2011 Great Lakes region meetup

[Huron Angler]

This has been discussed by some of us that live here in paradise(for 4 months out of the year) aka Michigan and I thought it was about time to get a thread going.

I am open to whatever folks want to do for this event. The Inland Waterway has been thrown out there as a possible location. The only downside to this would be distance...as it is up north and we will hopefully have people from Ohio and PA attending, heck maybe even Virginia if folks get their bearings done on the trailers.

I believe that any place that has water and a dock is fine. We will need to make sure to choose a place where Jason can launch his 22' Islander so some of my little fishing holes would not work.

Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair, Sanford Lake, Lake Erie, Huron or Michigan would all be great venues in my opinion.

I will be happy to help out with some of the planning, as long as you guys contribute ideas and opinions(shouldn't be a problem with this bunch).

Plenty of time to think about it and hopefully get our boats ready in the mean time.

So...what do you guys think?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Sounds great. Learning from the dismal failure of TinStock.......plan it for a location closest to the majority of participants. Forget about centrality, go for majority proximity (I think I made up some words there). For example, if 10 people live in Detroit and 2 people live up-state, don't hold it somewhere in the middle to accommodate. Hold it in friggin' Detroit so at least you get those 10 people!!!!

I am interested in attending (probably without the boat) to meet some of you.

 

[j_k_bisson]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

I'm interested. F|rom the detroit area. So Lake St. Clair or Erie. St. Clair is a a bit shallow though in most spots.

 

[Deadwood]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Can the Left Coast Skype in? Go to a marina with WIFI!

 

[KellyC]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

^^^^^^^^^^ agrees with Deadwood

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

If it's LSC I'm 15-20 minutes from any number of launches. I would love to do a camping/boating trip 2-3 days up to a week. Algonac has a camping facility on the St. Clair River where it dumps into the Lake.

There are a number of good lakes up state with camping facilities. It would be a shame for any out staters to come to this great state and not partake of the Great Lakes though. If you've never seen them you must. The splender of Michigan is hard to match.

You need a really big boat before St. Clair gets too shallow for you. I dodge 30' Carvers out there! Tin boats should be no problem. Erie can get tough for 18' and smaller boats. Anything under 18' and I wouldn't try it.

From the Keweenaw down to St. Joe, Kalamazoo east to Monroe, Sault Sainte Marie and back again I'm a Michigan man... where sleeping bears lie in the sand, where Manitou has laid his hands..... from Mike Ridley, Michigan Man.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Great kickoff Mike! Thanks for getting this rolling buddy!

 

[djpeters]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

West Side here, between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven. I'm 10 minutes from the Grand River where the buoys start. It's buoyed all the way to Lake Michigan (a good hour or more ride, some fast, some slow), and you can also get into Spring Lake (all fast) which in itself is about 5 miles long. There are a couple of campgrounds on the Grand River. Conestoga comes to mind and there might be another.

North of Grand Rapids is what's called Hardy Dam/Pond. From the Dam, you can boat 17 miles up river to US 131. It's all deep and there are numerous places to anchor or beach.

Both of these are high traffic on a nice summer weekend, but I suppose it's like that everywhere in Michigan.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

The Inland Waterway has been thrown out there as a possible location.

The Inland Waterway seems like it would be a good option. I really like the variety it would give us. A bunch of Starcrafts floating through the locks would be way cool too!.

The only downside to this would be distance...as it is up north and we will hopefully have people from Ohio and PA attending, heck maybe even Virginia if folks get their bearings done on the trailers.

Let's not forget about our bros from MN, WI - maybe even a Canuck too! Some of those guys might slip across the UP to come and hang out.

I believe that any place that has water and a dock is fine. We will need to make sure to choose a place where Jason can launch his 22' Islander so some of my little fishing holes would not work.

Have you read my thread? Other than wanting to launch this boat next summer everything else points to a summer of 2020 maiden voyage. Ah, this gathering will be good motivation for me! If not, I do have a canoe that floats! Not a Starcraft though sorry.

Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair, Sanford Lake, Lake Erie, Huron or Michigan would all be great venues in my opinion.

