[cool][#0000ff]LloydE wanted to try out his new motor mount on his Fat Cat...on Starvation. Tuesday looked like the best day schedulewise...and weatherwise. Was supposed to be flat calm. The weatherman lied...again. Imagine that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp a cool 43 and the water temp only 60 at launch time (7:45 am). Glad I decided to bring waders instead of hoping for 65 degree water. Water level is dropping but still only down to where it might normally be in mid July.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Light breeze at launch but it quickly picked up out of the SW and was pestiferous all morning...until it got really sloppy just before noon. Sure made it hard to fish finesse style. But Lloyd was happy about having his new motor. He made good use of it and showed off by crossing back and forth across the channel a couple of times.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As has been customary all year there were way too many dinkster perch and not many bigguns. Ditto for the walleyes. Got quite a few small ones and only kept a couple of 14 inchers for the fillet board. Brought in a couple of silly smallies...one of them on a bubble and fly rig I was dragging for trout. Also got quite a few suspended perch both on the fly and on middepth spinners.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't see much surface activity from the troutskis but did see quite a few cruising by at mid depth. Didn't really target them until just before leaving. Got a couple on my "traffic light" pattern spinner. One was just under 16" and the other almost 20". Fun fun fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lloyd was a happy boy. He also got a few walleyes and was able to justify keeping 5 or 6 to take home. Of course, with him, size doesn't matter. A walleye is a walleye is a walleye. Like myself, he never found any toad-sized perch. But he did land one nice Rainbow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp did not rise much throughout the morning. The cool breeze and chop kept the temp to a high of about 61. Won't be long until it is under 55 and then the hunting for anything besides trout will get a bit tougher.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The really good news about the whole trip is that the road improvement project on Hwy 40 is just about complete. Nice road with new lines. No flagman stops and no pitted windshields from gravel. Made excellent time both coming and going. Lots of popcorn on Strawberry as we "breezed" by. Ditto for Deer Creek.[/#0000ff]
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i thought you were trying out another toon this week?
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[cool][#0000ff]That will be Thursday. Been finishing the PVC pimping so that I can fish in the style to which I have become accustomed. Got some super modular bases that anchor down with the pocket straps. No drilling or extra D rings needed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'll do the fishing report on the Utah board...with pics. But I will do a complete pictorial review of the new ride on the tubing board. I'm thinkin' it will be a good way to sell some more NFO stuff to the non fly flingers. Lots of bassers been asking about it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sounds like I don't gots no secrets. But I betcha cain't guess where I'm launching.[/#0000ff]
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willard? just guessing there
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Nudder nice report. Shouldn't the fall fish be chilling and strapping on the feedbags! Nice variety - sorry you couldn't weed through the bitty bites and find those chunkers.
You're "average" is probably big as my "tops" from last weekend at Newton.
At least I got a change to train some of your lures - gave the wobbler a wiggle. Next time out - the roadrunners are taking a turn.
Thurs at Willard? Maybe I'll run into ya - except you'll be out at the crack of dawn, and I won't hit it till late afternoon. Swing and a miss. Any luck I'll find this year's Wipers. Notched my Musky belt at least! Passive aggressive approach!
Nice work as usual. I think I can smell that "fine cooking" all the way across town at my house! Thanks for the report. You sure do like starvation lately eh? I would go there if it were not so far away!
Good to see that every time you leave you are not "starving"
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[quote TyeDyeTwins]Nice work as usual. I think I can smell that "fine cooking" all the way across town at my house! Thanks for the report. You sure do like starvation lately eh? I would go there if it were not so far away!
