Well with the weather being so nice i decided to take care of some boat issues and put on my new lower unit. Well that all went well but the break in called for 5 hours below 2500 rpm....ummmm how boring is that. Well i decided the only way i could possibly do that and not be bored to death was to go troll Oliver for trout.
I hit the water about 9 am and just put it in gear, turned on the electronics and settled in for a long boring day. At least the scenery is good there was the plan.
So i sent back a bait and the troll was on. To my surprise after about 100yds i got slammed!!! i missed it but hey it was a start! As always at oliver i went straight to the windiest shore. my boat was idling about 4.6 mph...a tad fast so i filled the livewells and tucked the motor and put the trolling motor down. that got me to 3 mph into the wind, 3.7 down wind. My spoons were spinning so fast they looked like drill bits!
So broke out the baby x rap and it was at least tracking straight. i was marking fish about 20' down but nothing higher. i put on side image and started seeing things out about 20-30 ft. those fish wanted nothing to do with the boat. i had nothing that would get anywhere close to 20' down so i did the only thing i could think of....dumped the spool od 8# braid! about 100-150 yds back.
well that was the ticket. i was sweeping the rod and as it would stop on the fall back is when i would get a hit. i was going so fast i think they were following it and when it stopped they ran into it. i found most of the fish over 70' of water on the windy side. if i got under 50 i never got hit. Just out in the middle of nowhere and could only get hit going down wind. it sucked as i couldnt just reel up and run i had to idle all the way back up lake, up wind to make a pass again.
All went well with the motor break in and here is the tally!!!
I managed 12 solid hits.
hooked up with 9 fish. i had no net and never shifted out of gear ( break in rules) and had to fight the fish from 100-150 yds back ( dragging them basically)
i got 8 to the boat, tried swinging them but 6# line, tiny hooks...well only 3 actually made it in...... However....
i had 2 in the 14-16" range that did.
i had one brown up to the boat that was a solid 18+ i just couldnt get a handle on the slippery guy but was definatly pretty!!
and the other one that made the boat...and made my day!
probably my personal best from Oliver.
a beautiful 26.5" rainbow. about 5.2 pounds!!!
After the long fight in she was a bit loopy. I didnt want to just dump her back to have her float later so i already had the live well full, added some stay alive, kicked on the fill and aerators and let her hang out in the triton day spa!!
At the end of the day she still wasnt sitting straight and was nose up in the livewell. well i dont eat fish but i wasnt sure she was gonna make it so she got to come home for an overnite stay. Ran arreators all night and. Good news!!
i got up sunday, opened the well and she was happy, spunky and splashing. i shut the lid and headed back to oliver to finish the lower unit break in ( 3 more hours ) and got out to about 70 fow and she just let me pick her up and slide her back in the lake! She torpedoed across the top and then she disappeared.
took her out of the livewell at home for about 30 seconds. Quick pic, quick wet weight and a tape measure!
So not a bad weekend. Boat is broke in, hit 69mph but ran outta lake lol. Caught a giant and got her back released all okay
THAT was a good weekend.
if someone wants to post the pic let me know and ill txt it to ya.
And good meeting Buck at the launch as i believe he visits here too!
so she is back out there....waiting for ya!!