WB 6/3/2024

[Paddler]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

[obifishkenobi]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

[MWScott72]

Headed out with JMor today and was wondering if the front that pushed through yesterday would impact the fishing. Hoped that it wouldn’t, but it did. SLOW! We started in the light pole area for a couple hours and then trolled out in the open. Fished a total of 5.5 hours. Boated 3 fish. 2, 16-18” eyes and a 3 pound channel. Two poles exclusively for bottom bouncers and worm harnesses. The other two poles out on boards. Lots of changes on the cranks. Two fish on the BBs and one on the crank, so I guess Shawn’s words are true. The BBs significantly out fish cranks!!

I won’t have time for another outing till end of June, but do have a trip lined up in OK for wipers this weekend. Reportedly, they are on fire right now…and limits are 5 fish over 20” and 15 under 20”. My buddy says they are catching limits within a couple hours most days on live shad. Those poor fish are going to get all my frustrations taken out on THEM!!

[Paddler]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks. Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.

[obifishkenobi]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks.  Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.

Your boat sounds similar to mine, I have a Wooldridge Super Sport Offshore. The guy I bought it from had it built to guide in saltwater off the Kenei in Alaska. I like that I can keep fishing when other people have to get off the lake when the wind picks up. The semi hard top cabin also makes a big difference keeping us comfortable in all weather conditions.

[RockyRaab2]

Well, now I don't feel so bad. Went out on Monday also, thinking that overcast skies and a "walleye wipple" on the water would be great. Found nothing in the north Marina basin, nothing around the "humps" outside, and then nothing in Freeway Bay. Got one half-hearted walleye hit on a fire tiger crank. Finally gave up and pitched a surface popper at smallies along the rocks. Got a few dinks to try, but no hookups. Left when the northwest sky turned to a wall of rain.

Conditions: Overcast, SSE wind calm to light, water temp 65, air temp 65 to 70, water quite clear. Fish absent.

[oldguy]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

That looks like the same lures as I use everytime I agree with you the front doesn't help and I have a hard time with bb also. Thanks for the report

[Paddler]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks.  Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.

Your boat sounds similar to mine, I have a Wooldridge Super Sport Offshore. The guy I bought it from had it built to guide in saltwater off the Kenei in Alaska. I like that I can keep fishing when other people have to get off the lake when the wind picks up. The semi hard top cabin also makes a big difference keeping us comfortable in all weather conditions.

Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but same idea.  Wooldridge makes a nice boat.  If I put a bow mount on mine I could bottom bounce pretty easily.  But that would mean extra batteries, etc, and I prefer trolling.  I fish the same way for wepers and walleye as I do for tuna offshore.

Do you fish saltwater?

[obifishkenobi]

SLOW!  Lines in at 8:15, fish over 8 hours, trolled 23.6 miles for 3 fish.  Released 2 of them, a 10" perch and 12"-13" wiper.  Finally landed an 18" walleye and had to call it.  I tried a bunch of stuff, everything from 1/4oz Thin Fins 50' off the boards to a Deep Reef Runner 24' down, plus BB a couple of Shad Raps.  I about circumnavigated the place.  Cold fronts suck.

Here are the lures I tried:



Here's the last part of my trail.  My chartplotter starts a new trail after reaching 2000 points, and apparently doesn't save the previous one, so the first part of the day doesn't show.  23.61 miles worth, though, for one walleye.  Only burned 3.0 gallons, mostly trolling, but I did run up into the wind and chop in the afternoon, though, where the shown trail starts.  I'll be back.

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks.  Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.

Your boat sounds similar to mine, I have a Wooldridge Super Sport Offshore. The guy I bought it from had it built to guide in saltwater off the Kenei in Alaska. I like that I can keep fishing when other people have to get off the lake when the wind picks up. The semi hard top cabin also makes a big difference keeping us comfortable in all weather conditions.

Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but same idea.  Wooldridge makes a nice boat.  If I put a bow mount on mine I could bottom bounce pretty easily.  But that would mean extra batteries, etc, and I prefer trolling.  I fish the same way for wepers and walleye as I do for tuna offshore.

Do you fish saltwater?

No I wish I could afford to tow it over to the coast, I pretty much fish Northern Utah and South East Idaho in my boat. My boat is 2009 20’ it didn’t have a trolling motor on the bow when I bought it and the kicker motor had almost no hours when I bought it in 2018 the last guy trolled with the main motor for salmon in Alaska and Lakers at Flaming Gorge. I added the trolling motor and 2 additional down riggers, I have 4 now to mainly target Kokanee, with no wind my kicker pushes my boat at 1.5mph at idle and I steer and make speed adjustments with the electric motor. Yup your right about batteries I have 3 31 series AGM in the bow for the trolling motor and 2 in the back for starting and accessories.

[Paddler]

My humble advice is to pull worm harness on bottom bouncer, we catch a couple with cranks each trip, worm harnesses on bottom bouncer out fish the crank baits by a large margin.

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks.  Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.

