Thursday, June 21, 2012

Net Overboard!

Jon, Marc, and I fished from 6-9pm yesterday. It had been the first time out for 2 weeks and there weren't any boats on the water that we could see, so we were guessing where to go and what to fish. We started in 90 and went as deep as 140, but we seemed to get the action in 100 to 120 FOW straight out from the channel. We ended the night 5 for 7 on fish and 0 for 1 on nets. The net went over the rail as the wind and waves picked up a bit; probably 2 - 5 foot waves last night.

After the net went over, the real fun began. After a long fight Mark reeled the tired 15 lb King to the platform and I pulled it up and in by the leader and then wrestled into the cooler. I merely turned my head to request a needle nose, and the King open the cooler and jumped back out. Fortunately, I was able to wrangle the king in my hands before he slipped back in the water (I nearly slipped in the water myself, but Jon got a grip of my waistband as precaution - remember it was pretty wavy and rolly out there). The next 15 lb king hit the port down rigger so hard, and the rod buried downward toward the bottom, then it swam right off the starboard side of the boat crossing lead, dypsy, and the other downrigger. We avoided a major mess, and there I was again, on the edge of the platform, trying to whisper (fish whisperer) this fish on the boat. First I tried to get a finger in the gill, but he shook me off, then, since it worked before, I grabbed the leader and hoisted. Unfortunately the leader or knot broke and this one swam away.

Besides three, 15 lb kings, we also caught a 10 steelhead that ripped 300 feet of line off the dipsy, and also a small laker. One King and the Laker came on a dipsy set on 1.5, 160 back, with a homemade blue mirage fly. 2 kings and the steelhead came on downriggers, 70 to 90 down, on a spoon with blue. We had one hit on lead, but the 3 lead lines were silent most of the night. The water temp was 63 nearly top to bottom and there was a strong current.

If you have a Salmon Fishing Report for Lake Michigan please click on the "Comments" link below. Fish On!

No comments: