Huron-Verm. - How bad is it??

[Baitball]

Would like to make the trip Sat.
Is it all chocalate milk?

[not good]

Just went and looked at the lake west of Vermilion...very dirty.I won't be there tonight.Kelleys is gonna be your best bet for clean water.Good Luck

[BobB(MI)]

Fished Friday late afternoon up to 7:00 - not a hit. Went back out Saturday morning and fished until 2:30 or so. Only ended up with 2, the other boat we saw out there had 3 when we left.

Water was very muddy around Huron - we found fairly clear water toward Vermilion in 16-26 fow. Rumor had it that someone fished Friday night late and ended up with 8 fish - went west of Huron according to Carl at the dock.

It probably cleared up Sunday and the folks really tied into them. We decided to head back Sat evening.

Oh well, that's fishing.

Bob

[Toolman]

Went Saturday night-water was very stained, but not mud. I'd call it coffee w/cream. Pulled 7 fish and dropped a VERY large one at the net:-( 5 were over 8 lb with the big one at 11.

If I could get up on a soapbox for a minute-if you are trolling (under power) please follow the law's suggestion and run both stern (white) and bow (red/green) lights. Several boats out there recently are running bow only or NO lights at all! If you conform to the law-it makes it easier, more fun, and SAFER for everyone on the water. Thanks.

[bob oh]

Tim if you see someone running like that you should call the Coast Guard. I know it is tough to get involved but when someone is involved in an unlawful, unsafe practice we should report them. I have a buddy who doesn't function as well as he use to because someone decided they didn't need to follow the boating laws. Opps, sorry I jumped on your soap box :-)

rod bender bob

[Boatnut]

Tim,
congrats on your haul! Still hoping i can get out again before it freezes over.
I know what ya mean about the light thing....I run into that ALL the time in Kentucky. I dont personally see where running lights would spook walleyes at night on Erie with water color way it is. Heck, If the lights on Denny's boards wouldnt spook 'em then I dont know what would! LOL
Take care,

[COOLERKING]

Congrads Tim, sounds like you wacked em pretty good considering the conditions! In Reference to your
"soapbox", I agree 100% in running both bow(red/green) and stern (white)! My whole dash lights up as
well, with everything on! On my GLS 195 the volt meter goes from 12-13, down to 10 Immediately!
I have talked to guys who will only run Stern based on a battery situation! My point is Have your battery
that is up to the challenge, or bring a back-up! With the water temps dipping better to be safe than
sorry, for ALL of us! .....Jack

[B Thomas]

Jack,

You get that T8 and you wont have to to worry about it your battery going dead with all your lights on

[Toolman]

Hey Guys,

I was able to enjoy another trip last night with JBL and ETT aboard Jeff's boat. Same programs but more fish-smaller size (still nice ones). 9.5 big fish. Lots of 6+/- lbrs. I think we boated 12 fish total. Had 1 REAL good board sinker that came unbuttonned :-(

Same deal again on the boat/boats with no lights.

Tim

[JeffC]

You mentioned having the T-8 running. I thought the program was to run slow and use your electric trolling motor to catch these fish at night? Not to say you can't get a 4 stroke to troll that slow, but I thought the noise spooked the fish bad.

[Toolman]

JeffC,

I'm a believer in using electric, especially in calm/quiet conditions (sound travels thru water at the same speed no matter if it's calm or choppy, though). Saturday night we boated 7 with a couple dropped and several pullbacks. All bites were going with the wind using the bowmount. Coming back into the wind/waves using the gas kicker, not even a pull back. Speeds were virtually the same, though another difference is the way the waves affects the boards and ultimately the lure action.
Last night we trolled exclusively with the gas. We pulled more fish last night than on Saturday (but not the quality) but really have no baseline to compare if the gas or electric would have made a difference. One thing I'm pretty sure is that the sound of a gas kicker can't help, especially if you (and other boats) are beating the crap out of a small area. If it's not too crowded, you can spread your boards farther to get the lures away from the boat.
As far as speeds, we have yet to have to slow down to less than 1.5 MPH to catch fish. STill catching them on outside turns sometimes, too (lure is going much faster than the boat). Good luck and be safe.

