Archived Daily Log 
(Dating back to the year 2000)

6/30/20  Set a record for April, May and June.  This is a record I'd rather not have.  Not catching a Salmon, or Trout from the Great Lakes in these 3 months is reel-bad.
               I'll try to craft tomorrow's chat to explain why.  Think will resonate with all that struggling to run small businesses in the age of the deadly China virus.  Have to keep reminding myself I'm not Superman and can only do what outside forces allow.

6/29/20  Manistee County Sport Fishing Association's Budweiser Pro/Am fishing event was held this past weekend.  Looks like 63 boats entered this tournament.  About 1/2 weighed in a King.  Big King was almost 26 pounds.  Big Lake Trout was 21.65 lbs.  No Brown Trout were caught in this 2 day do that goes back to the 1980s. Click tourney results
             The MCSFA is to be commended on their efforts to keep this a safe event with no crowds, sequestered 2 + 2 person weight-in and virtual captains meeting  

6/28/20  Sunday is a day of rest, or at least it should be.

6/27/20  Have a great weekend.  Recent China virus uptick in Manistee, MI and in the S and W is our own fault by not wearing masks in public places.  I get it.  Masks are not comfortable, but neither is being deathly ill.  USA with 5% of the world's population accounts for 25% of the virus worldwide.  This is on those being stupid by not wearing masks and spreading this sickness.  Shame is masks have became a political issue and not a way to prevent an ongoing public health care crisis.  Please wear a mask!

6/26/20  Net in the 10s S of Manistee, MI is said to have been pulled.  This could have been a test net and that's not good.  Test nets are gill nets that kill everything.  So, with this net being gone? ...fishing will improve in the area. 10s are the Guerney Creek area.
               Called my Ludington contact to see if there's a commercial net tug docked in this harbor.  This will foretell where possible new nets could go in.
               Info posted is reliable, but not my eyes-on confirmation.  Please navigate carefully and beware of flag staff buoys and hard to see bleach bottle markers.

6/25/20  Afternoon white water postponed my Lk. MI trip to locate and mark the trap net in the 10s S of Manistee, MI.  There's always more wind in the afternoon as land heats up and pulls cooler wind off the lake.  There's no way I can go in the mornings.
              Encouraging fishing reports from the MDNR about Kings starting to show up at Big Point Sable.  Heard rumors of scattered Kings off Manistee too.
              To view the statewide fishing report that's always a good read: Click here.
This is a great sample of what's going on statewide.  Bait (alewives) off the UP's Port of Manistique, MI looks enticing for a fun road trip.  If only I had the time?

6/24/20  Going to try to get the exact coordinates on the net in the 10s S of Manistee, MI today.  Most important is to find the king anchor that lays W of the last flag buoy.
               Heavy on the word try.  Busier that a bee just keep my head above water filling and shipping orders.  Stock is low in several areas too.  Considering closing the shop around the 4th of July so we can concentrate on rebuilding our inventory.

6/23/20  You know, Salmon fishing isn't all that tough when there's a food source for them as today's featured sonar image shows.  Fish are not going to leave their cupboard and go on a trip to nowhere without reason.  Click sonar with marks
               Tom M sent in this pic.  He's solo fishing out of the S end of Lk. MI.  His catches have been 60/40 with Coho taking the lead with some nice sized Kings.
               Next time you think you suck at Salmon catching as I often do, remember you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  Meaning no bait, fishing is just a crap shoot.

6/22/20  Best fishing reports are coming from the S end of Lk. MI.  Limits Kings and Coho are the norm.  Alewives are stacked up.  Making for a feeding frenzy.
              Tom M sent in today's featured photo.  His hot Salmon Buster™ spoon has been the HRP 2, or with the gold belly.  He's been running this on a 100' of copper and the fish are hitting it on the way out, even before it's set.  Click for spoon and catch
              Solo fisherman, Tom's personal best Coho at 11 pounds came on this setup.  By late August an 11 pounder could easily be over 14 depending on food sources.
               Lots of Salmon and bait still in the S end of Lk. MI? ...normally the fish have moved N by this time of the season.  Guess there's no such thing as "normally" anymore.

6/19/20  Have a great Father's day weekend.  Need to catch up to a lot of loose ends.  Will be back Monday, or sooner with regular daily updates.

6/18/20  Notice to Manistee mariners: be extra careful when trolling south of Manistee, MI in the 10 numbers.  Staff buoys marking the net are easy to see.  The king anchor buoy which extends out from from the pot is not.  King anchor can be several hundred feet from any markers.  Inshore depths on trap nets generally begin in 50' to 70' and run out to plus 130'.  It remains to be seen when I have the time to get the exact coordinates.
             You can successfully avoid and fish around trap nets with the right amount of caution.  Don't know what port this commercial operation is running out of yet and how many more nets there will be.  If you're in this area? ...found taking pictures of the GPS numbers at the buoys was the easiest way to mark and, then, share them.
             There is an upside to trap nets, they grow plankton over time.  This in turn, attracts bait.  And we all know bait is a major ingredient to a successful trip.

6/17/20  There's a net in the 10s south of Manistee.  3 staff buoys were spotted by Capt. Lance Keene from Steelhead Hunter Charters.  Depths have not been marked, or exact locations of the staff buoys.  Rumor is native American that is a convicted sex offender was released from prison and is resuming commercial trap net fishing operation.  He was sentenced to 5 to 15 years back in 2013. Click for more info

6/16/20  Last Sunday's fishing trip was not meant to be.  Invited Wayne J came down with the stomach flu.  So, this was a no-go from the git.
               Here's a tip you might find worthy:  Not being off the dock for a few days from a blow in my charter days (1983-2003) trusted my sonar to tell the reel-story.  If we sat down in a place with no mark and no fish?  ...was careful not to put down a full spread.
              If we didn't get bit in the 1st 10 minutes and nobody around us was catching?  Pull and move 3-4 miles and trust the sonar to mark fish.  Nothing there in spot 2?  We moved again until we found a better area that was marking fish and bait.
              So, before you commit, rely on your sonar before you sit.  Hoping to get lucky did not keep me in the charter business for 20 years.

