Three Ludington Limits…Or Four? We Need a Ruling...
Today was a pretty big day on the boat. We had first timer Elise Bradley making her debut, and let’s just say…she got the full Ludington experience real quick.
Before they even showed up, I went full deep-clean mode on the cabin. Every inch. Thing was spotless. Honestly, probably cleaner than my house. Might need to wear the Costas down there now with all the bling.
Yesterday kicked off with a full Surgeon Jenn clinic. She was teaching Elise how to tie meat rigs and lake trout rigs like it was med school for fishing. I think I heard them chanting “see one, do one, teach one…” They cranked out three of each in record time like it was nothing. Naturally we celebrated with homemade sourdough pizza and got to bed early for the 4:15am wakeup.
4:15am came fast…and cold. Real cold. Like “why do I do this to myself” cold. We started with a quick 15 minute run to wake up, packed coffee and BoatMeal™, and rolled out in 28 degree temps. Yes…28. I just got cold again typing that.
Game plan was simple. Straight out to 50 FOW, troll south, knock out 9 lake trout for a 3 person limit by 9am, then casually head to a pedicure. Totally normal fishing plan.
We had all 9 rods set before sunrise and…nothing. No marks. No bites. Not even a sympathy look from a fish.
Then the sun popped…and game on with a double, which included Elise’s first Lake Michigan fish in a mother/daughter duo.
We worked just south of the Projects and were grinding toward that 9 fish by 9am goal. Came up just short. Fish number 9 hit the deck at 9:08am. Missed it. No pedicures today!
We immediately started switching over to salmon gear, which of course meant catching three more lake trout while trying to change setups. Classic…well not really, that doesn’t happen to me too often…maybe never?
Around 9:30am we made the turn north in 65 to 70 FOW sitting at 12 for 12 when absolute chaos broke loose. Multiple bites. A triple. Then a quad. Yes…a quad with three people!
We somehow landed all seven fish from that madness, including four mature kings. Took a triple selfie because that’s what you do in moments like that.
We finally pulled lines at 11:45am with: 9 keeper lake trout, 4 keeper kings, 11 throwback lake trout, 1 throwback king & 2 misses. 25 for 27 on the morning.
Yeah…that’ll work. I know that’s three lake trout limits in a row, but since we technically threw back 11 more lake trout do we count that as four in a row? If not, is it a turkey like bowling? Or a natural hat trick? I don’t know.
Hot Bites:
Brown trout spin-n-glow lake trout rig on high diver back 130 ticking bottom – 2 bites
Wonderbread Whirly Gig lake trout rig on downrigger on bottom – 1 bite
Logan secret lake trout thingy on rigger on bottom – 1 bite
Logan green lake trout on high diver 130 back ticking bottom – 1 bite
Fat Nancy double wonderbread chute rigger on bottom – 2 bites
White slick Pickled Sunshine on rigger 50 down – 2 bites
Green Hulk Pickled Sunshine on high diver 80 back – 2 bites
Charlie Special Money Shot on rigger 54 down – 3 bites (2 kings)
Moonshine JJ Mac RV on 5 color – 2 bites (2 kings)
Stinger Modified Coyote on 7 color – 5 bites (1 king)
Mr Chrome Mii Yeah Mon on 10 color – 2 bites
SS Golden Goose on 7 color – 1 bite
Yeck Malort on 7 color – 2 bites
Silver Streak mag green yellow on 10 color – 1 bite
What I learned today:
My autopilot still has a mind of its own. But ever since it started acting weird, we’ve put three limits in the boat (maybe four?). At this point I’m just trusting it. It knows something.
Surgeon Jenn and Elise are officially off limits to other boats. They went 25 for 25. The only two misses they didn’t touch. That’s borderline Guinness territory.
Joe was right about the Projects rocks. Found them today. Didn’t enjoy it. Lost a hot laker rig and created a mess of a tangle. Nothing the Bradley crew couldn’t clean up though.
I might need another moratorium on buying fishing gear. Tried new fancy belt pliers… failed. Used the old ones. Then went into Captain Chuck’s for one replacement rig and walked out with a bag full of mini Mr Chromes I definitely didn’t need. Or did I?
I ate a lake trout tail and a king tail every day this week at the same time - like the Pepsi challenge. They taste exactly the same. No difference. Which makes me wonder…isn’t the DNR recommendation like once a month? What’s the recommendation for McDonald’s?
Four footers tomorrow so the Tiara is getting a full upper deck cleaning. Glass, eisenglass, the works. No thanks on that ride.
Back at it next weekend. If those fish are still stacked in tight…it could get real weird. Oh, wait, rumor has it Jackpot is in the water. If he makes it out fishing there will probably be no fish left. He kills fish for a living and business is good.
400 W. Filer St., C1, Ludington, MI 49431 | Phone: 248-534-9202 | PullHardFishing@outlook.com
