If you plan on going alone and fishing alone legally you can only use three rods

 

water depth can be 10 feet or 200 - really depends. Sometimes they are way out deep, other times on the beach

In general 10-40 feet of water that time of year. Troll in the top 10-15 feet of the water column. 2 to 3 MPH with thin fins and spoons

2.2. to 2.5 with dodger/fly

fishing the river plume and edge of the mudline is usually good, otherwise you are looking for warmest water possible

 

 

Yep, get a few of that color Brads.

 

I have just reached my retirement and went home in the last few months, frick it. Now number one on my list is to come over trolling for a day or two in my runabout for Coho out of South Haven. I am looking for some simple advice to get me going. Heading over around the first of April. I will only be trolling 4 rods, I am using my walleye trolling rods as I live very near LK Erie. Bought a handful of "Brads Thin Fin", have a few spoons, no downriggers but boards and dipseys ready to go.
So the questions I ask are pretty *** simple here.
It there a public ramp or even private I would like to get on the water?
Do I go north or south coming out of the river mouth ?
Speed of trolling ?
How deep of water should I be trolling in ?
I am staying one night in a hotel so 2 days fishing, but being retired I am waiting on flat sea's, my boat is only 17 foot. But I have been thinking (no dreaming) about doing this all winter, I think I would like to come alone, fish alone, no one understands, and I cannot explain, but frick it again.

Here are two methods for locating fish in unfamiliar waters.
1-be to the ramp and launch early follow out a charter boat at dawn( may be an unpopular method criticized by many but does work) just stay clear of them and give them their space they cannot maneuver as easily as smaller boats
2- again Beto the ramp and launch before daylight. Hang out near the town and watch for the seagulls to leave the roost on land. Follow them to where they are eating breakfast. They will show you exactly where the baitfish are. Also keep an eye out for rafts of diver ducks or cormorant they’ll also be on the bait

 

If alone I will only use 3 rods, that will be a handful. Everything is flat line, I have no Downriggers. I have jet dives and dipseys and yellow boards , I use all of the items in Erie regularly. I guess the flat lines will be the Brads Thin Fins yes in Red Squiggles. And maybe spoon with a Jet30-40. Just getting one will be big for me, my buddies here say I will get their award if I only ramp my boat, screw them. They want to go but I will not commit to a weekend, everyday is Friday now and I am going when the water is flat. Where is the public ramp.

 

Launch and cleaning station is off Dunkley and Wells, just a bit east of the drawbridge. Wells can be underwater at times, so I always take Dunkley and enter through the overflow lot.

 

Congrats on the retirement.
1st I go to the ramp as soon as, I hit the area and campout there for a few hours.
When some ones going out or in, I'm at the dock helping them, looking at baits AND asking questions.
Then like stated above, get there early, launch your boat and head out past the pier heads and off to the side and wait(lights ON).
When a charter goes by, wait until they are a mile past you and then head that way.
When they stop/slow down, you stop a mile away.
When they start trolling, hit your GPS to mark the start and you start trolling and STAY BACK that mile.
A mile away won't make them jumpy at all.
With a 17fter you may not be able to follow very far, be safe.
Also make sure that you GPS the pier heads on your way out.

 

From south Haven I would run south a few miles to get away from the pack of boats and run thin fins on planer boards with 2 to 5 colors I lead core and a spoon down the middle on the bottom. Target anywhere from 15 to 50ft of depth south troll to st.joe. don't worry what other boats are doing change speeds and directions till you find something that works. Sometimes they'll hit when your making a turn.2mph is a good speed to start with

 

Work the troughs and sand bars from 5-30 foot until about the second week of April. Brads thin fins and storm thin fish are the go to lures but rapala jointed shallow shad raps in the red crawdad color can be even better on some days. We only got bites trolling 3 mph on Sunday and we had to be doing crazy turns back and forth over the bars. Most bites came on the fast side of the boat as well.

 

Thin fins, j-9 jointed bk/sil, or/gold rapala.
Scorpion spoons on 1 or 2 color or small dipseys. Fish pier heads, by Deerlick Creek between piers n Palosades, Brandwine Creek just south of Palisades and in front of Palusades where water was 55 last week. Good luck.

 

Coho are not boat shy. Orange Orange Orange don't be afraid to put a spoon 4-6' behind a dipsy out 10-15'.

Going solo run all the rods on one side of the boat, the easier side for you to see.

About six miles south of South Haven there is a nuke plant. While the hot water attracts fish, there's also an exclusion zone around it that may or may not be marked. Don't get too close. The Coasties take this very seriously.

If you hit one coho a spot and work it over. Coho can school.

If there's a big wind and the water gets all chalked up, you can pick some fish up in that running loud (rattles) lures but also head out and work the edge of the mud. Else 10-20' is where I'd start.

 

Kevin has that right. One day I was tuning a Hot-n-tot next to the boat and had a coho grab it about 5 feet from the side of my boat. I was fishing by myself in Harbor Beach one day with 3 lines in the water, two on riggers w/ sliders with the main lines at about 10 feet down and the other rod on a short long line - maybe 75 behind the boat. Had 5 coho on at once just north of the harbor.

 

Dave Ash and I had a glorious day out of South Haven where we cane poled the Coho. Took my 9' planer board rods, put hot and tots on them, let out about 8' of line and held the rods in our hands. When a Coho would hit we'd just sling them into the boat.

Used to run four riggers, four feet down and 4' back too. Sometimes you would see the Coho swim up into that mix.

Never doubled up main line and slider but that would make netting interesting!

 

Now that is some good information. Thank each of you.

 

Good hotels with parking for 24 foot boat in South haven?

 

Go to South Haven Chamber of Commerce.com, there are several in town only a mile or so from the docks.

 

Trying to get out this week, wind looks bad, was thinking Wednesday early morning out of st joe

 

You think the fishing will be any good by then?

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You think the fishing will be any good by then?

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Mostly bad wx events the last week or so has kept us small boat guys dreaming from the recliner. With a 2.5 hr drive, the wx forecast has to be solid. Good luck if you go.

Boat of three got out on Wednesday in St Joe with temps in the 20's. After the blow the water temps were back in the 30's around the water plant and pretty muddy. Headed to Cook about 8 and arrived with half the rods iced over. (oops - should have kept them stowed.) Found great temps but muddy water out to about 50-60 feet. Chose to stay in close to the buoys. Only a couple boats out. Best spot was a SE troll and picked off one or two on each pass from 30' to the beach. All rods/colors took a fish or two. Ended the day at 11:30 with 11 Coho and a big Laker. Best part was my daughter was in town and hadn't been able to fish for a couple of years, so glad we were able to show her a good time.

 

fish the warmest water. long lining bombers on boards work good too especially when working the nooks and crannies around pier heads and beach. fire tiger is a good color

 

Has anyone been out of st. joe lately?

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Has anyone been out of st. joe lately?

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Mostly bad wx events the last week or so has kept us small boat guys dreaming from the recliner. With a 2.5 hr drive, the wx forecast has to be solid. Good luck if you go.

 

I am planning to get to Benton/St Joe Saturday about 8:00am. Will report in.

 

kingfishcam, we should be there around the same time, probably put a couple quick passes at the river mouth mud line, depending upon results, may be up for grabs after that. Sounds like there’s still fish stacked up around CNP, so might make that run. I’ll set my Marine radio on ch68 if you’d like to coordinate…We will be in 22Ft Triton, gray with white stripe, 250 Yamaha, rods sticking out everywhere! 😎

good luck, safe travels.
Capt Jim Balzer (retired)
aka: DoubleJay
Howell, MI

 

Good luck tomorrow guys! Be careful on 94 westbound! It's a pothole ridden mess. I beat the snot out of my truck and boat trailer when we went out there 2 weeks ago. It's not good when it gets this thing airborne 😂

 

Good luck tomorrow guys! Be careful on 94 westbound! It's a pothole ridden mess. I beat the snot out of my truck and boat trailer when we went out there 2 weeks ago. It's not good when it gets this thing airborne 😂

That is a beautiful boat! What's the make and model?

 

If you can remember, at exit 41 Westbound, Watervliet, stay in the left lane until you crest the hill. There are three spots that are brutal just after the on ramp. And is that the Osprey I commented as my new favorite boat at BH launch at dawn a couple weeks ago?

 

That's me! I'm trying to get back out there again, but things aren't looking good for this weekend.

 

What a tank.

 

Thank you guys! It's an Osprey Talon 24. Big enough to take some rough stuff, but still manageable on the trailer.

 

Thank you guys! It's an Osprey Talon 24. Big enough to take some rough stuff, but still manageable on the trailer.
View attachment 824682

What is the make of those clamp on rail rod holders?? Sweet ride

 

How is everyone doing out of St. Joe?

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How is everyone doing out of St. Joe?

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9 for 10 , we fished down by power plant, flicker shads, 25-30 fow, pier heads had fish around also