressing after a good 10 days of hectic double shifts that pushed our production capacity well beyond it's limit. 
            Then, procurement issues will be handled to make sure we have all items restocked when we reopen the tackle store later this month.  2013 Super Silver Bullets are a missing part of this picture.  These flasher blanks have to be sent to a plating company that's usually about a 1 week turnaround.  Started on replenishing Obama Mambas last night to complete this weekend.  All recent orders are in the mail today.
            On a much ighter note, the 2013 season is less 6 weeks away if conditions allow fishing Lk. MI in mid-March like last year.  This year's colder winter should help Manistee, MI's early shoreline Brown Trout fishery that was sorely lacking in 2012.

2/4/13  My most sincere thanks to all that purchased tackle during my 2013 hyper holo promo event.  Due to tremendous demand we're out of Obama Mambas, XG White Mambas, Super Silver Bullets, Redtail SUVs, Kevorkians, Spectron, Twili Tips, etc. 
             I've closed the tackle store while we restock.  Closure is from refusing to sit on a huge backlog of orders that means playing catch-up.  Besides, all fishermen deserve a full selection with zero "out of stock issues."  Plan is to reopen by the middle of this month if possible.  Hope to have all existing orders cleared up by tomorrow!

2/3/13  Procrastinators take heed, my 2013 promo sales event ends at midnight.  See 1/31/13 update for details on 13% discount, value added bonus flasher, & free shipping.

2/2/13  Ground Hog Day folk lore says if this animal does not see it's shadow, spring will come early. If it's sunny and Mr. G. Hog sees it's shadow he'll retreat into his burrow to await 6 more weeks of hard winter.  Supposed to be cloudy at my place today.
             Problem with this folk-ism? ...I have never seen a whistle pig in Manistee County until we get a few warm days in March.  So, this could be a bunch of hogwash!
          My Manistee snowometer is at 50 total inches for the 2012-2013 season.

2/1/13  We've closed the book on the longest and darkest month of the winter, January 2013.  Spring 2013 officially opens on 3/20/13.  Only 40 some days from now! 
            January was a yoyo weather-wise.  Manistee, MI saw temps at, or in the 50 degree range twice.  Recent rain & snow melt has led to some rivers flooding.  This is terrible news for those being flooded out, but good news for Lk. MI water levels.

1/31/13  Need to explain a few things about the promo code: hyper holo
1. your purchase needs to be over 125 for the code to work.
2. it must be entered exactly, all small letters with a space between words.
3. after entering hyper holo click the apply button
4. came up with the 13% off idea from our new season 2013.
5. this discount code will expire at midnight on February 3, 2013.
6. purchases over 125 receive free shipping.
7. purchases over 150 get a bonus number 1 selling 12" RF SUV flasher.
                   Click image of checkout page with promo code
Thanks to all for their overwhelming response to the reopening of the tackle store.  Acceptance of the new 2013 tackle has been beyond my expectations.  We are busy and orders are running a day, or two behind our normal same day shipping policy.

1/30/13  Had a wonderful day yesterday spending a few hours on the phone providing tackle support.  Talking to other fishermen is a joy. Click shop work 1/29/13
              Good news on another front with high water warnings S of Manistee, MI.  Recent snow melt & rain has to be helping Lk. MI recover water lost last season.
              Use promo code: hyper holo for a 13% discount on orders over 125.  This promotional event will expire this Sunday. Click 2013 tackle store

1/29/12  Webstore is now open for the 2013 season.  Use promo code: hyper holo
on the checkout page for a 13% discount that is good thru this coming weekend.  Free shipping on all orders above 125.  Orders above 150 receive a bonus 12" RF SUV flasher.
This was my number one seller in 2012. Click tackle store grand opening
              Once again, the promo code is: hyper holo for the 13% off discount.  Final order total must be over 125 (tax not included) after the discount is deducted for free shipping.  This deal will never be offered again.  Making my 2013 offer a reel-bargain!

1/28/12  Michigan's DNR is changing some of the weights necessary to qualify fish for their Master Angler program.  Salmon and Trout species requirement have remained virtually unchanged over the past 20-30 years.   Every year is different when it comes to fish size.  Example? ...what was an average King in 2011 (16 to 20 lbs) was a whopper in 2012 when size was down by pounds on adult Kings.  What will 2013 bring us as far as size goes?  Don't know, but it will be ....big fun finding out!

1/27/13  Clearance Corner is my new page at the webstore.  This page to clearance out odds and ends of flashers in small amounts just taking up space.
              I need to make everyone aware the fancy painted models like the Monkey Puke, Blue Green Dolphins, Lemon Limes, etc are being discontinued.  To see these more listed on my Clearance Corner at a 33% off discount click here
              Webstore opens this coming Wednesday.  I will be offering special promos!

1/26/13  I was in the right church, but the wrong pew when speaking about Triple Fish line on 1/24/13.  So, I stand gratefully corrected by Jeff from Fort Myers, FL:

"Hi Capt. John, I've been a close follower of your website since 1999? when I lived in Grand Rapids and fished for salmon.  I now live on the Gulf Coast in Ft. Myers.  The fish you reference in Florida is a "Tripletail" (pic attached) not a Triple Fish. Not a big deal, but thought you'd like to know.  By the way I use Trik Fish fluorocarbon leader exclusively.  It is great line.  Tight Lines"  Click Jeff's Tripletail fish

       My Manistee, MI snowometer is now at 40" for the 2012-2013 season.

1/25/13  T.G.I.F. in it's full meaning.  Widescreen redo of www.michiganangler.com
is finally within reach of being done.  May I suggest, you review the new 2013 version of my webstore? ...all pages are in working order except for part where you order.  This coming Wednesday is when the store reopens and we'll be accepting orders.
           My Manistee snowometer is now at 32 inches for the 2012-2013 season.

1/24/13  Posted a photo of our newly restocked supply of line for 2013.  Triple Fish has changed their name to Trik Fish.  Which I view as a smart move. 
               In the ocean and gulf off Florida there is highly prized fish that goes by the name, "triple fish," but this name has no meaning here.  Click new line for 2013
               This company is best known for being able to handle the rigors of salt water.  Trik Fish owns a large market share of the Florida fishing line business for this reason.
               This is the same line we use for leader material in our meat rigs, flies, or squids.  Trik Fish is the same line I used on my boat since 2007 with zero line failure.

1/23/13  Nome, Alaska had better weather yesterday then Manistee, MI.  Nome's high was in the 20s with a low in in the teens.  My place in Manistee, MI? ...how about -1 for the low 7-6 degrees for the high.  Click Manistee's major January burrrrr!
               This is the coldest weather we've seen in about 2 years.  Low for 2012 at my place was 6 degrees.  Hopefully, this cold spell will help the early shoreline Brown fishery.
               New shipment of mono line has arrived and will be available when the webstore opens 7 days from now.  Restocked 1 pound spools in 20, 25, & 30 pound test in clear mono.  Have a few 1 pound spools of 15# test. 

1/22/13  8 days and counting to the 2013 relaunch of my tackle store.  New Mambaville page features 15 unique Mamba selections.  Nobody even comes close due to the reel-fact Mambas are labor intensive to produce.  Click 2013 XG White Mamba
                Today is the debut of the X-Glow White Mamba.  Was going to call this one the Mitt Mamba, but Romney lost the election.  The Mitt Mamba just doesn't have the same ring, ...as the Obama Mamba.  Hence the name, the X-Glow White Mamba.
                You can see the work we put into our flashers with contrasting fully finished backside lure tape.  This new X-Glow tape is off the scale in long duration glow.

1/21/13  Spent the majority of the weekend preparing the Combo Deal page for the 1/30/13 relaunch of my internet based tackle store. 
               Expanded the Combo Page to 32 selections from 20.  Included all the new tackle where you can catch a price break by purchasing 12" RFs & matched up 3 Fly Meat Rigs.  New combo page is in working order.  You can to preview the combos for 2013 thru the thumbnail images.  I have disabled the part where you can actually order to bring this to you early! Click sneak peak 2013 Combo Deals
              Tasks like this eat up a bunch of time.  Conservative estimate? ...to do each photo is 10-15 minutes.  32 photos is a good 5 hours of web work for me.  Not to mention the time spent formatting and installing shopping cart technology.