Agreed!
Higgins is a nice lake, way busy on hot summer weekends though. Maybe something up Traverse City way would be pretty cool too.

DJ's option sounds good too.

I am thinking for the mix of guys, boats, interests and locations that we have here my vote might be for the Inland Waterway. Though, I can be easily convinced otherwise.

Charlie suggested that area a little while back. Here is his original thread with the link to a video of the waterway right at the top there...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=415928&highlight=inland+waterway

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

It wouldn't take much to convince me to have this thing up north. I agree that if folks want to attend from MN, WI or CA the Inland Waterway would be a good place.

Torch Lake would be fun as well, but the camping opportunties would be better on Burt Lake, Black Lake, or Lake Charlevoix at Young State park.

I think a campground where we can keep out boats moored/beached would be ideal. Burt Lake would be good since it's on the waterway and great for boaters to camp.

As Don mentioned, splashing the rigs on the big water would be fun for out-of-state folks, and Cheboygan as a starting point for the inland cruise is right on Lake Huron.

 

[CBGale2]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Im putting my vote in for a summer trip on the waterway still. It looks like a really fun trip, and plenty of marinas to keep the boats running on the voyage.

If you click on that MOD link from the original thread its video 1028 that had that segment on the waterway in it. This should take you right to it,

http://www.michiganoutofdoorstv.com/shows.cfm?VideoID=83

 

[Deadwood]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

If you all get started now us Westies will buy the first round in Portland.
Hey CBK (no exclusions here), use that Panama Canal thingy.

 

[KellyC]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Oh yea, would be more than happy to buy the first round here in the Portland area. Would be a good time to be had by all.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

I sure love the great sand dunes along the shores of Lake Michigan and the towering sandstone cliffs on Lake Superior!

But I'll tell ya what...

I think I'd be all about what you boys have up there in the Pacific North West!

Snow capped mountains in the distance, giant salmon in deep cold salt water. Yah, that would be sweet too!

 

[TheWrks]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

I'm up for a road trip to meet up with some fellow "Tinnies"

 

[grzzzz]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Captain

I have watched this forum for about 2 years now. Have not been successful "navigating" the site. Tried posting a couple times. Don't think it ever was. Hmmm. don't have any problems on my internet dating sites!! I have been working on my 18.5 1968 startcraft for about 4 years.... OK, it sat in the gargage for 2.5 of those years but are getting close. Was planning on a launch this summer but now it makes sense to wait till spring... Got may stories I could share and now, many spare parts.

Not going to say much more till I know this is working. Origianlly from Mt. Clemens, now in Los Alamos NM.

The Grzzzz

 

[barato]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

Grzzz--

maybe we should also do a southwest auxiliary mini regatta at Da Butte or one of the lakes up near you (or the Sea of Cortez....?)? i'm in Hell Paso and my wife lives in ABQ (due to job) so it's a loooong tow to Grt Lks or even Portland but i'm up your way pretty regularly.

of course, i have to get the Starchief floatable 1st....:redface: mere replacement of drivetrain and rewiring, shouldn't take too long.....

i assume TheWrks is in some other Farmington than the one in NM?

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

It wouldn't take much to convince me to have this thing up north. I agree that if folks want to attend from MN, WI or CA the Inland Waterway would be a good place.

Torch Lake would be fun as well, but the camping opportunties would be better on Burt Lake, Black Lake, or Lake Charlevoix at Young State park.

I think a campground where we can keep out boats moored/beached would be ideal. Burt Lake would be good since it's on the waterway and great for boaters to camp.

As Don mentioned, splashing the rigs on the big water would be fun for out-of-state folks, and Cheboygan as a starting point for the inland cruise is right on Lake Huron.

http://www.fishweb.com/maps/inlandwater/

Camping and beaching the boats would be my ideal vacation. My wife loves to camp and my half man, half beast son could run free. Kids and the outdoors go together like pb&j. Now to finish the rig!

 

[TheWrks]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

i assume TheWrks is in some other Farmington than the one in NM?

THat would be Farmington MI all though I have been to Farmington NM

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 2011 Great Lakes region meetup

OK, so what is my deadline...

Er, um...

What part of the summer do we think this little hang out time should happen anyway?