Ludington Fishing Report – The Yavello Crow Expedition

8/15/20253 min read

Yesterday was my very first, and probably last, evening troll for 2025. Let’s just say the cons of evening fishing hit me hard! Evening bites take their sweet time, and when your crew is all newbies who may expect instant action, well… not ideal.. By the time fish were cleaned and some (not all) of the boat gear was put away, I crawled into bed at 11:45 p.m. Haven’t stayed up that late in years. Slept in, missed my morning run, and now I feel slightly hung over despite no alcohol.

Now, the good stuff. Our crew was American Profit Recovery’s own Andy Yavello (sales guy for about a million years), his sourdough-bread-wizard wife Justy, and their three kids: Cora, Ruby, and Oliver (aka Ope). Collectively known as “The Crows” thanks to some acronym magic, they even have a scary Alfred Hitchcock-style crow logo for their farm. I bring Andy salmon most Mondays, so the idea of them catching their own was pretty sweet. Plus, I love having kids on the boat—they bring that Disney-level optimism mojo juju.

I made an attempt at boat mojo in the form of sourdough cinnamon rolls from Trail’s End Bakery (only 3 left, so muffins and scones were backup). Stopped by Dreamweaver HQ to give Logan cash for an upcoming tourney, grabbed ice, and stocked NA Blue Moons. The Yavellos showed up at 4:15 p.m. bearing gifts (hint to all future guests): an autographed camel card, a condo-rock-collection-worthy rock, and a neon fishing bracelet that pairs perfectly with my PH4L band. Their boat snacks? Gourmet takeout from Jamesport Brewery. Step aside, jerky and gas station subs.

We boarded the Tiara—cue the “bigger than I thought” comment (which beats “I thought it would be bigger,” by a mile – we’re talking about the boat people – this has to be a Disney safe area). Yavello excitement level: 10. Jeff anxiety level: also 10. North, south or straight out? I eenie-meenie-miny-moed the direction and went south, setting at Bass Lake in 110 FOW. Lines went in—17 rods, 2 sliders, 19 lures—and nothing. Marks were everywhere, but no takers. Kids kept asking, “Did we catch any fish yet?” (Best quote.) Jeff anxiety level check: 10.

Finally, a meat rig fired… and the fish popped off. Then another – same deal. Excitement without closure—are the fish mocking my dating life? Luckily, the fancy Jamesport food killed the downtime, with the kids swarming the snack plate exactly like, well, crows. We switched the tunes from Radio Disney to Yacht Rock and bam—a coho hit. Andy reeled it in, mission complete. High fives all around. – I could finally answer the question “did we catch any fish yet?” with a loud and proud “of course we did!” We stuck it out staying between 140-160 FOW just north of Pentwater.

As the sun dipped, the bite turned on—we went 5 for 9 (4 kings, 1 coho). The Yavellos stuck it out to the very end, fish cleaning included. Maybe I saw Andy napping on the 9 mile ride back to port?

Hot Bites:

Mr. Chrome Mag Yeh Mon (free slider, 92’) – 2 bites (first ever on Yeh Mon!)
Yeck Blue Dolphin (200 copper) – 2 bites
Red Tail Meat (150 back, high diver)
Charlie Special w/ Money Shot fly (110 back, low diver)
Showtime Meat (210 back, high diver)
Mr. Chrome Fin Frog (92’ rigger)
Moonshine JJ Mac RV (free slider, 84’)

What I Learned:

Reel makers should label the “clicker” switch. Trust me.
Andy’s in shape, just not fishing shape. Bring spinach next time man!
Justy was the "reel" MVP, including a solo double on two hogs! – probably the most excited person I’ve ever seen reeling in fish – great boat mojo!
Hmm, no beer or booze on the boat and 9 bites…hmm. Maybe all of that drink lots of beer catch lots of fish mojo stuff Nick and Tim preach is just bullshit so they can drink more…hmm..
Sharing the boat with a solid family makes all the difference...lots of genuine smiles and laughs - perfect night!

Next up: The Matt Brown Tribe. Friday prep starts early—blueberry farm, farmer’s market, Todd’s “new-to-him” boat, and maybe two runs to make up for today’s skipped one.