# Best king last year?



## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Go buy a peice of rigid conduit about a foot long and use that. Ace, lumberjack, home depot, lowes, maybe meijers, walmart...


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> Go buy a peice of rigid conduit about a foot long and use that. Ace, lumberjack, home depot, lowes, maybe meijers, walmart...


Tried that, can't find it thick enough and the lighter stuff bends with a 25# king in the net 16' down.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

I have a snow rake for my roof with 3 - 6 or 8 foot sections that snap into each other. They have the spring loaded nub thet pops into a hole in the next section. I am pretty sure you could get a snow rake in the UP.
Maybe you have seen some handles like that, you could McGuyver onto your net with a drill, some rivets or screws, washers and what not.


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## suckerbass (May 30, 2003)

dont remember the exact # but it was over 20#s late july in manastee. 
We had a great week and got 4 fish over 20# that week. Went back the next week and got nothing over 17.


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## res (Nov 22, 2006)

uptracker said:


> It is wood, but I can't find a sleeve for it here. I was thinking like an old tent pole coupling for the big army or canvas tents.


Check out the fencing supply. Top rail for chain link is pretty close and there are several sizes for line posts that might slide over a 1 5/16 dowel. I do not think the top rail would be stiff enough but it does have the reduced end so that another piece can be put on. You could use a simple bolt through to hold the two pieces together if it would work. Being it is metal and has not ability to flex, I would be concerned about kinking. Using a two foot section might slide over the wood pole though. Rick


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## MoneyMan11 (Jan 8, 2004)

My largest was a #209 king in Manistee. Actually, the fish went #24 and change and the other #185 was the treble stuck in my shin after I landed it. Caught these fish solo that morning that went over #20. Didn't take a pic of the fish, but did take one of my shin on my way to the ER, comes up every so often on the computer monitor. I think my wife has it set up that way as a reminder. :lol:


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## Carpmaster (Apr 1, 2004)

I got a 23# out of muskegon last summer, green ladderback J on a full core....


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## Big_P (Aug 18, 2005)

The bottom 2 are my best of 2006. One on the very bottom went a little over 21# and the one above that went 22#. Was using Firetiger Deep Reef Runners on the Big M.....WOW what a awesome experience. Can't wait it almost that time again!!


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## Dr. Steelhead (Nov 2, 2005)

Mine was right at 25 lbs. Biggest yet so I was happy. Looking forward to this year when I come back for vacation.


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## woodie slayer (Feb 25, 2006)

having trouble getting a pic. to post. biggest last year 45 lbs. 
caught in alaska. had a few larger fish on but couldn't land on a fly rod.taking some spinning gear this year for the big boys.60+lbs. on the Kenia River.


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## jsmith2232 (Jan 4, 2006)

My 2 biggest last year, a 22.5 and a 19.5 out of manistee.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

The biggest King that we weighed on our boat was 23.3#, which was probably the biggest. We had a decent amount of 17-19# as well. The last fish i caught was a nice 19.7# to end the year. Most of our bigger Kings were caught on Mag dipseys w/wire line. We ran mostly 8" Spin Doctors and my homemade flies, but we did get some nice Kings on Mag spoons behind the dipseys as well.

Dads 23.3#








My 19.7# to end the year as well as a couple other nice fish


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## thunderman (Mar 10, 2005)

my buddy passed away from cancer two years ago. so i've been continuing his 15 yr old son's outdoor training. as i have no children myself, so i'm finding it quite rewarding and at times a great challange. 

burned a week in ludville last aug. first morning out the newbie boy was very nervous about the big water. he settled down after the run to the point. he's quite an experianced fishermen, but has never been on the silver fish. big water = big eyes:yikes: 

started to drop the lines bout when the first of the sun peeked out. no wind,flat water, just as nice a day as one could as for. 

set port rigger down 60ft with a blue bubble spin doc and fly. proceeded into rolling out the starboard rigger when the boy says, "is that rod sposta be jumping like that?". whoooo!!!! fish on!!!! i snatch it out of the holder and line starts rippin like a fighter jet. i say here you go "gabbe" hang on tight. i knew it was a good fish. after coaching him in the proper way to pump and real and pointing the rod for the big runs. he was getting cramps in his cheeks from the grining, not to mention what the 20 min battle did to his arms. he he. 

