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News


7-4-2008  I am heading out to the lake today to FINALLY get some fishing in.

ST JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI-SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI- HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI-GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI- WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI-PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI- 332 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2008
.TODAY...EAST WINDS AROUND 5 KNOTS BACKING NORTHWEST 5 TO 15 KNOTS.
SUNNY. WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS.
.TONIGHT...NORTH WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS VEERING EAST OVERNIGHT...THEN
VEERING SOUTHEAST TOWARD DAYBREAK. CLEAR. WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS.
.SATURDAY...SOUTH WINDS AROUND 5 KNOTS VEERING WEST. SUNNY. WAVES
1 FOOT OR LESS.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...WEST WINDS AROUND 5 KNOTS BACKING SOUTHEAST 5 TO
15 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. CLEAR. WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS.

7-3-2008  I have been toying with several promotional ideas for this summer like gas cards and such but I decided that the best way I can save you gas money is to get you to not drive to the store "to save shipping".

The rest of the season, Free US shipping all orders no matter the amount.  All International/Overnight Shipping will be actual cost, as usual.

7-2-2008  Grey Beard had a Great Day Yesterday:

I was really looking forward to getting out today because for the first time in awhile, reports of up to 17 fish catches near Fox Pt. Set down at 0440 in 50fow north of UWM and trolled into 38 with surface temp 48 and 41 down 35 and marking good amt of bait. First fish was a 7# king on 2 color and #3glow J. Next was a small king on wire dipsy 70loc on White/glow Inticer and aqua/glow Trophy, the only flasher fish of the day. Was not getting much action despite good temp, bait in 40-50 fow so slid out to 60 and 6 color with regular Raider Sister Sledge took a small LT. Then 5 color regular Double Purple Spook.

 

Next came the catch of the day. 6 color Sister sledge took off and promptly broke the 30# Power Pro backing and that was only on since last season. Then off went the 4 color. As luck would have it the 6 color fish pulled into the 4 color and the spoon hooked the board. Got my Off Shore back and double uni splice and back in business able to land the 12.5# king. Rachel’s arms were tired but happy to land her biggest salmon.

 

It remained slow for us as well as others. Made it out to 110 and pulled a LT on a full core on Raider Blue/Yellow bubble in 80fow. It was 39.6 down 50 out there.  Didn’t know where to go but could see the boats cleared a bit on 60’ contour so back we went. Pulled an 8# king SWR down 35 in 50fow Magnum Bloody Death. Last fish came as we pulled lines with the Off Shore in Jake’s and as he was about to release the line, a nice bow hit a 3 color and regular Orange Muffin and blessed us with a few leaps. Ended with 2LT, 1Bow and 4 kings and happy for that with only 2 drive bys that didn’t trip the dipsys.

 

I still wonder where the Coho are hiding. Heard from friends that fished the Morris ran into decent numbers of Coho down there so may more to come.

 

Tight lines and full coolers,

 

Grey Beard


7-1-2008  I talked to Larry Hartwick from Offshore Tackle yesterday.  He was telling me that out by Port Austin and Grindstone they are catching quite a few Salmon, but also a TON of Walleye.

If you are in the Detroit area and want to cut your tow bill in half compared to Ludington or Manistee this weekend, consider heading up there.

For more info, only because I have used these guys, you can call:

Whalen's Grindstone Shores Inc 3373 Pointe Aux Barques Rd, Port Austin, MI 48467 (989) 738-7664
Campground, slips


Captain Morgan's Grindstone 3337 Pointe Aux Barques Rd, Port Austin, MI 48467 (989) 738-7665
Excellent restaurant, Cabins, slips


I have camped and slipped at Whalen's, and eaten at Captain Morgan's.  The cabins look neat.  Camping in the truck camper and renting the slips was a very economical weekend.

Now here is a good man.

6-30-2008  Fishlander is undergoing "reorganization".  Even though they are a competitor of mine in the spoon business, I hate to see that.  Michigan workers out of work is never a good thing.  I hope they get back on their feet soon.

From the Associated Press:  High gas prices hit Great Lakes Sport Fishing

 

OK, I know that it is tough, but some of this is hysteria.  The simple, but somehow not obvious, way to make $4 gas $2 is to Buddy Up!  How many times do you go out with your boat not full?  Get with your buddies and pitch in for gas.  Don't forget that getting the boat there is no longer a "miscellaneous cost", pitch in for towing gas.

 

For that matter, you can cut that in half by planning longer trips and renting a slip.  If you are like me, with a 200 mile tow, you can check out a local secure storage yard for the boat and not tow it home between weekends.

 

And remember, every 10 mph over 50 is like 4 mpg or more.  If you are doing 80 going to the lake, then you are wasting a lot of money.

 

Both the truck and the boat, regular oil changes are FREE, after the gas you save.

 

What I am saying is  there are a lot of alternatives to leaving the boat in the yard.  Get out and use your investment before your wife starts saying, "If you are not going to use it, sell it".

 


6-29-2008  The results are in from the Two Rivers Outing:  1) Bakers Dozen, 14 fish, 108.5 pounds, 7.8 average, 17.2 pound big fish 2) Bad Influence, 15 fish, 98.3 pounds, 6.6 average 3) Big Santa, 10 fish, 73.6 pounds, 7.4 average 4) Dutch Lady, 11 fish, 72.0 pounds, 6.5 average 5) Say Uncle, 10 fish, 47.0 pounds, 4.7 average

Sounds like they had some interesting weather, with waterspouts and lightning.

6-28-2008  The next time you hear negative comments about trapping, remember one of today's headlines:  "Burrowing muskrat causes levee to fail in Missouri".

6-27-2008  We now have A-TOM-MIK Fly Trying Kits available, Only at Bob's Outdoors - also includes 25 1/0 Red Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp™ Treble Hooks

We are also all stocked up on Dive Bombs!

Under the category of "even the darkest cloud has a silver lining", Lake Michigan is up 5 inches so far this June, with "lots of water still in the system".  I know for some people that water is in their basement (or worse), but this is good news for the lake which is still 14 inches below average.

6-26-2008  The Supreme Court says Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting.  About time they said the obvious.

Of course that flies in the face of the evidence, you know that the 32 year old handgun ban in DC that has made that city the safest in the world.  Oh, yeah.  Well, now that DC residents can legally defend themselves, let's see what happens.  it can't hardly be any worse than it is now.

I celebrated this decision early yesterday by purchasing a Benelli M2 Field Auto 12 gauge.  My beloved Ithaca 20 gauge just does not have what it takes for Pheasants or 5 Stand Trap.  I know, an Italian made gun, but it is SO sweet.