Good to see that every time you leave you are not "starving"![
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[#0000ff]I love Starvation year round...including ice fishing. But this time of year is a transitional time, with dropping water temps and falling water levels. That creates changes in both food availability and comfort zones for the predators...the big guys. Naturally they move around to find both the groceries and the more ideal temperature range.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Those who have boats and know Starvation well can almost always find the fish and score a few. Bank tanglers and tubers are more limited in the areas they can fish so they often do not do as well when the fish have moved out of their chosen fishing holes. To consistently find fish you have to be mobile, know the lake and have good sonar. Oh yeah, you gotta be both good...and lucky too...good and lucky.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will probably still get in a couple more trips to Starvy before ice up...if that happens again this year. Sometimes it never freezes well enough for safe ice fishing. But there are so many other lakes that are coming into "prime time" now that I can usually count on doing much better closer to home. More fish and fewer dimbulb power squadron folks equals greater motivation for this kid. But it can be exasperating trying to decide which direction to point my float tube. [/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]The fall fish ARE feeding. But you cain't ketch 'em where they ain't. The predators move around, following the forage...and the forage often goes deeper or moves into other areas...when the water begins to get colder.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not Willard. Transition period there too. Not as good as it will be next month...for all species. Don't hold your breath for more wiper boils. Water is cooling down and the shad will be going deeper. There are still shad near the top but the water is too stained for efficient "sight feeding". Wipers hunt best when they can see their prey from a few feet away and make a fast ambush attack.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, you might try "dead-sticking" a jig over the side of your boat...muskie tactics.[/#0000ff]
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[quote kochanut]willard? just guessing there[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]BUZZZZ Nope. But thanks for playing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Probably some place on UL. Still haven't decided on the spot.[/#0000ff]
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I know you want to post later on this, but it caught my interest. What did you go and buy now? A toon or a tube?
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[quote toadly]I know you want to post later on this, but it caught my interest. What did you go and buy now? A toon or a tube?[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Haven't "bought" it yet. Planning to buy TarponJim's Renegade...since he just bought a new ride himself...the Assault. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]FlyGodess has graciously loaned me her Renegade to "test drive" this week while she and hubby are on a fishing pilgrimage. I wanted to see if it could be "tricked out" TD-style...since it has a frameless structure with relatively few D rings.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Will be finishing the design for the modular PVC setup today and putting it on the water tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing how everything comes together, how it fishes and how the "rocker" design handles with fins, oars and my motor. So far it looks like a great craft that will have most of the positive aspects of both a tube and a toon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are a couple of pics of the early setup. Will be making minor modifications. Note how the pockets become part of the installation of the PVC frame.[/#0000ff]
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Starvation is one of my favorite walleye fishing spots. It has become a well respected trout fishery, and I also enjoy catching those boisterous critters. I know there must be some large perch in there still, however I don't seem to ever find them anymore.
Yesterday the fishing was good and the company was even better. The wind finally pushed us off the reservoir. I really appreciated the help of the electric motor with the wind. However, there are a few things I still need to learn about using a motorized float tube. I certainly don't walk very well in the water with fins. By the way Pat, thanks for coming in the water after me when I demonstrated my "fin walking" deficiencies!
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Looks to be the perfect ride for you. Fits in the SUV, more flotation for the Battery and motor. I have no doubt
you will have a true TD set up together by the time you acquire your toon.[
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Look forward to seeing it in person soon.
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[cool][#0000ff]Always enjoy fishing with you, old friend. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I warned, you will have to make some "adjustments" in your launch routine now that you are "empowered". But a bit of experience and some more practice and you will have it down "Pat". I'm sure you will agree that the benefits of auxilliary power far outweigh the minor inconveniences of setting up and taking down the motor mount, battery and motor. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yesterday's "zephyrs" provided a good test and it allowed you to stay afloat a lot longer than you would have without a motor on your tube. I still remember one of our first trips there when I had to 4 wheel drive through rocks and brush to pick you up off the end of a point where the sudden wind had deposited you because you were unable to fight against it. It would have been different if you were motorized on that trip.[/#0000ff]
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But what's he gonna do with the "old" toon?!
Seems to me it oughta be bronzed and put up in the Smithsonian or something! When ya think about the number of places, and NUMBERS of fish that have been brought in by that angler in that tube - certainly historic proportions!!!
So TD - I'd bet the Mrs'll be hankering for one of her own before you know it! Between the two - probably have enough PVC to build a greenhouse!
[cool][#0000ff]You can never be too rich, too thin, have too much space to store your "stuff"...or have too much tackle or too many water craft. TD's credo.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Current Fat Cat is only 2 years old...after the former one got blown off the top of my car and lost a confrontation with an 18 wheeler. But is does have "mileage". When the upgrade(s) are made, the Fat Cats will still have space alotted in the storage area. We have grandkids that are aspiring tubers and will need a ride until they can get their own.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'm sure TubeBabe will like the new rides. And there will actually be less PVC on them than on the Fat Cats. More efficient use of space and construction features.[/#0000ff]
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