walleye express
05-20-2006, 07:55 PM
After monitoring closely last nights Wind/Wave report for Saginaw Bay, I called my cousin Mike Manyen to confirm and verify that we "WOULD NOT" be taking the "Back Breaking" run to places well north of Charity Island in his 17 foot, 150 Horse Powered Merc, Star Craft rocket sled. Especially after Me and Mikes dad had caught nothing there Wednesday. Mike has two boat speeds, stop and full throttle. And I was not going to break my back when the forecast was for 15 to 20 MPH NW winds, with higher winds predicted for later in the afternoon. So with his assurance that we were going to stay out in front of Hoyles down shore or out near the man-made island, and let the wind blow over us, I set the alarm clock for 4:45am.
But when I arrived at Linwood corners restaurant at 5:30 am this morning for breakfast, Mike had this smirk on his face. "Were going North" he says. "If your going North, I'm headed back South to my warm bed" I answered. "Hey, my buddy caught some real monsters near AuGres yesterday afternoon" he says. "I can't force you to go" "but I sure wish we could" he says. Nothing worse than a guy who knows how to push your buttons. And letting a bud down who's both won and came in 5th place in as many years in this particular tourney, just didn't seem smart. So away we went at 7:15am from the end of Hoyles channel at Mach 2 towards AuGres. I was getting beat up fairly good when we rounded Point Lookout 1 hour and 15 minutes later, and thought the trip was just about over. But didn't know Mikes destination was past Gravely Shoals and just a little South of the Alabaster pier heads.
We sat down in 21 FOW and Mike told me to run my side with whatever I wanted and he'd do the same on his side. He also hinted that his side might be the most busy, being I was in his boat on his territorial waters. I said we'll see. So I opted for running my Stinger Scorpion spoon harnesses with keels and XPS weights. Chicken Wing and Cranberry were the colors I put down. Almost immediately I had a very nice fish bury the board with the Chicken Wing spoon. But we never did see it, as it came off half way to the boat. But that was all the action we had for the next 2 hours.
I finally persuaded Mike to head back South where we had passed his bud 3 hours earlier off the Rifle River Bar. We stopped the boat in 13 FOW off the bar and started trolling with the waves. Long story short, in those last 3 fishing hours we boated 8 walleyes, with 7 coming from my side on the spoon harnesses. Weighed in 13.75 pounds and came in 29th in a 125/145 boat (not sure which) field, saving face for both of us. I truly believe if we would have started on the Bar, we could have culled and improved our weight considerably. I got a big laugh when one of Mike buds asked how I liked getting back in the tournament saddle with Mike. I told him I was 54 years old this morning when we left the marina. I'm 64 years old now. Heres a picture of the leader board with the total weight caught today, and our weight on the right hand side.
http://www.walleye-express.com/albums/Miscellaneouos/IM001074.jpg
But when I arrived at Linwood corners restaurant at 5:30 am this morning for breakfast, Mike had this smirk on his face. "Were going North" he says. "If your going North, I'm headed back South to my warm bed" I answered. "Hey, my buddy caught some real monsters near AuGres yesterday afternoon" he says. "I can't force you to go" "but I sure wish we could" he says. Nothing worse than a guy who knows how to push your buttons. And letting a bud down who's both won and came in 5th place in as many years in this particular tourney, just didn't seem smart. So away we went at 7:15am from the end of Hoyles channel at Mach 2 towards AuGres. I was getting beat up fairly good when we rounded Point Lookout 1 hour and 15 minutes later, and thought the trip was just about over. But didn't know Mikes destination was past Gravely Shoals and just a little South of the Alabaster pier heads.
We sat down in 21 FOW and Mike told me to run my side with whatever I wanted and he'd do the same on his side. He also hinted that his side might be the most busy, being I was in his boat on his territorial waters. I said we'll see. So I opted for running my Stinger Scorpion spoon harnesses with keels and XPS weights. Chicken Wing and Cranberry were the colors I put down. Almost immediately I had a very nice fish bury the board with the Chicken Wing spoon. But we never did see it, as it came off half way to the boat. But that was all the action we had for the next 2 hours.
I finally persuaded Mike to head back South where we had passed his bud 3 hours earlier off the Rifle River Bar. We stopped the boat in 13 FOW off the bar and started trolling with the waves. Long story short, in those last 3 fishing hours we boated 8 walleyes, with 7 coming from my side on the spoon harnesses. Weighed in 13.75 pounds and came in 29th in a 125/145 boat (not sure which) field, saving face for both of us. I truly believe if we would have started on the Bar, we could have culled and improved our weight considerably. I got a big laugh when one of Mike buds asked how I liked getting back in the tournament saddle with Mike. I told him I was 54 years old this morning when we left the marina. I'm 64 years old now. Heres a picture of the leader board with the total weight caught today, and our weight on the right hand side.
http://www.walleye-express.com/albums/Miscellaneouos/IM001074.jpg