6/15/20  Strong possibility to sneak away this for a few hours this afternoon for small lake fishing.  Hamlin Lake sits inland from Big Point Sable and is fed by the Sable River that was dammed up.  This place is noted for large Bluegills and they eat as good as perch. 
              There's only 3 hours on the 60 hp 4 stroke Suzuki purchased last winter.  Time to put some break-in hours on it and maybe catch a meal, or two.  Technology of modern outboards is awe inspiring compared to the first OB I owned in 1965, an Evinrude 40 hp.
             Should have some reports how the fleet fared from this past weekend tomorrow.

6/14/20  Plan was to fish today, but work comes first.  Especially, in today's hard hit economy.  Built a reputation on fast shipping and it's going to stay that way.
              I'm in a unique situation with my shop being attached to home.  Used to call in extra help when necessary.  The China virus put a stop to that.
              Manistee for the most part has been spared with only 11 confirmed cases and no fatalities.  That could change in an instant with MI seeing a 25% increase lately.  This disease is a long ways from being conquered.  115k and counting have died from this virus.

6/13/20  Boat prep for tomorrow's Lk. MI trip out of Manistee.

6/12/20  T.G.I.F.  Have a wonderful weekend.  Hopefully, I'll have a hands-on fishing report for you soon.  Lk. MI looks to be on it's best behavior this weekend.

6/11/20  Storms with high winds have kept me on Generac home power system since 4am yesterday.  Storms have effected my internet satellite dish too.  Making it difficult to process orders and print labels.  Getting ready for this weekend to fish Lk. MI.
             There's been over 3000 outages in N MI effecting 160k customers.  So, I'm not in this boat alone.  Consumers Power does not cut-back the tree/forest line where I live.
             Hoping this blow stacked up some bait off my home Port of Manistee.  Without bait, looking for catchable numbers of Kings is next to impossible.  Unless you run into a few lost straggler Kings looking for their next meal.  While I'm looking for them!

6/10/20  Gale warnings on LK. MI today is going to reshuffle the deck for all central Lk. MI ports.  This is the 1st blow with warm water.  S at over 50 mph changing to SW should shift the bait N.  It's going to take awhile to see how this plays out, but calmer winds this weekend should give the fleet more opportunities for Kings.
              Good reports from Leland today.  The charter fleet had 4 to 10 Kings per boat.  This is the best news from this port, during this time frame, in a longtime.
              4:30am Supplemental: wind storm has effected several areas including mine with no electricity.  I'm on my Generac home power system that was a wise investment.

6/9/20  It's not your fault drives home the reel-fact ...when you're not catching Kings is: because there's none under your boat.  Today's electronics and meat that will pull mid-day bites underlines when Kings are scarce.  Seen this last week when there was no bait.
            There are large schools of Alewives still anchored in S Lk. MI.  King Salmon are not going to leave their food source to swim away from it, for no good reason.  Please keep today's chat in mind the next time you come back to the dock with no fish.

6/8/20  "Capt. John, Me and the kids hit East Tawas this time on Saturday we ended getting 2 Lakers on 1 fishin pole.  This is the first for me. We ended up with 7 Lakers using your gold bullet 4" spoons again and 2 walleye's on the white (x-glow) ghost busters 4" spoon.  We had a great time on the water again." Capt. Jack. Click for this photo

Important part of today's guest update is not about the Salmon Buster™ spoons on the good ship, Minnie's Money, skippered by Capt Jack.  It's about making fishing a family affair and having a wonderful time with the youngsters while enjoying our Great Lakes!

6/7/20  Guest update today from Tom M out of E Chicago, IN:

"The Lakers love this spoon.  Caught 5 Lakers on this spoon on a downrigger looking for kings. The kings are few out of E Chicago.  There were a few boats that caught two or more out of the ditch, but I launched out of East Chicago and didn't feel like making that run early this morning. Coho are still hanging around down in 65' foot of water out of E Chicago.  Lots of bait in spots. I'm going to go a little further E tomorrow. Have a good night & like the masks. Thanks Tom M." Click Ghostbuster SB 4.65 Lake Trout

6/6/20  Some take ways not mentioned on my 1st Lk. MI trip of the season begins with as strong N bound current along Manistee's shelf.  Surface temp was 66° with the thermocline that was down around 50'.  If the wind/wave direction was not from the NW? I'd have setup in 50' of water to know I didn't run past the fish.
             Manistee's shelf 100'-150' is either hot, or cold, not much middle ground.  With the Kings being scattered down to St. Joe, it's more luck than skill locating fish.

6/5/20  Fished out of Manistee yesterday early evening from 6pm till 8pm.  This was my first trip of the 2020 season on Lk. MI.  Reason for a short trip? ...wife became ill and there was no need to push her towards seasick misery.
             It's amazing how good a GM 350 V8 runs when all cylinders are firing.  Found a bad spark plug last fall and did a complete tune-up.  Starts a lot easier too.
             Fished from the 16s S to the high 13s in 100'-150' and didn't mark enough fish to feed a hungry barn cat.  Boats that fished the morning shift did decent on Kings.

6/4/20  Out with the old and in with the new as my new 2020 boat launch sticker gets installed in my truck.  Looks like the stars have lined up for an afternoon trip.  1st of the season on Lk. MI out of my home Port of Manistee, MI.  Click launch ramp pass

6/3/20  Bits and pieces on the status of the 2020 early season on Kings says 15 to 20 pound fish are being caught up and down the MI coast.  From St. Joe to central Lk. MI some fish are being caught which is an improvement over last year at this time.
             Still recuperating from yesterday's heavy work load of orders.  Generally, the 1st part of any month tends to be slow with orders picking up in mid month.
             Work is keeping me onshore and that's OK.  Don't relish the idea of solo events with a light 3 rod spread.  Used to running 6 rods that allows for some error.  Cut that in half and you're relying a lot more on luck than skill.

6/2/20  Squashed with tackle orders today.  Catch you tomorrow.

6/1/20  Word has filtered back to me about the floating logs and debris on Lk. MI from the high water causing beach erosion.  Common sense says navigate when you can see what's in front of you.  Traveling in the dark carries a risk. Click Lk MI log
            I got tangled up with a submerged 30' tree last summer that was major grief.  Only thing that was sticking up was a tiny branch and that's not much warning.
            With Wayne J's help we were able to free ourselves in about a hour.  Amazing thing was we never lost a lure, or a cannon ball that snagged our whole spread.

