Archived Daily Log

3/31/19  As of last Friday there was only useable 1 dock at Manistee, MI's 1st Street Public Boat Launch.  This one dock was busy.  The short time Wayne, J and I was there 4 boats launched.  Launching was free, but that could change anytime.
              Tomorrow's chat will focus on a topic you'd better get used to when you join the club to be a Great Lakes fisher person.  Topic will be adversity we all must deal with. 

3/30/19  Yesterday was an exercise in futility to the max.  Packed all my test goodies and met Wayne J at the ramp at 8am.  Launched the boat.  Kicker motor started right up. GM 350 V8 cranked up with no problem.  Backed the boat up from the dock to make the swing, then discovered the outdrive would not shift into forward gear.  Docked with kicker motor.
               Did find out Brown Trout are on the endangered species list in Manistee, MI.  There are some small coho being caught and a couple of boats looking for perch in the harbor.  Know there's a tremendous demand for fishing info from city locals.  Had more than a few quiz me on what's happening and that's how my uneventful 1st trip came & went.

3/29/19  It's time to put-up, or shut up!  Hitched up to the boat and will be leaving early in the morning to begin my 51st season on the Great Lakes. 
               I'll let you know by tomorrow, if it was a glorified boat ride? ...or a fishing trip.

3/28/19  Today's featured photo title is "Why I don't like Lead Core."  Picture speaks for itself with a tangled 5 color mess.  5 colors with a 30' leader puts it back 180'. 
               That's tangle waiting to happen when you're dealing with wild cross-cutting spring Kings that are all over the place.  Our early season bad-boy springers prove why Chinooks are called Kings.  Fight is a long drawn out battle where the issue is always in doubt ...until you get the net under these feisty critters.  Click for today King mess
                This is the mean reason for the 2019 Salmon Bombs that will do everything core will without have special dedicated rods loaded with core. Click for Salmon Bombs

3/27/19  Boat never made it out of the pole barn yesterday.  Field was mushy from snow melt, but that's not the defining issue.  Had 2 large orders to fill hanging over my head.
               Just can't ditch work when it comes to getting tackle out the door.  Besides, there's plenty of season in front of me with excellent opportunities.
               Best part is the forecast temps look to be tolerable on Thursday and Friday that will make a much better experience.  Do know I'm ready when work flow allows.

3/26/19  Going to try to get my boat on Lk. MI today.  Said 'try," because my plow truck got stuck yesterday clearing a path when it broke thru 3" of ice and sank in the puddle beneath.  Trick to getting vehicles un-stuck is by not burying them to the axles. 
              You'll notice I didn't say fishing today.  Reason? ...zero confidence and anything we might catch will probably be ...the fish gods taking pity me.  Predicting a skunkola.
              Going in with low expectations makes just being on Lk. MI a victory!

3/25/19  Tomorrow looks to be my maiden voyage of 2019.  Zero confidence going in.  In fact, only taking 1 net, because I'm a realist.  Know from experience how tough catching Browns is when the water is very cold.  I'd be surprised to see 40° on the surface.
               Do know my spoons have proven themselves in our early fishery. 
               Problem is? ... side scan sonar has to mark a few fish and that's a rarity nowadays when it comes to central Lk. MI Browns out of the Port of Manistee, MI. 
             Side scan has removed all the mystery when it comes to not catching!

3/24/19  There were a few boats trolling inside of Manistee, MI's harbor yesterday.  No word on if, or what they caught.  Most all of the boat ramp is free from ice  now.
               Yesterday afternoon, test started my trolling motor and made sure the auto pilot worked.  Main motor, GM V8 350 turned over and sounded ready to start.  Cleaned and sorted tackle messes from last year.  Spiffed up the upholstery too.
               Rods are in the boat with new 15# test Triple Fish mono, but need leader sections with snaps behind the bead chain keel weight sinkers.  Today, the electronics go back in.  Just not too keen on leaving pricey electronics in the boat to endure winter's subzero temps.  Not sure if this is necessary, but pull them to be on the safe side.

3/23/19  Fishing for spring Coho in the S end of Lk. MI has slowed this week according to our contact for this area, Tom M.  East Chicago, IN anglers are hoping the recent blow brought in another herd of feisty eager to attack Coho.
              Major final prep for my boat is today's main focus.  Hopefully, yesterday's N blow got rid of the ice and the water settles out before mid week.  My target date to splash the boat is this coming Tuesday, or this Wednesday afternoon ...weather permitting?

3/23/19  Fishing for spring Coho in the S end of Lk. MI has slowed this week according to our contact for this area, Tom M.  East Chicago, IN anglers are hoping the recent blow brought in another herd of feisty eager to attack Coho.
              Serious final prep for my boat is today's main focus.  Hopefully, yesterday's N blow got rid of the ice and the water settles out before mid week.  My target date is this coming Tuesday, or this Wednesday weather permitting.

3/22/19  The 2019 season just got reel-serious with the 1st dock going in at Manistee, MI's public launch.  City of Manistee does a fine job when it comes to their Lk. MI fleet.  During season city employees scrub the fish cleaning station every morning to keep it spiffy.   Early season anglers have been able to launch for free in the past.  Will inform to see if this is happening again this year when I visit the launch soon.  Ice has to "git gone" & that will probably happen today with 6 to 9 footers predicted. Click 3/21/19 1st dock

3/21/19  Big N blow tomorrow for Lk. MI waters off Manistee, MI.  This could push the floating ice down the lake, or dissolve it.  Looking for a window for my 1st trip of 2019. 
              There's a lot of moving parts that all have to come together. Part 1 and 2 is Lk. MI has to be free from ice and the City of Manistee has to install a few docks at the public launch.  Temps are predicted for this weekend in the 40s to pushing 50°.  Look for the docks to probably go in sometime next week.
               Part 3 is tolerable weather that does not elevate fishing to an extreme Eskimo sport.  Next Wednesday looks like a go.  If the lake plays nice?

3/20/19  Spring 2019 has officially arrived.  Today's forecast for Manistee, MI is cloudy and rainy with temps in the low 40s.  Not great, but it sure beats snow and subzero cold!
               Wayne J, our resident Manistee reporter took a swing by the public boat launch.  Ice on the ramps is gone on a few spots.  That's the good part. 
               Bad part is the rows of floating ice just outside the harbor that cheeses and idea of trolling the shoreline for spring Browns.  Click 3/19/19 Lk MI floating ice
               Incidentally, know I didn't have to twist Wayne's arm to go look and the lake.  It's just something nice to do and fosters dreams of what 2019 has yet to bring!

