On Friday afternoon I set up just North of the line in 70`and we didn`t have any action until we reached 130`. I stayed from a line to a mile North.The best rod was a green flie behind a yellow "Hot Spot" flasher 70` down, I had it on both boom `riggers and they both took fish. A variety spoons down 75` and 80` took plenty of quick hits, popping off the release and no one home. Dipseys out 180` on a # 3 Super Line and wire out 220` on a # 1 also took hits with lil` boy blue/ smoke, and Silver Streak Magnum Green Dolphins. The lead with the Stinger Kevorkian "Circus Freak" was also taking hits. We ended up 10/ 18 with 7 kings the biggest at 13 pounds and 2 dinks (hangin` on the lead for a while), 2 coho and a Laker. Speed was 2.1-2.3 on the GPS and the bigger fish came down deeper in the column.
On Saturday, after convincing the crew to head North, I set up 2 miles into Wisconsin in 70`. We were off to a fast start with 4 rods going in quick succession having 3 fish make it to the box. Three dipseys and a `rigger went, all with dodger flie combos, green behind yellow, and green behind white were all hit. I circled around a few times with no more action. From then on it was one here and one there, the copper came out and wasn`t to well received by the group when I told them it was trailing the boat at a mere 600`. That along with the lead took the bulk of the hits with a few `rigger bites, the dipseys died after their initial flurry. The copper put some hurt on a few guys arms but after calling me a few different names
and popping in an "Iron Maiden" CD they were all content. I was switching baits all morning and I really don`t remember what was working, I didn't have any particular "Stud" rod but the spoons did take more hits after the sun came up. We ended up 14 for 20 something with 9 Kings, 3 bo`s and a laker.
On the afternoon trip I returned to the same general area with 2 brothers and their sons, the lead was good early and then it was all dipsey bites, I didn`t have a single hit on a `rigger. We came with 3 kings, 2 bo`s a laker and a coho . We had a few nice fish on and lost them, one strong fish was lost after few tugs on the lead, the next on the same rod made it 1/2 way to the boat. Then the same rod went again, this time the fish was in and out of the net twice before it broke off on a `rigger cable. The adrenalin rush couldn`t stop someone`s arms from cranking the fish. These were all on the "Stinger" Kevorkian Circus Freak", my last one, until today.
Well he made up for it when the next rod he grabbed brought in the big King of the day tipping the scale right at 16 pounds.
We left 6 more fish swimming around with sore mouths.
On Sunday Morning it was the Free trip I donated for catching the tagged catfish to the Salt Creek Park District at Twin Lakes in Palatine. I took it 3 miles North and set up in 60` planning on having all the rods in as I reached the 70`s and 80`s. Well there was so much traffic all paralleling the "Hill" it was almost impossible to get where I wanted
. I did manage to briefly sneak to the deeper water and we had 3 rods go all on the lead. I had to get back into the 60`s to avoid traffic, when I had a second chance to sneak out I had 2 more rods go, again it was the lead that took the hits. Then the sun came up, the action slowed, and the bite moved out between 110` and 130`. There it was the dipseys out 160` and 180` on #3 , and 140` and 160` on a #1 that took the remainder of the hits we ended up 9/16 with 5 Kings, 4 around 12 pounds, 3 bo`s and a coho.
On Sunday afternoon just north of the line I was between 120` and 160`( the deepest I`ve been in weeks) it was a tough bite, plenty of marks, but not much bait. We hit a swarm of gnats that were all over the boat, it was almost impossible to breathe, a few of them wound up in eyes, ears, and mouths of the guys on board. Then as quickly as they appeared they were (thankfully) gone. Not long after the lead took a rip, then no one was home. A few minutes later the second hit came on a green behind yellow hot spot #3 dipsey 140` out. After 10 minutes of not gaining and bringing the boat all the way down to 1 Knot, we landed a 14# King, this fish must have been part Pit Bull as it fought like a fish twice its size. We took a few more hits and fish until the unluckiest guy on the boat was up. The lead took off, after a 20 minute battle, and a few leaps I saw a Steelie that had to be in the 15 pound range. It was finally exhausted and was skiing to the boat with an open mouth, life is good...until...the hook manages to work it`s way out of the fishes mouth. The Bo just lay there belly up, 30` from the back of the boat as we trolled away. But wait it gets better :roll: , the next time around for this same guy the #3 super line dipsey with a green flie behind a white "Hot Spot" 160` out on the counter is screaming and is out to 240` before he can get it out of the rod holder. He makes some headway on the fish until it tears out to 320`. For a few minutes it`s a battle of inches, then to really make it interesting we ran back into the swarm of gnats
. Poor guy couldn`t breath not to mention try to defend himself as he had a death grip on the rod. I was of little help since I couldn`t even see. We`ll we managed to get away from the swarm but now the fish was out over 400`, I dropped the speed to 1 knot and boat control was becoming really hard to maintain( the wind was pretty stiff). The only choice I had was to tighten the drag more than I wanted, and hope for the best. As tight as the line was Eric Clapton could have played a tune on the rod, and it was still going out. Unfortunately, a few minutes later the leader finally gave way. I would really like to be with him when he gets back to hear him tell his side of the story of "The one that got away." We ended up 6/12 with 4 Kings a Coho and a Laker.
The speed was 2.5 on the GPS heading North, and the cables were really blown back, again there was a strong current to contend with. My `riggers only took 2 hits for the entire afternoon.
"Wet Nets"
Captain Jim
North Point July 14th - 16th
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