I got right out there last night and took my score from "too embarrassing to say" to 17/25 by the third round.

While I am on the subject, the Oakland County Sportsman's Club has openings for new members.  If you live in the Waterford Area you should come out and check it out.  No matter if your passion is Shotgun, Rifle, Pistol, Archery, Road Racing or fishing in their private lake, they have some of the finest facilities in the state.  If you are interested in visiting check out http://www.ocsc-mi.org/index.php

6-25-2008  You guys from the GLA board cleaned me out of 4 oz Dive bombs this week.  I should have more by Friday.

Did you hear about the Mom who had to cut out cable to afford gas?  Her kids took to the street with protest signs.  "All of my mom's monny goes to the gas tank!" Pyper's sign read. Sadie carried a sign asking drivers to honk to lower gas prices — adding that her mom had to cut "cabel."  Sounds like Mom cut the "cabel" just in time.  Maybe she can take some of the "monny" she saved and invest it in a dictionary for her kids.
 
6-24-2008  Reports from the weekend in Ludington and Manistee are hard to come by, but it looks like some small fish and some tough fishing as the lake gets over this flooding.  A couple of reports indicate that the bait is in at Ludington and a few fish of decent size are coming in.  A couple of days of South/Southwest winds this week should set up for improved fishing.

I was just asked a pretty good question:

Could you tell my son and I if the 12-13"  Kingfisher flashers are too big and too long for Lake Michigan Salmon off Racine and Milwaukee?

 

 

We are new to Lake Michigan trolling and my son is 11 years old and in charge of picking tackle. He thought the Kingfishers were cool and it would be great if they worked, but it seems the guys around here don't run any flashers longer than 10".

The Kingfishers work great with bait rigs.  If you use them with flies, run the lead to the fly at about 30”, as the flashers make a wider “sweep” than a smaller flasher.

 

Most lures are designed to look like bait fish.  The kingfisher is designed to look like a feeding Salmon, and a 13” Salmon is not a big fish.  Salmon are opportunistic feeders, meaning they have to put away a lot of bait fish in their 4th year to bulk up for spawning.  If they see another salmon feeding, they will come to check out what they are eating.

 

My recommendation is to get a Kingfisher and a matching Twinkie Rig and a package of Gulp Bait Swimmers.  You need to modify the Twinkie Rig a bit to run them and you run them differently than you do "real" herring strips:

Make sure that you have a good piece of toothpick in the back hole that the line runs through.  This keeps the line from slipping.  Shorten or remove the front end of the "line guard".  Unlike when you run "real" bait strips, bury the hook in the back of the Gulp Bait Swimmer as shown.

Pull the line tight to give the bait a curve.  This it vital to your success.  The bait head is designed to work with much lighter bait strips and you will not get a good rotation without this curve.  Believe me, I dragged these things through the water a long time before I figured this out, and it is the difference between nothing and WOW!

Notice that I trimmed the front end of the bait to make it fit in the bait head easier.  This stuff is real tough, don't worry about doing that.

One last tip - run the rig on your rigger about 10-15' back at the most.  Put a diver down next to it with a spoon so that the diver runs at about the same depth.  Sometimes the fish will come in to look at this, turn away and find that spoon much more to their liking.

Remember - a rig does not have to take a hit to catch fish!

6-23-2008  As always, its good to hear from Grey Beard:

We planned to fish Milwaukee but heard it was slow so Craig and I ventured to Sheboygan for the evening bite. Started straight out in 100 and water looked off color until about 125.We headed SE first fish was a bow on Raider Sister Sledge regular on 7 color then would you believe, 2 LTs on 3 color on regular Raider Orange Muffin, our bow setup. I put out another Sister Sledge on 6 color and both it and 7 color fired but small kings we released. A bow succumbed to the regular Double Purple spook on 5 color.

 

Light was fading so charged up Magnum Raider Yellow Fever and Magnum Green Tiger. Yellow Fever took about a 15# king down 60 on SWR and 10#King on Green Tiger down 50SWR. Same set ended our PM with a 5#King. Didn’t run any flashers, 8 & 10color no bites. 1.8-2.2 on the Raider with 40.5 down 60.  Got out as far as 180 and best action 125-140fow south of the plant. Kept 2 LT, 2 Bows and 3Kings and released 3 small ones.

 

Headed out in AM to same area and setup in 125 and trolled SE. First blast and it was a blast was 5 color with Magnum Chicken Pox that just kept running. 6 color fired with regular Double Purple Spook and Craig put the screamer in the rod holder to net my 5# king. Then the Magnum Yellow Fever fired on SWR down 15. As luck would have it, our fish crossed paths but fortunately the escapee was mine and Craig boxed about a 16# that fought like 20+. 7 color swing and miss on Sister sledge. Dropped the riggers down and Magnum Green Tiger 12# LT SWR down 40 and SWR Magnum Yellow Fever 5#King down 50.

 

Things went quiet so put a holograph Diamond king pink Alewife that Naz gave me on 5 color and fired twice in 30 min with a bow and shaker king then nada rest of AM. Replaced the 2 color #3glow J with another 5 color and regular Orange Muffin and went about 1 for 4 on bows. Still no action on full core so put a Magnum Yellow Fever on a dipsy and 70loc nice bow to finish the day.

 

Speed 1.9-2.2 Raider, again only spoons and the 1 J and fished out to 190 with best action 145-160 south of the plant. 38.6 down 60 but took bites in that cold temp. They should know better and get up in the warm stuff so we don’t need such a spread. Went 10 for about 16, kept 1LT, 2 bows and 6 kings. Where are the Coho?

 

Tight lines and full coolers,

 

Grey Beard


I like his reports, they contain enough information for you to go out tomorrow and get close to his program.

6-21-2008  I have a chart for determining reels for copper line (courtesy of Opti-Tackle):

Copper Line Reels:

The following chart is the approximate feet of copper line that will fit on each of the reels, this assumes +/- 200 yards of a super line backing ( i.e. 30# Tuf-Line) . The footage will vary depending on the type of backing used.

Reel

.028” Dia. Copper(“30lb”)

. 037” Dia. Copper(“45lb”)

Penn 330

300’

 

Penn 340

450’

300’

Penn 345

600’

600’

Shimano 700

450’

300’

Shimano 800

600’

400’

Daiwa ADP57LC

300’

 

TICA  558

300’

 

OKUMA 45

300’

 

OKUMA 55

 

300’


6-17-2008  I will be one of the sponsors of the 2008 Offshore Challenge in Port Austin this weekend.

For more info go to: 
http://www.eaglebayoutfitter.com/html/2008_offshore_challenge.html

Time to get the boat out and ready.  The fishing has improved all the way to Manistee and the forecast for this weekend is:

Southern Lake Michigan
Friday
Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Waves 1 foot or less.
Saturday
Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Waves 1 foot or less.
6-16-2008 All this flooding is a hardship on homeowners and boaters.  The above is a boat in the Racine River that looks like it got pushed under the dock it was tied to.  Once it got sideways it filled right up.  Fortunately someone got a line on it so it did not damage anyone else's boat.

Gives you pause to think about the quality of the insurance you buy for the boat.  The owner probably thought his boat was safe.

The Ludington/Manistee area has been hit hard also, with a tornado reported in Manistee and flooding on Hamlin Lake.

6-15-2008  Happy Father's Day!  Yesterday's quick report, straight out of Ludington in 100', 13 for 15 Kings, a Laker and a Steely.  Hot lures - Chicken Pox and Green Demon on a copper rig.  Congratulations Skip on the first big catch on the new Jamie Lyn.


6-11-2008  Fishing reports look great from the West side of Lake Michigan, fishing is still better South on the East side than up Ludington and North.

6-10-2008  I hope all my customers have made it through this weather OK.

6-9-2008  This was a big weekend for us.  First, my son graduated High School on Friday and his open house was on Sunday.

John, Chris, Mike and Dylan

Way back when John was a First Grader, I rather reluctantly volunteered to be his Cub Scout den leader.  I have to say that was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  All four boys graduated with their class Friday from Holly High School.

One of "my boys", Christopher Hansel, received his Eagle Scout award Saturday, and I was honored to put his Eagle Kerchief on during the ceremony.  The Eagle rank requires a ton of work and commitment and a lot of help from a lot of leaders and parents, and I am very proud to have been a small part of that.  Less than 2% of all scouts get to the Eagle rank.

Congratulations to Chris and his parents, Kevin and Gail!

If you can find an opportunity to mentor kids through scouts, church or whatever, you will find that you get back far more than you give.
6-4-2008  It was pointed out to me that my price on the Daiwa® AccuDepth®  Plus reels was out of line with one of my competitors.  Either they got a "deal" or I need a new source.

Either way, I don't do "low price guarantees" but I do try to keep in line with the other guys.  I don't need anyone feeling ripped off.

I have met their price, but I am even better because my base shipping is $1 cheaper and their free shipping offer is for $200 (more than 4 reels) and mine is $99 (2 reels).

When price shopping on the web, always get the "final cost", some stores seem to want to make big money on shipping.  I mean the store I looked at above is OK at $7, but there are stores out there advertising "low prices" and then charge what I know to be 2-4 x the actual shipping costs.

6-3-2008  I hate to dwell on unpleasant things here, but the subject on a lot of our minds is the sinking of a boat in Lake Michigan last weekend.

As I understand it from multiple sources, (but I was of course not there) 1-3 foot (perfectly fishable for a 35-39 foot boat) waves turned into monster swells that shattered the windshield of this boat and flooded and sank the craft in a very short time.  Even the news reports calling 6-8 foot waves when the coast guard got there, these are not waves that should sink a 35 foot boat.  These had to be huge swells.

The reaction of some on the computer forums was to immediately assume the captain of the boat was somehow wrong.  I, like the critics, have no idea if that is true or not.  All I know is, a scenario like that described could take even the best prepared by surprise, and probably sink any of us.  It is an extremely rare scenario, but it can happen.

I think that the instant reaction to try and find blame comes from the reluctance to face an unpleasant fact: You can do everything right and end up in the water, or worse.

We all would like to think that with skill and preparation it can't happen to us. Well, that might get you to 99.99%.

The other .01% are what ditch plans and life insurance are for.

 

A pretty sobering and unpleasant thought, but that reminds me to pick up a new package of batteries for the handheld GPS and VHF for this year.  For obvious reasons I recently double checked that the life insurance is paid up.

 

If nothing else let's use this as a warning for all of us.  Be prepared for the worst and hope or pray it does not happen.


6-2-2008  A report from Sunday.  Now these are reports you can use with both the good and the bad and enough information to be useful.

We left the harbor at 430 and headed a bit south anticipating a Sunday crowd off the filter. Started setting lines in 75fow and first bite was a nice bow on 3color and Raider Regular Frozen Pox. Then a 65loc 1.5set Magnum Grey Beard and a small king followed by 3set 35loc Regular Broken Nose another smaller bow. Drive bys on 6color Regular Bloody Death and 8Color Regular Green Tiger. Full core and Magnum Dbl purple took about 12#king and later a Coho. 90’loc wire Dipsy and white/Mountain Dew Inticer and LBB took a bow and later a Coho. First bite was 110fow and turned at 135 took another pass and nadda. Heard of some action yesterday in 150-160 but not today so SW back to 105.

 

Almost a 2hr shutdown until back inside then the old faithful orange Bechhold and Blue longtail 50loc took first of 3 Coho. Matched it on the other side and nadda. SWR down 50 with Raider Magnum Green Tiger took 12 & 14# kings and one of similar size that escaped. 2 color Chicken Pox and 5 color Dbl Purple quiet. Pulled one and put out 300’ copper and no nibbles.

Surface temp 48ish, 43.5down 70 and trolled 1.8-2 on the Raider. The late morning action I attribute to finally seeing some bait fish. Ended at 13for17, 4Kings, 4 bows and 5 Cohos. Weather was beautiful and heard Tues may be rain so going back tomorrow.

 

Tight lines and full coolers,

 

Grey Beard


5-30-2008  (Report from 5-23-2008 that I missed in my inbox)

It was a pretty lumpy start to 2008 finding the flag ripping straight out of the NE. Heard the action had been decent at Milwaukee in 100-170 so set down in 80 and didn’t get bit until 110 when the 40’SWR fired on a Magnum Raider Green Tiger. That same setup went 0 for 3 in the next hour. Next was a nice fish on a Magnum Grey Beard down 70, which went 0/2 in the next hour. First boxer was a bow on 3 colors on Regular chicken pox and over the day that took another bow and 2 Coho. Opti white/glow with a glow/aqua on wire dipsy 102loc 0/2. You must be getting the message that we couldn’t keep them hooked up. Yup, we were something like 2 for 8 on the first pass and turned back at 160.

 

11 of 12 rods took hits today. My usual hot rod this time of year is an orange Bechhold and blue longtail at various let outs on 3 set dipsy, nadda. 2 colors with regular Orange Muffin took a Coho. Regular Miss Thing 1 for 2 on 8 colors. I ran 2 full cores and had the best ratio with them on Magnum Dbl Purple spook taking bows, kings and would you believe, a Coho(see picture for proof) that had the scale bounding between 7.5-8.5#. Must be one that forgot to spawn last fall. Riggers pretty much died after the first two passes except for a nice king the succumbed to a Magnum bloody Puke SWR down 70. Finally a shallow Coho on 6” red flasher and blue Coho Candy 50loc 3 set. Our only LT came 120loc 1.5set wire dipsy on White/glow Opti and LBB.

 

Best action was around 150 and not much inside of 130 and out as far as 170 with surface temp 45.2 and 40.5 down 80. A little tuff for speed control and had to trough the waves 1.6-1.8 on the Raider.

 

We ended up 13 for 26 with 4kings, 4 bows, 4 Coho and one LT. It was good to get out but hope the next time is not in 3-5s.

 

Tight lines and full coolers,

 

Grey Beard


5-27-2008 Crappie Fishing

Coming into Ludington Harbor                            The Steiger Craft at the Dock

Heading North from Pentwater
5-26-2008  I have a lot to report.

My buddy's new boat is finally in the water.  We put it through the first 3 hours of break in on Saturday, drove it down to Pentwater, did a turn through the Harbor and back up the Beach House north of Ludington.

The boat ran like a dream, with a top speed of 44 mph, and the gas gauge hardly moved.  We are looking forward to putting a whole bunch of fish in this boat.
Pentwater Tournament Board as of Sunday Morning

Pentwater's Memorial Day Weekend Tournament was dealing with some poor weather conditions Sunday, but you can see Kings between 12 and 16.5 lbs being weighed.  Some nice browns also between 7 1/2 and 12.7 lbs.  Who said there were no Browns?

5-23-2008  I don't like the wind direction but I like the sound of the wave heights:

Pentwater To Manistee MI
Saturday:  Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots backing northwest. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.

We will be putting in the new Steiger Craft and shaking her down and breaking in the engine so we will probably not do any fishing.

Hope to see some of you guys this weekend!  If you track me down at the Municipal Marina you might even coax a free spoon out of me.


From 4-8 to 4-19 2008
 

Best spring ever with some 25+ fish days for our boat. We had a lot of 28s & 29s so should be some dandies next yr. Musky broke my net when attempting to land it so another boat brought a net and managed to land a beauty. Nothing in my boat long enough for a measurement but this spawned out female was over 28# on the digital. The guy that gave us the net was a musky fisherman and estimated at 48" and confirmed by a musky fisherman at home to be 48-49" class. 6# Fireline with an 8#Sensation tipet on a walleye rod and jig and Electric Grape pulse worm was quite a blast.

 

My brother had the biggest this spring at 31 and 11.6# and my biggest was 30.25 and 10.6#. I included the others friends with 30+ who fished with me. A great spring!!! Fished 17 days in a row and wish I had kept track of the number of fish over 28" but approaching 25 for me and many others by my friends. The long one that appears to be spawned out was a 27.25" male.

 

I can’t wait until next spring.

 

Michael "Greybeard"


5-22-2008  Michael Collins, aka Greybeard, sent me
this report from the Michigan DNR about some tagged Walleye he caught.  This is very interesting, the walleye were 15 and 16 years old and tagged 7-11 years before but two were caught 5 miles from where they were tagged and the third only 27 miles from where it was tagged.

Kudos to that Musky Fisherman who lent the net to land that Musky.  That's sportsmanship.


5-20-2008  A Fishing Report from Sweden:

Hi Chip,

 

I added 3rd rigger to my rig little over a year ago, it was meant to be as speed and temp unit but we have trolled baits in that rigger also.

 

For the most part my strike ratio on riggers has pretty much doubled since I started to use ridgebacks. On the 3rd rigger I've run mostly (other weights) and occasionally neutral 14lb lead weight. I've run similar setups which we have proven to catch fish on every rigger but I haven't caught anything but couple small salmon on that center rigger, everything worth mentioning comes behind ridgebacks.

 

2 weeks ago we spent 6 days fishing in southern Sweden again, landed 6 salmons and 1 trout , trout was 11lbs, salmons between 14 and 23lbs and lost 2x +20lbs , 5 of the fish we landed hit on short leads behind rattler.

 

On the last day my friend also caught a 30lb salmon behind rattler just beside us :)

Tomi
Finland


I edited out the reference to a competitor weight, unlike politicians, I don't need to be negative about others to be positive about the products I sell.

BTW - by my calculations based on some things I found on the web, Gas costs $7.80 / Gallon in Finland as of April 7.  Boy, are WE a bunch of whiners!

5-19-2008 So much for "working with the commercial netters".

Hello to all LACA Captains, Associates, Business partners, community and fishing community leaders,

Saturday morning, the 17th of May, charter boat operators reported a new net placed directly in front of Big Point Sauble.  Information received today confirmed the location of this and other nearby nets.

For the exact location of this and other nets go to
http://www.ludingtoncharterboats.org and click on the Net Alert Logo. A new list of net locations has been posted today.

The new net is positioned in such a manner as to pose a major safety issue as well as a substantial hazard to Charter and sport fishermen fishing in this area; and to transient boats attempting to 'round the point.  It is located is in an area known for steep contours, strong currents, huge waves and strong upwellings.   In past years nets in this area have been abandoned and wound up as hazards to fishing and navigation.
Additional nets have been placed in close proximity to this net, also in traditionally difficult net setting areas making it difficult to fish/traverse the vicinity.
A chart is attached showing the approximate locations of the three nets that pose the greatest danger, and their locations inside the region of largest currents and contours.

   A strong potential for a loss of lives accident exists if these nets remain in this most heavily fished and traveled vicinity.
All boaters and fishermen are urged to avoid and use extreme caution in this area.
Boaters and fishermen who become entangled in any of these nets should report it immediately to the USCG by channel 16 and to the MDNR Rap line.
It is VERY IMPORTANT to report all net related incidents to the MDNR RAP Line: 800-292-7800.  When reporting a net incident, be sure to give complete Lat-Lon information, including both north and west numbers in degrees, with minutes in decimal format. Please include the depth if possible, also.

In addition to the fishing and safety issues, the potential for a large negative economic impact to  the city and businesses of  Ludington also exists as boaters and fishermen become aware of the dangers and choose to avoid the  Ludington area.  If a major or fatal accident should occur as a consequence of these nets, the negative  publicity may  undo much of the efforts of the community to attract tourists and fishermen.


Jim Fenner, Pres. Ludington Area Charterboat Association



5-18-2008 
"Raider Spoons are made in the USA."  What does that mean? 