3/19/19  Friendly reminder to purchase your 2019 before the end of this month.  Bought my senior license for 11 bucks yesterday.  Once you have an account set up with the MDNR eLicense system repeat purchases are a piece of cake.  Click for online eLicense
              Boat prep this afternoon.  I'm maybe 3 hours away from my 1st trip of 2019 waiting on a field of frozen ice-snow to melt before the boat comes out of the barn.  This is compacted snow and is more like a glacial ice with all the rain we've had.
             Checked inshore water temp for Manistee, MI off the satellite map that says 34°.  Water should be a little warmer around the harbor.  Will keep you posted on when the 1st docks go in at Manistee's public launch.  This could happen reel-soon.

3/18/19  Posted an over-under 2018-2019 photos on the size of the early Coho from the S end of Lk. MI from Capt. John Warren's catch. Click Coho comparison
              Size on this year's spring Coho looks to be a little smaller then the same time last year.  Cool 2018 fall and cold winter probably has a lot to do with this. 
              To confirm emailed my contact, Tom M to see if my visual assessment of right? Here's what Tom said to say: "they are smaller... I heard of a lot of people having to throw Coho back that were under the 14 inch mark. Johnny had to throw three back."

3/17/19  You don't need much luck from St. Patrick's Day when it's game on for spring Coho in the S end of Lk. MI off E Chicago, IN.  Click 3/16/19 S. Lk. MI Coho
               These young Coho are on a fierce attack to grow into adulthood.  What they lack in size s made up in the sheer volume of fish on a death mission.
               Predicted this would happen in my 3/13/19 update when the ice was on the way out.  This area of Lk. MI is ahead of Manistee, MI by a good week, or 2.

3/16/19  Finally, after many months of waiting the 10 day forecast for Manistee, MI says all above freezing temperatures to the 50s.  This means we're getting reel-close to the grand opening of the 2019 season in earnest.  Official Spring 2019 arrives in 4 days too!
              It's going to be wonderful to feel the soft surge of Lk. MI waves under our feet.  A lot of boat owners call their 1st trip a "shake down cruise" to make sure all systems work.
I call my 1st trip relaxation therapy when the lid comes off the daily pressure cooker!

3/15/19  Great shot of Manistee, MI's 1st Street Public Launch taken by our roving reporter, Wayne J.  This pic clearly shows how fast the conditions can improve over 3 days of warm weather.  There's still big ice mounds on the ramp, but this is old discolored ice that will draw heat like a magnet & melt fast. Click 3/11/19 ice   Click 3/14/19 ice is gone
               My guess is around 3/20/19 (1st day of spring) the City of Manistee will install a few ramps and the launch will be open.  Early season anglers usually can launch for free.

3/14/19  Possibility of reaching the 60° today.  Last time it was 60 in Manistee, MI was last October 11, 2018.  Last fall was cool with no Indian summer.
              The last two late fall seasons I've not been able to fish Lk. MI from issues.  Late season fishing gives me a good idea of how much bait is around before winter sets in.  This is a great window on what to expect the following year.
               Major thaw has begun at my place with a good amount of standing water sitting on frozen ground.  Look for the frost to come out of the ground very soon.  There's still a field of snow with 2' drifts that has to melt before my boat comes out of the pole barn.
               In the mean time will be working on boat prep playing the waiting game.

3/13/19  Posted another photo from the extreme S end of Lk. MI from Tom M.  Pic was taken yesterday from Pastrick Marina in E Chicago, IN.  It shows some floating ice sheets along the "wall."  Marina was iced in too. Click ice conditions on S end of Lk. MI
               This area is where the opening salvo of the 2019 Salmon season takes place.  Soon, I'll be reporting on limits of spring Coho from the southern fleet.  Suspect our current warming trend will get boats on the water from this area in the near future.

3/12/19  Posted a photo of the harbor at Manistee, MI courtesy of Wayne "Take Five" J. This let's us know how far along the ice breakup is. Click 3/11/19 Manistee Harbor
              Good news is the gulls are in the harbor, not out at the landfill.  So, there has to be some bait among the ice coming down the channel to Lk. MI. 
              Before we entertain any thoughts of fishing? ...all ice has to be gone.  Fished reel-early before and dodging sheets of shore ice is no fun, or very productive.
              From the look of today's featured photo? ...we're going to need a lot of warm weather to facilitate the melt.  Will post a pic when the 1st docks go in.
              We're going to get a sneak peek of spring in a few days with temps approaching the 60° mark this Thursday.  Set aside time to install the batteries in my boat to make sure I'm ready when the ice says bye-bye.  Notes: Lost 2 falls, trolling fly page, side scan

3/11/19  7 years ago in 2012 we got a burst of warm air in the mid 80s around this time of the year.  That year that set the record for the earliest King Salmon season at central Lk. MI ports.  By mid-late March 2012 we were catch Kings to 20 pounds down 140'-180' of water on meat over 150' to 250' of water off Manistee, MI's shelf.  Think the 3 King limit was still in effect back then.  Current 5 King limit don't happen very often nowadays.
              Great thing about fishing is you never have a clue until it happens!

3/10/19  Last season's early efforts were curtailed by the surge brakes on my boat trailer not working.  Learned brake fluid is hydrophilic.  Meaning is sucks up water like a thirsty camel.  Water had contaminated the trailer brakes and wore out the surge master cylinder. 
              Then, found out, the faulty part was discontinued by the company who made the master cylinder in the 1st place.  Now, my back is against the wall. 
              Cobbled up a replacement that did not provide the stopping power needed.  My next move was to install costly electric brakes.  New electric brakes provide enough power to lock up the 4 disc brakes on the boat trailer and stop on a dime.
              Moral of the story? ...probably lost 3-4 weeks and several fishing trips during the beginning of the 208 season when there was time available to go.