1/20/13  It's wise move to charge your boat batteries during winter layup.  Keeping the batteries charged and filled will save money over the long haul.
              It's a sick feeling to not to have the motor turn over on the first trip of the big lake season.  I always pull my boat batteries to keep the power vampires like the clock in the radio from sucking juice.  Click 1/19/13 battery maintenance

1/19/13  Rolling out the brand new 2013 Obama Mamba Combo.  If there was ever a perfect fit between rhyming words? ...this is it!  After my late season underwater video shoot, black stood out best at 80' down.  80' is where the camera lost light film. 
              Matching meat rig features our in-house, world exclusive 3D hyper holo tape.
Please note the sparkling different colored reflections in the meat head.  To better display this active effect is going to require a video intro soon. Click Obama Mamba

1/18/13  Generally, we see a lot of the deep red Cardinals when spring breaks in Manistee, MI.  Cardinals in the winter around my place are unusual.  This winter we've had a Cardinals visiting the bird feeder since last spring.  Click 1/17/13 Cardinal
              Ground Hog Day is 2 weeks from tomorrow as winter keeps moving along.  This winter is like the last 2, or 3.  Not much snow and warmer then normal. High temp for Manistee County, MI at my place in 2012 was 101 and the low was 6 degrees.
              Plans are coming together for the webstore reopening.  Will be restocked on all items, including fishing line. Stealth Rigger Cable will be restocked by March.
    My Manistee snowometer is now at skimpy 22 inches for the 2012-2013 season.

1/17/13   Exposing a big rip-off today.  My GoPro action cam needed a remote mic to  capture audio for the upcoming 2013 season.  Bought a Sony ECM-DS70P on eBay for 3.89 plus 2.99 for shipping from Beijing, China.  Same mic on Amazon was 54.30.
                    Click Beijing, China price: 3.89      Click Amazon price 54.30
               That's a huge disparity and shows how the America consumer is getting ripped off.  Probably some of you might think the China mic was a knockoff.  I opened the packaging and it was from Sony, not wrapped up in a napkin ...'nough said!
                Ironic thing about this mic it was made in Japan, not China.  Looks like Sony sells dirtball cheap in China.  Then, sticks it to us in the USA!!

1/16/13  To understand today's update about dredging you'll need to click and review these links: Click dredging update  Click MDNR & MSWC info
               Long term funding deficit is the most alarming.  You'll see every port is in need of some degree of dredging.  Next question is can dredging companies handle this demand.  There are not a lot of operations in the Great Lakes that do dredge.
               Projection is for more low water in the future.  Remember, that's just a projection i.e. opinion ...yet to be proven.  We could have a record wet spring that raises the water levels before this is all said and done.

1/15/13  Original pan for today's chat has been put on hold.  Genius moment, or lack thereof is the reason.  Woke up yesterday morning and waited for a rare genius moment to occur.  Next thing I knew it was bedtime and my first genius moment must have been put on hold like this website, ...cuz it didn't happen!
              Have a couple of links in a PDF format about the low water situations from the MI State Waterways Commission. Click dredging update  Click MDNR & MSWC info
These will be discussed in great detail tomorrow about where and funding issues.

1/14/13  Most of the time, the month of January is a long drawn out span of winter days.  Not so this year.  Reformatting the mich-angler website and building inventory for 2013 has my days just flying by at warp speed as we approach mid-month.
              I see why brick and mortar tackle stores do not move more towards web sales.  Building shopping cart websites requires an immense amount of time.  Paying for a skilled webmaster to do this task can reach in the 1000s of dollars. 
              I work do my own websites and know how to get by installing shopping cart technology to display tackle with symmetry.  Point I'm trying to make?  I've got over 80 hours into condensing my webstore to a wide screen format and it still ain't done!
    Tomorrow why your computer's spinning disk hard drives are on the way out!

1/13/13  January thaw has came and gone.  Good day to take off and rest up for the coming week of reformatting the webstore that's opening in about 2 weeks.

