The pioneers of Great Lakes sports trolling developed this now popular technology off the shores of West Grand Traverse Bay north of the Village of Northport, MI. Local fishermen developed the equipment for catching Lake trout which until then had been caught only by commercial fishermen. During the Depression years George Raff and other local fishermen learned to make lures using from tin cans and bicycle spokes, used wooden reels and made other reels made from car wheels and hay fork tines, strung with piano wire. Raff's Camp became the first sports fishing charter service. Anglers throughout the U.S. have adopted and improved the basic technology developed here. The State of Michigan erected this Michigan Historical Marker (L1167) in 1984 in Northport Michigan's Marsden Dame Marina.
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Northport, MI 49670