5/31/20  From pushing 90° to last night's frost warning in the matter of a few days shows how messed up the weather is.  Cold fall, fairly mild winter and a cold spring has been a roller coaster ride that's starting to wear thin. Click Tippy Pond scenery
              Scenery photo of Tippy Pond could have been snapped anyplace.  Did see a few off the grid campsites for those who traveled in by boat.  What a wonderful way to get away from it all was my take on the secluded campers enjoying MI woods and waters.

5/30/20  Spent about 3 hours on Tippy Pond yesterday.  Scenery is flat out gorgeous with steep banks and some old growth pines. Click Tippy Pond scenery
               Was looking for panfish in the shallows in vain.  Everything we marked was in 20' to 30' of water and wasn't prepared to fish that deep.  Did test the troll control toggle switch on the Suzuki 60 hp that was extremely impressive.  Couple that, with an outboard motor you hardly can hear run makes last winter's purchase a winner so far.

5/29/20  Fishing today out of my 16 footer someplace.  Manistee Lake is supposed to be good for Bluegills, Crappie and Pike.  Might go there if the Tippy Pond launch is too busy.
               Still fascinated with Tippy Pond, the backwaters behind Tippy Dam.  Fished the Manistee River below Tippy for 20 years plus.  Investigating a new body of water that holds untold surprises is my likely spot for this afternoon.  Lk. MI sometime next week.
               Dropped off some free masks for the staff at Don's Sporting Goods when I purchased some bait.  Still have to visit Instalaunch and Tangled Tackle.
                                    Have a great weekend!

5/28/20  Working on new patterns/color selections to test.  All the stuff is on my Lk. MI boat and all systems are on go for my 1st trip of the season when the stars lineup.
               Been semi boxed in with my tackle business.  For now, until this China virus is behind us, I'm a one man army.  In the past, I'd call in extra help if there was a heavy workload.  This is a no-no now.  Because my shop is attached to my house.  To be safe, no one is entering my residence until there's a vaccine/cure for the virus.
               Business being down about 50% has kept me busy, not overwhelmed.  Orders are going out the door on time.  Enjoy my job, so the extra work is no big deal..

5/27/20  During the 1918 Flu Pandemic that killed 600k in the USA everyone wore masks.  Outdoor activities like baseball everyone in the stands had masks on.
              In this day and age of social media, that's really anti-social where conspiracy theories and mean things are said hiding behind a computer screen is pure B.S.
              Masks are not a political R, or D issue.  It's about showing others you care enough to keep them safe.  Not so in some circles who cite their rights not to wear face coverings.  It's their right not to, but not their right to infect others with the deadly China virus over hyper tribal politics.  If everyone wore masks when around others we could drive this virus into extinction.  This would benefit us all. Click 1918 Flu Pandemic masks
             My quest to get masks took almost 8 weeks.  Wanted to send masks to all that have fished with me aboard my 22' Sea Ray & family members.  Showing people you care carries a lot more weight than saying it. Click to purchase masks
             I will be donating some of my masks to all tackle shops in Manistee.  Don's, Instalaunch, and Tangled Tackle will be all getting free ones to protect their employees.

5/26/20  Limited fishing info to share with you.  Best I heard on Kings was MI City, IN with Coho in the mix too.  Pentwater was producing Kings according to 3rd hand passed down information.  Manistee, MI is hit and miss with boats struggling to find fish lately.
               Harbor Beach, MI on the Lake Huron side still has decent Lake Trout catches being reported. Click Lk. Huron Lakers Tomorrow the story behind the face masks.

5/25/20  Memorial Day 2020 is the day we set aside to honor our fallen heroes who have served in the armed forces going back to 1775 in Lexington & Concord, MA.
                Plan was to fish the backwaters of Tippy Dam, or Tippy Pond today.  Checked out the boat launch on Robinson Rd. and there was enough people there to make a Moses movie.  Will try again mid week and not on a holiday weekend.  Good news is? ...there wouldn't be that many boats unless they were catching fish.
                Michigan state record Walleye was caught in the Pine River that flows into Tippy Pond in 1951.  This monster 'eye weighed 17.15 pounds and was 35" long.

5/24/20  Vacation day for sure.  Making plans to fish inland with the 16' Grumman soon. Buying bait has been a issue.  Hope Pappy's in Wellston, MI is now open.

5/23/20  Have a great Memorial Day Weekend.  Going to take a few days off, like most of you and finish my garden.  This has been on hold since the 3-4 inches of rain we got that turned my property into a lake.  Rain amount came quickly and was not spread over time.
              This rain kept my boat in the pole barn, because the road out was to soft and didn't feel like repairing ruts.  Enjoy this holiday weekend and stay safe!

5/22/20   Fishing off Manistee, MI has been hit and miss.  Yesterday was mostly a miss. Info gathered from 4 boats: one boat had 2 Lakers, other 3 pulled zeros.  Previous day was supposed to be better.  Age old saying of, "you shoulda been here yesterday."
               After better then 6 weeks trying, finally was able to get face masks.  These are not KN95, or N95s that have been in short supply.  Incidentally, both are uncomfortable.
               Masks I'm offering are reusable and come with ten 2.5 parts per million filters.  They are adjustable and have a breathe valve like the medical grade N95s. 
               These are the most comfortable my wife and I have worn.  10 bucks apiece when you purchase 3 of them that's a reel-deal with fast shipping. Click face mask info

5/21/20  Posted a photo from Lake Huron's Port of Harbor Beach.  This is Team Minnie's Money skippered by longtime website member, Capt. Mad Jack.  Click for his team
              You see 3 of the 10 fish they caught, mostly Lake Trout.  What you don't see is the accident prior the trip that required stitches in Capt. Jack's noodle when he slipped off the boarding ladder ...bigtime ouch!  Hurts just thinking about it!!
              The recent word is the fish cleaning station in Manistee, MI is now open.