1/12/13  Preseason prep is my story for today.  Demand at the end of last season wiped out most of our meat rigs.  We store the strings with the flies on, then adjust the order to customer preference to either Magnum, or Super Mag meat heads.
              Today's highlight pic of meat rig strings has a new model yet to be seen by the public.  I'll let you figure out which one it is!  Click new 2013 meat rig stock
              Making meat rigs is incredibly labor intensive and time consuming!  One person can only make around 8 rigs a hour from scratch counting the hook setups.
              New for 2013 there will a webstore  option for a single treble, or our tandem double snelled hooks.  We're done selling our exclusive tandem hook versions to tackle outlets.  Double snelled signature tandem hooks will be available only at my webstore.
              Going to a single treble for retail tackle stores will allow us to drop the price and be much more competitive in over the counter sales.

1/11/13  Thanks for hanging around this week to see my old fishing pictures.  45 years and counting fishing the Great Lakes is my reel-story.
               Ready to move towards the future and see 2013 get underway.  My many years have taught me expect the unexpected, cuz nothing stays the same.
               Been burning the midnight oil condensing my tackle webstore that will reopen in a little over 2 weeks new a wide screen format.  2013 3D tackle is on the way, cuz the best has not been built yet.  Constant upgrades and new concepts r us!  

1/10/13  The reel-story on today's 45 year old tattered dog-eared pic?  Toughie to answer, because it sent me on a lifelong journey.  Guess it's not so much about the fishing, or the catching.  But the place where it takes you.  For me it's an escape to a higher form of being where the everyday treadmill of life melts away!
                The scoop on the 1968 "too many" to count Salmon photo was taken in late October when Salmon fishing was still in it's infancy.  Hard to explain, but these fish where national headline news.  The State of MI planted silver bonanza that turned into a pot of gold for Great Lakes communities.   People from all over came to catch Salmon in the Midwest instead of traveling to the west coast.  Best part? ...these truly amazing sport fish were on our doorstep then and are to this very day!  Click 1968 pic
                As you can see, I've spent my life preparing for the job I have now.  

1/9/13  1. Ford had their Edsel & Chevy had their Vega.  Traverse City, MI downrigger company, Big Jon Inc. had a spring loaded rod holder that would smack you right in the middle of your noodle ...if you weren't careful.  Idea behind the double spring holder was to help hook the fish, as the rod holder sprang upwards.  Instead, the movement only help bind the rod in the holder.  Needless to say, after a few of seasons Big Jon's ill conceived goofy Tight Line Rod Holder went the way of the dodo bird.
            2. In today's featured photo you'll see a monel wire rod in the lower right-hand corner of the picture.  Monel was a deadly tool rigged with a 1 lb. lead ball to pick Lakers off the bottom when all else failed.  Click for this oldie 1985 photo.
            3. The Master Angler 29 lb. King in the pic I'll never forget.  This jumbo hit a Manistee Wobbler Firedot spoon about a 100' down.  Problem was the hook stuck the fish on top of it's head.  Rendering no steerage to land this critter.  After a good 45 minute tug of war ...I slid the net underneath the fish for a very worn-out charter customer.

1/8/12  I'll have a new mid 1980s fishing photo tomorrow, but need to explain the 1970s fishing style photo with more detailed information.  Click oldie pic from the 1970s
             1. Riggers on the bottom picture are store bought Mac Jac washing machine vee-belt pulleys with short fiberglass boom.  2' per turn was your mental line counter.
             2.  In the mid 1970s Lake Trout were the bread and butter fish for Lk. Michigan anglers.  Laker size was good, 10 to 15 pounders were commonplace. 
             3. Switch to Salmon fishing didn't happen until August.  Later 1970s the fleet was beginning to target Salmon more throughout the summer from July on.  But we were still learning.  I often like to think about the damage 21st century big water fishermen could do with the modern tackle and electronics back then.  It would be a massacre.
             4.  Back then there were yearly size fluctuations in the 1970s on Salmon size.  Please note the sub-10 pound Coho in the top 1976 October picture.
             5.  Me holding 10 to 15 pound Lakers in the bottom pic had way too much hair.  The 1970s was the era of too much big hair.  Prefer mine a lot shorter nowadays.  

