Chasing The Internet

[brushnroll]

When it comes to fishing it is trial and error and then repeat success. One thing we have noticed with boards is that fishermen chase internet reports and NOAA. Now both can be useful tools, save lives, and create success. The excuse, I should have been out yesterday is hysterical! Practice makes perfect and soon fall will approach. Some will wonder was their even a summer.

Be safe and enjoy our fisheries!!!!

[huntnfish79]

I like to fish but don't get to as much as I would like. I'll admit that that I chase reports from several different sites. I only get out once every few weeks but will make exceptions if there is a hot bite somewhere. That being said...I get out when I can wether they are biting not. reports from charters are the most reliable out there and also offer the most info and I appreciate you guys posting them. This is my second season out there and hope to post more reports this year because I actually can understand all of the charter chatter speak now that I have had a few go rounds out there!

[PoorBoy]

Gotta love the guys that rely on the internet to make their minds up where they are gonna fish on the weekends! I don't use NOAA their info is useless and not in realtime IMO. The best thing anyone could do is document their daily fishing trips and keep notes, kinda like a journal, that's what I've been doing for many years. Basically LM fishing and when a certain fish is running strong is close to clockwork, when a journal is started after a few years you get to know what time during the year the fish are running and you can go back and check your notes....Most people are just lazy and depend on others to put them on fish that's all....

Poorboy

[huntnfish79]

I'm getting there PB, my journal is a little thin...working on bulking it up over the next few years. I keep one for my hunting exploits, it is amazing to read back start to realize patterns emerging.

95% of the time I'm launching out of Kenosha. The other 5% is me getting first hand info from friends to either keep me in IL or push me farther up to Racine or even Milwaukee. Reading other guys reports usually gives me a ball park idea on how I should be fine tuning that day, doesn't change where I'm fishing out of at all but may change the depth I drop lines at...that's about the extent of it.

I think chasing the internet is different on LM vs inland lakes. You can usually tell from a guys post if he is lazy or eager to learn. I don't want to come off as lazy in the least. I make a couple calls, check for latest reports and grab my gear and go. When I'm done I call around a see what everyone else did. I usually get a few "you shoulda tried this or that" or "you are going to fast/slow" or " you need to get deeper/shallower". You don't get any kind of detail about inland lakes to shorten the learning curve, you just get to it. It appears to me LM crew is more open to share because there is no "spot" like when I am on Delavan or Geneva, or when you are on a coveted perch spot.

[Duraflame]

I rely on the internet because i have to make a 2.5hr drive just to get to LM. A single trip costs me several hundred dollars. I depend on reports from other fisherman as well as weather and NOAA reports. My very first trip out this year, which was my first trip ever as captain on my new boat, was a great success (14 for 17 including 2 kings over 15lbs). However, my second trip was not, as i forced a trip when i knew the conditions were going to be windy, "based on the weather reports" and I went out anyways. I got caught in 4ft waves stacked on top of each other, and I could have easily become a victim. It was truly frightening to my passengers. I was white knuckled and soaking wet as well. I'll never second guess the weather reports again, as I learned a big lesson that day that I'll never forget.

So now, I have a trip planned for the 28th and 29th, which I'm having some high level coworkers on my boat. I'm depending on the weather and fishing reports to make this trip. If the weather is bad, I'll fish inland for muskie, but if it's good, I'll be looking for reports to see where the hits are and how deep they are hitting to give me the best odds. I'll have to pick between Portage, Michigan City, South Haven, or Holland to depart from, depending on where the best bite has been. I wish i lived next to the lake, but just not possible at this time. I envy those of you who have the luxury of being on the water all the time.

[brushnroll]

Poorboy, I couldn't have said it any better about a journal. I even know a guy that records himself to write it down later. He is very consistent!

[ChancesR]

When I get that consistent I'm going off the aderal, alcohol and women. Well maybe only one of the three.....I just can't focus on which one I would give up right now!

[Sskafar]

To reiterate on what PB said and to all you tech savy people out there, there are some great apps for smart phones to log your journal. Air temp, water temp, wind, water clarity, etc. most will add your coordinates, date, time of day, fish picture, size, and whatever else you could possible think of
! To me it's a simplified way of keeping a journal with all the information in one convenient location. Plus you can back it up on your personal pc and most will always have their phone on them. Just another way to keep track of your fishing outings and improve your year over year success rates.

Scott

[PoorBoy]

I actually started using that App. on my phone about 2 months ago, it makes it easier for me when I get home. Everyday that I fish take about 15 minutes and put all of the information and how my day went, I prefer to have a hard copy. I've been doing this since 2006 and compare year to year how many trips I made and how many fish I actually brought home to clean. I sit and read this book sometimes just to refresh my memory at a certain time of the year.

Usually I'm the first one out fishing a particular area and bringing in limits before the word gets out and it's all due to my input put into this daily log book. My reports don't hit the internet until others start saying they found fish, by then I'm usually burnt out of catching them....Oh and the Perch are in and have been biting pretty good when I could get out over the past week or so and I expect to slam them pretty hard before the weekend if possible. Clean house before the weekend and the scavengers won't have a clue were to go.....Going to bed early to get up early, hopefully I can get a few hours before the rain....Smooches !

Poorboy

[ChancesR]

As of last Sat the perch were pretty thick out away from the donut....let's see how much the weather over the last 3 days has effected them. Water is clearing and the wind is blowing out of the SW!

[PoorBoy]

As of last Sat the perch were pretty thick out away from the donut....let's see how much the weather over the last 3 days has effected them. Water is clearing and the wind is blowing out of the SW!

Yeah check it out and report back and let us know you did? Should be good over there, I heard they were rocking them hard, go get'em......

Poorboy

[ChancesR]

Perch will be safe from me for awhile, with the wind change and better water we will start chasing salmon again. Good luck with those little yellow bandits!