intheboxcharters.com Blog

7-26-2009

It seems weird for me to be saying this now, but….

We went out for the maiden voyage of the year last night!! Yup, an injury has me on the sidelines and with a summer ending surgery scheduled for early August, I‘ve gotta get on the water this year.

Hit the water in time to anchor up and watch the air show. If you’ve never done so, it’s a pretty cool vantage point.

After the show, we motored out and started marking fish in 50’ of water straight east of the US Bank building. We started dropping lines at about 4:15 PM, and caught our 1st fish in 80’. After hanging around there for a little bit, and marking no more fish, we slid back in and never left 50-60 feet for the rest of the evening.

The fish were definitely there! We ended at 9:00 with fish still biting, but the kids were wiped out. We went a perfect 12 for 12. 11 kings and a laker. In addition to good numbers, we broke 20 lbs with a dandy 21lb king, 2 others over 17, and 2 at 15. We stayed between the filter and US Bank all night. 2 doubles and a triple really had the fire drill in full swing at times.

My observations… the 3 largest fish (plus the laker) came on a wire dipsy with my old standby Spin Dr. (white /mountain dew) and Moonshine fly in “packer” colors. That was the only fly in the water, the rest was spoons. My SWR caught the 1st fish, and neither rigger popped the rest of the night. 1 other fish came on the PP dipsy with spoon, which made a total of 5 fish off dipsy’s. The rest of the fish came off the lead core. 5 color, 5 color + 2 oz snap weight, and 2 color + 3 oz snap weight were the workhorses bringing in the rest of the fish except one on a mono setup with a 2 oz snap weight 50/50.

Spoons were a mix, but most were magnum’s. Kevorkian, Moonshine TNT and Hotlips, Fishlander orange easter egg, and a Dreamweaver super slim in a “red icicle” type color.

Good luck all.

9-24-2008

Took a quick trip this morning with Craig from Milwaukee.

Started in some pretty good rollers at 5:30 AM by the red bouy, NE of the north gap in 60′ of water.

Trolled for a few hours, with a steelhead coming on a 1/2 core with Moonshine TNT. Had a few trips on the SWR with Moonshine Hotlips that didn’t stick. Ran 2 white opti’s/LBB flys that didn’t produce and wound up switching them out within an hour.

Shortly after sunup, we decided to head into the harbor and give the gaps an honest try.

With all lines in the boat, I decided to jig for a while. We worked the main gap, mouth of the river, and actually had a really nice drift down the river. A few short hits was all. 1/2 oz jig heads with Gulp.

Put the trolling gear back out, and pulled a nicer coho out of the main gap on 2 color with flourescent orange/red Stinger spoon.

That’s it. 2 for 3. Had a nice hit in the harbor on the 1/2 core with TNT that took the board under. Got my board back but the fish was gone in short order.

Marked fewer fish in the gaps this trip, but the ones there did seem to be more active. Just basing that by the couple of jigging hits, and the coho caught and nice hit lost.

Helped a guy net a nice king off the pier when we got back. Tan, not black and IMO still good to eat. Guessed it at 15-18 lbs. There definately there.

Good luck

9-21-2008

Took a morning trip with Dan from Delavan and his father in law, Frick from South Africa.

Spirits were high, and in my mind I was a little worried when we cleared the north gap at 5:00 AM and were met with some medium size rollers. The crew was good so onward we went.

There was little to nothing marked in the north gap, so I didn’t even drop a line.

We went out to 60′ off the filter and I started marking fish. We set up on a NE troll into the surf and away we went.

Sunrise was muted due to ground haze in the east and cloud cover, but shortly after the sun came up the fish started biting.

1st line to go was the Power Pro dipsy with Moonshine atomic melon, 100′ LOC in 90′ of water. Short fight and the fish was gone.

That started about an hour of action for us which at more than one point had us down to only 2 rods left in the water.

1 king on Power Pro dipsy with Moonshine atomic melon. 100′ LOC, 100′ of water.

1 king on 1/2 core and board, Moonshine T-N-T in 100′.

1 laker on SWR with Moonsine hot-lips. Down 55′ in 90′.

Ended the day 3-4, and had about a dozen pops off the rigger, and quite a few rips on both wire and Power Pro dipsy’s that didn’t stick.

Water temp in 100′ was in the upper 40’s half way down, and in 60′ was 60 down 45.

Finished up making a run in the north gap, down in the harbor, and out the main gap. Marked more fish but still nothing. There were HUGE schools of fish outside the main gap. Some were over 20′ thick. Not a bump. They are there, just need them to turn on.

