# Gonna try to catch fish on the cheap..needy thread time



## JJ Mac (Dec 29, 2003)

Pm sent


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

I have been fishing alot, too much really! But I am having a good time doing it! I went 7/11 on lakers yesterday, targeted salmon today and boated zero. The lakers were suspended in about 70 FOW, I was marking fish very deep when looking for chinooks.









Early am double!








First Chinook of the year, had a rod running about 30 feet down and he took it!








Slot limit fish

Now don't jump on me for this, but I am having a problem with fish mortality. Some of the lake trout I am catching don't live. I land them quickly and net them carefully. I wet my hands and release them with some revival. Some of the fish won't revive, they go belly up, or swim like they are half dead. What can I do to save them? I do hear a burping sound when they get pulled out of the water.

I will still get you all a boat pic, I want to name it "son of a bitch" but don't think that's PC. Just imagine me calling my buddy and saying, let's take the SOAB out!..lol


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## paulywood (Sep 2, 2005)

One thing that helps keep fish alive is to not handle them. If you think that the fish is not legal, reel it in next to the boat and measure it without touching the body. If it's not legal use a pliers to remove the hook. Touching the fish either with your hands or a net will increase mortality. Lakers are probably going to be harder to keep alive because of reeling them up from deeper depths and the temperature changes the encounter. Good luck, looks like you're having fun.


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## Jason Adam (Jun 27, 2001)

If I'm gonna let a fish go, I dont net it at all. Just unhook it with pliers off teh back of the boat. I've let 1000's of lakers go. Actually, lakers survival rate is usually great compared to silver fish./..


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

Things are going well, except my digital camera is broken :-( . I have been getting out as much as I can. I have landed a handfull of salmon and tons of lakers. Anyone know when the salmon start coming into the bays in better numbers? If anyone around here is looking to split gas with me one early am, and go out on the SOB, let me know, but I warn you, she is no fancy dancey fishing machine.


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

some more photos. After the day these were taken, about a week ago, the fishing fell flat as a pancake. no idea why. Anyone else fishing grand traverse bay?


























i guess this thread is dead, this will be my last post on it.


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## res (Nov 22, 2006)

I have not been out on the bay yet this year and have only been out a couple of times to Manistee so far. Last year I hit the bay in the second week of August and things got pretty good from then on until about late September. I will be out there a few times this year as my dad likes to fish the bay. He is not wild about the waves we often deal with on the main lake so the bay gives us protection. Looks to me like you are doing fine. Rick


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## Nailer (Feb 28, 2004)

Sam It looks like your having a fine year considering your only using 2 rods.
The fishing may have fallen off lately due to warmer water moving in? 
You may also get more responses if you post your reports in the Big Lake Cold Water Fishing Forums.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=92


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

actually I am running 6 rods now...


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## live2fishdjs (Sep 9, 2003)

Keep up the posts Sam (and the pics)...I can't be the only one enjoying them.


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## BeerGeek (Jun 29, 2007)

My dad has a cottage on East Bay, near Deepwater Point. He and I used to jig for whitefish all summer. That's slowed down quite a bit. When I'm there these days, I take my girls out in a rowboat and we troll the drop-off around DP for smallies. Pick up a few trout here and there. Last summer, I got a big hit on my UltraLight, and it ran straight at the boat. I didn't keep up with it, and it got off. After I convinced myself it could not have been a pike, I thought maybe it was a nice laker. The girls were bummed I didn't boat it.

The next day, same spot, I hooked into it (or something similar) again! This time, I kept the line tight, and boated this baby!! (in my left hand)

(Can't post pictures yet. Check my profile photos)

My girls (10 yo twins) couldn't understand why I burst out laughing when the nice, big fish came into view. But they were happy I let them net it for me!

I picked up the cat later in the day. Both trolling Hot-n-Tots 6' in about 20'.

I'm always looking for better fishing spots on the East Bay, now that the whitefish are pretty much gone. Anybody else have any suggestions?


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