when he seen how big that fish was coming to the boat he exclaimed "holy **** it's jaws" !!! i got a good net on it and rolled it into the boat. it flopped abit and gabbe couldn't get to the front of the boat quick enough. i'm like were you going???? he said " i ain't getting no were close to jaws" after a couple bonks with the persuader, he was able to get ahold of it for some pictures. we managed to boat our limit of some better than average sized fish that day. he's first fish was the biggest of our week long trip, tipping my handheld scale at 23.4 lbs. with a nice steelhead tipping at 14.9 a few days later. two days into the trip he was setting lines and grinding them fish in like a pro, he's addicted.:woohoo1: 


edit: i can't find the darn pic cd to post up some shots


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

A 23.45#er at the GLPAA in Frankfort,got $500 for that one(6th biggest).And another 23 1/2 ish, on my boat scales, that Gloria landed on my boat with the help of her sister Debbie & myself.The girls went 9 for 9 that morn and had a blast, that fish took a mixed veggie on a free slider and the Tourney fish took a Pro troll e-chip in green w/ a hyster fly.


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

Got this one in the Grand on a Hot-n-Tot. 42 1/2" but I didn't have a scale... best guess is in the low 30 lb range. Second largest (by length) fish turned in to the Master Angler program last year.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Waterfoul, I'd say low 30 would be good guess--stocky fish like that tend to have the weight. For comparison, here's one I got a few years ago that weighed out at 34# on a Rapala Big game scale, so give or take a few ounces either way (weighed it, measured it-- 47.5" and turned it loose):


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

How big do you guys think this king is? It was caught last October, and I was wondering what you guys think.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

ausable_steelhead said:


> How big do you guys think this king is? It was caught last October, and I was wondering what you guys think.


Honestly, I'd say it's in the 23 to 25# range. Those hens are deceptive--you get the bigger ones and think "Oh boy, 28# easy." and then she weighs out at 22#. Nice fish no matter what, anything over 20 is a pig.


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## Kearly Shuffle (Sep 15, 2006)

I don't know...I've caught some awfully heavy females. When they are chuck-full of eggs, they can be pretty darn heavy! That one looks close to 27-29lber to me. Unless it's being held closer to the camera than I think it is. I can't tell if those arms are locked straight out, or elbows down. I agree though, NICE FISH!!!!!


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## Kearly Shuffle (Sep 15, 2006)

thousandcasts said:


> Waterfoul, I'd say low 30 would be good guess--stocky fish like that tend to have the weight. For comparison, here's one I got a few years ago that weighed out at 34# on a Rapala Big game scale, so give or take a few ounces either way (weighed it, measured it-- 47.5" and turned it loose):


Now that is a HOG!!! The biggest I've ever caught is 32.5 pounds out of Rockport in Alpena. Of course that was quite a few years ago. And that was 8 hours after landing it. I have a picture of it in Woods 'N' Water Magazine. I caught that fish ONE day before the Michigan Brown Trout Festival one year! :rant:


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

thousandcasts said:


> Waterfoul, I'd say low 30 would be good guess--stocky fish like that tend to have the weight. For comparison, here's one I got a few years ago that weighed out at 34# on a Rapala Big game scale, so give or take a few ounces either way (weighed it, measured it-- 47.5" and turned it loose):


Yeah, mine has that big hump back that tends to make a fish pretty heavy. I now keep a scale in the boat, and one in the truck.... just in case! LOL!!!


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## Frogfish101 (Apr 5, 2007)

Our longest fish was my dad's 41.5" king from Tippy, but she was so thin. I have no idea why...









Our heaviest was probably mine:
39.5" male...HOW MUCH do you guys think he weighed?









Is this one close to 20?









I didn't get the weights because I had my digi scale ready, but forgot to put it in the truck!


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## alexsalmon (Feb 16, 2006)

That first one's skinny cause it looks to be spawned out. Maybe not though. Mine was 41", not sure on the wieght but she lived to spawn out. I hope.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

alexsalmon said:


> That first one's skinny cause it looks to be spawned out. Maybe not though. Mine was 41", not sure on the wieght but she lived to spawn out. I hope.


That and a lack of forage in the lake results in thin fish. We caught a couple last year that looked like steelhead since they were long and skinny. More food = more bulk.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> That and *a lack of forage in the lake results in thin fish*. We caught a couple last year that looked like steelhead since they were long and skinny. More food = more bulk.


Wow, someone who's actually admitting somethings alittle "off" in Lake Michigan.


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## Alpha Buck (Jan 24, 2006)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Wow, someone who's actually admitting somethings alittle "off" in Lake Michigan.


You should see all the bait in the lake this year, more than I have seen in awhile. Most of the fish seem to be pretty healthy, have seen some really thick steelhead and some pretty healthy looking kings. Hopefully it stays this way for awhile, it would be nice to see those hogs again.


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## Richard6908 (Jan 26, 2006)

Alpha Buck said:


> You should see all the bait in the lake this year, more than I have seen in awhile. Most of the fish seem to be pretty healthy, have seen some really thick steelhead and some pretty healthy looking kings. Hopefully it stays this way for awhile, it would be nice to see those hogs again.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Yeah, but guys say that every year, and it seems to me the kings keep shrinking over there. Last year, after hearing all this talk about lots of over 20lb fish, the trips we took for salmon, we never took one over 16lbs or so. It could just be our luck, you know. I'm not trying to start anything, just seems weird to me. I certainly wouldn't want Lk. Michigan to crash, I may be living that way depending on a job offer my Wife may get.


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## Frogfish101 (Apr 5, 2007)

There are reports that the alewife population if falling dramatically...There goes the #1 forage for the salmon.


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## Blaketrout (Feb 9, 2000)

> There are reports that the alewife population if falling dramatically...


I would have to disagree with those reports. Seen some massive bait clouds around the piers this weekend with plenty of "healthy" fish chasing them. Starting Memorial Day weekend and up to the Fourth there were plenty of spawning alewives. Definitely better than last year as far as bait numbers go i.m.o. In Huron it's still rare to see even one 'wive around when they used to spawn by the billions. 

It's good to see the bait holding up well, even with the likely scenario that Huron's fish are in Michigan right now fattening up.


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## Salmonous Maximus (Jan 28, 2004)

Frogfish101 said:


> There are reports that the alewife population if falling dramatically...There goes the #1 forage for the salmon.


I have to disagree as well. There may be some "flux" in the baitfish population on Lake Michigan but I think it is healthy. Out of the last five years that I have pier fished on the West side, I have never seen so many LARGE alewives as I did last weekend. Tons of them too boot. But on the other hand, the lake is so large and there are so many salmon. It could have just been the right situation to see the best "bait" the lake has to offer. I hope Lake Michigan doesn't go the way of Huron.


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## Richard6908 (Jan 26, 2006)

I disagree also,we have been marking alota baitfish.And when we do it is big school.


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## Carpmaster (Apr 1, 2004)

I spoke with a biologist for a good while over the last weekend. I lost a little ignorance while with learning some very interesting info.

Very few of our Greal Lakes fish are spawning at 4 anymore. The largest aged percentage is 3 yo's with a few 4's 2's and EVEN 1 YO's sexually mature! Our 1 year old fish are dropping spawn and dying! That sucks IMHO. We should get a Crap ton of pacific fish once the alewives rebound a tad more(since that sounds like the track they are on) and get some fish that spawn at 4 in the lakes again. 
That said all of the fish I have caught in the last few years have been very healthy appearing and stocky. I guess I hate to be a pessimist, but i dont thing Lake MI is in too bad of shape.


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## alexsalmon (Feb 16, 2006)

Frogfish101 said:


> There are reports that the alewife population if falling dramatically...There goes the #1 forage for the salmon.


I'll have to disagree also. I know plenty have already but anyone who has been on a mouth of the river or on the peir lately will look at that and totally disagree.

I agree with what Carpmaster said, I hear alot of young fish are comin in.


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