There’s a pretty good chance I would be launching out of McKinley around 4:30am on either that Saturday, Sunday or both in July anyway. If so I may be able to take 1 or 2. Have to play it by ear for weather.
For the most part, we’re just trying to get an idea of how many people are interested in taking part. So far, it looks like a lot of people are indeed interested. So many in fact, that Nate & I are already thinking of moving this event to the South Shore boat landing instead of McKinley.
McKinley is always crowded on weekends even without us bringing in a large group.
From what I understand, the South Shore launch has plenty of room for parking, open area’s for grilling, eating and trading stories of the morning fishing trip or sharing tips for the afternoon trips.
And yes, as we get closer, we’ll do a final head count and do our best to get non-boaters lined up with those with open seats in there boat.
I’m sure that there will be plenty of people who can only come for a day or even a half a day and that’s just fine.
Let us know just the same or stop in and say hi if your just passing thru.
As for making this an annual event, could happen. Lets see how this one goes first and then go from there.
So keep letting us know if you think you may attend. We’re starting this plenty early which is good. If you have a good idea, post it here so we can mull it over.
Looking good so far.
Great idea Joel. Count me in for at least one of the days, and maybe more. Hoping to make this year’s maiden voyage to the Big Pond this coming week.
I would be interested in making the trip over but I will have to check the schedule when I get back to town early next week. I would not have a boat so I would need to find someone to jump in with but I could maybe bring some lead core set ups.
If I can make this work I would also consider a carpool – drive or ride – over with other guys from the Rochester / La Crosse area.
I hope I can make this work 
thanks for trying to put this together, it would be great meeting some of you guys. 
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Yet we caught a ton of fish on wiggle warts & #7 shad raps with 12′ noodle rods on 10# mono just long lining
Does that mean I should get my 12’6″ Eagle Claw noodle out of mothballs and bring it with???
It was always a blast off shore 
As of today, I am in. Just not sure how early i can get off work Friday to head down or if I can’t take the day off. No boat but possibly have some gear to bring
I’m in if there’s a open seat. 
No boat ya know 
Looks like my daughter will be able to take care of my dogs so I should be in for the entire weekend.
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Looks like my daughter will be able to take care of my dogs so I should be in for the entire weekend.
Good to hear.
The more guys we have with experience, the better!
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Looks like my daughter will be able to take care of my dogs so I should be in for the entire weekend.
Awesome! Sounds like we’ve got a pretty solid crew of guys that are in for sure already! I’ll throw up a thread with lodging options in the next day or two here. July 26th will come sooner than we think! 
Where can we get a list of required safety equipment that must be on a boat in Lake Michigan? I assume a radio is required and maybe even flares. I have neither in my boat.
To list a few:
Navigation lights
Fire extinguisher
Personal Flotation devices
Sound producing device (whistle or air horn)
Visual distress signaling device (flares, minimum of 3)
You may also use an orange flag during daytime and a Electric Light after dark
Ventilation system (for I/0 boats)
Backfire Flame Arrestors (for I/0 boats)
2-way Marine Band Radiou – although I couldn’t find it in the hand book, I’m pretty sure it’s required on Lake Michigan. Even if not, it’s a pretty darn good idea to have one since you cell phone won’t work once you get more than a few miles off shore. Pretty much all the cell phone towers are aimed inland resulting in little coverage out on the big lake.
One other item I would like to mention just so it doesn’t cost any of our crew a ticket. Make sure you put a boot on all battery terminals. This includes your negative terminal!
Regular law enforcement rarely enforces this rule but the Harbor Patrol is another story altogether. I’ve had more than one friend who’s been pinched for this violation.
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One other item I would like to mention just so it doesn’t cost any of our crew a ticket. Make sure you put a boot on all battery terminals. This includes your negative terminal!
Regular law enforcement rarely enforces this rule but the Harbor Patrol is another story altogether. I’ve had more than one friend who’s been pinched for this violation.
Dane County Sheriff will pinch you on that one as well.
Exactly how far out will we likely have to go to reach the fish? That will determine if I try my boat and am willing to go.
OMG! I’ll be looking at the vaca calendar at work tomorrow! I so hope it’ll work out. I do have a boat and equipment. I’ll let you know….
Any idea where we’d be staying? 
Thanks for posting all of the requirements Joel! Ive been checked and boarded by the coasties and harbor patrol a few times and theyre really just out there trying to keep everybody safe. That being said, they will ticket you for certain things more often than others. Having your throwable OUT at all times is one ive heard of lots of people getting nailed for. Also, the battery terminal covers is another huge one. Not sure why, but they are sticklers for that one.
A marine radio is actually not required but as Joel said, a VERY good idea. Not only can it save your butt if you have trouble and cant get cell service, but its also a good source of fishing info at times. A lot of guys are pretty willing to share info out there….
Im going to get a couple of options together and post it when I get some time, but for those looking to book something imidiately, heres my first suggestion.
The Holiday Inn on Layton Ave. over by Mitchell Intl. airport is a great option. Ive had other people stay there with boats before that came down to fish from out of town and its always worked out well. Theres plenty of parking and they seem to accomadate all sorts of people with trailers pretty well. Nothing super fancy, but most fisherman arent looking for that anyways. They do have a pool/ hot tub I believe. This will put you 10-15 minutes from the launch. Theres gas stations, resturaunts, and fast food galore on Layton ave (Culvers shares a parking lot with the hotel 
) Another nice thing is that its literally two turns to the launch, so if youre a little groggy in the am and arent good with directions, this is a good option)
Anyways, heres the info:
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Milwaukee Airport
545 W Layton Ave, Milwaukee, WI
(414) 482-4444
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Exactly how far out will we likely have to go to reach the fish? That will determine if I try my boat and am willing to go.
Pretty hard to give an answer to this question at this time. It’s a big lake and the fish can be anywhere. Having said that, weather will play a huge role in where the fish will be. If we have east winds for a couple days prior to this event, the bite for kings, coho’s and steelies is going to be out deep.
That’s why you see people post that they hope we have some West winds in the days just prior to the GTG. West winds blow warm surface water offshore and allow the cold under currents to well up on the Wisconsin shoreline. Cold water near shore = better fishing near shore. (especially in the gaps thru the harbor wall)
So cross your fingers and hope for West winds prior to the GTG and mild winds once you get here!
If it were me coming from a long ways away, I’d wait and check weather & fishing reports just prior to the GTG to determine if you want to bring your own boat.
On a side note, there should always be some Brown Trout around for people to play with in the harbor where you are pretty well protected from nasty winds. And having said that, although the harbor is pretty well protected, it can still get a bit rough in the harbor for small boats. Usually not unfishable, but you will bounce around some.
I’m planning on having 4 people in my boat. Two seats are already reserved. Mine and my first mate who is definitely going to have a lot of experience.
So that means I will have two seats available.
Now, before you contact me and say sign me up, be aware of the following:
If we need to make a 15 mile run one way to get on a school of fish, I don’t have a problem doing that. So if your prone to getting sea sick, riding with me is probably a bad idea as I’m unlikely to turn around and come back to port right away after running that far to find fish.
Maybe we can get Greybeard to post some of the better sea sickness remedies for people.
When it comes to getting sea sick, a little planning ahead and prevention goes a long, long ways. Its kind of liking getting a really, really bad sun burn and wishing that you hadn’t forgot the sunscreen. 
One thing i think it might be worth while is to see if the hotel wi give us a group discount is we can get enough people at one hotel.
Joel if one of the seats is still open I will take one? I got permission from my first mate and she said to get out of her hair for a week-end. so I am on board. If you seats are taken them I will keep my name in the hat for another open seat. Thanks for putting this thing together. Let me know if you need to do any thing. On a side note I will be coming from the twin cities so if there are people that want to car pool down for the week end I can drive. And as far as getting rooms if there are people that want double on rooms I up for that also. Thanks
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One thing i think it might be worth while is to see if the hotel wi give us a group discount is we can get enough people at one hotel.
I agree 100% with this. I really feel that if you all, or at least most of you, want to book at this place, theres a good chance they would put you all in the same area of the hotel and give you a bit of a discount. This is also the best lodging option in my opinion, so Im going to hold off on other suggestions unless somebody objects to this one….
Heres the info again:
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Milwaukee Airport
545 W Layton Ave, Milwaukee, WI
(414) 482-4444
Why are all the recent posts showing as deleted?
Anyway, I will probably have two open seats each day if I take 4 people out. I want to have at least one experienced member of the crew since I’m not what one would call a salmon expert. I’ve taken two rookies a couple times with no experienced crew and its a lot of work running everything. Can’t imagine having three rookies.
I would imagine that once we are closer and get the final list of people that will for sure be there, we can figure out who will fill what empty seats.
Someone replied to a deleted post is my guess.
I replied to a post further up to see if it goes away.
I’m also going to try to put up another post where people can list whether they are a boater or a rider.
It should also help us get a good idea of who’s coming and how many.
Hopefully, this will help get riders lined up with boaters.
I called the hotel regarding discounts they will be calling me back for more information tomorrow hopefully
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Are we still planning on fishing the 25th,26th,and 27th, or just sat and sunday? Mike
I don’t know that there will be to many people fishing on Friday. Probably some but I believe the agenda will look something like this:
Fish early Saturday a.m, then break for lunch & socializing
Clean fish
Eat some lunch, trade fish stories & offer advice on location and baits to anyone who wants help.
Meet & socialize with other IDO’ers, put faces to names.
Fish Saturday afternoon into the evening
Clean fish
Eat something, share a beer & trade fish stories
Get some sleep & prepare to do it again on Sunday morning.
Sunday a.m. – repeat of Saturday a.m.
Clean fish
Say good bye to new friends
Go home and take a nap! 
Many salmon guys start extremely early in the morning. My boat will be leaving the dock before sunrise so that we can be setup with lines in the water before the sun starts rising. This means we will be leaving the dock in the dark & setting up lines in the dark.
So if you agree to take an open seat in my boat, your also agreeing to meet at the boat launch 1-1/2 to 2 hrs before sunrise.
I find it extremely rewarding to watch a boat mate battling a big king while the sun is just beginning to light up the sky over Lake Michigan. And a frequent bonus at this time of the morning is that its not uncommon to have doubles and triples going at the same time. If you’ve never had this experience, you are truly missing out on one life’s great adrenaline producing events. (for a fisherman anyway)
I am open to fishing for a while Friday night if anyone wants. I live in the area so it is easy for me to hook up the boat and head for the lake to catch the sunset bight. It can be fast paced some nights as the sun sets and others you get to enjoy the sun set behind the city scape.
Like Joel, my boat will launch well before sunrise to get lines set and catch the pre-dawn bite which can be outstanding in July and August!
Be sure to bring your headlamps! Your hands will be too full of fish, net, and poles for a hand held flashlight when the fire drill begins! 
Art
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I am open to fishing for a while Friday night if anyone wants. I live in the area so it is easy for me to hook up the boat and head for the lake to catch the sunset bight. It can be fast paced some nights as the sun sets and others you get to enjoy the sun set behind the city scape.
Like Joel, my boat will launch well before sunrise to get lines set and catch the pre-dawn bite which can be outstanding in July and August!
Be sure to bring your headlamps! Your hands will be too full of fish, net, and poles for a hand held flashlight when the fire drill begins!Art
There is a chance I may be down Friday for the afternoon evening as well. Same as Joel and Art, anyone hooking one of my empty seats should bring a headlamp and be prepared to leave the ramp around 4:00 AM.
Much like time, my boat waits for no one. (obscure rolling stones reference).
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