TOPIC:

New Buffalo, MI City, or Portage are all good locations. Based on coming from Ft. Wayne, there might not be all that much difference in the time it takes to get any of the three.

Sesshoku:

As one who could be rich if only someone had paid me a buck for each hole i drilled in one of the boats I've owned, that's the price I paid for attending the school of hard knocks. Truthfully, at the time I was learning, everyone was learning. There were no season pros with well set-up boats to mimic.

That's not the case, these days. But you are now in the same place some of us old timers like myself and split were at decades ago. My advice, forgo the school of hard knocks, save wear and tear on your drill and hop on a well set up boat for a morning with someone willing to share their knowledge.

I'm not trying to pump up my own business. If you'd like to schedule a trip with me, fine. If you think you will spend more time in MC or NB, hire a charter over east for a half day. Tell them what you are doing. Ask questions. Ask what, where and how they fish in early spring, mid spring, summer etc and have them demonstrate if you don't understand. The goal isn't to fill the cooler, it's to fill your head with ideas so you can head back to FW and do your boat correctly and have a better chance of filling your own cooler when you bring ol' Wavewhacker back on your own.