Day 4 Fishing with "Doc", Tom, and Heath 4/5/2022

[Capt Juls]

Pretty much a repeat of yesterday, so I won't bore you with what time I left the house, picked up the boat, etc. You're welcome.

We were headed out the river at 6:30am. The program was the same as yesterday. Fished from 39-44 feet of water with Bandits and P-10s.


The morning started with a triple right away, then we caught one more after that. Then, it went a bit slow for a little bit. Then, it started being a slow, steady bite. The fish from yesterday had moved a little bit. The P-10s didn't stay on for more than 2 hours, when 7 of 10 fish had come on Bandits, so the P-10s were switched out to Bandits too.


It wasn't until after 10 am, when I changed direction from a S to N pull, to a NW to SE pull, that it got super fun. Someone flicked on the light switch, and those walleye were jumping all over our Bandits. We had doubles and triples going and cleared almost every rod out of the lineup, before we could get another bait back in the water again.


Bandit color with depth were the following...running (unassisted/no weight) behind Off Shore inline boards:
Cotton Candy (or if you prefer..."Pink Lemonade") @ 97 back and 130 back
(2) Taco Salad @ 120
RC Crush @ 77
Sunspot @ 97
Blue Chrome @ 77
Chrome Barbie @ 71


We only ran 4 boards per side, because my guys are from MN/SD and can't run more than one and two lines, respectively, so we kept it simple. They did a great job setting the boards out, and eventually, they were getting better at remembering what number each bait was supposed to be set out at, and where in the line up they were supposed to go. It's easier to remember that stuff when you do it all the time...I get it.


By the time we ended the trip, we had gone 38 for 49, and kept our 24. Their arms were getting tired from reeling in that outside board, because we all know that one goes back most often! When the thick fog rolled in, we fished for another 1/2 hour and then headed in at noon. We only had a short ride back to the launch, so it wasn't too bad for us.


They all said they had a great time, and would like to come back again next spring, and that makes me happy.


With the weather for the rest of this week/weekend, and multi day trips planned with two different groups, coming from very far away, we all decided it was best to reschedule them. I am extra safety conscious this time of year, when the water temps are this cold. Call me crazy....but, I'd rather be safer than sorry.


Speaking of water temps....it was 39.4 degrees today. I haven't seen it hit 40 yet anywhere that I've been, but it has to warm up sooner or later.


Mother Nature has got to straighten out pretty soon...Fingers crossed!


Stay tuned...


Capt Juls

[slimshady]

We only ran 4 boards per side, because my guys are from MN/SD and can't run more than one and two lines, respectively, so we kept it simple.

Nice job Captain! I saw that line in your post and didn't understand what you meant. Why would it matter where they were from if they are fishing on an OH license? Isn't the number of lines you are allowed dictated by the OH rules? Or were you poking fun at them because they were from MN and SD and aren't used to running more than that many? Just wanted to clarify.

[Capt Juls]

We only ran 4 boards per side, because my guys are from MN/SD and can't run more than one and two lines, respectively, so we kept it simple.

Nice job Captain! I saw that line in your post and didn't understand what you meant. Why would it matter where they were from if they are fishing on an OH license? Isn't the number of lines you are allowed dictated by the OH rules? Or were you poking fun at them because they were from MN and SD and aren't used to running more than that many? Just wanted to clarify.

Good morning,

This should go without saying, but I never make fun of people, unless they are close friends, and know I'm just kidding.

I stated where they are from, because MN only allows one line. SD allows 2. Just because Ohio allows 3 doesn't mean we have to run that many. It's great for those days when there are only two of us in the boat.

Why make things more difficult than they have to be? They said they can never run more than two boards per side when fishing on Bigstone Lake in ND, so running 4 per side was new to them, and they mentioned that was a lot. Did I need to show off, and show that I could run 6 per side?

4 boards per side was plenty to get the job done, and it kept it easier for my crew to manage... (I let my crew learn hands on, and not just hand them a rod when the fish is on). When the fish are biting like they were for their trips, it's not necessary to have that many lines out.

Can I manage 6 boards per side? Yes, I can. Do I need to? No, I don't. What is your reasoning, for thinking I needed to run 12 lines, just because the law allows it?

Just curious...

Juls