[J4Gash]

Toolman how deep of water are you fishing? What lures are you pulling? Are you East or West of the Huron River? I want to get out before I put the boat away for the winter. Thsank You.

[Toolman]

There's been fish caught all along the shore both ways (actually clear to Cleveland and Marblehead) but you don't hear alot about it. I can't blame them but people like to have some space. This post might or might not-after all it is deer gun season here in OH. The weather will turn to crap after tonight and only the real hearty souls will fish in snow/etc, so the crowds are thinning out. We did better east of the river a week ago (reportedly those fish are still going). Doing well west now (in fairness I haven't been east in a week). Honestly there has been no consistent solid depth, but you can't run your lures too high right now. As close as 10' and probably no farther than 25' back on rips, rouges, and HJs. No real killer colors either other than what your pulling the most. If I picked 3 I'd say Glass Perch HJ14, Mooneye Ripstick and Firetiger ripstick (but then again, that's what's got the most PT behind my boards). There are guys fishing 20+ FOW after dark and guys fishing in less than 3 FOW. Start somewhere in between and work it-prolly closer as the night progresses. Biggest thing is you gotta be there. I told the guys on the boat last night- "We wouldn't be catching these if we were watching Monday Night Football"! ;-)
A couple other things (like I'm an expert) don't be afraid of muddy water, be courteous on your trolling paths and running lights. Fishing alone in a spot that might not seem so hot is probably better than fishing a pack-the fish spook quick in shallow water. Good luck and be safe.

[B Thomas]

Ive been using my T8, with no wind it pushes me .8-1mph at slowest and you cant hear it running when it is. Its been producing just fine for me.

[payedfor]

I agree you need lights on and that includes the white I for one know about power useage as my outboard does not charge my battery
my fix was to replace my white and green red lights with supper bright white leds <leds behind red green lenze> power consumption
went from about 3 amp to less than .5 amp also outfitted my boards with what i call trolling board fireflies these are same leds on a short peace of stiff wire about 1 foot above board and a littel
9 volt battery in a pocket on the board i bet you can see my boards
at least a mile away maybe two but best part is a cheep 50 cent 9 volt
schould last around 20 hrs and leds are complety waterproff payedfor

[Toolman]

payed for,

You have a digital pic of that set-up? Sounds good. Also-where did the leds come from? Thanks.

Tim

[payedfor]

I order leds online by bulk i will see if i can get a picture to you you want one of the lights on boat or the boards also need your email as cant post pics here anyone wanting to see setup e mail me so i get your address and i will send pictures after i take some payedfor

[FISHCRAZY]

I was concern about the noise also, especially after I heard my 200 hp. Johnson, two stroke, when working on it in the back yard, talk about loud. Many times I run my lures only 10'-20' behind the board. I was very surprised on night when, after leaving out only 15' of line, as i turned to get the board i saw the rod pulled half way into the water. I grabed the ro thinking I got the prop, but instead, I got a 9 lbs eye, right behind the engine. Another time, as I was pulling the line in, I had a fish grab it right behind the boat. I used to get my lines real far from the boat. Now I run my inside lines within 10' and I had nights when the two insides outprodused the other six and ran only 15' behind the boards. As far as the water depth I was fishing in; 7'-10' deep. Not to contradict anybody, but I wouldn't concern myself too much with the noise.

Tight Lines!

Fishcrazy.

[REW]

right on.
Many fish are actually attracted to the comotion of the motor and boat.

When ever we fish for northerns, we seldom have lines out much more than 20 feet.

Also, with respect to noise, much of the noise of the motor is heard above the water, but is not really heard below the water. I realize that you have your exhaust pulses exiting the prop, but the bulk of the noise is above the water line.