3/9/19  Tonight, we yo-yo our clocks ahead 1 hour to Daylight Saving Time.
             40 some degree warm-up at my place in Manistee, MI yesterday.  Went from -4° to over 40°.  Going to plow the drive to the pole barn today to aid the upcoming melt.
             Last year my 1st Lk. MI trip was on 3/28/18 and we caught a Brown on a Salmon  Buster 4.0 in the Gold Orange Crush pattern.  This selection has been our most reliable for early season Browns and Steelhead.  Befuddling part? ...nothing in nature even remotely resembles these colors.  Yet the fish still whack it? Click 1st fish of last year

3/8/19  After a bitter cold past few days, relief is on the way.  Next week looks to be at, or above freezing every day.  We might even reach into the 50s by next Thursday.  This means getting my boat prepped and ready is on the front burner.
            Still a lot of snow has to melt to clear my storage building to pull the boat out.  That will happen in due time and fishing Lk. MI no longer looks like a distant dream!
            Re-stocked our 3 fly packs for the 2019 season.

3/7/19  Trolling flies for 2019 have been restocked at our webstore.  The popular multi-color Silver and Gold Sea Glows are available again.  Next task is to restock our 3 packs of fly bodies for those that prefer to tie their own. Click Trolling Flies page
             We're lacking the material to make the SUV flies.  Contacted Purple Taco by phone and email and have yet to hear back from them.  We treat our customer support contacts with the highest priority and hope Purple Taco will soon do the same.

3/6/19  Had to delete our trolling bags from the webstore that were made by my friend, Dick Boyajian.  He passed away last year, but had an apprentice in training make the bags.  This didn't work out as planned.  So, we're ending sales of Dick's trolling bags.
             Been working on re-stocking all of our trolling flies.  Hired a new trainee that I'll be working with today to make sure fly quality stays top-notch.
            Weather will be breaking for the better this weekend.  Hope to clean and sort tackle for the soon to be here 2019 season.  Rods are ready to go. 
            Now to spiffy up the boat and take the batteries off the trickle chargers and hook them up.  Doesn't the 3 simple words of: "hook them up" sound good after dealing with winter since last November!  Need to get a 2019 fishing license before 3/31/19.

3/5/19  Most important ingredient to early April success is the right color of water off central Lk. MI ports.  Stained is perfect when the bottom disappears around 7-8'. 
            If you can clearly see the bottom in 10' of water? ...this is the worst case scenario that will not hold many, if any fish?  Water color is the key.
            Stained off-colored water is where the food chain is taking off and absorbs warmth from the sun a lot quicker than the gin clear waters of the main body of Lk. MI.
            My chartering days during the 1990s and early i2ks, seen average April size go from 2 pounds to 3-4 pounders by the end of April.  Brown Trout doubling in weight shows a  tremendous growth rate when these fish first wake up after winter's long nap.
            Being 3-4 weeks away from my 1st 2019 season has my itching to go!  This will be my 51st season in pursuit of Trout and Salmon on Lk. MI.

3/3/19  Early season observations over the past couple-three seasons? ...Manistee and Ludington have marked differences that will be discussed tomorrow.
                                   Have a great Sunday!

3/2/19  Before I get into the meat and potatoes of today's chat, you can take this to the bank: my 1st 2019 fish will come on one of the new secret weapon A.I. spoon patterns.
             Best thing MI anglers have going from them is later April fishing for springer Kings in 30'-40' of water.  From experience over the last 3 seasons, I've marked a few isolated pockets of Kings with 2, or 3 good marks bunched together around small mounds of bait.
             From memory 12' and 17' down over 35' of water is where my hits are coming.  Showing the active feeders are mid-strata fish.  Never had a nibble below 2.5 mph. 
2.7 seems optimum, but I'm too spooked to try faster with this touchy fishery.
            Silver lining is springer Kings are above 15 pounds and 20s are not out of the question.  Banging these fish on 15# test? ...plan on a 30 minute battle per set of fins.

3/1/19  Worst 2 months of winter have came and gone.  So, we're over that hump.  From memory, by the 1st weekend in April Manistee County is mostly down to bare ground.  By 3/20/19 we'll have another good hour of daylight prolonging the sun's heating time.
             Beginning this Sunday we'll be about 20° below our average daytime high temp of 37°.  Temps will moderate towards the end of next week.  A sure and welcome sign spring is not too far off, as Mr. Old Man Winter's days are numbered!
             Tomorrow? ...notes to myself about our brief early season inshore King season gathered over the past 2 years in the 30'-40' depths about 1/4 mile off the beach.  There's a lot of room to dial this in, a before overlooked later April spring fishery. 

2/28/19  Goodbye February 2019.  We're less then 3 weeks away from the official start of spring  on March 20th.  Weather has to break for the better, as the days get longer with 20 minutes of daylight gained every week.  Will keep you informed when the City of Manistee puts in their 1st few docks for the 2019 season. 
              Big deal is the ice has to be gone before my 1st trip.  Been out early before and even small, broken up, and floating ice remnants can foul lures.

2/27/19  With daytime high temps running about 15° below the average, winter is starting to get a bit long in the tooth.  Not much relief is in sight ...until the end of next week.
               Next halfway decent day we get?  Installing batteries in my boat will happen.  Must be absolutely ready to go, once the ice clears central LK. MI ports.  Reason? ...early season there's time to go fishing.  Something that's not available in July and August.
               Been stockpiling our new 2019 secret A.I. spoons.  When I say "new," this is not a rehashed version of existing selections.  "New" means the material just became available that takes our Salmon Buster™ spoons to beyond the next level.

2/26/19  Tying up loose with my action cams.  Getting re-acquainted the operating menus  on my older GoPro cams is tricky to input the right options.  Now, is the time to do this. Because in 4 weeks my inshore shallow water Lk. MI season is finally here!
               Yep, that's right, in about 4 weeks!  Looking forward to being on the water again.  Then, reel-fishing will be the story.  Making daily updates a piece of cake.  Lots of data to gather.   Testing depth/drop rates on the Salmon Bombs is priority one. 
                Never forgetting ...colder, denser, water depth data readings in the low 40s will probably change as the water warms.  It will be interesting to see the variance comparison.

2/25/19  Blizzard warning still in effect.  Been out on 40-50mph wind driven snow to clean the ice off the satellite dish.  Doubt if the US mail pickup comes to today.  Some tackle orders could experience a delay until the weather improves.  It's nasty out!
              Will return the subject of our yet to debut A.I. lineup of 2019 spoons.  Thinking about keep this secret until the April-May season for central Lk. MI begins.
              Do know they're catching winter Kings in Soldotna, AK located in the Kenai Peninsula according to Capt. Dan Spies.  His early season catch came on our meat rigs™ and flashers with Kings to the mid-teens.

2/24/19  And so it begins ...anglers on the extreme S end of Lk. MI are catching Coho on spawn where there find open water close to shore.  There's less ice on the Great Lakes this year compared to the last few.  Today's satellite pic of S Lk. MI shows not much ice, but the ramps and marinas remain locked in with shore ice. Click S Lk. MI ice cover
              This is good news for early season fishermen itching to wet a line.
              Bad news for us in MI's central lower peninsula is we're under a blizzard warning into Monday.  Last blizzard warning we had was in 2012.  So, this don't happen often.

2/23/19  Have a great Saturday.  Taking the day off from the normal routine of daily chats.  Have a lot going on as ground work the 2019 season has my time spoken for.

2/22/19  I've got to stop it!  Seeing new terrific holographic lure tape has me dreaming of my 1st trip of 2019.  The new brilliantly awesome A.I. pattern will debut next week and comes with a reel-story that goes back to later 1970s.  Rich Lowenthal, then owner of the Frankfort, MI's Tackle Box gave me a free George Richey's Green Sparkle Fly to try.  Guess Rich knew I was a good customer and would be back to buy more after it swimming.
              My first impression of George's Sparkle Fly clear Mylar creation was less than lackluster.  That changed on a dime once the Kings beat on his fly like a red-headed stepchild.  Man, this fly was hot and became a "go to" mainstay in my arsenal.  And yes, Rich L. was right, I came back and bought a bunch more.  .....to be continued.

2/21/20  Most excellent news!  Spring 2019 happens 27 days from now on 3/20/19.  Our long wait for the 2019 big water season is on the downhill side.  Late March could be the first Lk. MI trip hoping for a few good eating Brown Trout.
              Posted a photo from the drone camera in a wide 16 by 9 format that's the same as HD movie video.  The rest of the pics in the left border, "Photo of the Day" column are in 3 by 4 that's a lot more similar to old 35mm film cameras.  Click 16 x 9 drone pic
              The drone photo came out amazingly clear with a first-rate depth of field.  Too good as a matter of fact, shown by where the editing smudges are to protect customer privacy on a tackle shop order.  To have good focus short and far is a good thing that will be used to look straight down in Lk. MI to see bait.

2/20/19  Posted an updated pic to explain some of the features on our new water drone.  There's a lot going on in this piece of technology.  Being a raw newbie, trying to describe all the drone functions is beyond my pay grade. Click update drone pic
               Do know, attempting to learn how to run it could only be accomplished when we're not extra busy kicking tackle orders out the door.
               I've spent about 20 hours of intense hands-on experience getting comfortable with this camera carrying water bird.  Do know, hearing, or saying: "deploy the drone" will have shades of Star Trek and Star Wars dialog overtones.

2/19/19  1st video and camera photos with our new drone was a rousing success.  Photos are crystal clear.  1080i video test footage rivals the newer GoPro 6 Black that I own.
               Feel like this expense was more than justified from the initial test.  Will post a drone camera test photo soon that will be edited slightly to smudge out a shop tackle order for obvious customer privacy reasons.  Click drone cam looking at controller
               Learning to fly this over the water will show us a heretofore never before seen bird's eye view that encompasses all we do.  Piloting skills will be a major challenge.  But one I'm more than up for.  This is a new vista for us to conquer and that's gonna be fun!

2/18/19  Our friends in South Haven, MI need our help.  They have a "gofundme" page  setup to raise $7500 for their data and wave buoy.  The popular South Haven Weather Buoy had 510,000 requests for info in 2018. Click for more info
               This data system was originally funded by a grant, but that money ran out.  Having a data gathering resource like this benefits our entire Great Lakes fishing community.  So, even if you don't fish, or navigate these waters, what if your home port was trying to raise money to have a similar buoy? ...I'm sure you'd kick in a few bucks.
                And hope your brothers all across the Great Lakes who might be in the same boat someday, will hit the hip (donate) and help out on an extremely worthy cause.

2/17/19  Lot of folks tell me they want to make their living from fishing.  Little do they know? ...you're going to work 3 times as much for half the money.  To make fishing your livelihood it's a nonstop forced march 24/7.  I know, because I've been doing it since 1983.
              Approaching 20 years with this daily log (7200 updates), rarely missing a day is reel testament to the point I'm trying to make: the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.  Saving grace is? ....enjoying everything we do.
             Designing some new toys to play with the spring.  Been working on a new die that cuts the ladder-back into the oval tape for more pizzazz.
             New blue-green color shifting tape does not get justice in the photo I snapped.  Like the new fluorescent red pattern.  It's very eye catching.  White Lightning tape over silver with the ladder-back is a stunner too!  Click 2019 Test Spoons

2/16/19  Have a great Saturday.  Realized been talking about my water drone and have not shared pics of what it looks like.  Will be posting these Monday.
              Everything has a following.  Was surprised by the amount of companies making drones.  Discovered FPV goggles that have been used by our military for a long time. 
             Pretty sure FPV means "1st person view" where every movement of the drone is displayed on a headset that covers the top of your face.
              I can only imagine being right over the top a big King 400' away from the boat capturing scenes of the ensuing battle.  Hope to make this happen in 2019.

2/15/19  MDNR's free fishing weekend that many will enjoy.  Free fishing weekends were always easy to book if you're in charter/guide business.  Don't think price keeps potential fishermen away.  Believe it's the process of going to a store, or online fiddle faddle.
              Behind in spoon production.  This is good and means people are purchasing.  Know the spoons are working from repeat orders and 2 to 6 of the same spoon.
       Drone video test shoots this weekend.  Looking forward to how the cam performs.

2/14/19  Valentine's Day alert, please do something nice for your significant other.  It will keep peace in the household and be a firm down payment on future fishing trips.
               Learning curve on my new Swellpro Spry drone is akin to climbing Mt. Everest.  Takes 2 aps, the controller to talks to the drone thru a special Wi-Fi network. 
              This software is incredible that includes programmed flight, circle mode, and follow the controller.  Plus, if it lands in the water upside down? ...the drone can right itself.  This  high tech is all from China, serving notice to the USA, we cannot afford to get left behind.
               Just about ready to shoot test 1080i HD video.  Video cam has 90 degrees of remote control up and down rotation to zero in on the action. The controller screen is a preview of what you're shooting.  Know this is going to raise the bar for my fishing videos.
               The scope of what we do is too vast to capture on video from the boat.  Great Lakes fishing is covering a wide swath and millions of gallons of water.  Our trolling has evolved beyond anything I could have dreamed of back in 1968.  This is when I became hooked on Salmon and Trout fishing to the max.  We fish for the most stunningly gorgeous fresh water fish on this planet ...baring none!

