Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]Did two things today that I seldom do and am not likely to do again soon. Fished on Saturday and fished from a boat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had an offer to join BFTer Wet1 in his dandy walleye boat on Starvation. We've been trying to get our dance cards lined up for over a year, since first meeting at Lincoln Beach last year. Saturday was the only day he could make it so I cancelled my golf date with Obama. He cheats on his score anyway. Incentive my &^%![/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Todd and I launched at the state park ramp by about 7 AM to light breezes and clear skies. Looking good. Headed uplake to the area between the bridge and the river inlet. Had some spots where he had done well in the past. Not today. Only a couple of keeper perch, a solo smallie and a couple of underfoot wallies in 3 hours of varied depths, techniques, etc. Oh yeah, Todd landed a slimer and I did a professional release on one at the back of the boat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hit a couple of other spots and we both boated a couple of keeper perch and he got two more slimers. Man...he had the hot hand on slimy walleyes today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was almost noon before we worked our way over to the ZONE where I had pounded the perch and a couple of good walleyes last week. We got there about the same time Mama Nature realized we were on the water and were trying to catch some fishies. She started tuning up her huffer and practiced from several different directions. First slowly and then with a bit more authority.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Before she got too huffy, we each caught a few more decent perch and a bunch of dinksters. Tossed out a marker buoy in almost the same spot I had mine last week. Caught nice perch when we were on the spot but it was increasingly hard to stay in the ZONE. But, one or both of us went bendo whenever we managed to outmaneuver Mama Nature's bad breath. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That must have ticked her off. She started getting hot flashes and grumbling a bit. Then she started spitting all over us. We were a little slow in getting the hints but when we realized that the fish were smarter than we were and had already looked for shelter...somewhere else...we decided to head for the ramp also.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was not a stellar day for anybody we watched or talked to. None of the other boaters caught much either. I think we probably outfished most of the other guys on the water...and we really didn't do that great. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, it was a great day on the water with a great guy. And, although I still prefer my tube, I definitely enjoyed the trip...even if it was on a silly Saturday.[/#0000ff]
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Glad the day turned out ok, those same storms were bothering us today, but didn't throw too much water at us. Good looking fat fishies!!!

Shawn M
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Nice story and pictures, the first picture looks like you got in some trolling ..[]
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TD it was really great to finally get you in my boat. I really enjoyed spending some time with you on the water as well as the drive. Although my dance card doesn't have nearly as many punches in it as yours it is really amazing how many different locations and life experiences we do have in common. It was a little disappointing that we didn't do well on walleye but we did get some nice perch and some larger slimers. We definitely need to do it again before the hard deck arrives. Next time I'll try to have a little better handle on those wiley wallies or maybe we can hit Willard when it heats up a bit this fall for some wiper action.

