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martin1950

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Hartford, MI.
  • Interests
    After living in Alaska for 9yrs, kind of hooked on Salmon and Bows. Retired high-voltage lineman.
  • Home Port
    South Haven,
  • Boat Name
    Eleanor

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    martin195068

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  1. A few years back I read an article and watched a video on trolling for Lakers using a long “beaded” leader. I’ll be dog-gone if I can find it now. Anyone else remember it or was this ole man just dreaming? Martin
  2. That's easy, 4/0 siwash. There ain't a single treble hook in my spoon box.
  3. For 20 years I was a card carrying “pier rat”. Learned how to catch and rig fresh Ales for Bows/Steelies and Salmon and how to brine for cutbait. When I boat bought my 1st. boat and got into dragging meat years ago it didn’t take too long to realize that trolling w/ herring was going to be a bit on the expensive side since I fish off my meager retirement and my Social Security Insurance. I started with some old frozen Ales that I had salt/soaked in the freezer for cut-bait. I “re-brined” them using the method I’d seen in a video. Living in S/W Michigan I’m lucky to live within 20 miles of 2 river systems so during the June&July Steelie/Bow run I’d go to the pier to soak a few shrimp with some old friends. I’d take a couple of 2-gallon zip bags with 3 cups of borax and 3 cups of canning/pickling salt in each bag and a sabiki rig or cast net and while I had bobber rigs in the water I would jig-up or net Ales until I had about 2 dozen in a 5 gallon bucket. Then I’d drain the water and put the Ales (still flopping) in the bag and mix them around and then put the bag in the cooler and then repeat the same process. When I’d get home I’d sort them for size for whole bait rigs and for cut bait rigs and finish the brining process. I dry brine them at the pier to set the scales and slime. It is better to salt bag them at the pier because by the time you get home with a bucket full of dead ales they will start to “slime” and you’ll lose that natural scent. But that’s just my take on it and it works for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkCnytcEZ4 During this step I’ll add color by using a healthy amount of food coloring. But if I’m going to filet some for sushi-flies or cut-bait heads I’ll basically use this idea; http://www.michigansportsman.com/Tips_n_Trix/Cut_Bait.htm I use the LARGE Miracle Whip jars for the brining for whole bait and those plastic tubs you get deli sliced meat in for the A/B sides for cut bait so they lay flat. Caution!! Some wives don’t take too kindly to a bunch of brining jars in the frig for the summer. So ya might want to buy a “bait frig” for your garage. I did that maybe 2 or 3 times over the summer season and had more than enough bait, over 300 pieces, for the trolling season plus a lot of extras to get started in the spring in the freezer. Long term storage. When I get too many jars in the frig I’ll take and drain them and place the “Ales” on sheet pans and flash freeze them. I’ll place 4 fish in those small snack bags and when I’m all done I’ll put those snack bags in labeled freezer bags. Quick, simple and CHEAP. Now there is nothing wrong w/ commercial brines and they work a lot faster but being retired I have a lot of time on my hands. If ya go to a pier, DO NOT use a wire basket to hold your bait fish as it tends to rub the scales off, you want that sparkle from the scales. Ales aren't as tough or re-useable as a herring, the stomachs are soft and thin. I like to brine them for 2 weeks and a whole Ale will last up to 4hrs with good color and scale retention and flexability. I'm rather liberal with the borax and canning salt, but I'm more anal when it comes to keeping everything COLD even when I'm fishing. One thing, I live in the country so I'm on a well. And just like curing salmon eggs, you NEVER want to use city water. I like to get friendly with our local C.O.’s. I’ve had C.O’s watch me catch and brine Ales on the pier so when I hit the boat launch I never have been hassled about the “Virus” requirement because they know where I got my bait, in the same body of water. Martin
  4. "Separate Battery for Downriggers I just picked up some Walker Tournament Electric Riggers and want to get them mounted to the boat and wired up before its time to actually use them. Do you guys run them off of a separate battery?" If you go this route and those Walkers have Auto Stop, you'll want to common ground all your batteries.
  5. Sound advice, but I take it a little further. I pre-tie all my "J" harnesses on 6-8' leaders w/ chains at both ends, don't like line twist on the main line and it's easy to change plugs or leaders.
  6. When I got into meat dragging several years ago it didn’t take too long to realize that trolling w/ herring was going to be a bit on the expensive side since I fish off my meager retirement and my Social Security Insurance. I started with some old frozen Ales that I had salt/soaked in the freezer for cut-bait. I “re-brined†them using the method I’d seen in a the below video. Living in S/W Michigan I’m lucky to live within 20 miles of 2 river systems so during the June/July Skam/Bow run I’d go to the pier to soak a few shrimp with some old friends. I’d take a couple of 2-gallon zip bags with 3 cups of borax and 3 cups of canning salt in each bag and a sabiki rig or cast net and while I had bobber rigs in the water I would jig-up or net Ales until I had about 2 dozen in a 5 gallon bucket. Then I’d drain the water and put the Ales (still flopping) in the bag and mix them around and then put the bag in the cooler and then repeat the same process. When I’d get home I’d sort them for size for whole bait or smaller one for cut bait rigs and finish the process. I dry brine them at the pier to set the scales and slime. During this step I’ll add color by using a healthy amount of food coloring. But if I’m going to filet some for sushi-flies or cut-bait heads I’ll basically use this idea; http://www.michigansportsman.com/Tips_n_Trix/Cut_Bait.htm I use the LARGE Miracle Whip jars for the brining for whole bait and those plastic tubs you get deli sliced meat in for the A/B sides for cut bait so they lay flat. Caution!! Some wives don’t take too kindly to a bunch of brining jars in the frig for the summer. I did that maybe 2 or 3 times over the summer Skam/Bow season and had more than enough bait, over 300 pieces, for the trolling season plus a lot of extras to get started this year in the freezer. When I get too many jars in the frig I’ll take and drain them and place the “Ales†on sheet pans and flash freeze them. I’ll place 4 fish in those small snack bags and when I’m all done I’ll put those snack bags in labeled by color in freezer bags. Do not mix colors because they will bleed and recolor the bait. Quick, simple and CHEAP. Now there is nothing wrong w/ commercial brines and they work faster but I have a lot of time on my hands. If ya go to a pier to do this, DO NOT use a wire basket to hold your fish as it tends to rub the scales off the fish, you want that sparkle from the scales. And it is better to salt bag them at the pier because by the time you get home with a bucket full of dead ales they will start to “slime†and you’ll lose that natural scent. But that’s just my take on it and it works for me. Martin
  7. The only "cut-bait" I use is a fillet strip of alewife in a sushi-fly. Other than that I use a whole brined alewife in a tuned bait head. Martin
  8. I get a few more on F/F but the biggest ones come on meat. Run them both and see what the fish want. Martin
  9. Last week I took two little solo runs out on the “BIG PONDâ€, I’m retired so I fish when ever the water is gentle and NO it wasn’t on Lake “Oâ€., hoping to find Kings. Well, I did net two Kings, one each day, but I had to fish and net 5 Lakers also. The general consensus around here in the southern basin is that it’s becoming a Laker or nothing fishery so I guess it’s time to re-adjust my program. Couple of years back my #2 son gave me a few sets of cowbells. F/F’s, spin-n-glows I have dialed in, but I in the dark with these gang trolls other than fish’um on DR’s. Any general info would be appreciated. Thanks, Martin
  10. chinook35, "They have never seen a squid either. But hoochies catch a lot of kings." You are absolutely correct on that one. Two years ago my largest King came on a 5" hoochie behind a Mountain Dew Spin Doctor. And in my neck of the woods Steelies, or what some people call "Bow's", are hardwired and can't resist the color orange. And look at the strange color array of spoons we wash in the hunt for the "BIG ONE". Sorry if I made my statement sound absolute. Martin
  11. I started "dragging meat" about 5 years ago and bought all of my start-up materials from a company in Grand Rapids, MI. He has a great selection of both whole and cut bait rigs. I use only whole bait rigs with Ales because 1st off I'm cheap 2nd I catch and brine my own, but that's a totally different subject. I've always believed in match the hatch and our land locked salmonoids have never seen a herring, but that's just me. Check out Gary's web site; Big Weenie Brand.com. Martin
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