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Author Topic: get the party started  (Read 3447 times)

mudchuck

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get the party started
« on: Mar 16, 2018, 11:48 AM »
Time to get this forum kick started again with ice out coming.

Fish Farmer

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #1 on: Mar 16, 2018, 05:15 PM »
I assume some Lake Champlain accesses got plowed this week. Some were open water last week. I won't have my boat uncovered until the snow melts.

dickbaker

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #2 on: Apr 03, 2018, 08:17 AM »
Mudchuck?   looking to see your new boat build from last season.  How about getting it on the water for some pictures!
Dick

mudchuck

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #3 on: Apr 06, 2018, 12:04 PM »
Did new floor, floatation foamboard, expoxy seal hull & paintjob, trailer wheel bearings, new tire & lights 2 winters back.
Last November rebuilt the transom.
Just put the outboard back on last weekend & installed the downrigger and rodholder mounts, reconnected all my wiring & rerouted the steering cable so it's not making noise thru the hull at slow troll speeds.
Bought GPS/chartplotter fish finder last spring and have it installed.
Bought another trolling/reel rod and leadcore line to accompany the rod/reel from 2 seasons ago to get on the downrigger.
Now looking at spoons, pin minnows, carb rebuild kit, new fuel hose, possibly a bigger fuel tank. Also looking into planer boards & another swivel chair.
Have leftover marine plywood, enough to make a storage bench seat in the front, so might be doing that once it warms up some, as I only have 2 swivel seats and need to make room for another seat.
Expensive hobby...never seems to end, so glad the wife has accepted my hobby and the fact that it costs money...just can't go overboard on monthly budget, so far so good.
Not sure I'll be any good at salmonoid trolling, but really want to get dialed in for wally's...

Just look for the little haze grey underway 14' deep V starcraft...I'll be out there soon enough.
 :laugh:

crayfish2

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #4 on: Apr 10, 2018, 01:31 PM »
Can't wait to see her on the water, Mudchuck!  I think we're going to get ours out this week and hope to hit the lake this weekend.  Not ideal conditions yet, but enough is enough!  We'll just pretend we're icefishing and wear everything we own while trying to get something silver to bite.  Will probably try down around Converse/Town Farm, assuming the wind is good for our little boat.

TroutCrazy

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #5 on: Apr 11, 2018, 06:22 PM »
Silver is starting to wake up!

crayfish2

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #6 on: Apr 12, 2018, 07:13 AM »
That's good news, TC!  Unfortunately the weather this weekend looks like C-R-A-P!!   >:(   Maybe next week.

VT Mountain Musky

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #7 on: Apr 12, 2018, 07:58 AM »
i was out ice fishing 4/10/18, latest i have ever been out on the ice, lots of perch, and by the looks of where i was fishing i wont be doing much open water fishing for a while, might try to get out on some very small streams this weekend, good luck to everyone chasing trout this coming weekend

mudchuck

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #8 on: Apr 13, 2018, 11:11 AM »
I won't be out in boat this weekend, crap weather.
Might try bank fishing though

mudchuck

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #9 on: Apr 13, 2018, 02:01 PM »
Can't wait to see her on the water, Mudchuck!  I think we're going to get ours out this week and hope to hit the lake this weekend.  Not ideal conditions yet, but enough is enough!  We'll just pretend we're icefishing and wear everything we own while trying to get something silver to bite.  Will probably try down around Converse/Town Farm, assuming the wind is good for our little boat.

CF2 are you using planer boards? I'm contemplating buying a pair, but won't have a mast, just have to retrieve them with the fish and I'm not so sure I like that idea...thoughts???

crayfish2

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Re: get the party started
« Reply #10 on: Apr 16, 2018, 08:38 AM »
Hi Rick,

We've been using "in-line" planer boards for a few years.  They work.  We've caught a lot of fish on them.  They are kind of a 2-person job when you have a fish on, though.  With 2 of us fishing together, we crank in the board until it gets to the boat.  Person 2 then unhooks the board carefully, trying not to allow any slack in the line that might let the fish get off.  Then the guy on the rod can finish cranking in the fish.

For fishing solo, I would try to set them up so that they "release" from the front clip and slide down the line to a swivel that you will have to have ahead of the lure.  You'd want to have a 2-3' or so leader behind the swivel so that board can't run into the fish.  I think that would be the only way to make it work when fishing alone.  This way you wouldn't have to take the board off at all.  Just net the fish and then you can take the board off when everything is in the boat.

I'd rather use big boards with a mast, but that isn't really an option with how our boat is setup right now.  I'm sure we could rig something up if we had to, but the in-line boards work fine.  Even some guys with big boats prefer the in-line boards, but I don't really understand why.  I think that having big boards with releases is so much easier if you want to run more than 1 line per side.  If you are only running 2 lines, long-lining works just fine.  The in-line boards work great when running 4 lines ... 2 boards + 2 longlines.

For boards, I really like the cheapies from Dick's (Opti brand).  They come with a flag already installed for the price of just the board from other brands.  The only issue I had with our Dick's board was that the clips were crap and I had to replace them.  The board itself and the flag work just fine.  We also have a "Walleye" board from Church tackle.  It's been flawless, but doesn't have a flag which makes it harder to read whether there is a fish on or not at times.

Let me know if you have any other questions.  Good luck!  I finally moved our boat into the garage this past weekend to start getting it setup.  Doing some maintenance on one of the bench seats first ... it was shot and needed to be rebuilt.  Hope to have the motor on and ready to roll by this weekend.  The wind today should blow a lot of the remaining ice out!!

 



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