[RonG]

I hit the big lake again to break in the new kayak, hoping that selling my old one before trying the new one wasn't a mistake. Fishing was slow as the perch were scattered and not in thick schools. Boaters were catching one here and there, but many were nice sized ones.

I counted about 50 boats out. Who ever said following the pack of boats was the best way to find the fish? Half the time it's the blind leading the blind! Sitting in a pack of about 20 with no one really catching anything, I asked myself "Why are we all fishing this same spot? There's no fish here!"

I moved away and found a few small schools. I really gave the GPS a workout today. Every hookset, I punched in a waypoint. I kept re-working the same general area with short mini-drifts and slowly kept adding to the basket.

The NE winds picked up a bit around noon so I called it a day with 12 fish - about 5 were real piggies. I could have stayed for my 3 last fish, but I was so far out, I didn't want to get stuck in building waves hitting me from the side for the long trek back in.

VIDEO LINK:

As always, turn on your sound!

8)~

 

[RonG]

The kayak was great. Handles nice and is very stable. I got hit with some two footers on the side for part of the way in and some very out of sync waves near shore. Never felt tippy and I can tell it should handle bigger waves nicely.

Now, my sunburn...

 

[danysdman]

how long is your yak?

 

[RonG]

13' 6" - I decided to go with one that's 3" longer than my last one. :lol:

 

[piker84]

That is so cool. I fished from my friend's kayak yesterday, but it was only in the Skokie Lagoons. I got skunked too. Good job, those perch look tasty!

 

[Cam]

Nice job. I'm juuuust about out of frozen perch fillets from navy pier in February, I didn't actually have a ton in there but its always nice to send some home or thaw some out for guests when they visit. I'll be ready for them when they get in close to the wall. Did you use the trolling motor today or paddle? I'm green with envy like jim carey in Mask there at the end of your video.

As always, top notch adventure Ron.

 

[RonG]

Did you use the trolling motor today or paddle?

Paddled. You might not be able to tell, but Lake Michigan scares the hell out of me. I didn't like the tippy feeling and lower displacement of having the battery and motor attached. If the waves kicked up, I didn't want to be out there like that in a kayak I'm unfamiliar with.

I fished from my friend's kayak yesterday, but it was only in the Skokie Lagoons. I got skunked too.

Cool (not the skunking) There's times when I'm near shore that I'll beach it and fish from shore and do better. It's hard spinning around and drifting and controlling your retrieve.

 

[WrenchingnFishing]

Looks like you made the right decision by using your GPS to it's max and sticking on the perch. Awesome Vid as always! Great Job Dude!

 

[mplant1]

you're crazy!

nice vid, as always

same deal for us on sunday - perch were tightly packed. but once you get on them, you gotta get your bait down as fast as you can in that spot you marked on the gps! ever consider using a marker and tossing it off the kayak once you hit a couple of perch?

 

[Fishthoughts]

Glad to see you got your new kayak out there. Looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for the entertaining video.

 

[RonG]

ever consider using a marker and tossing it off the kayak once you hit a couple of perch?

Not until today. One boater had a buoy set. I fished near it and got some fish and said "Hey, I've got to get one of those!"

Fishing in Wilmette with stronger winds, I'd mark a school, catch one fish, and by the time it was in my basket I'd be blown so far away, I'd never find that school again.

 

[mplant1]

ever consider using a marker and tossing it off the kayak once you hit a couple of perch?

Not until today. One boater had a buoy set. I fished near it and got some fish and said "Hey, I've got to get one of those!"

Fishing in Wilmette with stronger winds, I'd mark a school, catch one fish, and by the time it was in my basket I'd be blown so far away, I'd never find that school again.

yup. and its not too much extra to carry on board. maybe you can pick one up for next year. once you mark a spot, make sure you play chicken with all the boaters who move in on your marker. that's your spot!

 

[Darth Wader]

Great vid!!!

 

[nbBasshunter]

Nice job. I really enjoyed the video.

 

[chitownyaker]

Nice Video and awesome job once again!!!

yak on 8)

 

[RonG]

You were chatting out there for a while with a dude i work with. He told me today and i knew it was you before i even saw this thread. LoL.

Might have been him, but one guy asked me if I paddled out or got a tow. I thought it was a strange question unless he saw the one Youtube video where I was getting towed. (I thought without the outriggers, I could escape detection)

 

[kizzstler]

haha, nice vids man.. really liked the somali pirate bit in one of your other vids

 

[piker84]

You might not be able to tell, but Lake Michigan scares the hell out of me.

Ron I wasn't able to tell!! You look like you have it down pretty good to me. And from your previous posts it seems like you do it smart too. You have the wetsuit, the marine radio, and a big set of balls! The marker buoy is a good idea too, but you may have to make it Zebra Mussel-proof down where the weight hits the bottom. If you don't, it will get cut off. You probably need to upgrade the weight to a heavier size for the big water, and have a 3 foot steel wire wound to the weight.

 

[LUV2FISH]

RONG
Nice fish, I am licking my lips. Glad you didn't go for the limit, you left a couple for me to catch. I have never fished Mother Michigan other than salmon charters, but I want to. I was trying to see how you were rigged. Looked like you were using a drop shot with 2 hooks. Were they jigs or bare hooks? I also noticed the the fish seemed to be on the lower hook. Are the pearch right on the bottom or are they suppended? What depth are you fishing? Is there structure? As you can see I am a total dummy when it comes to Mich. If you are willing to give up your secrets I would greatly apprecieate it.
LUV2FISH

 

[RonG]

RONG
Nice fish, I am licking my lips. Glad you didn't go for the limit, you left a couple for me to catch. I have never fished Mother Michigan other than salmon charters, but I want to. I was trying to see how you were rigged. Looked like you were using a drop shot with 2 hooks. Were they jigs or bare hooks? I also noticed the the fish seemed to be on the lower hook. Are the pearch right on the bottom or are they suppended? What depth are you fishing? Is there structure? As you can see I am a total dummy when it comes to Mich. If you are willing to give up your secrets I would greatly apprecieate it.
LUV2FISH

I was using double hook rigs using Bear Paw Connectors.

I use either Powerpro or 6 lb mono for the main line, #4 gold aberdeen hooks and 15 lb mono for the leaders. Perch are almost on the bottom. It varies day by day on which hook you'll get them on.

Not much structure. Flat, maybe slightly rocky. The depth was between 55 and 68 feet deep. Coming up from that deep the perch are almost exploding with their eyes popping out of their heads and their stomachs often coming out of their mouths. :shock: If you are ethical, you'll keep pretty much everything you catch as they won't survive if released. (Watch the video again - you see that those fish aren't flopping around and are barely moving) Some scumbags are tossing back 10 and 11 inch beauties to die because they want their whole limint to be 14"ers. :evil: