Archived daily updates from Capt. John's Log

6/30/15  While not totally confirmed, did hear a few encouraging fishing reports from Manistee, MI.  Seems the deep water offshore fishery 12 to 15 miles W of port has been looking up.  Early risers, hitting Lk. MI at 1st light have been getting into a few Kings too.
               Another rosy spot is the limits of 3 to 6 pound Coho the southern end of Lk. MI is producing 14 to 16 miles N of Chicago.  Tom M said, "meat was working good & so is the HRP Salmon Buster spoons fished higher up in the water column." Click Tom's limit catch

6/27/15  Have a great weekend!  Mine will be great too, if I can get some water time!

6/26/15  Have to say goodbye to my UPS driver of 12 years and website member, Capn. Kirk.  He is retiring today and I will miss him for the way he did his job.  Kirk always went above and beyond when it came to delivering packages.  Often stacking them inside my shop instead of just dropping them at the door.  Kirk did his job in a semi Santa Claus way, bringing my shop needed goodies with a bright cheery smile and a wonderful attitude.
               Kirk always gives us the straight skinny on what's going on in his home port of Ludington, MI and consider him a expert when it comes to early season fishing. 
Best part? ...he shared many of his photos and info with us over the years. 
               So, goodbye my friend, Capn. Kirk and I'll see you on the water.  We will stay in-touch.  Folks like him cannot be replaced! Click for Capn. Kirk's 5/2/15 King
               Never made it out on the pond yesterday.  Got hit with a bunch of orders that are not pushed aside over personal time.  Should be caught up today and that frees up some time this weekend for fishing. 

6/25/15  This afternoon, weather permitting I will be collecting dive depth data on my cupped diver rings for Dipsys and S Divers.  Then, try to come up with an EZ formula to gauge diver depth depending the setting of the diver.
               There too many variables allowing for speed, line diameter, type of line and what the diver is towing coming up with exact numbers is not the goal, but something close enough to put you in the ballpark.  Heard Manistee, MI's inshore Kings were tough to come by and a hit-miss proposition.  Results and fishing report to be posted tomorrow.

6/24/15  Researched last weekend's Bud Pro/Am that took place in Manistee, MI.  Largest King caught was in the neighborhood of 17 lbs.  This event is one of the longest running tournaments on Lk. MI put on by the Manistee County Sport Fishing Association.
               It's interesting to see the data collected on species and catch weights of the boats in this 2 day tournament. Click here for complete event results

6/23/15  Salmon Buster spoon in the Green Sparkle UV pattern needs to go fishing off my boat and soon.  Jeremy S has been doing decent on this configuration in Lk. Ontario.
              New Facebook group made for my spoons has 67 new members in counting since the launch this past Saturday.  Click 6/20/15 Lk. Ontario Laker
              I'm offering a free spoon to all group members who post a fish pic with a Salmon Buster™ spoon stuck in the jaw of a fish.  Unrehearsed photos always look best to me.

6/22/15  New group I formed on Facebook for my spoons is showing initial success with over 50 members joining this closed/private forum over the past few days.  Posting depth, speed and color help remove the mystery of what to run.  Biggest benefit is the confidence added.  If a size-color worked once? ...it will work again!
              Last decent satellite surface temp chart showed the main body of Lk. MI still in the very low 40s.  For this late into June, temp is way-way behind the norm.
              Free Windows 10 to all, even the older XP machine are supposed to be covered if you sign up for the early release before late July.

6/21/15  Have a GREAT Fathers Day!

6/20/15  Off my Facebook page, started a new group for those who use my spoons.  Aptly named, Salmon Buster Spoons.  Until I started using it, just for fishing, reassessed the worth of Facebook.  It free use anyone can post photos (very EZ) and provides vast exposure to a wide audience.  I have full control of who can belong and that helps eliminate spammers that flame products on message boards.
              One of the ideas behind the effort and it's a good one, is to build a knowledge/data base.  Reason? ...my spoons are brand new and there's not much history on colors/speeds that's means everything when it comes to fishing spoons.
              Another reason?  I'm at a huge disadvantage when it comes to pulling spoons.  Having fish all meat for the past 10 years, my knack for spoons is in the newbie range.  I can see the colors and speeds gleaned from posts in this new forum.  Thusly, giving me a place to start in spoon color selections.  Knowledge can be gained and fast too!

6/19/15  MI's Wildlife Division of the MDNR is taking proactive steps to control CWD, or Chronic Wasting Disease since it was discovered in a free ranging deer some weeks back.  Learned that's once CWD is in the soil, there's no way to get rid of it.  CWD is a major threat to MI's heritage of deer hunting.  Click here to learn more about CWD
              Fishing off Manistee depends on if you can drive your boat over active fish.  Fished the N side Big Point Sable a couple of evenings ago & it was slow (2 hits, 1 fish).  Seen a couple of big lumps of bait in a 115' of water at the point, but no hooks (fish marks) on the sonar.  The lone small King we caught came on a Clear Blue SB 4.0 free slider.

6/18/15  Satellite internet connection was broke again last night when it was time to do this.  So, the want to proceed has left me altogether.
               Did fish on the evening of 6/17/15 that's a tale of 2 stories.  You can pick which one you like when tomorrow's Manistee's fishing report rolls around.

6/17/15  Today's featured photo is from last Saturday.  It shows a King that hit a Undertaker Salmon Buster™ spoon.  That by itself is not un usual.  What is unusual? ...the strike happened a 100'.  A depth that generally considered territory for attractor programs.
               Another interesting reel-fact, this color/pattern was named a long time ago by Steve T in a contest on our message board.  But, back then, it was for intended for flashers and meat rigs.  Click 100' down silver King on Undertaker 4.65 spoon

6/16/15  Just too busy with orders/making tackle to jot down anything close to meaningful.  Trying to free up this afternoon for another on the water test session if the wind and the seas behave themselves.

6/15/15  Nothing exciting today. Worked most of the weekend building tackle in the hopes I can get out on Lk. MI very soon. Now that I have a few spoon notes to work from gleaned from last Saturday.  Next trip we won't be going in without a clue.
              Know the inshore fishery, the top 20' is a dead zone and anything deeper than 70' did not take a hit.  Adjusting to the hints fish give is not to be overlooked.
              Have some recently updated flasher colors that need testing too.