The FTC says that means that "virtually all" of the components are made in the USA, which includes the 50 states and territories.  So conceivably the spoon could be made from "almost all" USA components.
 

Well, that's not what
"Raider Spoons are made in the USA." means.  The spoon blanks, the split rings, the hooks, the paint, the tape, all are made in the USA.  The packaging is made in the USA, both the plastic trays and the printed cards.  The packaging machine was made in the USA.  The split ring pliers I use were made in the USA.  The spray booth was made in the USA.

Finally, they are assembled and packaged in Davisburg, MI by me or one of my helpers.

That's what "Raider Spoons are made in the USA." means.


5 people saved from sinking boat near Ludington

Posted: May 17, 2008 12:01 PM EDT

Updated: May 17, 2008 09:12 PM EDT

(courtesy the U.S. Coast Guard)
(courtesy the U.S. Coast Guard)

LUDINGTON, Mich. (WOOD) -- The U.S. Coast Guard saved five people from a sinking boat near Ludington Friday afternoon.

The Guard's station in Ludington received a distress call around 5:30 p.m. from a 28-foot recreational vessel that was taking on water.

Guard members headed out to the boat eight miles west of the Ludington Pier Heads. When they arrived they pulled five people - a 15-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, their parents, and another man - from the sinking boat.

Two of the Guard members tried saving the boat by using a dewatering pump but were unsuccessful as the boat sank.

 

The small craft advisory I mentioned for Friday went into effect as of 6 pm.  I am not going to judge, I don't know what the conditions were or if they had anything to do with it. 

 

I am assuming reading this that they had a VHF radio and a GPS, given that the CG found them so quick.  "8 miles west of Ludington" is a big place without coordinates.  I know my cell probably would not work at all out there.  Having the proper equipment can be life or death.

 

Let's all play it safe out there this year and take this as a warning.


5-16-2008  The Bubble spoons are a huge hit, I figured they would be.

This crummy weather continues to be a problem.  The Flint Steelheaders have a tournament in Port Austin this weekend and there is a small craft advisory for the whole weekend out.  Of course today it's "one foot or less" out there.

I see the same warning is out there for Ludington.

From the Ludington Area Charterboat Association:

Recently the MDNR commercial fishing law division in cooperation with LRBOI law conducted joint patrols and located many nets north of Big Point Sauble. In addition, tribal fisher Tom Battiste reported the current locations of his six nets to the LDN. The coordinates were published in the LDN this week. The Association has updated its "Net Alert" on the Association website to include all known LRBOI nets located between Little Point Sauble and 44°10.000'.  (north of Big Sauble Point)
There may be additional unlocated nets, and listed nets may be placed/moved without notice.

For a information about traps nets and for a printable one page list of nets in the Ludington area, go to the LACA site
http://www.ludingtoncharterboats.org and click on the "Net Alert" icon.

Jim Fenner, Pres. Ludington Area Charterboat Association

PS:
It is known that there are additional nets both north and south of the region covered by the LACA net alert
For information about nets in the Manistee to Arcadia area, go to: 
http://www.fishmanistee.com/content/view/163/61/


5-15-2008  The 2008 Raider Catalog is finally ready, and the new colors are available for sale. 

Chicken Pox has a brother, "Frozen Pox".  "Bluegrass" will be a fish killer in the dark, with a subtle blue/green glow combination.  Green and Red "Alien" bring a bright yellow glow with proven color combinations.

"Double Purple Spook" is another invention by "Greybeard".  Last year he put together some prototypes and once word got out on the dock about this fish killer I had to start selling it.  You sell one spoon by talking about it, you sell 100 spoons because they catch fish.  "Mountain Dew Spook" is another of my pro-staff's inventions after seeing the purple.

Blue, green, and yellow bubble flashers have been hot for years now.  Run these in combination with your flasher/fly or on their own.

And lastly I added a "Gold" option to some of my favorite taped spoons like "Double Orange Crush" and "Cracked Ice".  These are genuine gold plated blanks for those days that silver is just not hitting it.

Michigan votes to join Great Lakes pact

But lawmakers wrestle with regulations for water usage within state.

Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- Without a single dissenting vote, the state Senate and House voted Wednesday to include Michigan in a historic international compact designed to reserve all of the water in the Great Lakes for the eight states and two Canadian provinces surrounding them.


The 2008 MDA Harbor Beach Tournament Winners
        

"Cluster" with their winning catch        Friday (5/2) Pre-Fishing
5-14-2008  Lake Huron has kind of a "bad rap" in that there is a myth that there are no salmon there.  Check out this report:  We went out of PA (Port Austin) this Sat (5/10) PM & caught 7 Coho, 1 King & 3 Lake Trout in under 2 hours.  That is of course from "Cluster" the winner of last week's MDA Tournament in Harbor Beach.

In case you missed this very important news:

Protecting Michigan's water wonderland
The Detroit News (5/13)
Michigan lawmakers are carefully maneuvering Michigan toward joining a historic international compact reserving Great Lakes water for the states and Canadian provinces around them.

 

5-12-2008  I now have full and 1/2 core "EZ-Core" setups from Woodstock Line.   

I want to thank you all for the kind notes I have received.  I am doing fine, a little tired but OK.

5-6-2008  I have 4 colors of the new Chrome Inticer in stock right now.

5-5-2008 
Larry Hartwick tells me that one of the keys to victory was a Raider Chicken Pox on the deep rigger that they kept in the water all day.  It pulled in several lake Trout and a King on the low rigger.

The report was very encouraging.  A bunch of healthy and many silver, fish taken.  The word is that the hot bait was a Bomber Long A size 15 on the big boards.

"Harbor Beach - MDA Results"

 
(MI-DNR 2man limit-weigh in)
1st Place – Cluster – 10fish- 77.60lbs (Cash)
2nd Place – Pryor Commitment- 10fish – 73.14lbs (Cash)
3rd Place – Riptide – 10 fish – 63.06lbs (Cash)
4th Place – Down/out – 10 fish – 58.05lbs (Big JON Capt. pack)
5th Place – Fish Patrol – 10 fish – 56.03lbs (Box full of Bugsy Baits)
6th Place – 4 C’s – 10 fish –55.51lbs (Box full of Raider, Pro-King & Silver Streaks)
Largest King – Pryor Commitment – 12.81lbs (Cash)
Largest Trout – Riptide – 13.35lbs (Cash)
Riptides 13.35lb Laker also gets mounted for free by Acorn Ridge Taxidermy!

The weather was supposed to be a little rough but actually turned out great. We had a great showing of captains and crew members. The raffle table was full of our Valued Sponsors products that guys were eager to win! All in all we had a great 2008 showing and a group of captains and crew that are A 1 in my book. Enjoy the rest of this great fishing season and see you soon on the water. Lets all not forget about Harbor Beach’s next tournament Pro-King which is on June 7th. Please visit Harborbeachmi.org for more info.


5-2-2008  The word is that 5-8 lb. Walleye are "jumping in the boat" in Brest Bay.

I have added Woodstock Line Company's Lead core to the store. Since I can buy direct it is a huge savings over the Mason line I have been carrying.  I am selling off the last few spools of Mason line at the same price, so if you want that brand act now.  The 100 yard spools are actually under what I paid for them.  It is also available in 1000 yard spools to save you even more.

You can go directly there from here.

I should have "EZ Spools" of rigged lead core with backing and leader in 150 and 300 yard spools next week.




On the other hand, this was my view from my office window this morning.  Pretty cool.
 



5-1-2008  I have to share something personal today.  I have been reluctant to do so, but the "rumor mill" has it now and the only way to combat the rumor mill is with facts.

 

I have been sick for a while now and we have just found out the cause.

 

I have testicular cancer.  I had outpatient surgery yesterday and I start chemo Monday and my treatments will go into August.

 

The statistics say that this is extremely survivable.  Hey - Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France after this and dated Sheryl Crowe.  Trust me, there are a lot of people out there much worse off than me.  I will get through this with the help of my family and friends just fine.

 

The business will stay open, I have all the help I need to fill orders.  If you are lucky when you call this summer you will deal with my daughter who is a much nicer person than I am.  Orders will continue to ship out on time.

 

More importantly, I plan to fish more this year than last.

 

 

4-30-2008 

Meijer cuts short contest raising money for Humane Society

The Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Meijer Inc. has cut short an online pet photo contest that was raising money for the Humane Society of the United States.

The Grand Rapids Press reports the retailer stopped the contest Monday after the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance complained the Humane Society is anti-hunting.

The contest was to help pet-owning families going through foreclosure. The program was set up to donate $1, up to $5,000, for every entry to the pet photo contest to the Foreclosure Pets Fund. 

Meijer spokeswoman Stacie Behler says "feedback from our customers is important."

Humane Society executive vice president Michael Markarian says its "outrageous" the hunting group "would try to prevent foreclosure victims from getting help."

 

What is outrageous is the idea that the HSUS is trying to pass it's self off as a group that cares about anything other than raising money to line their own pockets.  These are the people who are against feeding game to the poor.

 

Meijer probably thought they were dealing with the Michigan Humane Society that actually helps care for animals.

 

The bottom line here is that your support for groups like the USSA does make a difference.

 

4-29-2008  OK, now that both a Democrat and a Republican presidential candidate have both latched on to a truly stupid idea I can comment on it without being partisan.

 

Hey, I want gas prices down.  There is no doubt in my mind that high fuel prices will cost me sales and income this year.  People are going to fish less and getting fishing tackle made and to you will cost me more.

 

A "holiday" from the gas tax will accomplish nothing but lining the pockets of the oil companies.  It is simple economics.  If the price goes down, consumption will go up and with the limited supply, the price will go back up.  The only difference is that the government will have less money for the road repairs and the jobs that go with them.

 

If you want to lower gas prices you have to increase the supply of gas.  Nothing else will have any significant effect. 

 

Neither candidate that proposes the tax cut is stupid enough to believe that it will work, but they believe that you will think they want to help you, and that they will get your vote by telling you what you want to hear.

 

Before you think I am siding with the other guy here, I will give him a point for not pandering to us on a false hope of a break, but I have heard nothing in the way of a real plan from anyone to fix the real issues behind gas prices.  His comments concerning the auto industry shows a complete lack of understanding of the industry and the issues facing it.

 

We have some real issues facing us as a nation and I have not seen much in the way of leadership from any of these people.  It is time for us to demand that our leaders have more than 5 word slogans in the way of solutions to these problems.

 

4-28-2008  Sorry for the lack of updates.  I have been under the weather for a while now.

 

The Michigan Salmon/Trout limit issue is back on the table again.  Michigan currently allows you to take 5 fish per day with not more than 3 of any species.  The proposal would be to make it 5 fish any species.

 

The biologists say that this will have minimal impact on the fishery, so there is no scientific reason not to make the change.  The biggest argument against the change seems to be that fishermen feel better about themselves with a 3 fish limit than getting 3 fish in a 5 man limit.

 

When did the DNR get into the "self esteem" business?

 

If your manhood depends on a limit of fish, or if you think you are a better, or worse, than anyone else based on this measure, you need to do some thinking about your self.

 

My thinking on this subject is, let the guy who gets out one weekend a year take home 15 fish if he can.  I also struggle with the idea of killing one species of fish in search of another species that you don't have a limit on.

 

Myself, I am going to fish until I don't want to any more, or I get to the limit which ever comes first. 

 

The other issue is the number of rods.  If I am trolling for Salmon, I can have 3 rods.  If I am trolling for Walleye, I can only have 2.  If I catch a Walleye trolling for salmon, is that fish illegal?

 

The biologists say that the number of rods is not a good way to manage the fishery.  The DNR is there to manage the fishery and, apparently, make us feel good about our selves.  If we get to our limit quicker with 3 rods, won't we feel happy about our manliness?

 

I think these rules are only in place at all to give the enforcement guys something to write tickets on.  How about getting rid of rules that the DNR themselves say are not good ways to regulate the fishery and have the enforcement guys go after POACHERS.

 

 

 

2002008 Harbor Beach Can-Can

 Salmon-Trout

Fishing Tournament

May 3, 2008

The Muscular Dystrophy Association of Mid-Eastern Michigan is pleased to offer a great opportunity to help in the fight against Muscular Dystrophy…FISHING FOR A CURE!

http://www.harborbeachmi.org/fishing.html




4-17-2008  Unfortunately the above was the catch of the day yesterday.  We went down to Locust Point on Lake Erie jigging for Walleye and came up with nothing but Zebra Muscles.  A hard south wind and very muddy water did us, and from the look of the fish cleaning station everyone else, in.

It was real nice to get back out on the water though.
4-16-2008  I hope to have a fishing report tomorrow!

The nut balls (I am not publicizing their name) in the news say it takes "3 minutes" to buy a gun in the US, so they are going to lie on the ground somewhere for 3 minutes.  Funny, it took at least 20 minutes last year for me to buy a gun. 

I find it interesting that they are using the Virginia Tech shootings in their propaganda.  The school is a "gun free zone", so that made the students "safe" because groups like this had already gotten their way.  If Virginia Tech had allowed law abiding citizens with CCW permits to have their guns with them, many of those young people would be alive today.

But then again, these people have never let facts get in the way.

4-15-2008  Tax day today!

It's nice being able to work without the constant need for attention the puppies had, but I kind of miss the little guys and their enthusiasm for everything.  Fortunately I can visit a couple of them.
2008 Elk Season Dates and Quotas Set by NRC

Contact:  Rodney Clute 517-373-1263
Agency: Natural Resources


April 14, 2008

The Natural Resources Commission approved the 2008 elk season dates and quotas at their meeting last week.

The dates for Hunt Period 1 (early elk season) are Aug. 26-29 and Sept. 12-16. The dates for Hunt Period 2 (December elk season) are Dec. 9-16. The time frame for Hunt Period 3 (January elk season) would be five days in mid-January, if the hunt is necessary to achieve population management goals.

Following a survey of the elk range in February, the elk herd is estimated to be between 1,100 and 1,200 animals. The management objective is for 800 to 900 elk. To manage the elk toward the desired objective there will be 330 elk licenses available this year -- double the number available last year.

The application dates have changed from the previous application period. Interested individuals may apply for an elk license from May 1 to June 1. Only Michigan residents are eligible to apply for an elk license. Hunters may apply online at www.michigan.gov/dnr, any authorized license agent, or at a DNR Operations Service Center. A nonrefundable $4 fee must be paid at the time of application.

The application periods for bear licenses and elk licenses will be the same this year so people may apply for both license types at the same time. The cost for a bear hunting license application is also $4.

Drawing results for elk will be posted on the DNR Web site on Monday, June 23, 2008.



4-14-2008  Tomorrow is Tax Day!  Today I was supposed to be fishing, but that is spring weather for you.

"We all hate paying taxes. But the truth of the matter is without our tax money, many politicians would not be able to afford prostitutes." -- Jimmy Kimmel

Walker Deeper Divers are in stock with new "Clear" in 124, 107, 65, and 45mm and new "124mm" (Same as the "Magnum with a ring 003")Size.  We also have Glow Bottoms in all sizes including 82mm.  The 124mm also fits the "4 7/8 size 003 Magnum" LJ Diver and the The 107mm also fits the "4 1/8 size 001" LJ Diver.


4-12-2008  The last pup sold in about 5 minutes at Rooster Ranch today.  The group had just finished a hunt over her dad, "Ben" and between that and her disposition she was an easy sale.

I am now "puppy-less" for the first time in 13 weeks.  Kind of a good news/bad news thing.  I will miss them.

Jenny had a good time, she flushed 3 stray birds while we were there.

The group included several youngsters who had a GREAT time shooting birds.  You want a great way to introduce a youngster to hunting where they can get the rewards of a successful hunt, you should check out Rooster Ranch.

4-11-2008  8 of the pups are sold!


St. Joe 4-5-2008

4-8-2008  I am down to 1 female pup left, the last boy and one of the girls found a home today.  7 visits from prospective buyers and 7 dogs sold.  Quality sells it's self.

A customer fishing report, a successful one no less, the best kind:

Friday: Went out at 3pm due to wind, rain, waves. After trolling about a mile south we quickly picked up a 3 man limit of Coho plus a bonus brown in about 1.5 hours. The hot set-ups were orange dodgers w/ p-nut flies (10 ft back on dipsys!), thinfins, and orange joined rapalas. We fished 10-20 fow most of the time.

 Saturday: Since we were fishing the Brown Blast tournament, we made a concerted effort to avoid Coho and hopefully get the higher valued browns. Hence our spread included no dodgers, larger body baits and limited orange lures (additionally we fished in 5 – 6 fow, with our boards nearly on the beach). We managed to box a nice brown on a black/silver J11 rapala and lost a monster brown on a dipsy 5 feet back with a wonderbread reef runner. Outside of that it was an absolute Coho fest. We caught Coho on everything under the sun and as shallow as 3 fow. It took no time at all to box out on the suicidal silvers without even trying. We went so far as selecting lures we thought had no chance catching a Coho (enclosed is a picture of one ignorant Coho that decided he was fond of a bass bait). We ended up finishing in the middle of the pack as you needed at least a few non-Coho to be in the money.

If you have the chance I would say right now is a pretty good time to get some good “catching” practice in.


 


Big Jon Gold Net Holder.

4-5-2008  Big Jon is now offering a Net Holder.  My buddy got his custom gold anodized to match the rest of his Big Jon Holders.

We should all take a moment to remember Charlton Heston, a man who did a lot to preserve your 2nd Amendment Rights.
 

Spring is finally here, at least according to Jenny.

4-5-2008  Finally some real nice weather with no snow in sight!  I have been working hard to get Jenny back into shape after the pups, and she looks like she is ready to hunt this week.  I am taking her and whatever pups remain to the Rooster Ranch this week.  They have a big hunt up there this weekend and there should be no problem moving the last dogs there.

The secret to a long workout for a Lab is having water nearby for them to keep hydrated and get their belly wet.  A short break in the pool and she is good for another 10 long retrieves.

You really have to watch these dogs, they will kill themselves to please you, it is up to you to set the limits.

I have picked the dog I will keep, "Blue", named only for her collar.  She is a sweet tempered girl who I am sure will be a bird hunting machine.  I will be picking a name soon.  I am partial to "Sally" right now, after one of the best dogs I have ever seen, a cocker spaniel we had when I was a kid.

I am taking Jenny to Farmland Pheasant Hunters for the Ruffed Grouse Society's Gun Dog Fun Trial just to see how we do.  As usual I don't expect to be the strong player on this team, but we should have some fun.

You want a real strange experience?  Go to your alma mater and tour the residence hall and stand with your daughter in a

3-31-2008  I am going with my daughter to look at colleges this week.  This is actually a pretty good time to do this, the lull between the guys who want everything ready early and the rest of us who wait until the last minute.

Twinkie Twinkie bait Rigs are now on sale.

http://www.bobsoutdoors.com/shop/?shop=1&cat=164

3-28-2008  And then they were 4, the Big Boy went home today.  I expect to be done selling dogs next week.

ANDE Clear Monofilament is now on sale, very limited quantities:

http://www.bobsoutdoors.com/shop/?shop=1&cat=266

Power Pro is also on sale:

http://www.bobsoutdoors.com/shop/?shop=1&cat=148

Gulp is also on sale -
Get $5 back for buying 3 packages

Check out the Metro West Steelheaders' Newsletter 
http://www.michigansteelheaders.org/stchapter_newsletters_image/2008/metro_west_april.pdf

3-27-2008  Be sure and get your new Michigan fishing license before Tuesday when your 2006 expires.

From the Flint Steelheaders:

"In either April or May, brown trout will be released in Lake Huron.  All in all about 700,000 of them.  A majority of these fish will be released in the Oscoda area.  What we are looking for is volunteers who can spend some time watching over the released brown trout and keeping the cormorants from eating down most of them. 

 

At this I'm not sure what type of devices are going to be used to accomplish this but I'm sure it'll be useful at keeping the cormorants away from the newly released fish.  (BOOM-BOOM)

 

Norm will passing along more information as soon as he gets it but for now, please give it some thought. 

 

Also, Michigan HB 5344, the $150.000 allocated to the USDA-WS from the State of Michigan for cormorant control has made it's way through the House and was referred to the Committee of Appropriations on 3/25/08"



 

Female

I have 1 black Female for Sale. Born January 11, 2008 $600 Firm

Our puppies are guaranteed until the age of 28 months against hip dysplasia (per OFA) and hereditary eye diseases.
 

Both Jennifer and "
Roosters Blackjack Ben" are Registered Purebred Labradors from Rooster Ranch.

In Jennifer's Pedigree:

CH Franklin's Pickpocket for Kerrybrook MH
G. Gordon from Salmon Falls Kennel
Salmon Falls Flyway Nix


In Blackjack Ben's:

Parents:
Wannamaker's Hot Tub APLA Grand Master Pointing Retriever and AKC Senior Hunting Title
Eli's Blackjack Tori APLA Grand Master Pointing Retriever

Grandparents:
Sir's Mighty Eli 2000 Quail Unlimited National Flushing Dog Champion
Blackwater Lexus
ALPA Grand Master Pointing Retriever

Beyond that, Jennifer is the best dog I have ever owned.  Excellent, calm temperament, incredibly anxious to please, "bad dog" is the worst punishment I have ever needed for disciplining this dog.

As far as hunting instincts, both dogs are excellent bird hunters (flushers) and retrievers.  Ben is a working dog at the Rooster Ranch, as is both jenny's parents.

The puppies are all very sociable and smart and even partially house trained.

From Owners of the first dogs sold:

"Zoey slept with Mike & me last night.  Except for her snoring she slept like a baby.  I have had pups/ dogs for 30 yrs Bob and I have never had a pup sleep with me without keeping us up all night.  She is so good.  She gets along with everyone and they all love her.  She lays with me all the time.  When my girls left for school this morning she cried.  She is GREAT.  You and your wife did a GREAT job.  I'll keep you posted and send pictures soon.  I had a friend who is a Lab breeder come over today with her pup who is 5 weeks older.  My Zoey took her leash and led her around the house, then took a nap at my feet.  She is truly AMAZING.  Thanks so much.  I promise to keep in touch."

"Our little yellow guy has been doing great in his first days with us.  A few whimpers the first night, but he's been great since.  10pm-5am with no accidents in his crate overnight, and he went from 7:30-4:30 today in his crate with no accidents.  He's was with 2 other dogs over the weekend, and behaved like an angel.  One of them was a 14 week old Lab mix from the shelter - the behavior difference between the two was remarkable.  He's got "sit" down pat, and comes running with "come", I don't think the 14 week old can do either after a couple weeks of puppy obedience class. By the way, my 5 year old named him Rocket."

One question I keep getting is, "These are hunting dogs but I just want a pet."

My answer is, "What do you want in a pet?"  If you want health, calm temperament, intelligence, obedience, and loyalty, then you want all the qualities of a good hunting dog.  Just don't be surprised if he brings you a bird some day.

Most of these dogs are going as pets.  One will be a part time companion to special needs kids.

One last warning.... Not one single person has come to see these dogs and not bought one.

 


My buddy has developed a neat "Ridgeback Holder" for his Steiger


New roof mounted rod holders

A short piece of wiring shrink tubing will keep the rubber band on these Big Jon releases.

3-25-2008  My buddy has been working away on his boat.  Spring is coming!

3-24-2008  Another Black Female went home today.  The yellow male is also sold.

3-23-2008  Happy Easter!

3-20-2008  I did some research into Ben's pedigree.  I have seen the pups at a couple of times point and discounted it.  Maybe I should be looking closer.  Two generations of Grand Master Pointing Retrievers, wow.

One of the Yellow boys went home today.  With the warmer weather they will be going fast now.

3-19-2008  The first pup sold is doing very well with a new family in Romeo, MI.  She went to a nice family with kids and the dad was looking for a duck hunting dog to introduce his son to hunting.  They said she slept the whole first night through without any problems or accidents.

3-18-2007  I filled out my DNR Survey today concerning my hunting activities last fall.  We all complain about them, but they need good data to do their job.  The least we can do is take 5 minutes to give them the data.

3-17-2008  The show season is finally over, for me at least.  I enjoy getting out and seeing my customers and friends who I see only at shows, and even most of my competitors, who are almost all great guys.

On the other hand, it leaves me backed up with a bunch of work and orders not being processed as quickly as I like.  The next couple of days will be devoted to catching up.

3-12-2008  A "major" spoon manufacturer has copied the Raider Chicken Pox, even so far as to call it "Pox".  That is part of the reality of the fishing tackle business.  What really cracks me up is the back of the package:  "
We will never sit back and follow in the foot steps of others in the business."  I guess if they are "on the leading edge" then I must be ahead of the curve!

3-12-2008  My partner has completed the installation of his Depth Raider and the 1000 W Transducer on the Steiger.

3-5-2008  Yesterday was rather frustrating dealing with some computer issues.  Let's just say, the Hacker Safe service protects me from Hackers, but nothing protects the site from me!

3-3-2007  Today will be spent trying to catch up with orders.  I should have all outstanding orders out by Wednesday.
2-28-2008  Today begins what I consider the best Great Lakes show there is. 
Flint (MI) River Valley Steelheaders Show in Birch Run is pretty much all Great Lakes tackle.  Ridgeback Rattler, Great Lakes Angler, Franks (with a BIG tackle area) just to name a few, along with me of course, will be there.

I will be in the South Arena where I was last year next to Great Lakes Angler.


2-27-2008  I have been running around like a madman, and tomorrow AM I head out to set up for the
Flint (MI) River Valley Steelheaders Birch Run Show.

This is my big show for the year and I will be having great deals on Rods, Reels Kingfishers, Inticers, Bait Rigs and Walker Deeper Divers

OK, it's not the sexiest thing on the boat, but neat, proper wiring up front leads to more fishing time and less issues down the road.  Notice room for two more power leads down the road.  Spend the extra couple of $ and you will save in the long run.

2-21-2008  I am off to Madison for the