2/13/19  Good news the day before sweeties day.  This is one of the last weeks of winter when average daytime temp is below freezing.  Keep in the mind the word average takes in account the highs and lows and is no guarantee warm weather is here. 
               Last year at this time? ...Valentine's Day was in the mid 40s and the following week in 2018 we hit 50°.  Thoughts of an early spring are easy to entertain, but spring will be here on it's own schedule when Mr. Winter kicks the bucket.
        My unscientific guess-o-matic snowometer now stands at 80" for this season!

2/12/19  Not marking any fish?  Next time this happens and you're pulling lines watch your sonar for a while.  Presto-amazo!! ...you will see marks, as the fish are NO longer shying away from your spread and signature boat noise.  Click Bombs are the bomb!
               This is the whole idea behind my new 2019 Salmon Buster™ Bombs.  From now on when the fish are close to the beach in 40' of water or less? ...no riggers, or divers will be in the water.  Replaced by bombs with a more stealthy-sneaky approach.  Know the 10 oz clip bombs will get to 40' with no problem and with far less grief than costly lead core.
               Bombs will make turning easier and faster compared to turning 10 cores (300-400' line).  Maneuvering back to the last lump of bait where a strike occurred is going to go a lot quicker too!  Less numbers of Kings requires special ops & tactics!

2/11/19  World debut of our new 2019 Inline Planer Boards.  Price point is excellent at 29.95 with Fishy Alert Flag and center pin HD red release.  Compare at twice the price and more.  Similar to Church and Offshore boards.  Fit & finish on these boards is top-notch!
              This is our last roll out for 2019.  Several new items have been added.  We go to great lengths on our webstore to explain what's sold.  50 years of fishing the Great Lakes, means I know tackle and how to use it.  No brag, just fact!  Click for 2019 tackle
                          Update notes: not marking fish? weather upswing.

2/10/19  Date with time stamp for the last 2 years in April and early May results in water from 20' to 40' deep close to the shore.  Lines in the water for about 3 hours.  15 hours of lines in the drink yielded 13 fish with most of the catch being spring Kings 36" or longer.

2/9/19  Time stamped photos is a convenient way to collect data for me.  Exact time and dates keeps the 1000s of fish pics displayed on the website for the past 19 years.
              Need to chase down the times of when we caught spring Kings last season.  Proving to you middle of the day Kings can be caught in April and early May.
              On 5/7/18 we caught a jumbo in the Stealth Snap Swivel photo that bit around 6pm, because the photo is time stamped at 18:20, or 6:20pm. Click for 6pm King

2/8/19  6-7 weeks from now is the earliest window for my maiden voyage of 2019.  The weeks are ticking by at a fast pace with spring approaching.
             Added a new Stealth Snap and Swivel setup to the webstore.  Used this configuration the last couple years as a stopper for Slide Divers.  This year will be using it with my bomb rods.  You have to have a swivel, because early fishing is done in close to the beach where there can be a lot of debris.  A leaf, or a weed can make massive line twist.
             My early fishing will be in 5' to 15' of water just off the beach in hopes of a few Browns.  Manistee's Brown fishery fell of the cliff numbers-wise.  16 years ago you could count on limit catches.  Now, 3, or 4 is a helluva catch. Click Sneaky Snap Swivels

2/7/19  Took the long way around the mountain in yesterday's chat.  First off, it's hard to be comfortable with the reel truth.  So, I'm not going to paint a rosy picture on how many Kings there are.  My estimation, born out by the data from the Little Manistee Harvest Weir say we have 15 to 20% of the Kings we had 10 years ago.
             That's why your presentation has to be perfect and very stealthy to pry bites out of the spring Kings we have at our central Lk. MI ports in April and early May.  After the easy first-light bite has dried up ...you're faced with the tough nut to crack. 
              I have time stamped photos proving we did respectable in full-sun conditions in the later mornings, or middle of the afternoon.  This was accomplished with long 80' to 100' leads in every instance with our Salmon Buster™ spoons in 20' to 40' of water
              To me "respectable" is about a King per hour with lines in the water.  2, 3 or 4 Kings is a fine trip when you consider the size is way up.  It's takes a good 20 minutes to land a 15-20 lb. springer.  That means a lot of my water time is spent dealing with fish on.
              My trips tend to be around 3 hours with lines in the water.  I don't fish till the cows come home due to my commitment to same day tackle order fulfillment.

2/6/19  Metrics of scale when it comes to Great lakes fishing is one helluva mass of water.  My spring program covers from the surface (out 80'-100' to each side) and from the surface down to 40'.  This cube measures 100' back, 200' wide, by 40' deep that equals 800,000 cubic feet of water.  That's huge chunk of wet reel-estate!
            I'm not too swift in math, used the calculator located at: Ginifab.com
Posted the above link to prove the whopping 800k number is right on.  That's 598,400 gallons of water you're sifting thru on your troll path that's totally mind boggling.
            What's even more astounding is looking for the magical 2'-3' of cubic water that's holding the fish you're after.  This is the proverbial needle in the haystack!
            Conceptualizing exactly what your spread is covering leads to success by not missing overlooked zones of reel-fish holding water.  The expanse of our Great Lakes is enormous and the way we fish it has to be too!  Click troll path diagram

2/5/19  Posted a diagram of my early season program for big Kings close to the beach in 20'-40' of water.  A lot of thought went into this that will be discussed in great detail soon.
             We're gaining a good 20 minutes of daylight ever week as spring gets ever closer.  Long range weather looks more normal since Nanook took his igloo and moved back north.
             Most all of the snow we had got knocked down by rain to only a smidgen of what we had.  Greatest relief was to see the snow load on my roofs diminish.
                P.S.  Mr. Groundhog predicted an early spring a few days ago!

