Just the luck of the draw Rick. Most had a hard time trying to fill a box, but the guys that did had some nice ones. Oh well, there's always next year. Good report.
StormFront, TELL her you "need" a minimal part of the budget to keep your sanity. All work and no play doesn't bode well for your health or your marriage. If that don't work, then go to plan B like dieselhp said. Face it man, you're a fisherman, you'll always be in debt.
Years ago before zebra mussels invaded, SM were very predictable on depth and clarity of water. Since, I believe they have found new depths to seek the cooler waters and reduced light source they're used to. Find structure in deeper depths than you normally fish and I think you'll find them. Don't forget, a lot of the bait have moved to weed areas which are growing in deeper depths also.
Adapt, Improvise, & Overcome
What really happened is that you never got over that childhood fascination of making bubbles and when you stepped back to admire your work. KA-BOOM.
And now you know the rest of the story. :D
Rod, it was a great time talking to you and Ray. Looking forward to having a few cold ones next time.
I drilled thru a 3" galvanized fence post and added a couple of small pulleys I got from home depot. Added a couple of spools from Malin wire that I had laying around & spooled with planer line. Total cost = $13. & it fit right in the seat hole with no wobble.
Well, to start with, you came to the right place. Read thru the posts and gleen as much info from them as you can. When you're finally thouroughly confused, start asking questions. Really though, start with asking if your rods & reels are sufficient to use for salmon etc. Next, check what type of spoons, flys, dodgers, flashers, etc. are gonna work for the type of fishing you'll be doing. There's a ton of info on the site and too much to mention here, but like I say, read thru it and try to absorb as much as you can. The folks here are more than willing to help out a newbie.
Welcome to the site and good luck on the water. We're looking forward to your first report.
Empty Hook, some guys smoke at a fast high temp, others slow low temp. If I've got a full smoker, I usually smoke slow low. Half a smoker I usually do at fast high temp. High = 350, 2hrs, Low = 275 3 1/2hrs. Hope this helps.
My thoughts and prayers are with him & his family. Sorry to hear about his loss. When I lost my Dad I lost my best friend. Many good memories that make me smile still to this day though.
Congrats, definately a nice king. This might help you out a bit in identifying them: http://www.great-lakes.org/fishid.html Also, most of the tackle shops carry small fish ID cards that you can keep in the boat.