[cool][#0000ff]Two members of the tube and toon masochist society met up this morning at Lincoln Beach. Me and high_n_dry. Air temp 25 water temp 37. TDC[/#0000ff][#0000ff].[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got launched first and boogied down the boat channel to the ends of the dikes. Depth was about 3 1/2' along most of the channel. Where it dropped to 5 feet at the mouth of the channel I started pitching a tandem jig rig. 10 casts and 10 white bass. No skunk today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the whities are this years standard small and skinny ones. But I did get some footlongs that were a bit healthier. And when filleted later they were the only ones that had been eating...baby white bass.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Probably caught about 15 to 20 whities before Glenn came motoring out. As has become the routine, the fishing shut down when he cruised in. We both caught a couple more white bass and then they departed hence. So did we...looking for our target species...walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked all of the shelves and dropoffs from Lincoln Point to the L. Worked shallow out to 10 feet of water. Saw a lot more fish on sonar than on the ends of our lines. Picked up the occasional stray white bass and had some bigger fish on for a few tugs. Sometimes brought in big scales...carp.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I lost one mid-teens walleye earlier while fishing for the whities at the mouth of the channel. Nothing after that resembling a walleye. Also lost one good sized fish on a chub minnow that I think was a silly chilly kitty. But too cold or too dumb to hang on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glenn did okay in the white bass department too, but did not catch his first Utah Lake walleye. He should have. He earned big karma points by retrieving a snow goose knocked down by a shoreside blaster. It got up after his first shot and he had to shoot it again...but it landed out beyond where he could wade and he had no dog. Nice guy that he is, Glenn fired up his big (electric) motor and brought the bird to the happy hunter. Seems the old gent had been hunting for years and this was his first snow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Only a slight ripple early this morning. That was enough to make the fingertips tingle in the fingerless gloves. But once the sun came out the air temps rose and the breeze died to flat calm. Purty day to be on the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I noticed Glenn kept his flippered feet up on the foot rest bars of his toon a lot. He had some new waders...without leaks, like the old ones. But he only had one layer beneath the waders. He ain't too experienced at this late season fishing and that 37 degree water gave him some edumacation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When we got back to the mouth of the boat channel about noon, there were no whities left to play with. So we motored up to the ramp basin and started casting in the shallow waters around the docks and the ramp. Whaddayaknow. A few silly whities and even a stray perch for Glenn. Fine finish. [/#0000ff]
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Great post as always! Looks like fun!
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TD those whities still make me jealous that would be great to have such a fun bunch of fish to play with. Looks like a fun trip and nice report. Later J
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Nice on the perch. I've fished that end a number of times, and haven't caught a perch out of there.
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[quote LordoftheFlies]Nice on the perch. I've fished that end a number of times, and haven't caught a perch out of there.[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]There have been perch in Utah Lake for many decades, but they have never been a big part of the biomass. Perch are creatures of deep cold lakes. Neither of those describes Utah Lake. They are also daytime feeders that rely on clear water for sight feeding...unlike their cousins the walleyes. Also, they need aquatic weeds or flooded brush for spawning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The past few years have been better for perch and they have greatly increased their numbers. But they seldom get very big...over about 9 inches. The other thing is that they usually do not school up much until the water clears under the ice and they can locate other perch to hang with. So most perch caught in Utah Lake are rarities and only one at a time. The exception is during the ice fishing season when you can sometimes find small schools of them inside harbors or other protected areas. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The water was unusually clear for Utah Lake yesterday and the fish are starting to come into the protected harbors in anticipation of iceup. This is the time of year a lot of locals fish the upper end of that boat channel with small baited jigs under bobbers...just like ice fishing. They often get mixed catches of bluegill, crappies, perch, white bass and the occasional largemouth, walleye or even cats. Even though the water is less than half the depth it usually is this time of year the fish still gravitate to the harbors [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught stray perch almost all over Utah Lake. Most of them have been while fishing jigs for white bass or dragging minnows for cats or walleyes. Not enough perch to really justify a special trip for them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Because of their feeding habits and the unusual food chain in Utah Lake, the perch don't get as much to eat as they need to grow big and fat. Most of the ones I have seen from that lake are long and lean with no real girth.[/#0000ff]
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Nice work old man. Can't wait for the ice up in the harbors. Someday I might just have to visit lincon beach.
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[cool][#0000ff]Old? Moi? I prefer to think of it as "well aged", like fine wine. Spending a lot of time in cold water slows down the anglers' decomp. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This time of low water is not the most ideal for getting acquainted with most spots on Utah Lake. But if things improve by next spring I will be happy to introduce you to Lincoln. It can be very productive for a lot of species.[/#0000ff]
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I'm interested in Glenn's motor handle extension. I have the worst time with the motor handle being directly behind my seat so I've thought about offsetting the motor head 45 degrees so I can better control it to the side of the toon seat. I'm curious about the extension he added and the benefits.
(sorry for hijacking the thread)
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That is a standard Minn Kota assessory. You can get them at Sportsman's or Cabela's, about 30 bucks ! You can also talk to TD and I am sure that he would be more than happy to help you craft one out of his favorite material, PVC !!!
By the way TD, aged is the term used to describe fine wine, you and I are OLD !!! Almost fermented !!
[cool][#0000ff]I'm sure that Glenn will chime in on this one.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The universal joint extension he has is probably the "helmsmate". I tried one on my tube motor but it was too heavy and cumbersome. But it is ideal for a pontoon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You can find them at [url "http://www.basspro.com/Ironwood-Pacific-HelmsMate-Extension-Handles/product/7783/"]Basspro[/url] (link). They used to carry them at Cabelas but I can't find them on their site right now. [/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, yeah, yeah. As I have been so often reminded...the next step after wine is vinegar.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And my handle extensions these days are out of lightweight flexible "smurf pipe"...blue flex conduit.[/#0000ff]
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The handle I installed is from Cabelas, bargain cave special, and I had to shorten it . I also had to pull the cap off the motors switch assembly and drill a new hole in the shaft to offset the head so that the motor was straight back behind the pontoon while the handle was at about a 45 degree angle.
I probably wouldn't go this route again, and I'm even thinking of just removing it and using the built in extension handle next trip out.
The issues that I have are;
1. It's a bit awkward reaching out and back to control it.
2. It also will occasionally start the motor on it's own due to the weight of the arm when it moves around while I'm kicking with fins.
3. It occasionally rotates out of the selected speed position as your trying to steer.
I'm looking into some modifications or possibly a different system all together. The problem I've found with the motor on the Pontoon, is that you have to move the motor back and forth a lot to keep it tracking straight. Once it moves slightly offline, it want's to swing hard to that side. I may need to change the angle of the prop a bit so the pontoon rides a bit higher in the front to combat this a bit. I like the foot steering system Cabelas had last year, but it adds a lot of bulk.
Still looking for a good solution.
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[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Old? Moi? I prefer to think of it as "well aged", like fine wine. Spending a lot of time in cold water slows down the anglers' decomp. [/#0000ff]
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Me thinks you need some crackers and cheese to go with that Whine.
As I exclaimed at me mum's recent 80year young celebration - "You don't get older, you just get better".
Hell - the gal still plays tennis and jazzercises weekly. May I be so lucky! (creeeeek).
Nice report. Sounds like them perchies have some tough competition with all them whities. J- I've heard tell of Perch being known in our local waters (the mud-hole). Used to gaffaw at the notion of Trout, then seen some nice Browns made appearance. As the Monkeys doth say - "I'm a believer".
As they might ALSO say - "here we come" - as far as ice times ahead. I might have some river-dancing in me yet. Are they done shooting at daffy, or peasants yet? Tiz the season. . .
Guess there's a time to every purpose, under angling....
(still think White Bass and Muskie would make a nice mix for our estuary! Maybe next meeting - I can get in with Bassrods and share a POV)
Pontoon inflatable boat unlike a pontoon boat (party barge) is not designed to go forward. There is no Rudder and keel.
You need to either steer with oars or with fins or with constant hand control.
You do have to go forward with a gas motor obviously, but you will go faster and hands on control.
The U design does track forward like a Zodiac.
With a two separate pontoon, and even the U design, you go backwards.
Take the head off the motor and turn it 180 degree so that the prop is the same direction as the handle on the head.
Forward on the motor is now pulling you (unless you mount it to the front)
Steering with your feet, even without fins this will work.
Plus you can troll till heart content. No worries of running over your line.
As far as the extension handle, I have never seen the need. As mentioned, you can pull the motor handle out on the Minn Kota, however, even with my 30 and my Maxxum 45, it is not a problem to reach back and turn it off or on without the extension and on my Assault and Renegade, this is a long reach as TD has experienced.
A little exercise guys. Good stuff. Do warm ups if you have to, but a little upper body movement can make a more comfortable day.
Now I will admit, I need to come up with some kind of handle to reach the tilt lever on my motor.[cool] Like I said, a bit of a reach.
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"Now I will admit, I need to come up with some kind of handle to reach the tilt lever on my motor. Like I said, a bit of a reach."
[cool][#0000ff]Several alternatives...from rigging a pull string to using a simple hooked piece of PVC (what else). The physics are that you only have to pull the little lever forward enough to release the catch and then pull the motor forward to the position you want. As long as you can see to reach it you can use a tool to trip the lever.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I usually just bring my craft into water shallow enough to stand up and then bring the motor end around and take care of the raising for ramping routine. But I can see the advantage of being able to raise the motor if you are in a toon and want to run the nose up on the ramp or beach without having to get out to do it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I will put my mad scientist alter ego to work on it and see what I can devise for your comfort and convenience.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks. I go out with the motor in the water and the opening on shore, but I come in motor first. Less dragging the bottom of the boat and I am able to get all the heavy stuff off while out of the water, then pull or pick up the light boat.
Many waters I fish have drop offs right at the shore. I do approach them from the side and crawl over the shore side of the pontoon.
So, I kick the motor up an then either kick into shore or row, so I raise the motor all the way up.
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[cool][#0000ff]Got it. I have a very simple idea in mind that will allow you to tilt the motor up or down from the driver's seat. But if you want to actually pull the motor up through the holding ring that won't be so easy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Electric motor manufacturers still haven't gotten around to making power tilt and trim for us low end users. Now, if we were running a big bass boat...[/#0000ff]
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I only have to raise the motor up on my X5 because it is in between the frame and the U tube. I can tilt slightly. But on that boat the motor is right there and easy to reach.
The Renegade you have experienced. The Assault is the same but a little smaller so a little closer.
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[cool][#0000ff]Like I say, I got the tilt thing "wired"...as you will see. But to raise the motor straight up is going to require a one-push lift-and-lock mechanism. Got some ideas.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Send me a PM with a pic of your motor in place and let me know how much lift you are going to need.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As my old friend Archie Medes once said..."Give me a long enough lever and I can fulcrum the whole world."[/#0000ff]
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Readin this ol boys posts gits kinda frusteratin ifn ya know whut ah mean. Ah kin go ta thu samest spot & fish thu samest stuff but hit don't werk out thu same fer me. Ah kinda spect ol TubeDude kin ketch em whurever he's a mind ta go an ah also spect he kin ketch em outta sumbuddys swim pool ifn he wants ta. Mebby ahm jist a lil jellus, ya spose?
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