Not a numbers game today. Good day on the water with great company. Special trip for all of us, with me realizing that even though something may not fit into a “business plan” it doesn’t mean you can’t get something from it. Watching someone achieve a life long dream, knowing that their days are numbered is a truely enlightning experience.

I enjoyed sharing my boat with you guys.

9-12-2008

Took a sunrise trip today with my friend Kraig and his dad Ken. This was Kraig’s 3rd trip with me, and 1st trip catching a fish!! The other two involved getting sea sick (see the banana story on the web site… that’s him), and the 2nd trip had lightning chasing us off the water about the time we got out.

Hit the water about 5:30, and 1st task at had was getting a quick set in the water and make a troll through the north gap. Marked little and caught none. Only had 4 lines in, 2 riggers and 2 dispys. Brought up nothing but fouled lures.

Took off for the open water, and started marking fish in about 60′. Set up on a NE troll and kicked the skunk out before all the lines were set in 75′ of water, smaller king on the rigger, white flasher/LBB fly back 15 down 55.

Spent the next hour or so well…. lost basically. Marked fish in 60-80 all morning but just couldn’t get them to go. Slid out deep and lost all the marks by 100′. Slid back in and picked up our 2nd small king in 80′ on SWR with Moonshine Hot Lips down 65′.

Continued to bounce in and out, eventually fishing from 50′ out to 150′ and raking quite a bit of water doing nothing but washing lures. Spent all morning off the filter.

While pulling lines, got a nice fish on the 2 color with Stinger spoon in florescent orange/red on a board. It was on for a good time, and judging by the AWESOME airshow I’m guessing it was a nice steelhead. Alas, just as the board was coming to the stern it got off.

Thats it. 2 for 3. Weather was awesome, only a slight drizzle for a few minutes. Good company and better than sitting at work.

The word for the day was COLD. Cold water everywhere. Low to Mid 40’s down 50 in 80, and saw 40 even down 100 in 140. Cold water is in tight now, and I’m upset with myself that I didn’t stick it out in shallower for longer. I think I killed some good catching time when I was searching in 100+ feet of water with nothing on the locator. Live and learn. Seemed to be some traffic in shallower too, which led me to go deeper away from the crowd.

Good luck. They should be coming in here soon. Especially if this cold water sticks close to shore

9-6-2008

Took an evening trip tonight with Rod from Minnesota. Launching at 4 PM and back by 9:30.
We wound up spending the 1st couple of hours with nothing, but managed to get a few in the end.

Running 6 lines, we went a perfect 5 for 5. Both of us swore we had six, but when we went to hang them on the board there were only five. Hope my nose don’t find it in the morning!!!

All kings. All off the filter in 125-140 feet of water.

2 came on PP dipsy, 3 setting with 300 LOC. White opti/LBB fly

2 came on rigger, 15′ lead… one down 95, and one caught with rod in hand while dropping the ball, at 65′. White opti/LBB fly

1 came on rigger, SWR with Moonshine Hotlips. Down 110.

1.8-2.0 MPH on the Raider.

Marked fish from the get go. Temp played all kinds of games. Seemed to be steady at about 53-55 down 110 with 70 on the surface. Saw as high as 60’s and as low as 49 in some spots.

8-18-2008

Had a crew of school teachers out last night for a sunset cruise.

Fished in deeper water, spending most of our time in 120-140 feet between the filter and north gap, although we took a quick poke out to 200 and found nothing to stay there. Water temps had started to behave a little better, with some colder water down deep. Even saw 49 on the DR.

Slow but steady action, with the first bite coming before all the lines were in. When fishing deeper, you need to be a little more tolerant of fly-bys that don’t stick as there is a ton of line in the water to allow slack. Boy did we fish down deep.

Most action was the SWR with Moonshine magnum hotlips. That spoon has been glued to that rod all summer and has never disappointed. This rig went 0-1, and had about 1/2 dozen fly-bys. 115 on the rigger. I did say it had the most action, not the one that caught the most.

PP dipsy with 300 LOC running a Spin Dr and Moonshine bloody nose fly went 0-1, with what I’m sure was a nice steelie judging by the awesome airshow it put on before it threw the hook. Was part of a good double header for a little while.

Wire dipsy went 1-2, with a grilling size steelie coming in. 250′ LOC with Spin Dr and Moonshine green and gold fly.

2 kings on the other rigger, down 100 with a white opti inticer and LBB fly. 15′ lead off the rigger.

Weather was awesome, and the lake was about as flat as I’ve seen it this year. Sunset was cool, and that big orange moon was something to see.

Marked fish down deep the whole time, with most at 100′ and lower.

8-16-2008

I always said I’d post good or bad, so here it comes.

The goose egg. YUP. You read that right.

Finally got dad and Jason and me on the boat together, and couldn’t put a fish in the box.

I knew our back was up against the wall looking to fish mid-day, but thought what the heck. We were coming off just when we should have been going out. There was no way I could squeek another 2-3 hours out of the kids. We were out of food and water.

Hit the water and had lines in by 1 PM. By about 7 PM, we were heading back in and had gone a sparkling 0 for 2.

Spent our day out in 120-175 feet of water. Got the first rip in 125′ on a 1/2 core with magnum easter egg. Fish went right to the surface, and spit the hook about 15 seconds into it. Second on a SWR with Moonshine hotlips, in magnum. This was in 140′ of water, running the rigger at 120. That fish was deep, and made 2 hot-n-heavy runs before he spit the hook.

Marked the most fish in 120-135, and they were nearer the bottom. Washed everything I had, except my kids.

For those interested in the temperature break, here it is. 60 degrees down 120 in 140 feet! 70 on the surface. 10 degree break in 100+ feet. Seemed to find some pockets of colder water while trolling, but nothing below 56 all day. Marked most our fish in these pockets.

8-9-2008

3rd and final trip with Brott Trucking.

Great guys to fish with, and now it was “game time” fishing the Brew City Salmon Tournament.

Plenty of sour luck, loosing 2 downrigger balls in 140′ of water, 12 lb’ers. Got a sweet tangle between the wire dipsy and power pro dipsy that took me out of commission for a while too.

Turned out to be a tough bite for us. I had every intention of going south of town, and fishing off the green can for sunrise. Then, head to Wind Point and “the hills” off Racine to get some high sun fish. The weather forecast shyed me away from that, and I think it hurt.

Most of the winning boxes came from the south. We went north to stay closer to port. Ended up 5-7 in 8 hours of fishing.

We set up off the filter, and zig-zaged our way to Fox Point going from 80′-150′ of water.

2 kings and a laker came on the SWR, Moonshine Hot Lips magnum

The steelhead came on the wire dipsy, with Green/Mountain Dew Spin Dr and Moonshine “Packer” fly.

1 king on a Silver Hoarde “glow ghost” J-plug, because we couldn’t find one on Friday night!

The lost fish were on the SWR with Hot Lips, and a Green/Mountain Dew Opti flasher with Big Weenine Proctologist fly.

We missed getting $100 for the second place steelhead by less than 1/4 pound!!!

All in all a good day. A little frustrating for me with the gear issues and slow fishing. Lesson learned is that we could have lifted lines and went elsewhere instead of trolling in dead water. the weather held off and we could have made the run.

Oh well. Lesson learned and it was still a good day of fishing with great weather and company.

8-8-2008

Day two with the boys from Brott Trucking.

AM charter had us leaving the marina at about 4:30 AM. It took short time to see that mother nature was having fun with the seas on Lake Michigan.

Easy 4′ rollers, with the occasional larger thrown in had us looking for our sea legs quickly. Given the nice rolling and spread out nature, we were able to fish with little problems.

Started in front of the filter, and moved around between there and the towers in 80-120 feet of water.

Slightly better today, going 4-7 in about 6 hours of lines in the water. 3 kings and 1 steelhead.

1 king on 1/2 core with Glow Ghost J-plug.

1 King on Moonshine TNT magnum of flatline, 50/50 with 3 oz snapweight.

1 King on SWR with Moonshine Hot Lips magnum.

Steelhead on Power Pro dipsy with White/Mountain Dew Spin Dr with Bloody Nose Moonshine Spoon.

Lost fish on the 1/2 core and Glow Ghost J-plug, lost the plug , and also on the wire dipsy with Green/Mountain Dew Spin Dr with “Packer” Moonshine fly, and SWR with Moonshine Hot Lips.

8-7-08

Had a PM charter tonight with Don, Glen, and Darin from Brott Trucking Inc. 1st of 3 planned trips.

With rough seas in the morning and a stiff wind, I had my doubts to even getting out. As always, there was completely different weather on the lake than at home.

We got out at about 4:30 PM, and set up off the filter in about 80′ of water. Unfortuantely, the bite was not that hot.

We ended the day with 1 fish, but a nice Lake Trout. My scale showed it at 18 lbs. I posted on other sites 14.5, as that is what it said at the nice scale at the fish cleaning station. I have since rechecked my scale, and am confident it is fairly accurate. I’m am now going with 18 lbs. I checked the scale with several items of known weight, and it was about 99% accurate. Nice laker Glen

We called it fairly early, after 4 hours with lines in the water, to get ready for Friday AM.