1/7/12  Today's combined 2 part photo is from the mid-1970s.  I made the boat in the photos.  My boat project began in early 1975 when I bought a 16' flimsy outer hull with no stringers, deck, gunnels, or floor for 25 bucks from a boat dealer in Pontiac, MI.
             During the mid 1970s we were just coming out of a major recession caused by the Arab Oil embargo of 1973 and times were tough.  If I wanted to go fishing it was going to be done on the cheap & this naked hull was a godsend. Click boat oldie pic
             1976 was our nation's 200th anniversary.  So, I went with a patriotic red, white and blue color scheme. The homemade red downrigger in the top photo was made from a washing machine pulley with a jam nut for a locking mechanism.  Line counter for this DIY rigger was one turn of the wheel equaled 2'.  Please note my custom 2" aluminum tubing rod holder fastened with hose clamps.  Not pretty, but it worked!
              To be continued tomorrow when the fish of that era are discussed.

1/6/12  Winter snowfall for my area and other counties in northern Michigan is about, ....or less then half of what's considered normal.  Snow has been a no-show.
            Big news is 2012 was the warmest year on record.  Traverse City, MI's daily mean temperature was 50.1 degrees.  Mean temps are averaged highs-lows for the year.
            TC's record setting 50 degree number is 4.8 degrees above the usual norm since record keeping began in the 1880s.  Warmer temps are a major factor in water evaporation.  My 11/26/12 thru 12/9/12 evaporation test proved this true.
            Point behind today's yak all points to why Lk. MI water levels are low.  While Lk. MI is about 6' lower then it's all time high in 1986, the Mississippi River is running at about 10' low.  Threatening barge traffic on our nation's main artery of waterborne traffic.

1/5/12  Finished up an exciting week in the tackle shop.  Seeing the new 2013 lineup take shape surpasses any of my previous efforts.  We are the industry leaders in meat tackle design with our exclusive red, blue, & green Super UV series.
             The debut of our new 2013 Mambaville page at webstore is going to be an event.  This page will feature 15 Mamba patterns.  4 are brand new for the new season.  Mambas are very labor intensive providing us with a niche in the tackle business.
       Lots going on with the weather & it's effects that will be discussed tomorrow.

1/4/12  The featured pic for today shows how we used to fish in the 1980s.  I'm pretty sure this photo was from 1984 and predates the 10' diver rods we rely on nowadays.  That's the reason for the outrigger in the background ...used to run Deep-6s & drop weights.  Directional Dipsy Divers were around, but not the fleet standard yet.
             A defunct product shown is Cannon's Helmsman, a remote steering device that was useless.  The part the steered the wheel reacted too slowly to help much.
             Attractors in favor back then was mostly dodgers.  Die-cut lure tape was not standard in those days.  So, we decorated our own a lot of the time. Click for 1984 pic
             This image is from a scan off a 35mm film camera taken aboard my beginner charter boat, a 22' Bayliner.  This boat did not fit the needs of a charter operation. 
  A delighted fishing lady sporting Daisy Dukes helps the quality of this pic immensely!

1/3/12  2013 marks my 30th anniversary in the fishing business.  30 years ago at this time of the year I was studying to pass the USCG exam on the way to becoming a charter skipper. Longevity has it's perks.  I've seen a lot during the past 30 years and done a lot too.  This subject will be elaborated on next week in far greater detail.
             Not many have had the chance to live out their dream and reach goals that I was not capable of imagining back in 1983.  Tune in next week for my reel-story!
             Computer Tip: if you can feel vibration when you put your hand on your desktop computer?  Then, you have a fan going bad.  In my case, the CPU fan after 1000s of hours on my 2006 machine was worn out.  There's 3 fans in most consumer computers.  One is inside your power supply, a case fan and a CPU fan.

1/2/13  On January 31st of this month my internet tackle store will be reopening for the 2013 season.  Look for new 3D tackle in a condensed ...easier to order format.
             About 10 weeks from today the batteries will be going back in my boat.  First Lk. MI trip for me in 2012 was in mid March and want to be ready.
             "Belly of the Beast" is the title of today's featured photo of my computer's CPU.  Changed the fan on this last week.  Used too much thermal compound that had to be redone.  The week between Christmas and New Years is devoted to backup, computer maintenance, defrag, full virus scans and upgrades.  Installed a USB 3.0 card in my newest machine to facilitate faster backup to a must have external hard-drive. 
              My journey into computerville is prompted by editing HD videos.  You need a high-end, extra fast, and very robust computer to do this job right.  I will be building my own to edit HD video files later this year.  Click my computer's gold CPU

1/1/13  Happy New Year!