justtracytrolling

At least I got my hair cut I guess, but I'd rather Tracy was getting paid to cut hair at her salon. Even more than wanting to fish id like to be working.

If you want more successful releases don't take the fish out of the water to unhook it, then put the fish on the grip and revive. Having fish flop on the floor of the boat isn't a recipe for fish survival if that is really your goal. Pictures out of water on hot sunny days don't help with reviving fish...again if that is important to you. Rubber coated nets are much easier on the fish as well...they suck for netting comparitively. It's just a simple case of how bad do you want the fish to go back. Personally, I'd just smoke the ones that I struggled to revive when it comes to salmon, but I like smoked salmon. On the other hand I've gotten in the water with a tiger to revive it...

That sounds like a great start for the guides and charters in PA! Seems like a realistic, common sense approach to a problem that isn't going away. I'd take that in a heartbeat! May 15th would be wonderful...not sure we have any chance before that.

Beautiful fish! Fingers crossed here as well! I wish I was more optimistic...

Not sure how many of you have jumped in to cold water and tried to swim with a life jacket on, but I have and it takes some practice just to breathe let alone swim. I did a 2 week cold weather paddling trip in the boundary Waters of Minnesota. Beforehand I thought I'd better practice saving myself in the Susquehanna river in October, which isn't even below 50 then. Figured if I did a controlled experiment id be prepared if it really happened. Let's just say if I hadn't had a pfd on I would have drowned before I calmed down enough to swim to shore. Actually, I would have drowned before I figured out which direction to swim! Apparently, everything I had read and understood about the natural reaction to fight against the current was true. The instant I hit the water I was full on panic. You definitely can settle down and swim, but only if you didn't drown gasping initially. If it's climbing in your boat with a life jacket on that scares you you have your priorities all wrong. It's the shock of cold water that limits your ability to even think rationally let alone swim and catch your breath you should fear! It's absolutely irresponsible to say anything arguing the cons of wearing a pfd. Pfds don't cause slipping...an unsafe boat floor without proper footwear causes slipping. If life jackets are too expensive you need a different hobby. If you are taking people out you definitely shouldn't be advocating against pfds! End of the day I wish our society allowed a little more Darwinism, but it's always a kid or a buddy that pays the price not the irresponsible captain of the vessel.

I have so much tackle I've bought and never had a chance to really fish that I'm going to use the shutdown to try some new stuff. I have a bunch of the new Rapala TDD13's I got last year I wanna put some time into. If anyone wants to try one of these I have a bunch.

X2 fat AZ

I like the gliding raps! Get an epoxy paint job on em from rougarou and they can be fished anywhere in the column. I like jointed rapalas as well. I picked up some big 6" paddle tails from Keitech that I'm looking forward to trying. Mepps has an aglia with a weedless keeper hook and curl tail that I'm going to try as well.

Looks like a Mann's to me as well. The luhr Jenson power dive minnow has a very similar diving lip but flatter sides.

Nice work! 6 more days of waiting for me....

My boat is in the water! Weather looks good for Tuesday to open up my fishing shed and at least one of my RVs. Don't really need more than my winter tackle for opening night, but I'll be ready. I don't put away my winter fishing suit till summer and I plan on wearing it! Hopefully, fresh fish is just a week away!

We used to have rat hunts on the farm couple times a year, or whenever they became an issue. 5 tine pitchfork was my weapon of choice. We were never bored I'll say that!

It's been a bad blend of testing shortages, bad tests, and downplaying followed by doses of over reaction and fear, with a seemingly endless amount of political partisanship! We all should be a exhausted from jumping to conclusions...I know what will fix it for me...a 2 week isolation on the lake to start the walleye season!!!

It's ok Kevin...when you can catch like you do you get a pass! Probably thinking about fishing or hunting to much! Bout the only real dumb thing I've done was beach my boat and forgot the trolling motor was down! Ordered a new one, moved up to 36v, and called it an upgrade not a mistake. Fixed it for under a $100 a year later or so and sold it eventually.

I agree Gator! Screwed with any choice they make....

CDC recommended the restrictions and provided the modeling used to make the decisions. Most every state had similar restrictions including boat launches so let's not keep making this pandemic a political issue when it's a health issue...

Now that's a good report! Glad you didn't jump him...be a real **** to track in the dark! Now use the rat for bait and see what else is lurking! Probably get ticketed for uncertified bait without a receipt for the rat!!! LMFAO

Nothing more enjoyable to me than getting back from a trip where it was tough, but we get em. The guys are excited and having a beer. There is a bottle getting passed. I'm filleting fish and the stories start coming. This is a story that ends just like that. I met a young guy, Mark, from here on the forum the year before I started guiding. He happened to be deaf and mute. I ended up inviting him to come stay and fish as I figured it would be a good lesson on guiding. Well it ends up being a miserable cold front and I think we only landed 1 dink tiger in 2+ hard days. So the next year comes around and now I'm guiding so he books the whole weekend like the previous year. Well it's the last evening and Its been probably worse than the previous year because of the pressure. I still can't get him on anything and he has been a trooper. I get my buddy Wayne to come drive for us so I get 3 more lines and can put more effort in to our last chance. Wayne had fished a session or two prior with this guy and was used to communicating with a dry erase board. It takes several days with a deaf person if you have never been around one to stop talking and instinctively write down everything but once you get the hang of it the quiet is awesome. Well anyway before we get the first lure wet the sun finally comes out and the wind dies down and it's beautiful. Almost instantly we get the low forties tiger he came for and then walleye start coming with the best one 10lbs on the nose. I get some great pics of him with his fish as the sun sets and we all are enjoying this magical evening. We get back and up until now I've never seen either Mark or Wayne drink whiskey, but when I get it out for myself they surprise me and dive right in with me. I must not have been keeping up with the drinking because I was filleting and I wasn't part of the conversation as they weren't showing me the board, but somehow near the bottom of the bottle Wayne stopped writing and started doing a version of sign language that included getting very loud, as that helps with deaf people, that mark somehow understood. Mark then learned to makes some noises that you wouldn't call talking exactly but Wayne sure acted like he understood fine. I took away the bottle and finished it while watching the two of them "TELL" stories as they were two drunk to read and write. Somewhere along the way the details of the end of the night slip away from my memory as well, but I'm certain we "TALKED" for hours.

Thanks Bruce

Ban is definitely lifted though not every launch opened yet

X2...I've personally witnessed both of those feats several times each. Had a guy in big cigarette boat with twin engines, jacked up truck, weight lifter type loading his boat across the way from me while I cleaned up my boat after a trip. I realized after he drove the boat on and shut it off I didn't hear him trim up so I turned around and hollered over to him. He goes off on me before I can explain and says he knows what he is doing. He jumps in and tears up the ramp...ruined both lower units and props! If he was mad when I tried to help you should have heard him when his girlfriend said "maybe that's what that guy was trying to tell you". We laughed and he left her there taking off without even strapping the boat down and never did trim up!

I think you veteran captains should start a thread and tell some stories. Give us something to laugh about! I appreciate reading about the guys that paved the way. Just don't have that kind of history where I'm at....

My pontoon doubles as a sailboat! Doesn't tack well tho....lol