2/4/19  Today is the official launch of our Salmon Buster™ Bombs made to replace lead core and expand your spread.  Lead core does not hold up over time.  The lead breaks, leaving a sharp edge that will fray the out Dacron.  Used weights like these since 1988.
             Know I can get the depths dialed in for the early late April-early May King fishery at central Lk. MI ports.  Now, boards are mini downriggers where we control the depth.
             I'm fascinated with our early big Kings.  They're tough nut to crack up in 20'-40' of water.  Closest hit/strike/bite I've had has been about 80' from the boat.  With the best rods being Slide Divers on long leads.  Will being gathering data to share with those who purchase on what to expect for depth at 2.5 mph.  Click SB Bombs
            Beauty of the bombs is the depth search these weights provide on turns.  This is part of the answer at all times of the year when temp is high and the fish are spooky.  Looking forward to carpet bombing the fish this spring in a huge way!

2/3/19  Today's featured pic is very busy explaining a simple device to release your net I first seen in 1984, as a cub charter skipper out of Harbor Beach for spring Kings.
             Having a net release keeps the net bag from drifting under the fish during the crucial time to capture your foe (i.e. Mr. Fish).  Learned a "Stay Tie" at the bottom of the net made it easier to locate the deepest part of the webbing.  Click to Purchase
             Plus, the "Stay Tie" releases  a bunch easier than putting the bare net into the jaws of the release.  As a bonus, this release manages your net when the wind blows. 
Feel free to copy in case you can make your own.  Try it ...you'll like it!

2/2/19  Ground Hog Day is folk lore at it's finest invented back in 1840 by German communities in Pennsylvania.  This pre-dates modern meteorological data by a longtime.
             OK, if Mr. G Hog sees it's shadow, we have 6 more weeks of winter.  Which sounds like a grand bargain to me after last week's Nanook of the North igloo temps.
              If he does not see his shadow a early spring is forecast.  Either way it's entirely possible I could be splashing my boat in 8 weeks or less.
              Looking forward to the 2019 season with great anticipation.  Have a lot of on the water testing/data to collect that will be the focus of this Monday's chat.

2/1/19  We just completed the longest, darkest and coldest month of winter.  February is a short month that brings us ever closer to the 2019 season.
             Looks like Mr. Winter has punched himself out for a while with a lot better weather this weekend.  Winter is laying low for a few days.  You can bet he'll be back!
             Spent most of this week working behind the scenes working on my webstore with loads of new tackle for 2019.  Look for several new products that directly pertain to the early season fishery.  Best part is? ...everything we sell, I've used for a long time.

1/31/19  Posted a photo of the snow we've had dumped on us this week at my place in Manistee, MI. Before last weekend there was hardly any snow.  US Mail cancelled service due to weather that only happens in rare events.  Click Manistee snow
                       My snowometer now stands at 70" for the season.

1/30/19  A 4 year old adult King Salmon will travel a very conservative 70,080 miles based on 2 mph during the course of it's life span.  Salmon years transposed people years makes a 4 year old King a good 60 in homo sapiens years.
              A King surviving to a 4 year old adult by natural selection, or by sheer luck the predators in the estuary where it was born.  This fish as a fingerling, has avoided gulls and cormorants and anything large enough to eat it on it's way to becoming an adult.
Then, place itself in a location-situation with plenty of bait to grow 5 pounds a year.
              Let's not forget, these fish have managed to avoid all manners of lure presentation from the Lk. MI Salmon fleet that ply the waters in force from May thru Sept.
              This is why I'm fascinated with our early late April-early May shallow water 20' to 40' inshore Kings that I consider ultra spooky.  Are these port residents that have always been there that the fleet neglected?  ...more on this in the future.

1/29/19  Snow day, too much snow on my satellite dish that has my connection speed down to a crawl.  Will clean off the dish later this afternoon when the snow slows.
     My snowometer now stands at 60" for the season (close 20" this week!).

1/28/19  If you live in a state that surrounds the Great Lakes you know it's going to be very cold and snowy this week.  Most days will not make it out the single digits.  Add in for good measure sub-zero low temps.  Mr. Winter has finally woke up.
              Good news is? ...this coming Saturday is going to be above freezing ...with maybe some rain predicted to knock some of the snow depth down.
              Even better news is next Saturday is Ground Hog Day that looks like clouds and overcast.  So, Mr. G Hog will not see his shadow.  Signaling an early spring.  If you believe in folk lore?  Even 6 more weeks of winter after Ground Hog Day sounds fine to me.
              New 2019 tackle discussion starts tomorrow with motivating factors.

1/27/19  Licensed my new Swellpro Spry drone with the FAA for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).  The fee was 5 bucks for 3 years.  There several common sense restrictions.  The FAA has an app that tells you where it's OK to fly.
               There's registration numbers that must go on the drone for identification. Smudged these out in today's photo so no one can copy and use my license.
               This new drone is limited by it's software to fly no more than 200 meters high and 800 meters away from the controller.  If remote radio contact is lost, the drone will return to where it last took off from GPS coordinates ...I hope?
               This drone is made to land and take off from water and can do an underwater flip to right itself in case of bad landing.  The auto "follow me" the controller command and "orbit" around the boat will be interesting to view.  Click drone certificate
                One of my biggest concerns is how are the seagulls going to react to a buzzing machine with 4 high speed propellers invading their air space.
                Onboard remote controlled 4K Ultra HD camera has 90 degrees of adjustment and can look down in the water.  Seeing what we do from above is going to be awesome!

1/26/19  Plowed a good foot of snow yesterday.  More coming on Monday.  My guesstimation snowometer now stands at conservative 42" for this season. lead balls

1/25/19  The Polar Express has landed in northern MI.  Most snow of the year, have about 6-8 inches on the ground.  Single digits predicted to last into next week.
              Shot the 1st leg of my inline planer board YouTube video and some of the my audio from behind the cam is unacceptable.  Learned acoustics of a room great effects sound output after doing 2 audio successful tests in the office.  Then, moved to shop, a larger area and once again audio continues to be my biggest hurdle.

1/24/19  Video update for today that fits in with my interest in drones capturing aerial footage.  Visually explaining subject matter from an overhead view makes your point very quickly.  Today's video is from the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy doing work on a boardwalk, fishing pier and a viewing deck in Arcadia, MI.

Click for this video      Click for more info

I have donated to their causes before and see this as a win-win for everyone.  In case you're not familiar with Arcadia? ...just N of this small town on Lk. MI is one of the most scenic views of Lk. MI on M22 on one of the many high sand bluffs that dominate this area.

1/23/19  Extending the 2 for 1 White Lightning Spoon Special till the end of this month.  You'll receive a 4.0 and 4.65 Salmon Buster™ for only 9.95. Click to Purchase
              Motivation to get started on the in-line planers video is in short supply.  Shooting the video is the EZ part.  It's the time spent editing that's holding me back.
              Have several new pieces of tackle at bargain prices to add to the webstore.  Goal is to have 25% of my yearly sales in tackle from other manufacturers. 

1/22/19  First month of winter 2018-2019 is over.  Up until a few days ago it's been very mild with hardly any snow.  Only plowed once and that was to clean up my highway approach that really didn't need it.  This was more to check out the plow truck.
              Third-fourth week of January is usually the coldest part of winter that's proven true to form again.  Long range says single digits low till the end of this month.  Just don't want to see Lk. MI frozen over that slows the food chain.
              Working on a new video about in-line planers.  Look for new product debut!

1/21/19  Brrrrr.....!  12° below zero at my place in Manistee County, MI last night.  This the coldest it's been in the last couple-three years.  More inland MI cities like Gaylord and Cadillac had it much colder.  Hopefully, the Nanook express will leave soon.
              The key to yesterday's chat was "moving part" are likely to fail sooner, or later.  Having cheap replacement parts aboard like reel pawls will save you grief and time.  Having pawls fail in the charter business when the rod's in a customers hand never shows itself until all the line has built-up on one side of the reel and jams the spool tight.

1/20/19  Today's featured photo is pretty much self explanatory.  It shows a worn reel pawl that rides on the worm gear for the level wind mechanism.  Over time, this moving part will fail at the least opportune time.  Like when a big King is peeling a ton of drag.  This is a cheap reel part (about a buck) is needed to have on-hand.  Click reel pawl
              The worm gear/pawl does need lube from time to time.  Lube will attracts dirt.  Dirt wears out the pawl.  Please note the chrome worn off the level wind cover from my years as a charter boat skipper.  Charter use is 10 to 1 over sport fleet's time on the water.
              Interesting side bar to today's chat is the level wind is purely an American invention.  Reel shown in the pic is a Diawa 47H that debuted back in the mid 1980s.
             This was a bullet proof reel made when Japan was targeting our US fishing industry that served as a road map for China to do the same.  In 1985 Diawa 47H's were dumped on our market at less than 30 bucks a reel.  Below what it cost Diawa to produce.  This is called buying market share.  Which Japan and China have done very successfully!

1/19/19  Posted a pic of the low-cost drone purchased off Amazon for under 80 bucks.  This is a piece of junk to control.  The 720p video cam is next to useless if the drone is moving, the processor cannot keep up and you get blurry/fuzzy video. Click for drone
              I paid the price of admission and now know the only way to go is with a fully waterproof drone.  Swellpro Spry is waterproof and can shoot video below the surface.  Drawback is the cost pushes a grand with extra batteries.  This is a decision I'm going to think long and hard about before purchasing.

1/18/19  Have the new drone assembled and ready to fly.  Paired the controller for preflight.  Having 4 extra propellers don't instill a lot of pilot confidence.  It's more like waiting for the big crash to happen.  Learned some important things along the way.
              If a drone weighs more than .55 a pound it needs to be registered with the FAA.  You need near perfect conditions with little to no wind.  Flight time is around 7 minutes for the 70 buck starter drone that's limited by about a 100 meters from the controller.
             Quality drones start at $500 for extended flight time and distance.  Do know the visuals provided from the drone will be priceless to my fishing videos.

1/17/19  Purchased a starter drone with a 720p movie camera.  The possibilities are endless on what a view from a drone can show us.  Hovering over a surface spoon? ...it's within the realm of possibilities we could see the fish attack the lure.  Seen enough seagulls tracking my surface baits on the beach to know this could happen.
               Biggest benefit will be aerial panoramic views of how we fish.  Overhead video will add dimension and scope boat based cams can't.  New drone should be here today.
               Tune in tomorrow to read about the big crash when the drone goes rogue and takes for parts unknown after losing the remote control signal.  Amazon said it was OK for those 14 and up.  This is good, and suits my beginner skills just fine.  Which are none!

1/16/19  Went back in my archived Capt. John's Logs from 2016, 2017 and 2018 to gather data on when Kings can be caught at central LK. MI ports (Ludington, Manistee & Frankfort).  It seems the last week of April into the first 10 days of May was best.
              2017 and 2018 inshore shallow water Kings (30'-50') are gaining prominence by the end of April.  Meaning by then, ...the lake had warmed up enough to bring bait in from the main body along with some spring Kings.  Heavy on the word some, not in droves.
              Have set this time frame aside to do some serious fishing in 2019 with a new untested spread that should multi-purpose rods and eliminate having to pull cores and half cores.  I will revisit today's chat in May with the outcome from this year.  Fun part will be proving my gut feeling will change the way I fish for the better.

1/15/19  Sharing with you my favorite fish photo I took on May, 7, 2018.  This respectable King was caught around 4pm in full sun conditions on 4.0 XG Bluetail Salmon Buster™ spoon.
              This productive pattern was designed by Chip Cartwright from Silver Streak spoons.  I believe in giving credit, where credit is do. Click for this photo
              Having this pic as a close-up shows the grain in the skin on this big guy's head.  Note the eye looking down, these eyes will move to watch you, which is kind of eerie.
              This fish was caught in about 35' of water at 2.5 mph troll speed on our 20# test mono Slide Diver rod 70' ....behind the s diver.

1/14/19  Today and tomorrow will be above freezing and that's about as warm as you can expect for Manistee, MI at this time of the year.
               Task at hand is to Mamba-ize (paint) a couple of 100 Salmon Buster™ spoons before the weather turns bitter towards this weekend.
               Thus far, this winter has not been particularly harsh with several days above freezing.  Hopefully, it will stay mild and keep some spring Kings at reach of the early (April-May) fleet at central Lk. MI ports. Dealing with spring Kings at or, over 20 pounds in close to the beach (waters 30'-40' deep) is enough to peak anyone's interest.

1/13/19  Been looking at drones to capture the way we fish in the spring with planer boards.  Seeing the wide cut of our trolling pattern would enhance any video.
              Then, slept on it and realized this is a nightmare waiting to happen.  Launch would be no big deal.  Retrieving a quadcopter with spinning blades could sure raise hell with your fishing buddy when you tell him to catch it.
              Why put your fishing buddy in charge of the dangerous one-hand in mid air landing?  Reel reason is I'm not that stupid, but I'd tell him somebody has to drive it.

1/12/19  Today's topic is the plan.  All of our major sports have a plan.  Catcher goes to the mound, football they huddle before each play and basketball time outs are called.
              Same goes for fishing, because without a plan that can be adjusted on the fly you're hoping for luck to save you.  I have a plan for new tackle that will work. 
             Used this method before with great success.  Now, I have to fine tune-it for central Lk. MI shallow spring Kings.  Keeping in mind, we don't have all that many in the first place.  So, this means a more stealthy approach that will help.  New products on the way!

1/11/19  Took a picture of the new 2019 X-Glow 4.0 Salmon Buster™ spoons.  The top shows under normal shop lights.  Bottom is charged up with normal shop lights. 
               Bottom pic was not enhanced in anyway, including the use of a black light.  Which would have glowed even more.  Why? ...I didn't have to. Click 4.0 spoons
               Great thing about having glow molded into your tackle?  It will never wear off, or lose it's glow properties.  Making this a grand bargain for at least the next 10 years!

1/10/19  Good news is 1/3 of our longest, darkest, coldest month January 2019 is done.   Been extra busy with new tackle.  So, this time has went by like a flash.
              Please note in the rods and reels photo each reel has a stirrup/reel clamp.  This takes negates the pressure of the reel seat that extends the life of the rod. 
              The white rods in this photo were purchased in the mid 1990s when I ran spring charters out of Saugatuck, MI in the month of May. Click rods & reels
              These are one piece 7' fiberglass rods that have caught tons of fish.  Tons is not an exaggeration when you're catching 150-200 pounds of fish on each charter!

1/9/19  There's some kind of evolution of our Great lakes Kings going on.  I've caught 1000s of King Salmon over the years and see a stronger far more picky fish.
             Brought this up, because the best thing we have going for an early season fishery in central Lk. MI has been Kings with very few Browns in April and May.
             This I do know: the past few years have not caught a big early season King in Manistee, of Ludington without a long lead from the boat.  I figure 80' from the boat in 30' to 40' of water is the closest I can remember.
             There's a wide disparity going back to the 1970s, when even in shallow water 25' to 30' ...Kings were not shy about hitting baits there were a lot closer to the boat.
             Do have some ideas/products that will be tested this spring to deal with nowadays spooky spring Kings in a few months.   

1/8/19  In today's featured photo please note how full I fill my reels with line.  Full spools means more line-in per turn of the handle.  Leave about a skinny 1/8" between the pawl, level wind mechanism to allow for line swell once mono gets wet. Click rods & reels
            It's not necessary to strip the reel down to the axel of the spool.  I leave some line on, then bloodknot new line on top.  Make sure the spool revolves off  the top, to wind in on top of the reel.  This way the line is already trained to lay flat.
            One thing about fishing line? ...sooner, or later you're definitely going to need more.  It's inexcusable to use worn out line that cost you lost tackle and lost fish!

1/7/19  New line for 2019 is ready to go at my online tackle store.  Triple Fish mono in 15, 20, 25, and 30# test is a steal at 24.99 a 1 pound spool.  Know this price will be going up 5 bucks in the near future according to AFW who now owns Triple Fish.
             I've used 50# test Triple Fish mono for the last 10 years to make our meat rigs and trolling flies with no complaints.  Used 30, 25, 20, and 15# test on my boat with no breakage.  So, know this is first-rate line from using it aboard.  Click to Purchase

1/6/19  Whirlwind of activity for 2019 in the tackle shop this weekend.  Everything in today's photo I've used for at least the last 10 years.  Click line, line & more line
             Please note the coffee colored 7 strand 30# stainless steel wire in this pic.  7 strand provides the ultimate best depth performance compared to the woven 49 strand.  Coffee, or camo color SS wire is slightly thinner (.012-.010") than the bright finish.

1/5/19  New 2019 Magnum Meat Heads and replacement 4.0 Salmon Buster™ spoons will be in-house today.  This late arriving inventory was ordered last November.
             Have several new 2019 items for this season, as we expand the tackle selection at my webstore.  Today will be spent sorting/organizing the new 2019 tackle.

1/4/19  Today's chat is about a quick change knot.  Let's say you're lucky enough to get out for the Lk. MI early season shoreline fishery for Brown Trout, or spring Kings.
             You've been tight to the beach for 3 hours and the only you have is a great boat ride with beautiful scenery and knowing you're not cooped up inside.  5' to 10' of water on the beach is where my 1/2 oz bead chain sinkers shine.  Click loop knot on keel weight
             Now, you're faced with the dilemma to slide offshore a little deeper in the 15' to 30' depths in hopes of a salvaging the trip with a few bites. Click how to tie loop knot
             Deeper water requires more weight to get your lure down deeper and this is where the 1, 1 1/2, and 2 ounce weights come into play.  By using a double overhand loop that threads over the weights you can easily swap out both ends of the knots in a hurry.

1/3/19  Your rod and reel is the driveline to the fish and requires to be in top notch shape.  Rods spend over 90% of their time is some form of storage.  Rod tips take a beating when stowed and at some point in their life rod tips will need to be replaced.
            A must have is ferrule cement (red tube in photo).  This is a hot melt glue that's used in archery too.  Melt this glue with a match, then slip your replacement rod tip on. This glue sets as it cools.  Dousing glued area in cold water speeds up this process.
            It best to have spare rod tips aboard for instant fixes.  There are no tackle store floating on Lk. MI.  So, have this gear on the boat. Click rod work fixes
            Multi use ferrule cement was used to glue down the clear line counter lens on the Diawa SG 47 too.  These are very serviceable reels I've had since the 1990s.

1/2/19 2019 is the year of the pig according to the Chinese calendar.  Hopefully, this foretells even bigger Kings in this brand new season!
           Yesterday's project was to rig planer board rods with 15# test mono.  15# is a good trade off for stained inshore waters with strength to land 20# spring Kings ...if needed.
           Many things going on in today's photo as 15# test mono planer board rods are being rigged.  Doing this job well before season means it's done right.  Click rod work fixes

1/1/19  Happy New Years Day!  Hoping for a great 2019 season for all!!

Continued below back to the year 2000: