Net Report updated as of 7/12/10    Report

July 28, 2010

Fishing was good today.  Started off the bank in the 33's and the break was???  I had my probe at 90ft and it was still 73deg.  Picked a few fish until the 03's and spun back to the south and worked back out into 33.5 and ran across cold water.  49deg down 75ft and then started a steady pick.  300 copper w/Gr Splatter back Plug, White Paddles were working for me and the ENCORE it was Black Paddles down 120ft.  UV/UV Spin Doctor on a High Diver w/ Glow Gr Mirage fly and Blue Bubble back 225-240ft.  Wires back 120-170ft were good with Blue Bubble and Black 10" Spin Doctors.  Moonshine Raptor on a core 1/2 w/ 1/2lb (polish downrigger) was the hot rod today hitting some very big fish and landing a couple and losing more.  Moonshine Gr. Ladder Back Plug was good 90ft down.  Missed a few fish today and I figured they were full of bait and they were packed, especially the fish we caught mid morning on along the cold thermal.  By 10:30 the cold water had pushed in to the shelf---I don't know if it pushed up on top or not, we were pulling rods at the time.

July 27, 2010

With the calm water and a SE wind over night the break came up and was down 65ft.  Best troll for me was 85-95ft on top of the bank.  White w/Dbl Pearl Glow Paddle 75ft down on a rigger was hot and going before I had diver in the water so I put a White 8" Spin Doctor on a wire back 115ft and that was on fire.  Moonshine Glow Ladder Back Plug down 65ft was good.  Mtn Dew on a high diver 175ft and a Blue Jackal Mag down 80ft, these were the hottest baits for me this morning.  The fish seemed to be just slappin at the lures.  Only had to use pliers on 2 fish, the rest of the hooks came off in the net and 2 were hooked in the side.  No bait in the fish today and yesterday they were packed with bait..  Towards Pentwater all the way to Little Point is extremely good fishing 70-125ft of water.  We need the currents to slow down for our bank to set-up properly.  After this SW blow tonight and tomorrow the wind is supposed to go North and then east.  Hopefully that moves in some colder water and really turns things on.  It would be nice to be running 3&5 color lead again!!!

This father and son team had a great time this morning aboard the RAPTOR.  They had 2 problems 1--they walleye fish and I had to break them of reeling in so dainty, 2--they didn't get to eat their Wesco doughnuts because the fishing was so fast, so they left them for me which I gladly took off their hands.  White Paddles and Spin Doctors were definitely on the hot list this morning.  Hadn't had such a hot white colored bite this year.  plugs and spoons followed a close 2nd.

July 26, 2010

Very strange and difficult year to fish.  The water temp is up already 5deg above normal and should if not already will set a new record for high temp range.  The bank is being extremely effected by the currents, for ex:  Yesterday afternoon to start my trip it was 49deg down 65ft in 110ft and when I pulled lines it was 73 down 90ft in the 00's.  The fish blew out of there during this change, they did not push down with the cold water.  A left turn out of the pier head would have been a much wiser choice.  From the projects to little point is holding colder water and seems more stable and some decent catches were caught there last night and this morning, working 125ft of water.  No flurry, just a steady pick but all nice kings, jumbos!  I have more faith in the deeper water to the south 36's to 4000's.  Mag spoons are taking all species but regular size are taking all species also but w/ a twist.  2 afternoons ago I was catching lakers on my mags, but my other boat ENCORE was catching steelhead on the same bait but in a regular size.  Surprisingly also up to a week ago the plug bite was very good through the entire day since leaving spoons on my cores and coppers have been doing better and the spoon bite on my riggers last night was the strongest.

July25, 2010

Weather and fishing has been tough.  The bank has been very warm and the fish haven't bit there very well in a couple of days.  The deeper water has been a consistent fishery--just have to find what line they are on.  As the water warms up the fish push out, like last night 56's to the 54's the 4000 line the break came up in the water column and the fishing was steady, 2,3,4yr olds, Coho, Steelies and Lakers.  This morning the bank was a very short bite then it died.  Put the boat on a west troll and in the 01's ran across a thermal break on the 35.7 line and lines were pooping.  In the deeper water 300 coppers with Pink Panties and Glow Bloody Nose has been very good.  Moonshine Broken Nose and Snack Attack on a full.  Reg size Dancing Anchovie took 4 fish on the ENCORE last night and I had a nag and it didn't fire.  Black and White Paddles w/Pickled Sunshine or KGB Flies  90-110ft have been steady.  Fuzzy Modified Blue Dolphins 70-80 down are good.  This morning a Moonshine Blue Jackal Mag was on fire 80ft down.  Moonshine also came out w/ Plugs this year and Craig from Captain Chucks has been hammering the fish on a Flounder Pounder Plug, they also have a TRI-FLY, Teaser Rig out with a glow spinner new this year.  Mtn Dew on high diver 230ft back was good and as I went around the nets the water cooled even more and I brought this in to 200ft back and it started going again. Wind is out of the north and hopefully this will bring the break up and get the bank going again, everyone was surprised this morning that it did not do it overnight.

July 23, 2010

Not the biggest catch but when they get sick and say, get me to dry land we go home.  Actually very happy with this catch, we hit 11, boating 6, losing 3 and 2 did not hook up in 40 minutes of fishing 00's and 36.5 line.  Lotsa fish, lotsa bait.  Black Paddle down 115, 300 coppers w/ Pink Panties mag and Mag DW Super Glow Lobster.  Wires 170ft back with a Blue Bubble Spin Doctor and Blue Fairways Meatless Teaser, Black Mamba Meat rig.  Fuzzy Bear Modified Gr Dolphin down 80ft on a rigger.  Just getting dialed in when they turned a very pretty shade of green.

A plane crashed out in the lake today, and by the Coast Guard Helos and Boats it appeared to be in the 02's and 37's.  Be careful of any debris.  Should not be a problem because of the current was so strong from the north at the ball and the surface ripping out of the south.  Very hard to get a troll going.

New banner add at the top of the page.  GLH Rod Holders.  Great Lakes rod holders are a great product and if you are in the market for new rod holders, check these out.  I am going to be putting at least 12 on the new boat this year yet.  Gunnel mount, trees etc.  Cam locking and able to set in any position, not limited to a pin setting.  His web site is under reconstruction and is weak at the moment but the product is quality.

New DW Captains Choice plugs are very good.  What I like about them is I have not had fish crack them and take on water like the Ace Hi's and the hook harness holder is not sliding out and getting all bent up resulting in lost fish.  going to continue to give them a fair comparative test and will let you know more.  Another key point is the sound, it is sharper and noisier and this appears to be attracting more bites early and later in dark than the other plugs even w/o them glowing.

Fishing this afternoon, not getting reports from the lake except there is good fishing north of the point and the lake is nice 1-2ft despite the wind on shore.

July 21, 2010 Wed pm

Fishing was a little slower on the bank this morning but the fishing was still good.  The fish fed so hard the last 2 days I expected that.  This afternoon I set down 56.3 35.0 and hit 8 fish on a west troll setting lines boating 4.  Break was 65ft down and there was a current roll on the surface which pushed the break to 80ft.  The stable water was on the 38 line and to the west---I never made it out that far only to the 37.5 line, (wish I did and stayed there til dark).  Came in on the bank for the last hour and was disappointed in the number of fish but they were biting pretty good.  I ran my plug program and Kickin Back  from my dock ran a spoon program and he had more bites.  The one common denominator we both had was the lack of hook ups.  All but one fish for both of us came off in the net.  Same program out deep as in on the bank.  Pink Panties and Moonshine Snack Attack on fulls and 300 coppers.  Ace Hi Dbl Glow Ladder back on 300 copper.  High divers out past the nets were good with Chrome NBK Green and Mtn Dew Spin Doctors, wires w/10" Gr Holographic and flies or Meat rigs with Familiar Bite Alewives.  Other good baits were Gr Flounder, Gr Dolphin, Silver Streak Rotten Bacon, Black and White 11" Paddles.  I keep reporting the Black/White Paddles but they keep on tickin.  Tonight from 85-125ft down.

Takes alot to make me happy and I was satisfied because my crew only lost 1 fish and we went 11 for 27 bites???  The other 15 bites kept me busy resetting rods but they never even gave us a chance to fight them, just whack and gone.  Tried different speeds etc, and no difference.  The water was definitely warming up and the fish were pushing out deeper and so was the bait, should have stayed out there-------------but the bank is such an attractant that sometimes it hurts the decision making process.

July 19, 2010

For those of you that have fished Ludington for years and remember the times where the Tournament was won down at Little Point and when the tournament was over the fishing lit up here.  Same thing happened today.  Fishing was very good.  The bank had cooled off but the fishing was not on top of the bank, I took a couple of fish on top but it was slower than on the bank 100-105ft.  High divers 125-150 back with a Moonshine Dancing Anchovy and UV/UV Spin Doctor were very steady.  Wire Divers 130-150ft back with a Black and a Blue Bubble Spin Doctors were going very well.  Riggers were not as fast as I expected but they were steady, 50-70ft down w/ Black Crush, White Slick, and Gr Slick 11" Paddles, Green Splatter Back and Ladder Back Plugs.  Later in the day the cut plugs, using DW's new Captain Choice Glow Ladder Back and the same in ACE Hi's were going strong on a core and 300 coppers.  Moonshine Psycho on a High Diver 150 back took 5 for 7 from 9:00 to 10:30am back 150ft.  Moonshine Smitty and Clale on a core and a half were good.  Meatrigs 65ft back at least off the ball below 100ft were going well in green and white blades according to other boats on the radio.  Fuzzy Bear Modified Gr and Bl Dolphins on riggers were taking fish later in the day 70ft down.  From the 58's to the 08's was very good fishing!!

July 18, 2010

The bank didn't load up with bait and fish like it has every afternoon just about for the last 2 weeks and fishing was tougher than it has been there in the afternoons.  The reason is at 4:45pm warm water came rushing in and the fish that were there at 3:30pm left and there were very good numbers of fish from 80-110ft.  At 7:00pm the water cooled off a little and bait and fish moved in but in a 3/4mile stretch around the bathhouse in 120ft was best.  Straight out 58's inside the nets 34.5-36's and south to the projects had a very cold bubble of water and that is where the best fishing was, for a mixed bag, 2,3,4yr old kings, Steelies and Lakers.  During the Powder Puff , the day before this was barren water.  One plug that I haven't done well on in several years has been on fire for me on riggers is the old Gr. Ladder back in DW and J-Plug.  Hattrick was pounding on them with a 300 copper in DW's new cut plug called Captains Choice.  Gr. Splatter backs and glow Ladder Back DW cut plugs out fished the ACE Hi's on the other side of my boat on core and halves and 300 coppers.  Meat Rigs were firing late morning and last night in Monkey Puke and GR. Blades.  10" Blue Bubble Spin Doctor with a Blue Fairways Meatless Teaser was very good for me on a wire diver back 150ft.  Moonshine Dancing Anchovy on a high diver and a rigger was good.  Black Paddle down 85ft was very good on the ENCORE, I ran one down 95-105 and it never went.  Fish were coming 60-85ft down mainly.  Took a few bites deeper but it was slower fishing.  Other good spoons were Watermelon and Coyotes. 

July 17, 2010

Overall so far, the first 2 days of the 4 days of Tournament in Ludington has been a very tough fishing experience for most.  Thursday and Fri I struggled (it was brutal).  Today I went to the bank 105ft with the same program, starting in the same spot and they finally licked my baits.  Black and White Paddles 80 to 93ft down were good.  Gr. Splatter Back DW and a regular ole' Gr Ladder Back Plug down 60&65ft on riggers were smokin!!!!  Put out a 300 copper/w1/2lb, with a LG Ace Hi Splatter back Plug and that has been very good the last week.  Today, for me, was virtually a rigger bite as fast as we could put them down only having 3 diver bites---which we missed and 1 copper bite.  Because of the tournament I am not getting much info to spread around.  Even with the westerly winds the water is not warming up, which I find amazing.  Already through our summer change over???  The water is set-up perfect except when you head west the break does not change in depth, stays the same all the way out into the 49's at least, breaking 65-70ft down, should be ice water 40ft down.

This father and son team had a blast aboard the RAPTOR never getting a chance to sit down and complaining how exhausted they were.  Finally had a good day after struggling and losing a little confidence in my program but I am healed.    
       

Captain Glen Buehner Ludington Charter Service 
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