7/26 Salmon Report

[finaddict]

What a difference a couple of days has made for the salmon bite out of Cedar River. After really struggling late in the week the bite has done a complete 180 and is on fire again.

Fished this morning with Scrobiak, Hunter, and the Dupont brothers all from mid-Menominee County. We set up in mild 2 foot waves from the SW and had all the lines in the water by about 5 am CST. By 7 am the wind had shifted to the north and was blowing about 20 knots and gusting to around 30. All I know is I had to take my hat off and stow it before it blew off my head. The waves built to around 5 maybe 6 feet and we just hung on for dear life and kept boating fish. We wound up with 15 nice kings with 13 of them in the teens. Luckily the winds died around 10 am and we ran home in two footers around 11 am.

The riggers really shined today as the dipsies were running "weird" in the big waves. I think we probably caught 3 fish on 300 copper rigs, 2 or 3 on dipsies, and the rest on riggers. Crabface and Broken Nose did most of the damage for us today but I think Moody Blue did fire once. The flasher bite seems off but I think I will continue to run at least one per side on the dipsies to try and draw fish into our spread.

Here are some pics from today including Hunter with a hog sheepshead. Also included is a picture for anyone (DooFighter!) who is thinking about running copper. This is what 500' feet of super copper looks like when it gets tangled together....Ouch! I guess Howie will be happy when I order a 2000' spool this week.

Ciao-

Capt. Jim McDonald

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg247/CR_Finaddict/7-26-2.jpg
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg247/CR_Finaddict/7-26-1.jpg
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg247/CR_Finaddict/7-26-3.jpg

[DooFighter]

Thanks for the picture Capt. Jim! I have full confidence I can turn forty dollars worth of copper into a hairball just like that. Probably in 1 or 2 trips! Nice rack of fish!.

Friday. Just have to get thru 4 more work days...

[Frank S]

After I fished with Capt. Jim one day, and watched copper smoke them all morning, I had to get a set-up. Put in on real careful, just like he said, tied the knots real good, just like he said, let it out real slow, just like he said. Fished about 10 minutes, and a wire dipsey fish cut behind it, cut me off, lost the whole thing, spoon and all. Did get the board back. Did it all over again, and have actually caught fish on it. That tangle doesn't look that bad, if a guy was just patient, and started at one end........

[Kevin Lee]

Way to go Jim! It looks like you are wearing the paint right off that "stick"...