6/14/15  Yesterday morning, it was my great pleasure to fish Lk. MI out of the Port of Manistee, MI with John J and Todd B.  We fished 2 programs. 
               First, was inshore 80' to 220' targeting Kings 30' to 70' down with meat and Salmon Buster™ spoons. Click King with a Blk Mamba SUV SB4.0 stuck in his face
              Second, was a deep water surface program (top 30') over 700' of water 13 miles due W of port.  There was a heck of a temp break, 48 degrees that transitioned towards 39 degrees in the short space of a mile around the 35.5 W line.  Unfortunately, this area we could only fool 1 Steelhead into hitting a: Click HRP Laser Glo SB 4.0
              We ended up with 3 fish.  2 Kings we caught inshore during our first hour, with lines in.  Better numbers were said to be coming 12 to 14 miles S down towards Big Point Sable from where we fished, which was pretty much straight out on the 15-16.5 N line.  
             Off Manistee, for the past 5-6 days there have been good numbers of 2 year old Kings in the 20-26" class.  This is an excellent sign, cuz these are ...our future adults!

6/13/15 Have a great weekend, going fishing.  Results, if any will be posted later.  Today's trip will be a splash and back on the trailer, if my kicker still refuses to cooperate.

6/12/15  New product debut today and it's a must have item priced to sell.  This Mini UV Black Lite is a reel-deal at 9.95 with 3 AAA alkaline long lasting batteries.  9 LEDs throw a powerful beam that can be used as a flashlight in a pinch. Click Mini UV Black Lite
              Modern LEDs are easy on batteries and can charge lures in seconds, not minutes.  If you're into glow lures during low light? Click here to purchase

6/11/15  Shipped my second order for Salmon Buster™ spoons to Capt. Chucks tackle store in Ludington, MI yesterday.  They have an excellent selections in the 4.0 and 4.65 sizes that are proven to catch.
               My kicker motor appears to be fixed and needs testing.  Primer bulb was leaking air and not holding prime.  This is a good excuse to go fishing, after being mired down learning how to format/print barcodes labels for the past 2 weeks. 
               Barcodes are very touchy and need a good thermal printer for the best labels.  Thermal printers eliminates minor smudges that can happen with laser and ink jet printers.

6/8/15  Been looking at the MDNR stocking numbers.  Crystal Lake in Benzie County, MI has been heavily planted with Eagle Lake strain rainbows.  With numbers approaching 200k in the past few years, this is a lake that holds possibilities.  Not to mention the Lk. Superior strain of Lake Trout that are stocked there too.  Click MDNR statewide fish plants
            This could work out, seeing that fishing Lk. MI always depends on weather.
Then, how busy we are with orders.  So, all the stars have to line up for me to wet a line.  Inland lakes like Crystal might provide a welcomed alternative.

6/7/15  Today's photo is Kings that are stocked, or planted fish.  Heard about this from Ludington, MI with mostly fin clipped Kings showing up vs. not many naturally reproduced Kings (that would have their adipose fin intact).  The adipose fin is the tiny fleshy fin on the fish's back, just before the tail fin.  As you can see, the fish in today's pic are filled out with a rounded girth that look healthy!  Click 6/4/15 Kings missing adipose fins

6/6/15  Great news to see the bait returning in Manistee MI's harbor.  I was out the same evening yesterday's feature photo was snapped.  Issues with my kicker sent us home early.  Preferring not to troll with the main engine, did see the gulls perched on the breakwalls.
            Today is another milestone in the Salmon Buster™ story.  My first load for retail sales hit the shelves at Tangled Tackle Store, here in Manistee.  Bud (the owner) has more than 10 of my best, most popular colors to date ...in both the 4.0 and 4.65 sizes.
            Len K reported earlier this week, 5 of his 6 fish came on Salmon Busters™.  A big thank you goes to Kim A for sending in "the bait in the harbor photo."  Kim added, 2 of his 3 Kings came on the 4.0 wild canary, as he fished it against some of his metal spoon favorites.

6/5/15  Today's featured pic focuses on a topic highly relevant to all of us, baitfish.  On the evening of 6/4/15 when this photo was taken at the mouth of Manistee, MI's harbor entrance there was plenty of baitfish marked.  Some Kings were caught in this same area too.  2015 Lk. MI Kings look well fed and are not skinny critters with long slender bodies and big heads like when Lk. Huron's baitfish crashed in the early 2000s.
             I know there's been a lot of talk devoted MI King Salmon's natural reproduction. That's all well, fine, and good. Click 6/4/15 Manistee's harbor loaded with bait.
             The alarming thing? ...is less planted fish, skew the numbers!  Main issue is MDNR planted Kings having a poor survival rate.  Almost a bad, as in the Bacterial Kidney Disease era that decimated the Lk. MI King Fishery in the late 1980s & early 1990s. 

6/4/15  Finished barcodes for my new 2014 Salmon Buster™ late last night,  Barcodes makes it easier for tackle stores to sell my product.  This was a good 25 hour intense  job for 140 barcodes which involves 4 programs.  Being a newbie to codes, there has to be a better way.  But I used what I had, with no special dedicated costly barcode software.
            Only good thing I have to say about this mind stressing task, is once it's done, it's done forever. 1st load of my spoons goes to Tackled Tackle soon, then next week to Capt. Chucks in Ludington, MI.

6/3/15  Fished Lk. MI yesterday evening (5-8pm) and didn't see much under my boat.  Area fished was S looking for the net that was supposed to be in the 12.9-13 numbers out to 180'.  I didn't see this net, but that doesn't mean it's not there, or was there.
             Been working on installing bar codes for my new Salmon Buster™ spoons.  UPC codes are not big deal, configuring printers has been the main issue.  Excel spreadsheet stuff is always a chore, with dry data, that's about as exciting as watching frig defrost.
             Hope to have good selection my spoons at the Tangled Tackle store, here in Manistee, MI by the end of this week, or the first part of next week.

6/2/15  June is a slow month in the tackle business.  To promote sales I'm offering the best bonus in the history of my websites.  See above for what's included.
             There are rumors of a net in the 13s (2 miles S of the harbor) out to 160' of water off the Port of Manistee, MI.  Will confirm, or dispel this info soon.

6/1/15  Lk. MI King Salmon fishing is what's the early part of the season is about.  Kings I've seen (in pictures) all look filled out and decent sized considering the cooler than normal water temps for the last 2 years.  Water temp has a lot to do with growth rates.
             Kinda disgusted with myself for not making more personal time.  Work has it's limits and about reached mine.  There's been zero time to get rolling on Projects 2016.
             Getting personal time for relaxation is absolutely necessary to keep your head screwed on right.  Will make a it point this week for time on the water, which has been sorely lacking.  It's my own fault for not fishing Lk. MI in May 2015!

5/30/15  Have a great weekend!

5/29/15  Wind gods were not on my side yesterday afternoon.  Winds from the S gusting to almost 20 knots changed my mind about fishing Lk. MI out of the Port of Manistee, MI.  This could be the first May I have not fished Lk. MI since 1992.
               Making tackle to fill orders sure beats the alternative of no business, even if it keeps me onshore more that I want.  Did manage 3 day 900 mile round trip to NY this May to fish Lk. Ontario that took a lot of preparation.   Good news is, this trip was uneventful that came off without hitch, meaning no breakdowns, or delays from lack of maintenance.

5/28/15  Knew when I embarked on the highway to design my new Salmon Buster™ spoons last year, how beneficial it was to have perfectly matching tackle.  This removes to eternal quandary of the multitudes in color schemes.  If it works in a flasher/meat rig™? ...it will do the same in spoons. Click 5/26/15 Smurf flasher & spoon catching Kings!
              Now, it's one thing to say this, it's a horse of a different color when you prove it in photos like I always do. Talk is cheap, verification adds credence.
             Word on Manistee, MI's fishing from Bud, owner of the Tangled Tackle store:
"hit and miss," was his exact words.  To sum up my conversation with him, Lk. MI boats finding the bait did OK, while many struggled to locate fish.

5/27/15  Seas permitting fishing Lk. MI out of my home port of Manistee, MI is a reel possibly tomorrow.

5/26/15  Recent S winds is just what Lk. MI needs to warm up.  Ludington, MI's data buoy show 44 degrees on the surface and 43° down to 70'.  I've heard of no double digit catches yet, but occasionally hear respectable numbers from 6 to 9 fish per 1/2 day outing.
              Good news is S & SW wind is supposed to last until this Friday!
              Know what I deem important might not always be high on your list, but the reel-fact is sticky sharp hooks is the easiest way to improve your catch numbers. 
              Biggest adverting lie is hooks sharp from the package.  The way hooks are packaged dulls the points.  One good sized King can knock the point off too, after it's buried deep in it's jaw bone. Click to purchase hook files
              There's 2 articles in my Tips and Tricks section dedicated to sharp and how to sharpen hooks: Click magnified hook points and Click "Get the Point"

5/25/15  Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day 2015!

5/24/15  Sharp hooks means more fish boated fish.  That's a given.  Capitalizing on every opportunity is a must when it comes to our current nowadays Lk. MI fishery.
               I'm now offering diamond impregnated 6" hook files at my webstore with a 6 mil clear protective storage sheath equipped with a lanyard, if you chose to hang them. 
             These new files have 320 medium grit on one side & a coarser 220 grit on the other. Comes with a EZ grip rubberized-textured handle.  There's groves on both sides for ultra-sharp quick touch-ups to keep your hooks sticky sharp. Click to purchase

5/23/15  Soon I'll introduce a new product at my webstore that will mean more fish in the box for you.  This often overlooked tool pays big dividends and should always be at arms reach.  What is it?  What does it do?  How much does it cost?  How many do I need?
                         Hope to reveal this amazing item very soon!

5/22/15  Have a great, safe Memorial Day Weekend, because you desire it!
               Did a cost rundown on my recent trip to Wilson, NY for fish Lk. Ontario. 
               With gas being under 3 bucks a gallon, it was now, or never.

Cost for gas to and from Manistee, a 900 mile round trip was $270.
(Ford F250 4wd towing 7000 pounds (boat with trailer combined).
NY fishing licenses for 2 for 7 days was 28 + 28 was 56 bucks.
Upgraded MI drivers license ID to drive thru Canada for 2 was a 100 bucks.
2 nights dockage, 66 dollars.
Boat gas used was under $40.
All figured in, this 3 day, 2 night event was 532.00.
With food thrown in, let's round it out to 600.00. Cost of knowledge gained ....Priceless!

5/21/15  Manistee, MI's spring fishery for Kings is starting to happen.  Last weekend's "Tight Lines for Troops" event is to show gratitude to our service men and women.  The largest King caught in this do was around 17 pounds.  The reel-story is the amount of juvenile King Salmon in the sub 12 pound bracket.  Considering Lk. MI's mainbody water temp is still in the mid to high 30° range? ...this is good sign!
               Don't come to the conclusion Kings are jumping in the boat at Manistee ...yet!  Heard 3 to 6 fish per boat last weekend, and some pulling skunks.  Everything right now in my home port depends on getting Lk. MI to warm up.  But, for as cold, as the water was last weekend, even low numbers are encouraging.
               What I found extra challenging on my recent trip to Lk. Ontario? ...was their enormous population of bait fish.  This meant neutral to negative Salmon with stuffed gullets after the morning low light flurry was done. Click NY King stomach autopsy
               Common sense says, it's a large harder to coax a bite from a fish that has fed to the point, where it's belly is jam packed full of alewives!

5/20/15  Today's featured pic is Kings caught out off Wilson, NY on Lk. Ontario & the lures used.  Most difficult thing for me to adjust? ...was N orientation.  Lake Huron and Lk. MI, N is pretty easy to figure out your troll direction against the shoreline that runs N to S.  This area's shoreline view reminded me a lot of Lk. Huron from Grindstone City to Lexington, MI.
               Todd B and I averaged about a fish an hour per 6 lines in the water.  Some boats caught more & some boats caught less.  Know for a reel-fact, my fishing strength is meat, & in hindsight that's always 20/20, we should have ran more meat than we did.  Especially, after the early spoon bite died and withered on the vine. Click lures we used on Lk. O
                I will prove you tomorrow what makes Lk. Ontario a challenging fishery.  Wilson, NY is 448 miles away from my home port of Manistee, MI.  I'd rate my NY trip as a 8.5, plus with the knowledge of this fishery gained ...a rock solid 10!
                Last weekend out of Manistee, Kings began showing up.  There were lumps of bait in 30' to 40' of water not too far from the harbor.

5/23/15  Soon I'll introduce a new product at my webstore that will mean more fish in the box for you.  This often overlooked tool pays big dividends and should always be at arms reach.  What is it?  What does it do?  How much does it cost?  How many do I need?
                         Hope to reveal this amazing item very soon!

5/22/15  Have a great, safe Memorial Day Weekend, because you desire it!
               Did a cost rundown on my recent trip to Wilson, NY for fish Lk. Ontario. 
               With gas being under 3 bucks a gallon, it was now, or never.

Cost for gas to and from Manistee, a 900 mile round trip was $270.
(Ford F250 4wd towing 7000 pounds (boat with trailer combined).
NY fishing licenses for 2 for 7 days was 28 + 28 was 56 bucks.
Upgraded MI drivers license ID to drive thru Canada for 2 was a 100 bucks.
2 nights dockage, 66 dollars.
Boat gas used was under $40.
All figured in, this 3 day, 2 night event was 532.00.
With food thrown in, let's round it out to 600.00. Cost of knowledge gained ....Priceless!

5/21/15  Manistee, MI's spring fishery for Kings is starting to happen.  Last weekend's "Tight Lines for Troops" event is to show gratitude to our service men and women.  The largest King caught in this do was around 17 pounds.  The reel-story is the amount of juvenile King Salmon in the sub 12 pound bracket.  Considering Lk. MI's mainbody water temp is still in the mid to high 30° range? ...this is good sign!
               Don't come to the conclusion Kings are jumping in the boat at Manistee ...yet!  Heard 3 to 6 fish per boat last weekend, and some pulling skunks.  Everything right now in my home port depends on getting Lk. MI to warm up.  But, for as cold, as the water was last weekend, even low numbers are encouraging.
               What I found extra challenging on my recent trip to Lk. Ontario? ...was their enormous population of bait fish.  This meant neutral to negative Salmon with stuffed gullets after the morning low light flurry was done. Click NY King stomach autopsy
               Common sense says, it's a large harder to coax a bite from a fish that has fed to the point, where it's belly is jam packed full of alewives!

5/20/15  Today's featured pic is Kings caught out off Wilson, NY on Lk. Ontario & the lures used.  Most difficult thing for me to adjust? ...was N orientation.  Lake Huron and Lk. MI, N is pretty easy to figure out your troll direction against the shoreline that runs N to S.  This area's shoreline view reminded me a lot of Lk. Huron from Grindstone City to Lexington, MI.
               Todd B and I averaged about a fish an hour per 6 lines in the water.  Some boats caught more & some boats caught less.  Know for a reel-fact, my fishing strength is meat, & in hindsight that's always 20/20, we should have ran more meat than we did.  Especially, after the early spoon bite died and withered on the vine. Click lures we used on Lk. O
                I will prove you tomorrow what makes Lk. Ontario a challenging fishery.  Wilson, NY is 448 miles away from my home port of Manistee, MI.  I'd rate my NY trip as a 8.5, plus with the knowledge of this fishery gained ...a rock solid 10!
                Last weekend out of Manistee, Kings began showing up.  There were lumps of bait in 30' to 40' of water not too far from the harbor.

5/19/15  Today I returned to my place in Manistee, MI from Wilson, NY that's a 448 trip. Today's featured pic is golden bronze sunrise on Lk. Ontario.  We fished Lk. O this morning, averaging about a fish an hour.  Cleared Wilson at noon, arrived home at 7:45pm. Click Lk. O sunrise

5/18/15  Fishing slowed for the Wilson, NY Salmon fleet.  Sport fishing boats caught 2 to 5 fish, mostly during the early bite.  So, this part of Lk. Ontario is not the nirvana I hoped for.
               Thunder storms are predicted this morning and I'll probably head back home to Manistee, MI this afternoon.  I consider this trip a  huge success, because I fulfilled one of my life long ambitions to fish Lk. O.

5/17/15  Made it to Wilson, NY OK.  We are catching fish and getting dialed it.  My internet connection is iffy, so stand by for more info.  Salmon Buster 4.0 has taken our largest King thus far.  Click Lk. O King

5/16/15  Test publish today from my laptop.  This is according to plan so updates can be done everyday while I'm in Wilson, NY ...fishing Lk. Ontario.  Plan is to leave this morning if the long range wind and sea forecast remains favorable.
               My trip depends on fairly calm seas.  This coming Tuesday, the wind is on the build for this part of Lk. Ontario.  So, I moved up departure to today.  NY marina has wi fi, stay tuned for more info! 

5/15/15  Happy Friday!! Weather is looking reel-good next week for my planned trip to Wilson, NY for fish Lk. Ontario.  Tentative is to leave Manistee, MI early this coming Sunday.  Should have word on dockage being secured sometime today.

5/14/15   Finding cost effective packing for my new Salmon Buster™ spoons to market them at tackle stores has proven difficult.  30 to 60 cents per unit is a lot for tubes, or clamshells that will be thrown away.  Printed cards with blister bubbles similar to what most spoon manufacturers is very costly too.
               My Facebook page has put me in touch with several Lk. Ontario fishermen that have been fishing the Niagara Bar to Wilson NY.  Seen some pretty impressive recent catches of May Kings that remind me of what Lk. MI put out just a few short years ago.
      Hate to say, "used to", but it's the truth with the current mindset of the MDNR!

5/13/15  Looking for the right weather window with favorable seas for my 1st ever trip to Wilson, NY to fish Lk. Ontario.  GPS says 449 miles going thru Canada from Manistee, MI.  Pulling a boat and 2 international border crossings makes this about a 8-9 hour trip.
              Final loose ends are being taken care of today.  Meaning a full arsenal of all my tackle such as flashers, meat rigs™, and Salmon Buster™ spoons. 
              NY fishing reports that I've heard makes me ...OH, SO ready for this event.  Since going into the fishing business in 1983, I've never have taken any time off during the Great Lakes fishing season for myself.  Well, that's all about to change very, very soon!
              Today's featured pic of a recently caught Lk. O King has me fired up.  This gorgeous fish was taken on a Green Mamba SB 4.65.  Click Valerie's Lk. O King

5/12/15  Looking for the right weather window with favorable seas for my 1st ever trip to Wilson, NY to fish Lk. Ontario.  GPS says 449 miles going thru Canada from Manistee, MI.  Pulling a boat and 2 international border crossings makes this about a 8-9 hour trip.
              Final loose ends are being taken care of today.  Meaning a full arsenal of all my tackle such as flashers, meat rigs™, and Salmon Buster™ spoons. 
              NY fishing reports that I've heard makes me ...OH, SO ready for this event.  Since going into the fishing business in 1983, I've never have taken any time off during the Great Lakes fishing season for myself.  Well, that's all about to change very, very soon!
              Today's featured pic of a recently caught Lk. O King has me fired up.  This gorgeous fish was taken on a Green Mamba 4.65.  Click Valerie's Lk. O King

5/11/15  My thanks to Todd B. aka TTR for his disk brake and wheel bearing mechanical expertise.  He is the best ultra pro mechanic I've met in my 68 years!
               Repacking the boat trailer wheels with new grease is not all that difficult.  Removing/cleaning the old grease inside the wheel hub is where the work comes in.
               The word probably is not good enough for me.  "Probably" could have made it to NY and back ...leaves room for doubt.  Repacked hubs with new grease removes doubt.
               We did find 2 of 4 the seals were beginning to show signs of wear with grease starting to seep out.  So, we replaced all 4 hub seals. Click trailer wheel bearing job

5/10/15  Looking for a weather window for my 1st ever trip to Lk. Ontario.  Spring Kings from 20 to 24 pounds are being caught now from the Niagara Bar to points E.  The LOC derby King Salmon leader is 24 lbs. 9 ozs.  It takes a King over 20 pounds to make the leader board.  Now is a good time for my trip to NY, because fishing in my home port of Manistee, MI will be iffy until the end of this month. Click NY LOC Derby list

5/9/15  Have a great Mothers Day Weekend.  My time will be spent repacking my boat trailer's wheel bearings with special water resistant grease.  I'll be inspecting the seals and probably replacing them and wheel bearings ...if there's signs of wear.  The last thing I need is roadside grief on my way to and from my upcoming Lk. Ontario trip.
             My enhanced MI drivers license arrived yesterday.  It's a little different than a normal license with an USA flag on it.  This license will allow travel thru Canada.

5/8/15  I've used a top-side oil changing system where you suck the oil out of the dipstick tube on GM motors since the 1970s, installed a bottom discharge hose to evacuate oil the from the pan.  With the vacuum method there's close to a 1/2 quart that's never removed.
             With this new hose installed, the oil can drain thru the hose, out the transom boat plug in seconds, ...compared to several minutes suck the oil up thru the dipstick hole.
             Changing oil often is the cheapest way to extend the service life of all 4 stroke engines.  Lubricants are a bargain compared to rebuilds. Click oil discharge hose.
             Spoke to a boat on the water yesterday out of Manistee, MI at 11am.  They had zero fish to report.  Give it a week, or 2, ...then look for major improvement!

5/7/15  Manistee, MI's inshore water have cleared up, making shoreline trolling challenging.  There are some fish being caught, but it's hit and miss.  We're a couple of weeks away from my home port's offshore water warming up enough for spring Kings.
            Newly introduced 10" and 12" flashers for 2015 are Copperhead, King Midas, Monkey Puke, and Silver King all in the Mamba pattern. Click new Mamba flashers
           Boat maintenance check list for my upcoming 1000 mile round trip to Lk. Ontario is almost complete.  Last chore is to repack the trailer wheel bearings.

5/6/15  Un-cluttered the spoon selections by creating a new webstore page dedicated to my 18 world exclusive Mamba Salmon Buster™ spoons: Click Mamba Spoonville
            There's 3 pages of spoon colors. Click regular spoons  Click glow spoons
            Updated the 10" & 12" Mamba flashers selections to match-up with the new spoons with 4 brand new Mamba patterns.  Having cloned tackle removes a lot of the guess work of the "age old question" of what color to put in the water? Click Mambaville flashers
            The MI Proposal 1 tax increase was soundly defeated by 8 out of 10 voters!

5/5/15  1st thing I'm doing today is going to the polls to vote against the money grab the MI political system is trying to take from me ...again!
             Former Governor Engler (R) MI raised the gas tax about 10-15 years ago, saying this would fund our highways for a generation.  When MI raised the sales tax from 5 to 6% this was supposed to provide funding our schools for many years.
             Now, it's the same old song and dance about not enough money for schools and highways.  Like I had a short memory and couldn't remember the last time MI hiked taxes?
             If this passes, which I highly doubt, each MI household will pay another 500 bucks a year to the State of Michigan.  6 to 7% don't sound like much.  Buy a 30k car/truck now, at 6% ...you'll pay $1800, buy the same vehicle at 7% and you'll pay $2100 in sales tax!

5/4/15  Tomorrow Michigan votes on raising taxes that has been set on us with the "tax & spend" Governor Rick Snyder (R) and his (R) controlled legislature.  To raise the sales tax from 6 to 7% & new "at the pump gas" MI state tax going to numbers I've heard, to 42 cents, from 26 cents a gallon (what were paying MI now), not counting federal taxes.
             Please let me tell you, what most people don't want to hear, ...the truth!
Taxes are a form of indentured servitude that's close to downright slavery. 
             I turn 69 this year.  How many years of my life have I worked to pay taxes? 
I'll betcha some where's between 5 & 10 years working to pay the government.
             Taxes like this are grossly unfair to the poor and what's left of the middle class that will be paying for the lack of vision politicians always have.  I'm voting hell no!

5/3/15  Ludington, MI's part of Lk. MI is showing signs of life.  Yesterday, fishing was decent for website member & Ludinton's very own, Capn Kirk.  He caught 4 Browns and a goodie teener Silver King Salmon.  This made my day seeing my 4.0 HRP Gold Salmon Buster hanging from this King's jaw and the best part has yet to come. Click Kirk's May King

5/2/15  Data collected last season from the Salmon Ambassadors program is online.  There's a wealth of information that's not sugar coated.  Kings were hard to come by in most ports in 2014.  Southern Lk MI off IL and WI side showed the least success based on this study that focuses on Chinook/King Salmon.  Click for lakewide report
          Dan O'Keefe, Ph.D. from Michigan Sea Grant is to be commended for the way this data was compiled and shared with the public.  If you want more background on this study, or perhaps becoming a Salmon Ambassador Click Here

5/1/15  Did the paint tests on 4 new Mamba flashers to clone what's available in my spoon lineup.  Silver (not named yet), Monkey Puke, King Midas (gold), and Copperhead are in today's featured pic.  I have no doubt all 4 new flashers will take fish. Click new Mambas

4/30/15  First month of my Lk. MI season is about to close.  Learned a lot about what my new spoons can do that has set a firm foundation for the rest of this year.
               All my efforts in the next 2 to 3 weeks will be about getting ready for my Lk. Ontario trip.  Have to repack my boat trailer's wheel bearings.  Changing oil in boat's motors will happen soon.  Will have spare wheel bearings and seals with me for this trip.  Need a a spare distributor cap and rotor for the boat.  It's 442 miles to St. Catherines, Ontario, if we decide to fish out of Canada, or go a little further to Wilson NY.
              Need to make more tackle/inventory before leaving.  So, I'm not behind the 8 ball when I return from my 1st ever, adventure to our eastern most Great Lake.  Looking forward to this mini vacation in a huge way.  This website will take you along too. Thru daily updates about travel progress & fishing reports right from my boat via marina wi-fi.

4/29/14  Walleyes are being caught in Manistee, MI's harbor by fishermen casting stickbaits of the launch docks at the First Street Public Launch during low light.
               Have 3, or 4 contacts in NY who fish the Niagara Bar out of Wilson, NY or St. Catherines in Canada.  Both of these hot May ports are at the western most end of Lk. Ontario.  If there's a window of 3, or 4 days of favorable seas after the first part of May? ...I will be fishing there, if my plans workout.  Recent news from Wilson is it's loaded with Lake Trout right now that are "annoying" according to the locals.
              There's a strong possibility of closing my web-based online tackle store for my upcoming Lk. Ontario trip while I'm gone.  Haven't made out my mind on this yet.
              You can purchase a 7 day non-resident NY license for 28 bucks and that's helluva lot better deal than anything our MDNR offers.  MDNR's fishing licenses are terrible for not offering a license that's good for one year after the date of purchase like most other states do.  In MI all yearly fishing licenses expire the last day in March no matter when you buy one.  Let's hope they wake up and join the 21st century, but I doubt it.

4/28/15  Have a name that spoon contest going on my Facebook page for the new silver mamba.  Having names is a must to differentiate colors and patterns. 
              News from southern Lk. MI has been hit and miss according to what I've heard.
              I'm about 3-4 weeks away from my 1st Lk. Ontario fishing adventure that will set the stage for another trip this coming July.  Getting all the mechanicals in order such as oil changes and repacking the boat trailer bearings are in the works.  Lk. Ontario trip depends on 3-4 days of favorable wind and and sea reports.

4/27/15  2 new Mambas are being debuted today.  King Midas Mamba has already proven it's worth and know the silver one will too!  Click for the new Mambas
               When time allows there will be a dedicated spoon page at my webstore for just Mamba colors and patterns.  This spring ...mambas have took 75% of out fish.  While my catch numbers have not been large, 75% is still 75%.
               Main body (surface temp) of Lk. MI off Manistee, MI is 36-37 degrees once you get over 30-40 feet of water.  That's reel-cold for this late in April.

4/26/15 Today's pic is my main fishin' buds, John J & Todd B.  Both are a gift to have aboard and fully capable of doing anything I can.  Click John J. and Todd B's fish
              Notes from last Friday's fishing trip begin with all my hits/fish in this early season shoreline fishery have came on combinations of copper and gold with red, or orange accents.  Yet to have a bite on a silver anything in the cloudy water where the fish are.
              Notes from this year will be valuable next year providing a place to start.
              All the fish we've cleaned? ...the stomach autopsies showed no bait.  I know if you can hit the right day when the bait moves onshore, fishing will be pretty good.

4/25/15  Yesterday's fishing trip was one of those kinda reel-events not fully appreciated until the day after and you have to return to work.  Then, reality sets in.
              John J, Todd B, and I caught 4 fish in about 4 hours (8am-noonish). Granted 4 fish is no big deal, but considering the weeds in the water ...fouling the spoons, 4 was OK.
              Lk. MI, off Manistee has never been besieged with floating/suspended grass and weeds like this year.  Sure, I've seen junk in the water before, but this weed problem has been going on for a good 2 weeks, not just a few days.  Like in years past.  Found weeds and crud from Big Point Sable to N of Onekema, MI.  That's a good 20 miles of shoreline!
              Tip: if you do plan on fishing in this area, pull and clean your entire spread every 20-30 minutes.  Neglecting to do so will result in a long face from no fish!
              Took a deformed Steelhead, Laker & a Brown N of Manistee, MI's harbor close to Orchard Beach State Park.  Last fish came off the S harbor wall right before we pulled lines.
              New Gold Mamba, heretofore to be known as, the "King Midas Mamba" is a winner that took 2 of our fish.  Hope to have these available soon. Click King Midas Mamba

4/24/15  Computer system is down today for R & R.  Seems the computer operator (me) has a strong urge to wet a line.  This weekend, new mamba patterns for sure.

4/23/15  Yesterday's snow and chilly weather did not throw a damper on my enthusiasm for this season.  Pretty excited about the endless possibilities of new patterns, or colors.  Should be able to debut  new flashers next week to match up with my new Salmon Buster™ spoons.  Silver Rainbow Mamba and metallic Gold Mamba is what I have in mind. 
              2015 is one of the best for Lk. MI shoreline Brown Trout Manistee, MI has seen in a long time ...if you hit the right day?  Although, my results have yet show it, some decent catches are being reported.  Thus far, N of the harbor has been best.  While I've wasted most of my efforts to the S.

4/22/15  Cost of a MI enhanced drivers license to enter Canada was $48.50.  There's a lot of paper work involved.  Most of which, the clerk at MI Secretary of State takes off your birth certificate.  Was surprised the clerk quizzed me on the info off my birth certificate.  Asking my mother's maiden name and father's middle name.  Guess this is their idea of extra security.  My opinion of this is a jumbo sized crock of BS when I've lived in Manistee County for at least the last 15 years, paid taxes, and voted here too.

4/21/15  Log, photos, tips, and tricks for the Salmon Buster™ spoon page is off to a good start.  Here's where you'll find my early season spoon notes.  Click for this page
              The art to designing tackle is to do so with an discerning eye, compounded by a lot of skepticism.  Prove it, prove it again, and again against different designs is part of the process.  To bring my new spoons to market you're looking at enough money to buy a new pickup and then some.  Even if your sure, doubt can and will creep in until there's proof!
             All my doubts vanished ...when I saw a good sized Laker take my spoon, over 2 stickbaits last week on the same planer board.

4/20/15  Quick trip to the MI Secretary of State this morning for enhanced drivers license to drive across Canada.  This is to save close to 200 miles for my 1st trip to fish Lk. Ontario this May.  Will be going to Wilson NY to fish the Niagara Bar in May.
               Started on a photo/instructional log page for the Salmon Buster™ spoons to document and learn.  Sharing knowledge will mean more success for you.

4/19/15  Quest to develop an early (April Browns) season spoon program is coming along nicely.  Have 6, or 7 hot patterns/colors proven to work even in the toughest conditions.  In a little over 2 weeks (4 trips) confidence is being gained.
              Please remember, this whole April deal began with a blank page with no reference points.  Good thing is? ....it will only get better and better as more tweaks happen!

4/18/15  Yesterday morning, the boats that fished am shift did decent to good on Browns, a few Lake Trout, and heard Kings in the 13 to 17 lb. bracket. Click for our big Laker
               This was not the case for the afternoon 2nd shift fishermen yesterday.  Seen a fair number of boats from 4pm till 7:30pm and never saw a net go down.  Our tally was 1 Whitefish & hog Lake Trout that fought like hell at the net. Click Gold HRP SB 4.0
               Icing on the cake? the Laker came on a Gold HRP Salmon Buster™ 4.0.  The reel story on this? ...the LT took the spoon on the side towing 2 stickbaits.  Had to 2 sticks in the water as a controlled experiment in a spoon vs. Rapala, head to head, reel-contest.

4/17/15  T.G.I.F.  If Mr. Wind stays at home today, fishing Lk. MI this afternoon is a possibility.  During the 3 times I've been out, yet to see another boat take a fish.  Did see a pier fisherman take one off Manistee, MI's harbor on the N wall.
               My limited observations are to be taken with a grain of salt, cuz I get out once every 5 to 7 days.  And that's not a true reflection of what's reely-happening!

4/16/15  My grand plan to fish Lk. MI yesterday afternoon was a wash.  Whitecaps from the N dashed any idea of wetting lines.  It was disappointing to see water color has not improved much since last weekend.  This is the second time I've been caught in an unexpected wind shift to the N that has kept me dockside.

4/15/15  Today the NOAA wind and sea forecast says, E winds 10-15 knots.  Waves 1', or less.  Looks like a decent day to hit the pond.  Although, too flat and E wind are not the most favorable conditions.  It's been 4 days since my last Lk. MI trip out of Manistee, MI.  Hopefully, the silty sediment that the water all clouded up, has settled out.  Only good thing about cloudy water is it absorbs the heat from the sun and warms up quicker.

4/14/15  Advancements in holographic vinyl, (Mylar), or lure tape has came a long ways since I began fishing LK. MI in 1968.  Every shade and hue of every imaginable color is available.  This presents me with overwhelming choices knowing where to begin.
               I've been trying to develop an early season dedicated spoon program, but my results have been lackluster.  Sub 40 degree water, or dirty-cloudy water has made things tough the 3 times I've been out.  Click copper test Salmon Buster™ 4.0
               Criteria for lure testing is you have to be over active fish. This is a double barreled issue.  First, being over fish.  Second, being over that are actively feeding.  Then,  have this happen this in a window of being on the pond about once every 7 days.  It's like playing, "pin the tail on the donkey," blindfolded.  Guess this goes back to the old saying, "if it was easy everyone would be doing it."  It might be hard, but not impossible!

4/13/15  Very busy filling orders so we don't have a backlog to carry into the next day.  Timely processing and shipping means I might be able to squeeze an afternoon off to hit the pond soon.  Word is starting to filter in from S Lk. MI, but no EZ fishing yet.
               70 degrees at my place yesterday wasn't hard to take, as the weather has definitely taken a turn towards spring.  More warm weather is on the way too.
               Not getting enough bites, or water time to form firm opinion about Manistee, MI's early season fishery.  Common thread is all my bites have came on copper, or puke colors.

4/12/15  Fished Manistee, MI yesterday and went S.  That was a major mistake with a capital "M."  The water was dirty with lots of lure fouling weeds that ran from Guerney Creek to Big Point Sable.  We saved a skunk with one Brown Trout that did us a favor when he chomped down a copper Salmon Buster™ 4.0 that stayed clean long enough to catch a fish.
              Early season fishing off Manistee has been up and down, depending on the day.  Mostly due to cold 39 to 40 degree water.  Ever shifting blows to gale force have stirred up Lk. MI with weeds, floating debris, & cloudy water conditions. Click copper test spoon
              City of Manistee needs to get more docks in the water at the 1st Street Public Launch ASAP!  2 docks in is just not enough for the early season fishermen.  Had to wait to launch and retrieve even during the off hours.

4/11/15  Completed installing a Salmon Buster™ logo and lettering on my boat yesterday.  The black part is a reflective vinyl that has an interesting effect when light bounces of it in the dark.  This type of vinyl is fairly expensive.  Click boat logo & lettering

4/10/15  4 colors of cupped diver rings that fit the sliding style diver are now available.  For some reason, unbeknownst to me, getting these to fit correctly was a hard job.  Wasted most of last Thursday printing out rings that didn't fit to my standards.
              Dipsy Diver add-on rings do not fit the S divers.  Dipsys are a just a tad smaller (less than .010"), but enough to make using Dipsy Rings on S divers next to impossible.

4/9/15  Website member, Capn Kirk had a heck of a catch out of Ludington yesterday morning.  The death toll was 6 Browns, 3 Steelhead, 1 Laker, and a Pike for a 2 person limit on the good ship, "Enterprise."  Click Capn Kirk's limit catch
             He said about is arts and crafts home decorated Salmon Buster 4.0, "it was on fire!"  You've already seen some of the other spoons he uses in the previous day's pic.

4/8/15  Interesting story behind today's feature pic of 4 Browns that made their final mistake when they hit the new Salmon Buster 4.0s.
             From right to left, 1st spoon is a 3D printed test spoon I gave my UPS driver and message board member, Capn Kirk.  Rest are production versions.  2nd spoon is the Laser Glo HRP.  3rd spoon inline is the Monkey Puke Mamba.  Click for this pic
             Fascinating part is seeing the prototype 3D printed spoon holding it's own against the 2015 production versions.  This makes the point, it was wise for me to learn how to use the new 21st century techie 3D printing process to develop new products.

4/7/15  Here's some data you might find interesting:  2 days of fishing for Browns out of Ludington, MI, 2 persons aboard.  Day 1, lines in the water for 3 hours, 1 Monkey Puke 4.0 Salmon Buster vs. 5 metal spoons ...score 1 for the SB, 0 for the metal.  Day 2, lines in the water for 5 hours, three 4.0 SBs vs. 3 metal spoons ...score 4 for my spoons, 2 for the metal.  Overall 7 browns were caught, 5 on my stuff and 2 on the more traditional metal even though on day 1, SBs were out numbered 5 to 1!
    Moral of this story? ...this is how my spoons earn your confidence by performance!

4/6/13  Wanted to install "Salmon Buster Spoons" lettering on my boat yesterday.  But it was only in the mid 40s.  Didn't want to work with cold stiff vinyl on a cold surface.  So, this job has been postponed until this afternoon.
             Monkey Puke Mamba SB 4.0 took a decent Ludington, MI Brown yesterday for message board member, Capn. Kirk.  He shared the water was a chilly 36-37 degrees N of port.  Far too cold for hot action.  Click nice Brown & Monkey Puke Mamba
             E wind is predicted for most of this week for Manistee, MI.  Wind from this direction is far from ideal for trolling shoreline for Browns.  Worked all weekend to free up some time this week for my 2nd trip of the season that will happen soon.

4/5/15  Fun project planned for this afternoon.  Tune in tomorrow to see what it is.

4/4/15  Extended the dollar off sale on my new Salmon Buster™ spoons until 4/15/15.  Tackle that don't produce is where the reel-expense comes in.  Every piece of tackle I make is proven, tested, EZ to use, and will last many-many seasons. 
             Spent a lot of time upsizing my cupped 3D printed rings to fit the sliding style diver.  Finally have the fit down pat.  There's not much room for error (.005-.010")  You can order these state of the art rings for the S Diver now.  Just be prepared to wait while inventory is being made/printed out. Click for the sliding cupped rings

4/3/15  This past Wednesday marked another milestone when the final production versions of the new 2015 Salmon Buster™ spoons went swimming.  The injected molded spoons make the homebuilt 3D versions I fished with last season look primitive, when compared.
             Having a lens clear spoon base to build off of really lets the light bounce around in a dazzling daylight fireworks show my words won't do justice. 
              I was totally impressed, but felt the spoons had too much flash & movement for cold water lethargic Brown Trout.  Glad at least a couple of these fish proved me wrong!
             April Browns are not a hard fish to catch ...if there's enough of them around?  Will keep refining my early season skinny water spoon program and have a few notes to work on for now.  Soon I'll post the way the spoons are rigged with 3/8 & 1/2 oz weights.

4/2/15  Fished Lk. MI out of the Port of Manistee, MI for a few hours yesterday afternoon for my inaugural trip of 2015.  Lots of mini icebergs around the harbor.  The main channel was 42 degrees & surface water temp on the beach was 37 to 38 degrees.  Water clarity has a reel-good greenish tinge with 4'-5' of visibility.  Click 1st launch of 2015
            Honesty is always the best policy.  After towing mostly Rapalas for the last 30 years, migrating to an April spoon program is very difficult to me.  There's no one that's a bigger skeptic than me ...when it comes to spoons vs. stickbaits at this time of the year.
            So, my spoons are going to have to prove themselves in spades about their effectiveness on early season Brown Trout.  Click Copperhead slain Brown Trout
            TTR, aka Todd the Rod and I had lines in the water for around 3 hours.  During this time span we had 2 bites and one stayed stuck.  Copperhead Mamba took the prisoner.  While the Krystal Killer dealt with a Houdini fish that came unpegged 30' behind the boat.    
The action should improve once we pickup a 3-4 degrees of water temp.

4/1/15  Ordered trailer tires from Manistee Tire, here in Manistee, MI.  They said all trailer tires are being made in China now.  Even the Goodyear Marathon ST215/R14s I ordered to fit my boat's trailer.  Don't understand this at all.  If USA workers don't have a decent paying jobs ...who is left to buy products?  This, in the long term is just not sustainable!
             Going to check out Manistee's harbor to see if the ice left.  There's clear water to the N according to the webcam, but inside the harbor is still questionable.
             At this time last year, just arrived home from being stuck in Florida for an extra month waiting for the weather to allow a window to come home.  I had 4' and 5' drifts to shovel before entering my house.  Winter 2013-2014 set a snowfall record for my area.

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