5/20/20  As of yesterday the fish cleaning station in Manistee, MI was closed.  Bathrooms are locked too.  All the launch docks are in and the kiosk is taking ramp fees.  Don't know if this fish cleaning facility will be open for the Memorial Day Weekend.
              There were only 2 boat trailers in the parking lot when I visited around 11am.
              Windfinder forecast is very favorable for the next week.  Good news for the holiday weekend fleet if they show up.  Click Windfinder forecast

5/19/20  Hit with orders that need to go out the door.  Focus today is to clear up this backlog and then, maybe, just maybe, can Hands Solo fish Lk. MI mid-week, hopefully!
               Enjoyed Capt. Jesse's photo of my White Lightning 12" flasher leading a Pacific Ocean King to the boat.  Jesse fishes out of Soldotna, AK, which the legendary Kenai River region.  While I might never get there? ...my tackle has.  Click for Jesse's pic

5/18/20  Forecast for our upcoming Memorial day Weekend is hard to believe.  High temperatures in the 80s? ...we haven't seen anything close to that in Manistee, MI since last year.  This will be the best weather of 2020 thus far!
              Lk. MI is supposed to play nice with light winds out of the E thru next Saturday when it will shift from the S light and variable into Sunday morning and pick up speed.
              Making plans for mid-week for a solo trip after I get my garden in.  Not being able to buy potatoes at the grocery store is going to fixed by growing my own.  I have about 10-12" of sandy black topsoil that's perfect for growing spuds.

5/17/20  Looked at the surface temp chart off Manistee, MI.  It was nothing special with a lot of 40-42° water on the surface.  For Manistee to have good King fishing in May?  ...there's generally a 6-8° temperature break that runs N to S along the shelf (dropoff).
              This temp brake ranges from 50° on the inside to the lower 40° out deep.
              Hoping this week's predicted warmer temps will raise the water temp.  As the way things currently look? ...I'm not missing much by staying on shore.

5/16/20  Today would have been a great day to fish Lk. MI out of my home port of Manistee.  Believe me, I considered it, but work comes first.  So, I'll be in the shop today.
               All things taken into account, my tackle business is off by about 50%.  That's good, because there's a lot of people in the fishing business not making a dime.
               There's no guarantee that you can sell any tackle with the downturn in the China virus economy.  That's why it's important for me take care of orders before fishing.
               In all honesty, just not to keen on the idea of hermit fishing.  A super big part of fishing is sharing the experience with like minded fishin' buds!

5/15/20  Mid-May and we're finally going to see some decent weather.  Spring 2020 has been chilly with daily high temps off a good 20°.  Next week we're well into the 70s.
               Charter skippers I've spoke with lately are running way behind on 2020 bookings.  This already hard business is being made impossible due to the China virus.
               It's a farce to believe flipping a switch will turn the economy back on.  The deal about opening up the economy is only going work? ...if consumers feel safe and that's hard to accomplish with 90,000 fatalities (and counting) and over a million infected.
               There's plenty of smart people working on a cure/vaccine for the China virus.  Patience, common sense, and science will lead us to a better place in the future!

5/14/20  Today's featured photo is from South Haven, MI of some of the King Salmon Capt. Dan A. took yesterday.  Here's what he had to say about our Ghostbuster spoon:

"Here’s a pic for you. Out of 11 hits your Ghostbuster spoon got 5 hits. 3 nice kings. Plus 5 Lakers and a Coho"  Click for pic verification & his hot spoon

Sounds to me like he needs more Ghostbuster Salmon Buster™ spoons.  Seeing  one Ghostbuster did almost half the damage.  Hummm? ...think I know where he can get some.

5/13/20  Backup cam focused to watch the rods is a noteworthy idea.  Unfortunately, the cam purchased was dirt cheap and only partially up to the job. Click backup cam
               There's no reverse image menu for the monitor.  View is opposite of what it should be, portside is displayed as the starboard side and there's no way to fix this.  The 5" monitor doesn't show a clear picture of what's going is another issue.
               Have another way to accomplish watching the rods with my hardtop GoPro 8 that will Bluetooth to my smart phone screen for a much clearer picture of what's going on behind my back for solo all by my lonesome fishing trips.  I can see the portside rods.  It's the rod, or rods on the starboard side that are hidden from my view.

5/12/20  Video update today on the maiden voyage of the 4 stroke Suzuki 60 hp on the 1997 Grumman tin boat.  Light boat, zero fumes, troll mode and lot's of power: Click water test video

5/11/20  Featured photo is my handheld GoPro 7 rig.  There's a analog to digital sound converter (wires under cam), Vivitar battery handle and a Rode mic.  This compact action cam is state of the art.  Color is perfect and sound system works like a charm.  |
              I used this setup to shoot the Suzuki 60 hp water test on Manistee Lake about a week ago.  The ability to make broadcast worth video is a small package is amazing.
              I'll post this video here in 640 by 360 pixels tomorrow.  For the full effect of how good this footage came out can only be appreciated at 1240 x 720 semi HD.  If you have a very fast connection speed?  Click for Manistee Lk. Suzuki water test

5/10/20  Happy Mother's Day!  More snow is predicted for this morning ...yuck!  This Wednesday is when the switch is turned on again for spring weather in the 60° range.
               In the process of installing a rear view (backup) cam on my 1979 22' Sea Ray.  Don't know if it will workout? ...but it's worth a try.  This for solo lone ranger fishing.  So, I can see behind me when at the helm monitoring position (GPS) and sonar. 
               Purchased this wireless camera off eBay for $31 shipped.  It has a 5" 640x480 color monitor.  Now, to see if it works watching the rods while I watch boat direction and keep an eye on the graph from the captain's chair facing forward.

5/9/20  A little warmer today after yesterday's high of 36° and snow flurries.  Enough to cover the ground at times.  This puts a major crimp in getting anything done outside unless you're part Eskimo.  Middle of next week forward looks a heck of a lot better.
            On 5/7/20 charter and guide fishing restrictions were lifted by MI Gov. Whitmer.  There's still safety measures in place for charter customers like having face shields and masks provided if 6' physical distancing is not possible according to what I read.

5/8/20  Happy Friday!  Better days are coming is what I telling myself about today's high temp in the 30° range.  None to keen about fishing by myself on Lk. MI.  Part of the joy of fishing is sharing the good and bad with fishing buds.  The good is always a little sweeter and the downer of a slow trip is cushioned by great conversation aboard.
            For me to go solo? ...the conditions have to be perfect with a calm Lk. MI.  My boat has a high gunnels up past my waist to limit the chance of falling overboard.  So, for me? ...it's going to be a wait and sea for the stars to line up for my 1st Lk. MI trip of 2020.

