Fishing with Mark and Jim 5/12/2022

[Capt Juls]

Great report Juls, as always! Thank you. For someone that gets to fish that area but 1 or 2 times a year at best, your reports are the closest thing to actually being there!
Now that your new boat doesn't have a kicker motor, I'm assuming it's your Ulterra dragging you along at 1.8-2.0? I'm also guessing your Verado would push you at 2.5-3.0 at idle?
Just curious how you are trolling.
Thanks again for all your great reports!

Where did you get the idea that my new boat won't have a kicker motor? It will have a 15 on it.

[jimmyc9999]

Hi Juls,
Thanks for responding, you are my favorite poster on this whole board.
Just by the picture you posted on this thread, there doesn't appear to be a kicker to the starboard side of that Verado. Are you fishing in a temporary boat until your new boat arrives? (I apologize if you have already explained in a previous thread)
The only reason I am asking is because I have a 24' bay boat with a 350 Suzuki and as slow as I can get is 2.4 going into wind/waves and my 112 Ulterra wont pull me over 1.5 on Erie without being on 80% or higher...and I don't want to run 8+ on the trolling motor for hours at a time. Just looking for possible solutions to be able to troll with a big boat that doesn't have a kicker. It's probably boiling down to a couple things, I ether need to learn to drift & cast or just break down and get a kicker to be able to troll slow enough.
Thanks again for all your reports, you are awesome!
Jim

[slimshady]

The easiest solution would be to get two trolling bags (ie drift-socks) to slow down your boat. However, I would never venture onto the Great Lakes w/o a kicker. For safety reasons, if nothing else. But that’s me. Everyone has their own level of risk they are comfortable with.

[Capt Juls]

Hi Juls,
Thanks for responding, you are my favorite poster on this whole board.
Just by the picture you posted on this thread, there doesn't appear to be a kicker to the starboard side of that Verado. Are you fishing in a temporary boat until your new boat arrives? (I apologize if you have already explained in a previous thread)
The only reason I am asking is because I have a 24' bay boat with a 350 Suzuki and as slow as I can get is 2.4 going into wind/waves and my 112 Ulterra wont pull me over 1.5 on Erie without being on 80% or higher...and I don't want to run 8+ on the trolling motor for hours at a time. Just looking for possible solutions to be able to troll with a big boat that doesn't have a kicker. It's probably boiling down to a couple things, I ether need to learn to drift & cast or just break down and get a kicker to be able to troll slow enough.
Thanks again for all your reports, you are awesome!
Jim

That's because it's on the port side...

Have you tried using drift socks to slow it down, first?