Ludington Fishing Report – Post-Tourney Monday Mayhem

Jeff

7/21/20252 min read

Well, the boat was all buttoned up, I had mentally checked out, and I was dreaming of doing something not fishy for 24 hours. You know…like sleeping, driving home, going to the office, and jetting off to Louisville for a work trip. Real boring adult stuff. But then Riley—sweet, innocent Riley—goes, “Oh tomorrow’s Monday, me and Charlie are washing the boat.” Cue the gears turning in my brain and a casual, “Hey…lemme just peek at the marine forecast.” Flat calm Lake Michigan, glassier than a farm pond.

“Riley, wanna fish?”
“Yep.”
“Text Charlie Daniels and Kaedin—let’s go run some meat rigs!”

Had a killer Muskegon sunset, got home—bed by 10:30pm. But come 3:33am (because obviously), I’m out for a run, make a quick pitstop at the boat to unbutton all the fishing crap I just buttoned up 12 hours ago, then meet the crew for the 5am meat rig madness. Because who doesn’t like chaotic, last-minute, undercaffeinated fishing?

Motored North, set up just south of the bathhouse (aka our second home lately), and that’s when the boat started doing weird stuff. Like swaying for no reason. With autopilot. Without autopilot. Just vibing on its own. Eventually it quit—but not before we all started side-eyeing each other like, “you feel that too, right?”

Fish report: 5 kings on 9 bites. But the real headline? TANGLES. So many tangles. We pulled off the rarely-seen Grand Slam of Tangles™. Like 4 out of 5 fish decided to swim right through the rest of our spread—meat rigs, flashers, leadcore, divers…WTF people? Shoutout to Charlie “Big Hands” Daniels who worked those tangles out like a wizard wearing readers. Dude came prepared today.

We even had to strip 90 feet of wire off a diver rod and re-spool a 10-color leadcore. Was trying to show young Kaedin the willis knot, but he was either poking on the phone or sleeping!

Hot Bites:

Red Tail SD mystery meat rig, small high diver 150 back (El Rancho Toothpicks™): 4 bites
Showtime meat rig, high diver 150 back: 1 bite
ITO meat rig, 69 down on chute (new 15 lb ball—chute rigger is BACK): 1 bite
Black slick/green tape/red head meat rig, low diver 100 back: 1 bite
DW Soga mag on 10 color: 1 bite
Yeck Chubster on 5 color: 1 bite

What I learned today:

Kaedin still refuses to understand how weather works. Shows up in flip flops and shorts like we’re hitting the beach. Meanwhile I’m in bibs, hoodie, and living my best layered life.
Charlie, despite having paws the size of a catcher’s mitt, is the undisputed Tangle Whisperer. And he brought BOTH his sunglasses and his reading glasses. Like a boss.
Nick…Charlie brought DONUTS! Not MUFFINS! Fish were biting right away! Charlie knows!
Riley is now a certified netting ninja. 4 out of 5 flawless scoops.
Dave from El Lin Charters doesn’t mess around with rules. Informed us—sternly—that if your cooler has wheels, it’s not a cooler, it’s a cart, and carts are banned from the fish cleaning station. Our bad, Dave. Didn’t know we were rolling contraband. We have been so wrong for 20-some years…apologies! Maybe next focus on the vehicles that park in our spots with no marina stickers?
Kaedin may be into fishing, but he’s also into phone scrolling, sleeping, donuts, and expired, warm strawberry milk. A renaissance man of modern times.

As the Muskegon license plate said yesterday: “Alright, ALRGHT, Alright”…That’s a wrap for tournament week. Now we’re ready for Davey and the Band of Midlife Mayhem.

…Oh wait…Soup Club tomorrow…Sweet!