5/7/20  Going into a cold spell that's going to last until next Wednesday with temps about 20° below normal.  Just what we don't need as spring is supposed to be here.
             Hot Salmon fishing they had in the S end of Lk. MI came to an end with a big blow that muddied the waters around Chicago.  Hearing of a few Kings among Lake Trout at Frankfort and Ludington, MI.  This is good news for the early season angler.
             St. Joe and South Haven is producing some Kings and a few LTs.  Traditionally, these southern Lk. MI ports always do well in May.  That's the reason used to run May charters out of South Haven and Saugatuck from the mid 1990s thru 2002.

5/6/20  Major issues uploading new videos to my You Tube account was a waste of time. Trying to post the new video shot last Sunday on Manistee Lk. burned up a lot of the day.
             Did learn uploading is best during off-peak hours.  New video will be posted soon.
             Only people I saw last Sunday smart enough to practice physical distancing were the shore fishermen at Manistee's 9th Street boat launch.  When we arrived 3, or 4 cars were there.  All spaced several yards apart in small family groups.
             If you're looking for a broader understanding of our Lk. MI fishery? ...I highly recommend Sea Grant's recent Zoom meeting.  It's now posted on You Tube.
             I found most interesting was the baitfish and stomach contents study.  It is a lengthy presentation loaded with reel-facts.  Click for SW fisheries workshop

5/5/20  It's going to take an act from God, or a vaccine to save us from the China virus after what I saw last Sunday.  People, crowded standing in line to get ice cream at Manistee, MI Visitor's Center.  No masks, no gloves what-so-ever and only 2' apart?
             Out of the 30-40 people roaming about, only 2 had masks and gloves on.  This guarantees the virus will have a continuing reservoir to infect more people.  Guess the majority of those I saw ...had a choice not to care, or ...were too stupid to.
             Approx. 70,000 victims and counting that have already died from this pandemic no longer have choice, and that's a shame, and a terrible stain upon our USA.
              Far right protestors carrying assault weapons, swastikas, Confederate flags and nooses into our state's capital in Lansing MI last week is shocking and should never be allowed to happen again.  This is not who we are as a country.  We're better than that!

5/4/20  Yesterday, the water test on the 60 hp. went extremely well.  4 stroke Suzuki is very quiet and much more power than the 40 hp 2 cycle Evinrude it replaced.
             Troll mode option is worth every cent spent on it.  Think it was 70 bucks more.  Each bump of the toggle switch adds 50 rpms to control trolling speed.  Troll mode is a lot precise than fiddling with a hard to adjust throttle handle.  Click 60 hp Suzuki
             Did shoot video of this event on Manistee Lake that will be shared with you soon. It felt great to be on the water and enjoyed the boat ride immensely. 

5/3/20  Water testing my 16' Grumman with the new Suzuki 60 hp. 4 stroke today.  This is a state of the art fuel injected motor with a 50 rpm troll mode dial switch.  Will shoot video of this event to share with you.  70° yesterday at my place was flat-out wonderful!

5/2/20  It's a moot point about marinas being not able to operate in several ports.  Today's photo shows South Haven, MI is underwater when the wind blows from the W.
            Even if you can wade to your boat? ...most marina boats rely on shore power.  Which is a definite no-no when the AC wiring is submerged. Click SH underwater
            First fished SH in the late 1970s and ran charters out of there in the early i2ks.  This is an excellent May port for all species when the conditions are right.  Had several 20  fish plus 1/2 days as a charter operator and limit catches as a sport fisherman.
            My SH May program was to setup in 45'-50' and head due W until you hit the fish, mostly Kings (out to 150' or more) Then, turn around and retrace the troll due E.  Look for the marks and spray spoons throughout the water column.  Morning W troll was best.
                Hope this high water shows all Great Lakes States some relief soon.

5/1/20  Beginning May on a positive note with a large spring Coho getting close to 10 lbs. is my guess.  Didn't get a lot of details with the photo, only they were friends of Tom M and were fishing close to him last Wed. Click big spring E Chicago Coho
             Coho this big will easily exceed MI's Master Angler Program of 12 lbs. by later this summer.  All I've seen coming from the S end of Lk. MI are rotund and feeding well.
             Fished this industrial section of Lk. MI about 3 years ago and familiar with some of the landmarks.  That's the best thing for me fishing new places.  This brings a broader understanding to share the reel-stories with you.

4/30/20  Yesterday, Tom M launched early out of Burns Ditch, IN and headed W about 10 to 12 miles to fish off E Chicago, IN.  He was a solo act and caught his 5 fish limit. Consisting of 2 Coho, 2 fatty Kings to 20 lbs. and Brown. Click fatty 2020 King
               Tom's program is pretty much unchanged over the years.  He chokes the fish pulling meat with our X-Glow Green Frog combos.  Click for Tom's 4/29/20 catch
               We all can appreciate the expertise that goes into fishing alone.  Especially, when it comes time to net a wild spring King in the 20s that doesn't know the word quit!
               This corner of Lk. MI has a lot of Kings and Coho that have not moved N yet.
                     Tomorrow, a giant spring Coho from the same area.

4/29/20  Boats that did fish close to Manistee yesterday struggled to put a few fish in the boat.  Yesterday's 2nd hand fish report was from last week and does not reflect current conditions.  My sincere apologies for not vetting this info before posting it.
               If you're a boat owner, owning a multimeter is a wise investment that can be purchased on Amazon for around 20 bucks for an entry model (that's all you need).
              This tool reads 12 volt dc output.  If your battery is full of juice and doesn't hold 12 volts, or better after charging? ....it's time for a new one.
              Be sure to check the rotate date on new batteries.  Some of batteries can sit in a store many months.  Shortening the life expectancy.  Click multimeter output
              This electrical gauge/meter can save you a lot of grief tracing continuity of circuits.  Wiring on boats is very complex.  DIY electrical jobs will save you money.
       Tomorrow? confirmed report from Burns Ditch, IN ...Salmon fishing is good!!