Take care my friend and thank you once again for all the great advice.
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Man, that looks like a nice ride to go fishing in. Just might have more tricks on it than your tube. Well, on second thought, maybe not. Looks like a nice time though.
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[cool][#0000ff]Those guys in the other boat were probably trolling a bit too fast...and everybody knows you can't catch walleyes on fast-moving topwater stuff.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We tried some bottom bouncing but that was not the hot ticket on Starvation Saturday. Some guys in another boat claimed they got a a couple of small wallies bottom bouncing very early but it was slow for everything but slimers after the sun hit the water.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Todd really does have a nice ride...and he is a master at the controls. But, no matter how you slice it...it is still JUST A BOAT. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nothing personal against Todd, but I couldn't help making comparisons through the day of fishing...between our trip and how I would have fished from my tube. While Todd is very skilled at operating the trolling motor to maintain reasonable position...once fish are found...any little breeze kept us constantly moving out of position and having to move back and forth to briefly fish the hot spots. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When fishing from my tube I toss over a marker buoy once I find active fish. Then I use hands-free and almost unconscious fin power to keep myself EXACTLY over the fish to make finesse presentations. I think I could reasonably say that we were out of position between 50-75% of the time on the spots we fished vertically yesterday. When we moved across the fish we caught fish. But there was a whole lot of fishing in fishless water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We caught enough fish to feed our two families and had a good time. And, I am sure we caught more than almost anybody else we talked to or observed. I also learned a couple of new fishing spots and a couple of new potential launch sites for my tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was a good day...but I missed my Fat Cat. However, when Mama Nature started pitching a hissy fit I was glad for Todd's big motor and smooth ride across the "ripples". For some things I will concede superiority to boat power.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Back atcha, good buddy. A good had was timed by all...or somethin' like that. Maybe the wallies were laughing at us and had their middle fins upraised when we saw them on sonar...but we will have our days too. As we both agreed, anybody who claims to be able to catch walleyes on every trip will lie about other things too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The glorious cap on the day was finding that envelope and reminder on your windshield...to pay the $7 day use fee on the way out...and it was stuck right on top of the annual pass you had prominently posted on your dashboard. You sometimes wonder about the "capacity" of the people employed to help us fully enjoy our use of our State Parks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I sure hope they complete their "makeover" project there soon, and that it is well worth the anticipated increase in daily fees they are sure to start charging. Then you can get an envelope with an even higher request for double payment. In the meantime it is not worth the fee. No WORKING electrical outlets at the fish cleaning station...for electric fillet knives. The nice restrooms are all torn down...only a pit toilet. No hookups so that campers can recharge batteries or power other things without firing up a noisy generator. Heck, you can get all that at Bunny Gulch...but the launch ramp ain't much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks again for the invite and the fun day. Hope I did a good enough job at netting and unhooking your slimers that I will be welcome on your boat again.[/#0000ff]
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TD you're welcome in my boat any time! Anytime you feel the need to handicap yourself by tying one hand behind your back and losing your fins just to make it a little more fair for the fish, give me a call. In all fairness to the fish you should probably penalize yourself by fishing from a boat a few times a year.

Take care my friend. Fair winds and following seas.
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I think Mike, one of the PR's there, is a few bricks short of a full load anyway.[]
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[fishin]I agree having fished from both a boat and a tube that it is easier to stay on top of fish in a tube than in a boat. But both do have their advantages. Covering more water or covering more of ones fishing hole to see what there is.
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[quote WET1]TD you're welcome in my boat any time! Anytime you feel the need to handicap yourself by tying one hand behind your back and losing your fins just to make it a little more fair for the fish, give me a call. In all fairness to the fish you should probably penalize yourself by fishing from a boat a few times a year.

Take care my friend. Fair winds and following seas.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]As I have claimed on many occasions, I fish from a float tube because I have come to prefer it...for many reasons. But I would never be so ungrateful or silly as to suggest that fishing from a boat is not a good way to fish. It is just that I can use that excuse for having a bad fish day...and you can't. Ha ha. As a boater you are still limited to excuses such as moon phases, barometric pressure, water temps or clarity, water skiers spooking the fish...or (my favorite)...running out of left-handed blue-eyed nightcrawlers. Giggle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now, if we had really gotten into some fantastic fishing, what could I have said then?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At least we didn't smell skunk. Didn't smell a lot of walleye either. But the anticipation is usually better than the achievment anyway. That's what keeps us fishing.[/#0000ff]
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TD in a boat, na, ain't gonna believe that till I see some photographic proof. Sure you got some pics of someone taking a pic of the wake, and some fish being caught, but I did not see a pic of the man standing in the boat, sitting in the boat, hanging on to the boat. Nope, it is all smoke and mirrors !! TD does not fish out of a boat !!! Come on TD, come clean, this is a spoof !!!
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[cool][#0000ff]Busted![/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All a filament of my cavitation. I musta been hallucinatin' after snortin' that smelly jelly.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If I had really been in a boat there would have been a great change in the Force. The sun would be coming up in the West, etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For anybody who really believed all that I got some great swampland in Arizona I'd like to sell ya.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You're just too sharp, Matt. You've knowed me too long.[/#0000ff]
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I rekernize that hand holdin the perch and it sure looks like the back of a boat. Smoke and mirrors...maybe[]
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