Your boat sounds similar to mine, I have a Wooldridge Super Sport Offshore. The guy I bought it from had it built to guide in saltwater off the Kenei in Alaska. I like that I can keep fishing when other people have to get off the lake when the wind picks up. The semi hard top cabin also makes a big difference keeping us comfortable in all weather conditions.

Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but same idea.  Wooldridge makes a nice boat.  If I put a bow mount on mine I could bottom bounce pretty easily.  But that would mean extra batteries, etc, and I prefer trolling.  I fish the same way for wepers and walleye as I do for tuna offshore.

Do you fish saltwater?

No I wish I could afford to tow it over to the coast, I pretty much fish Northern Utah and South East Idaho in my boat. My boat is 2009 20’ it didn’t have a trolling motor on the bow when I bought it and the kicker motor had almost no hours when I bought it in 2018 the last guy trolled with the main motor for salmon in Alaska and Lakers at Flaming Gorge. I added the trolling motor and 2 additional down riggers, I have 4 now to mainly target Kokanee, with no wind my kicker pushes my boat at 1.5mph at idle and I steer and make speed adjustments with the electric motor. Yup your right about batteries I have 3 31 series AGM in the bow for the trolling motor and 2 in the back for starting and accessories.

My boat is 20' with a splashwell, so I'm guessing yours is 2.5-3' longer.  Too bad you can't tow to the coast, it's heaven.  I get ~11MPG towing to the coast, and La Push is ~1040 miles one way.  Gets expensive.  A tuna run is ~130-145 miles round trip, and fully loaded I get 4.5MPG.  Plus, gas is more expensive in Forks, currently $4.69/gallon.

I may not go this year if kokanee fishing is good.  I have plenty of white fish in the freezer, walleye, rockfish, etc, and am booked on a three-day long range trip for yellowfin and bluefin out of San Diego in October.  All I need is salmon.

I run one battery, which works fine as trolling maintains the charge.

Do you have an autopilot?

[obifishkenobi]

Thanks for the advice, I get it.  But I haven't bottom bounced since 2005 when I bought my new boat.  I'd bottom bounce in my Alumacraft, but even back then I gradually converted to trolling cranks.  Tom Pettengil, who worked for the Division back then, got me into it.  In that Alumacraft I boated 14 walleye in two hours on SR7s out by the lightpole one evening.  I also boated 25 wipers before noon trolling cranks on the east side of the bay one day, too, so crankbaits work.

In addition, my Hewes isn't set up for bottom bouncing.  It's designed to handle ocean fishing, they call it a Searunner, so it has a high bow.  I don't have a front electric as a result.  I can get down slow enough to BB using my drift sock setup, but haven't done so.  Kind of a shame, too, as I have some very nice St. Croix rods and Ambaseur Ultra Cast reels I never use anymore. 

Yesterday was likely due to the cold front that came through, and I think that crankbaits will pick up soon.  I agree that early in the year bottom bouncing will outfish crankbaits, I just lack the patience anymore.  I'm prefer covering more ground and love hearing the reels go off.  I'll probably head up Thursday, hopefully with better results.

Your boat sounds similar to mine, I have a Wooldridge Super Sport Offshore. The guy I bought it from had it built to guide in saltwater off the Kenei in Alaska. I like that I can keep fishing when other people have to get off the lake when the wind picks up. The semi hard top cabin also makes a big difference keeping us comfortable in all weather conditions.

Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but same idea.  Wooldridge makes a nice boat.  If I put a bow mount on mine I could bottom bounce pretty easily.  But that would mean extra batteries, etc, and I prefer trolling.  I fish the same way for wepers and walleye as I do for tuna offshore.

Do you fish saltwater?

No I wish I could afford to tow it over to the coast, I pretty much fish Northern Utah and South East Idaho in my boat. My boat is 2009 20’ it didn’t have a trolling motor on the bow when I bought it and the kicker motor had almost no hours when I bought it in 2018 the last guy trolled with the main motor for salmon in Alaska and Lakers at Flaming Gorge. I added the trolling motor and 2 additional down riggers, I have 4 now to mainly target Kokanee, with no wind my kicker pushes my boat at 1.5mph at idle and I steer and make speed adjustments with the electric motor. Yup your right about batteries I have 3 31 series AGM in the bow for the trolling motor and 2 in the back for starting and accessories.

My boat is 20' with a splashwell, so I'm guessing yours is 2.5-3' longer.  Too bad you can't tow to the coast, it's heaven.  I get ~11MPG towing to the coast, and La Push is ~1040 miles one way.  Gets expensive.  A tuna run is ~130-145 miles round trip, and fully loaded I get 4.5MPG.  Plus, gas is more expensive in Forks, currently $4.69/gallon.

I may not go this year if kokanee fishing is good.  I have plenty of white fish in the freezer, walleye, rockfish, etc, and am booked on a three-day long range trip for yellowfin and bluefin out of San Diego in October.  All I need is salmon.

I run one battery, which works fine as trolling maintains the charge.

Do you have an autopilot?

No Auto pilot for me, I know several guys that do, but I drive my boat and do all kinds of radical turns with my trolling motor, which I think gets me more fish that a preset S turn patterns.

[Paddler]

Your boat sounds similar to mine, I have a Wooldridge Super Sport Offshore. The guy I bought it from had it built to guide in saltwater off the Kenei in Alaska. I like that I can keep fishing when other people have to get off the lake when the wind picks up. The semi hard top cabin also makes a big difference keeping us comfortable in all weather conditions.

Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but same idea.  Wooldridge makes a nice boat.  If I put a bow mount on mine I could bottom bounce pretty easily.  But that would mean extra batteries, etc, and I prefer trolling.  I fish the same way for wepers and walleye as I do for tuna offshore.

Do you fish saltwater?

No I wish I could afford to tow it over to the coast, I pretty much fish Northern Utah and South East Idaho in my boat. My boat is 2009 20’ it didn’t have a trolling motor on the bow when I bought it and the kicker motor had almost no hours when I bought it in 2018 the last guy trolled with the main motor for salmon in Alaska and Lakers at Flaming Gorge. I added the trolling motor and 2 additional down riggers, I have 4 now to mainly target Kokanee, with no wind my kicker pushes my boat at 1.5mph at idle and I steer and make speed adjustments with the electric motor. Yup your right about batteries I have 3 31 series AGM in the bow for the trolling motor and 2 in the back for starting and accessories.

My boat is 20' with a splashwell, so I'm guessing yours is 2.5-3' longer.  Too bad you can't tow to the coast, it's heaven.  I get ~11MPG towing to the coast, and La Push is ~1040 miles one way.  Gets expensive.  A tuna run is ~130-145 miles round trip, and fully loaded I get 4.5MPG.  Plus, gas is more expensive in Forks, currently $4.69/gallon.

I may not go this year if kokanee fishing is good.  I have plenty of white fish in the freezer, walleye, rockfish, etc, and am booked on a three-day long range trip for yellowfin and bluefin out of San Diego in October.  All I need is salmon.

I run one battery, which works fine as trolling maintains the charge.

Do you have an autopilot?

No Auto pilot for me, I know several guys that do, but I drive my boat and do all kinds of radical turns with my trolling motor, which I think gets me more fish that a preset S turn patterns.

I have cable steering, so my AP is a very simple rotary model, the Simrad AP14R.  It has a "Dodge" function which is programmable up to 40*.  I simply push the "Dodge" button, then the left or right arrow.  Works great.  

The AP really pays off for longer runs and when you're working lines, landing fish, dealing with fish, tackle, etc.  

As I said above, it's very difficult to explain to those who haven't fished with one how much they increase one's efficiency.  A buddy up in Washington recently updated his electronics, and took my advice to get an autopilot.  He extremely impressed and wonders now why he's never had one before.

[obifishkenobi]

Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but same idea.  Wooldridge makes a nice boat.  If I put a bow mount on mine I could bottom bounce pretty easily.  But that would mean extra batteries, etc, and I prefer trolling.  I fish the same way for wepers and walleye as I do for tuna offshore.

Do you fish saltwater?

No I wish I could afford to tow it over to the coast, I pretty much fish Northern Utah and South East Idaho in my boat. My boat is 2009 20’ it didn’t have a trolling motor on the bow when I bought it and the kicker motor had almost no hours when I bought it in 2018 the last guy trolled with the main motor for salmon in Alaska and Lakers at Flaming Gorge. I added the trolling motor and 2 additional down riggers, I have 4 now to mainly target Kokanee, with no wind my kicker pushes my boat at 1.5mph at idle and I steer and make speed adjustments with the electric motor. Yup your right about batteries I have 3 31 series AGM in the bow for the trolling motor and 2 in the back for starting and accessories.

My boat is 20' with a splashwell, so I'm guessing yours is 2.5-3' longer.  Too bad you can't tow to the coast, it's heaven.  I get ~11MPG towing to the coast, and La Push is ~1040 miles one way.  Gets expensive.  A tuna run is ~130-145 miles round trip, and fully loaded I get 4.5MPG.  Plus, gas is more expensive in Forks, currently $4.69/gallon.

I may not go this year if kokanee fishing is good.  I have plenty of white fish in the freezer, walleye, rockfish, etc, and am booked on a three-day long range trip for yellowfin and bluefin out of San Diego in October.  All I need is salmon.

I run one battery, which works fine as trolling maintains the charge.

Do you have an autopilot?

No Auto pilot for me, I know several guys that do, but I drive my boat and do all kinds of radical turns with my trolling motor, which I think gets me more fish that a preset S turn patterns.

I have cable steering, so my AP is a very simple rotary model, the Simrad AP14R.  It has a "Dodge" function which is programmable up to 40*.  I simply push the "Dodge" button, then the left or right arrow.  Works great.  

The AP really pays off for longer runs and when you're working lines, landing fish, dealing with fish, tackle, etc.  

As I said above, it's very difficult to explain to those who haven't fished with one how much they increase one's efficiency.  A buddy up in Washington recently updated his electronics, and took my advice to get an autopilot.  He extremely impressed and wonders now why he's never had one before.

I'll be out on Willard Friday and Saturday morning doing my thing maybe we can say high and compare notes if your there.  Probably working the light pole down to the Southwest corner several hundred yards off the rocks.