4/28/20  Lk. MI Lake Trout are thicker than bugs on a bumper for the Manistee fleet.  This came thru the grapevine from Wayne J (aka Take Five).  No word on the Browns.
               Ludington is producing 3 fish limits of Lk. Trout and a few Kings are showing up, says longtime local fishermen, Capt. Kirk.  He's been beating up on the LTs south of the harbor in 40' to 60' of water.  Kirk caught his 1st King of 2020 yesterday on the never-failer Gold Orange Crush 4.0 Salmon Buster™ spoon. Click for Kirk's 4/27/20 catch
  Great to get back to semblance of normal and share current fishing reports with you!

4/27/20  Spring was in full bloom yesterday at my place in Manistee, MI.  Tee shirt weather at 70° is just a sign of what's to come.  Yard work was a joy under blue sunny skies we all have longed for.  Yep, the spring fishing season is upon us for sure.
              Kings I've seen being caught in S Lk. MI are reel-fatties with a lot of girth.  Great news for what's in store for the big water fishing fleet.
              Installing a new C27 trolling battery in the Grumman today.  Then, get it wet and break in the new 60 hp four stroke purchased last winter will happen soon!!!

4/26/20  Michigan's ranking has slid from 3rd in the nation to 7th place.  Congrats to all Michiganagers for having done by staying home and 6' physical distancing.
              The political hard-right gets the press coverage.  Middle of the road people, like me without a political agenda are not being heard from yet.   That will happen on Nov. 3rd.
              Fishing season is open again.  Hit a snag with the 16' Grumman.  C27 trolling battery is only putting out 10 volts and will be swapped out for a new one tomorrow.
              We have a lot to look forward if we stay apart and use a face mask in public.  Better days are on the way with a warming trend for Manistee, MI this week.

4/25/20  Got a news scoop (1st to break a story) about powerboat fishing being allowed again at 9am yesterday.  This welcome news did not break until around 3pm.
               Thursday evening did the Zoom Sea Grant meeting that was presented extremely well.  Watched Brian Roth's detailed diet/stomach studies and Martin Kornis's presentation concerning the micro-wire fish tagging program. 
               Interesting thing? ...the online audience could ask questions in real time.  Only drawback was the time it took to present the all the data.  After 2 hours of sitting at my computer screen, didn't stick around for the last part.  Kudos to those who put it on!

4/24/20  Asking fishermen not to congregate is like asking water to flow uphill.  Case in point: you're trolling in 200' of water slightly N of Manistee.  You box a double on big Kings over 20 lbs.  In a nano-second, you'll see a pile boats flocking towards you. 
              Not so much the last 2 seasons in Manistee when the weekday crowd has been cut by 50% from slow summer fishing.  Weekends are more crowded still.
             What concerns me? ...boat launches at Ludington, Frankfort and Leland where there not enough ramps to service the fishing public.  There's always boats waiting in line to splash, or retrieve.  Maintaining 6' distance is a physical impossibility.
             Manistee, MI has close to the same number of ramps of the 3 ports mentioned. 
Being much better off than a lot of ports with too many boats for too few ramps.
             We're only in the first inning in a war that gonna last several months.  People are worried about salvaging our economy?  That's way-way too simplistic. 
             I worry about salvaging our society that's going to require relying on our younger generation that's less apt to suffer long term ill effects from the virus in high risk jobs vital to keeping our supply chain flowing.  Not being a medical drain on our system is important!
            9am: Rumor has it, MI Gov. Whitmer will have good news for fishermen SOON!

4/23/20  Chris G and his son were fishing from shore and caught a pretty decent Largemouth Bass showing there is still some fishing going on.
               30° and snow flurries at 11am yesterday kind of takes the edge off the desire to go fishing.  This is not typical late April weather.  Looks like a gradual warming trend is on the way ...finally!  7 days and counting to allow powerboat fishing in Michigan?

4/22/20  Sea Grant's Southwest Michigan Digital Fisheries Workshop is holding a Zoom seminar event on April 23, 2020 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. Click for more info
              Zoom is a conferencing web service that does have a free option of 40 minutes.
I signed up for the free version at: https://zoom.us/support/download
              You can register for this Sea Grant Workshop by: Clicking Here
              Downloading and signing up for Zoom was no big deal, as I upgrade my internet tool box.  Now, to see if I can get it to work on 4/23/20 at 7pm?

4/21/20  Lk. MI fishermen out of Manistee, MI aren't missing much with the no motorboat regulations.  Weather has been cold and heaps of wind.  Wind messes up the water color, as it did in early April.  Green silty water with less than 2's of visibility is a no-no.
              Guess where you stand on the "shelter in place" mandate depends on how old you are.  My wife, family and friends are all senior citizens, or high risk for the China virus.
              Losing a loved one is the single hardest thing you'll go thru in life.  There's over 43,000 American families mourning loss of loved ones that you really never get over.
              My most sincere wish is we never had this China disease ravage our country.  Opening back up economically is not going to happen in full until you see fans in Comerica Park watching the Detroit Tigers play baseball.  Recovering from our financial crisis will only happen when there's a vaccine available.  So, we're all going to need a lot of patience.

4/20/20  Happy Monday to all.  Suspect in 10 days MI will allow powerboat fishing again.  MI has fell from the 3rd highest China infection rate in the nation to 5th place now.  MI is the 10th most populated state in the USA, but at a much higher infection per capita rate than most other states.  MI ranks 3rd in overall US deaths.
              We've all taken huge a financial hit from China's exported virus.  These losses will never be regained.  Our MI tackle orders? ...expectedly ...fell off a cliff!
              Here a list of states and countries we've recently shipped tackle orders to: Sweden, MT, MI, MN, NJ, NY, MI, Canada, MI, Germany, AK, Canada, Germany, WA.  Interesting to see how international our tackle sales are.  This is what keeps my small tackle business solvent without government funny-money loans at 3.7% interest.
                   Stay at home, stay safe is working for Michiganders!

4/19/20  Today's featured pic of my Grumman 16' tin boat's helm.  Upgraded Raymarine GPS/Sonar, hour meter, marine radio, 3 position auto bilge switch, 12 volt outlet/USB ports, & new 60 hp. 4 stroke Suzuki makes for a sweet rig. Click for helm pic

4/18/20  It's easy to be critical.  Yet, many offer no constructive criticism.  Here's what I emailed, Mark Tonello. Fisheries Biologist at the Cadillac office of the MDNR:

Hi Mark,

Please consider the odd-even numbers of our MC
boat registration numbers, or our boat trailers.

