06-06-2024, 12:11 AM
(06-05-2024, 04:36 PM)Paddler Wrote:(06-05-2024, 03:48 PM)obifishkenobi Wrote:(06-05-2024, 01:11 PM)Paddler Wrote: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.(06-05-2024, 12:27 PM)obifishkenobi Wrote:(06-05-2024, 04:43 AM)Paddler Wrote: 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.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.
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.
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?
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.