The same thing is true of ice fishing.

It is much better to use a fast gas auger to cut holes, rather than a slow hand auger. The thing that is heard underwater by anything in the water is the sound of the blade cutting the ice. Virtually no sound from the gas engine turning the auger is heard under the water. So, if you can minimize the duration of the blade on the ice, you will minimize the sound in the water.

Take care
REW

[Bob Shaw]

I toowas always told to run bords way away from boat when fishing shallow water and running lures in the top 5 feet of water. I had the pleasure of fishing with Fishcrazy out of e 72nd street a couple of weeks ago and the water was very clear and we did catch more fish off the inside boards than anywhere else. That's especially nice to not have move rods and still you sometines get tangles once in awhile with the fish on the outside lines.
Bob Shaw (Beebob)

[Wahoo]

I can hardly count the number of times I have had fish smack lures within thirty feet of a running outboard motor.
I am quite sure with walleyes its more "human noise" (clunking around,loud voices laughter etc) that scare fish than an idleiing/trolling speed outboard motor......Wahoo

[Toolman]

I wasn't saying that you CAN'T catch shallow fish with the gas engine running-I've caught plenty of 'em like that right behind/below the boat, skinny water, yada, yada... My point was unless you compare it directly with results using the electric and gas you don't have comparable results. When 12 or 15 boats continually run the same trolling pass in 5 FOW running gas kickers-it's going to affect the fish. It probably would if they were all running electric, too. If a person caught 10 fish in a night pulling with the gas, how does he know he wouldn't have caught 2X that many pulling with the electric? Trolling was that productive close to the boat, we wouldn't even use boards! ;-)
Payedfor- shoot me a pic and a link or address for the leds if you would. E-mail addy is fishtjoseph@visohio.com (Minus the fish for spammers). Right now I'm working on the new set-up that ETT and Denny are using-the Nite Brites bobber lites.
Good luck and be safe out there. Hope to see some better weather by the weekend.

Toolman

[Stiker]

Payedfor I really would like to see this setup that you use at night on your boards. I'm fairly new to night fishing and would really appreciate your help. You can reach me at bo3311@msn.com
Thanks

[BELLVILLE]

I THINK THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SHARPER TURNS AND SPEED UP
TO KEEP THE BOARDS RUNNING. ALSO FISHED FOR PIKE AND
CAUGHT THEM RIGHT IN THE PROP WASH. SWEEPING TURNS
SOMETIMES WORK, BUT NOT ALWAYS
THANKS RIC
ALSO FISH CAN SWIM FASTER THAN YOU CAN TROLL

[Silentsixty]

Seemed like a good place to mention this. Red on port, green on starboard.

It's been at least 4 wks but saw one or two boats with bow light colors reversed a couple nights off Cranberry.

I reversed my lens when replacing the bulb. The nite I started to figure it out I saw 3 with red port & counting me, 3 w/green port.

Disliked the glare from the stern light, found one 6" taller through Cabelas - no glare.

Regards,
SS

[payedfor]

hi all sorry for delay but work has been keeping me busy im going to try and get some pics of light setup and a littel write up about things soon. hope this weekend if i can around hunting i will e mail to all interested email me at deerslayer660@aol.com so i can get you in my address book and send a bulk mail to all at once allso skupinskull your address came back undeliverable so try again
also im tring to get a list of all users that i can from this board
and putting cell ph numbers with it i will than laminate it and keep it on boat as much as i like sharing info sometimes you just want
to tell someone something not on the radio my fishing cell number
is 419-631-2096 so include you boat handel and number if you do not
mind others from this board knowing because i will share info through
email to all who request george <payedfor>

[skipnskul]

Payedfor,
Don't exactly know why the address didn't work.Just switched to XP pro so maybe that is it but here is the info
msbreen@adelphia.net
Mike Breen (Skipnskul)
cell--440-522-2369

Thanx,
Mike