This will cut the crowd by half each day and get
us back to power boat fishing on all Michigan waters

Put some teeth in a fine to get attention.

Hope you and yours are staying safe,

John King

Here's Mark Tonello's email reply:

John,

Interesting suggestion- I’ll pass it along to the Lieutenant. Yes we’re staying healthy so far.
You hang in there too! Hopefully we can get back to fishing soon.

Mark Tonello
Fisheries Management Biologist
Central Lake Management Unit, Cadillac
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

4/17/20  Supplemental: to view the same video I did: Click for news clip
Then, scroll to "Operation Gridlock."  You'll see people dancing to music and no social distancing, or even one face mask.  This not the way we get back to fishing!
              Those of us playing by the rules shouldn't be penalized by those who don't!

4/17/20  You can't fix stupid is the focus of today's chat.  There's a certain percentage of MI residents that are plain ignorant when it comes to the designer China virus.   This disease kills the weak, old, the sick and infirmed.  Perfect for an overpopulated country.
               Operation Gridlock by protesters in Lansing came off badly for this group last Wed.  Sinclair Broadcast Group (Republican leaning) TV station Channel 7 in Traverse City, MI showed protesters milling about like they were partying at a family reunion barbeque.  No masks, no physical distancing in what looked like a pro-Trump campaign rally.
               Governor Whitmer had a lot of input from the MDNR shutting down Tippy Dam due to overcrowding.  Elbow to elbow fishermen spreads the China virus.
               Same thing went on in the Detroit River with boat launches being packed and several boats with many aboard.  This weighed heavily to close motorboat fishing.
              So, here I sit, on land, because a bunch of fishermen acted like idiots with no regard for the spread of the virus that has taken 34,000 plus lives as of today in the USA.
              My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones due to the China virus.  The pain and suffering this caused their families is not be overlooked ...ever!
                     Tomorrow? ...suggestion to allow powerboat fishing

4/16/20  News from the S end of Lk. MI has most boat launches closed.  East Chicago Marina (Pastrick) is shut down.  IN and IL boats are launching out of Burns Ditch, or Hammond Marina.  Burns Ditch to the "wall," Coho hot spot is a run of 12 miles.  Early Coho was good for shore anglers.  S Lk. MI trollers only had about 2 weeks of good Coho fishing.
              Launches in Manistee, MI are all closed with the exception of the DNR Launch in Stronach.  This launch is only for non-motorized vessels according to state mandate.
              Our spring fish are not going to take a beating in the southern ports the way things look for now.  This will be a silver lining for summer fishermen with a few more Salmon for prime time July-August Kings.  Click Manistee's closed 1st St. launch

4/15/20  When restrictions on motor boat fishing is lifted by MI Gov. Whitmer, it will probably be for members of the immediate household. 
               Am I happy about this?  Hell no!  But I'm not self-centered and see defeating the China virus is more important than my desire to go wet a few lines.
               I'm in good shape for a fishing partner this year.  My wife, Merlene of 50 some years has been fishing with me since 1966.  On some of our first dates we went fishing. 
               When I started my fledging charter operation in 1983 she crewed for me on family charters.  This continued thru 1986 until we hired a full time deckhand.
               Criteria for her to go depends on the lake being flat and NO early mornings. She's not big on fishing Kings.  Saying it's too much work, because of their hard fight.
My only issue with her? ...she needs to leave daily trials and tribulations of life on land.
So, we both enjoy a nice time on the water in search of fish. Click my wife catching
                                 Tomorrow? ...the silver lining.

4/14/20  Neglected an important reel-fact about Alexx's Baltic Sea Atlantic Salmon.  This fish came 35 meters down, or a 114' in feet on a 4.0 sized (Лосось Бастер™ ложки), Russian for Salmon Buster™ spoon.  This shows me my preconceived notion formed over the years was dead wrong.  Proving that experience often works against you.
               Never, and I repeat, never ran any of my spoons deeper than 70'.  Opting the flasher/meat rig™, or flasher/fly combinations once I see deeper fish on the graph.
               Alexx showed me I'm missing the boat by not running my spoons deeper and having faith they'll work.  Do know my spoons move a lot of water for the fish to home in on with their lateral line.  Future says; I'll be running my spoons a lot deeper!

4/13/20  Today's chat is being made possible by Alexx V. from the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation.  He fishes the Baltic Sea for Atlantic Salmon.  Last January he bought about 10 Salmon Buster™ spoons to see if they worked on Atlantics.
              Yes, my spoons work on all predatory fish species on our planet.  Knew making a spoon out of Lexan™/plastic had major advantages over it's metal counterparts.  The color is molded in.  Never to chip, peel, or become dull with age.  Saltwater eats up plated metal spoons too.  Plastic fares much better in salt water/ocean environments.
              My thanks to Alexx emailing us a photo of 27.93 lb. Atlantic Salmon caught on the new A.I. X-Glow spoon.  This very same pattern proved itself last season in the Great Lakes of Huron, Michigan, & Ontario.  Click Alexx's jumbo Atlantic Salmon

4/12/20  Happy Easter!  Don't let the coronavirus blot out the sun.  There's plenty of things to look forward after we put this horrific genie back in the bottle.
              Every time the USA has been knocked down, we got back on our feet and knocked the crap out of all enemies.  Not being able to fish Lk. MI is a small price to pay, if it keeps people alive.  Manistee, MI has only 9 cases of the virus.  Let's keep it that way!
                             Better days are ahead for all of us!

4/11/20  I'm in good shape for a fishing partner this year.  My wife of 50 some years has been fishing with me since 1966.  Some of our first dates we went fishing.
               When I started my fledging charter business in 1983 she crewed for me on family charters.  This continued thru 1986 until I had a full time deckhand.
               My only issue with her? ...she needs to leave household problems on land not worthy for discussion, as we enjoy each others company and search for a few fish.

4/10/19  Recent news from the MDNR:

"Boating falls within the outdoor activities permitted under the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" Executive Order. Any outdoor activity, including boating, must be done in a manner consistent with social distancing, and individuals should use only their own equipment to prevent the transmission of the virus through the touching of shared surfaces. In addition, persons not part of a single household may not boat together."

This means no boat fishing with friends the way I understand it. Click more MDNR info

4/9/20  3 days of high temperatures in the 60s was a brief preview of what's to come.  Been delaying the start of my 2020 big lake season due to the Coronavirus with 9 confirmed cases in Manistee County.  Good news is no fatalities. Click MI virus list
            My first trip might be a solo event due to physical distancing.  Question is who do I high five when the first fish of 2020 comes aboard?  Fishing is always better shared with others that even make the smallest victories seem sweeter.  Click John J's 2018 King
            Lost my best fishing bud, John Johnson about a year ago from a heart attack and I sorely miss him.  Johnny J was my "go to" person that could always solve problems a lot quicker than me.  It was a blessing from God to have him as a friend for 20 years.

4/9/20  3 days of high temperatures in the 60s is a brief preview of what's to come.  Been delaying the start of my 2020 big lake season due to the Coronavirus with 9 confirmed cases in Manistee County.  Good news is no fatalities. Click MI virus list
            My first trip might be a solo event due to physical distancing.  Question is who do I high five when the first fish of 2020 comes aboard.  Fishing is always better shared with others that even make the smallest victories seem sweeter.
            Lost my best fishing bud, John Johnson about a year ago from a heart attack and I sorely miss him.  Johnny J was my "go to" person that could always solve problems a lot quicker than me.  It was a blessing from God to have him as a friend for 20 years.

4/8/20  Right now there's a lot more questions than answers when it comes to MDNR fish stocking plans 2021.  COVID-19 cancelled 2020 Steelhead egg collection at the Little Manistee Weir that going to effect us all down the road.
             It remains to be seen allowing the 2020 entire run of spring Steelhead free range in the Little Manistee River.  Sure there will be additional natural reproduction.  Concerning factor is the spawned out hens/females that eat everything in sight.
            Guiding on the Betsie, Pere Marquette and Big Manistee Rivers (16 years) taught me late April spawned out hens are in attack mode.  Seen these hens gobble up hundreds of earth worms when it looked like they swallowed a football.  Witnessed these fish gorging on sucker spawn too.  That's reel-feat when you see how tiny sucker roe is.
             Brought this up about what toll the April Steelhead will take on naturally reproduced Kings up the Little Manistee River from last fall.

4/7/20  On my 3/21/20 daily entry, mentioned we were using dusk masks.  Now, 2 weeks later the CDC is saying wear a face covering.  My idea of the dust mask was watching the all the China people with medical grade masks.  Now, we're supposed wear a hanky/bandana?  It is 100% clear our federal government from the top down have screwed the American people!!!

4/6/20  Video update for today.  This movie was shot last year about the same time.  It's aboard Wayne J's aka Take Five (16' Sea Nymph).  He caught his 3 Lake Trout limit off the Port of Manistee, MI.  All of his fish came on Salmon Buster™ spoons.  Wayne started with 2 spoons and a jointed Rapala.  Later in his trip he swapped out the Rap for another spoon.  Reason for the switch?  2 spoons both caught, Rapala just rode.  If you'd rather watch this video in HD (1280 x 720) fishing movie: Click Here

4/5/20  City of Manistee, MI has put more docks in the water at their world class 1st Street Public Launch.  This is a good thing and shows there is a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.  This probably the best launch on the Great Lakes.
            MDNR planted 60,000 Browns in Manistee last year.  Where are these fish?  To the best of my knowledge they're not making their presence known.
            This nowadays off green silty water on the beach started showing up about 10 years ago.  Prior we had either gin clear water, or dark stained river water that ran all the way down to Ludington.  Days of stained water is when Manistee had the best April Brown Trout catches in MI numbers-wise.  Click greenish water example

4/4/20  The back story on today's chat is from yesterday morning when local Manistee angler Wayne J, aka Take 5 made a major adjustment to his program.
             This was his 3rd time off the dock.  First 2 were exercises in futility trying to catch fish off the beach in green silty/cloudy water not holding any fish.
              Knew he was in for a tough go.  Made him up some Laker food consisting of pair of BTI 10" flashers and Spin n Glo combos to change his luck.  He had never put this kind of Laker tackle in the water before.  So, WJ was placing his trust me this stuff would work.
             Take Five stayed in the river water (44°) straight out from the harbor in 40' of water. He fished 1 rigger close to the bottom and his other rigger up a little higher.
             Wayne ended up with 2 good sized Laker Trout with a method he never used before.  That's a major victory on his part.  These are the 1st 2 Manistee, MI fish of the 2020 season to grace the home page of this website. Click Wayne's 4/3/20 catch

4/3/20  The fishing off Manistee, MI is great.  It's the catching that sucks.  3 boats on the shoreline yesterday, both N and S that all came home with the black kitty.  Water temperature on the beach has increased to almost 40°, but it's still silty with no fish.
             Working on re-wiring my 16' Grumman.  The end is in sight after another day, or two.  Wiring has never been a strong suit for me, but I do understand it. 
             Scrapped the factory wiring that will work out in the end.  Looks like buying the Grumman was a good move last year.  Click for rewiring 16' boat mess
             Easier to launch/retrieve and it looks like I'll have plenty of time to use it this year.  Tackle business is very slow and that's perfectly OK with me.  I'd rather fish than work any day of the year.  Fishing is fun and a heck of a good stress relief valve.
             MDNR has closed 3 public launches in Leelanau County being: Village of Northport, the Village of Suttons Bay, and the State launch at the end of Hilltop Road. 
                         Let's hope most launches in MI stay open!

4/2/20  Today's feature pic is from a video shot in 2019 aboard Wayne J's 16 footer.  I'm editing his 3 hour video down to 10-15 minutes.  This takes a lot of time, but I'm enjoying every minute of it.  Watching a seasoned 50 year veteran of the fish wars off the Port of Manistee, MI is almost as good as actually going fishing. Click WJ weighing a LT
             Yesterday, the MDNR planted 13,000 in Pere Marquette Lk. in Ludington, MI.  More browns are on the way for popular central Lk. MI port today.
             Michigan now ranks 3rd highest for COVID-19 among all states.  Arriving snow birds returning to Manistee from S and SW states please stay at home for 14 days.  Infection rate in Manistee County is relativity low.  Please, let's keep it that way!

Continued below back to the year 2000: