Prof T

Most of my trolling these days is for walleye on the St Lawrence and I've come up with a technique that I wonder if anyone else has used. Boat is a Sea Nymph 19.5 ft with a 9.9 kicker and a bow mount Minn Kota Powerdrive V2 w/ I Pilot. The runs I'm fishing and tackle I'm using require me to follow a very specific contour. I've done this over a course of up to a mile so far. The I Pilot has the ability to remember a track, so I decided to see if I could use it as an autopilot. On a calm, quiet day I left a series of waypoints on the course I wanted to mark. In that I wasn't fishing, I could move around, go back, in and out, and really create my own contour line of breadcrumbs with the GPS. I then went to the beginning, started the record function on the I Pilot and "followed" my trail, beginning to the end, with my main engine. Once recorded, good to go. Where I'm fishing the current is heavy enough so that the electric doesn't have enough poop to do the job alone so I rely on the kicker to provide the propulsion. First I get going at close to my preferred speed and leave it set in a straight forward position. Then I add the bow mount, telling it to follow the programmed course. That provides the steering. Kind of neat as I'm able to be away from the helm, controlling the bow mount from the fob on my belt. I realize this isn't a big lake technique, but for what I'm doing it seems to work out pretty well. When I do get a fish on, I simply hit the anchor button and kill the kicker. Boat stays right where it was, current keeping it pointed straight upstream. Just wondering, has anyone else done this or anything like it? Any other tricks I might add?

Fished Monday 6/22 and tonight running 6 and 8 oz BB's, pulling BOMBER SHALLOW DIVER LONG A 4 1/2" SLVR/BLK/ORANGE and STORM ORIGINAL THUNDERSTICK 4 3/8" OLIVE CHART GLOW MADFLASH, Monday went 3 for 4 with a buddy and tonight, 3 for 3 alone. Seem to have found a run with decent eaters - all fish kept 19" to 22". Bait seems to be abundant. Monday marked a bunch of suspended fish, tonight everybody tight to the bottom. Still running the bottom bouncers for two reasons: fish are there and they work and, here on the river, we are starting to get a lot of surface crap from pleasure boaters. Surface clearer tonight than it was on Monday. Have learned that keeping the bouncer a couple feet off of the bottom allows you to accelerate the lure with a rod sweep and drop back to trigger strikes. No question when they smack it! Surface water temp 60.3, speed over ground into current 1.2 to 1.7, with current with no change in throttle position, close to 4! 32 FOW.

I agree with bsmaster about whole fish being used in determining recommendations for consumption and the overall increase in water quality in the state. That being said, I meticulously trim fat from fillets, remove lateral lines and belly meat. I have a few backup recipes that don't require the deep fryer but when I do fry only reuse the oil a couple or three times. I prefer non frozen fish, so there are times it's two or three meals a week if I've got them. Some times none for a month. All about averages. Still lovin life! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

Yeah, Boat traffic pretty intense yesterday and I agree that the water is behind warming up this year. Going to hit it again tonight. Will keep you posted.

Sure appreciate the advice and information you guys are willing to share. Gave it a couple hours this AM mostly trying to get a feel for the heavy bottom bouncers in the current out front. No fish caught, but no gear lost yet either.

Years ago we used to hand line lead core on Oneida with very light flutter spoons, bites almost always triggered by that stopped, flutter back action. A lot different than what PAP and Roughrider are talking about here, but I do remember losing a lot of fish to slack line without a rod. I my original gear list, I forgot to mention a "boat trailer". I wonder what the post spawn fishing downriver offers? I've never been afraid to take a charter to learn, and I know there are guys operating down in the Morristown area.

This is the season I've decided to work hard on understanding how to be successful catching eyes on the river as I've decided to make this my retirement home. After a winter of reading as many posts as I could find, restocking my tackle boxes using ALL of my Cabela's bonus bucks, pouring some bottom bouncers that seem like they will break my arm after the first couple of hours, I'm good to go. Opening weekend was the annual family pilgrimage to Sacandaga for northerns. We generally are bait fishing post spawn monsters and between the early start date and ridiculously low water, I think we were early. Did get a few, only one in the mid 40's, all released. Since then it's been bullheads here ... just because .. who really doesn't like bullhead fishing? Lots of action, easy to clean and great on the table. As the water is beginning to warm in places, I'm wondering when the walleye gurus get started? I don't see anyone deep water jigging at dusk as they do in the summer. Also with such diverse structural elements, what should I be seeking this time of year here? I have lots of experience on Oneida and Delta, but just getting used to a totally different type of fishery is challenging. I have accumulated all of the associated gear, trolling motor, kicker, riggers, planers and am experienced with all of them. I like to troll, and the advantage this time of year is a distinct lack of crap on the surface. However, I just don't see guys out yet. Is that because fishing is impossible, or is it because they just aren't done with the opening up chores and fishing yet? I know post spawn is tough, and my guess is with the frigid water here, they spawn late. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My home stretch is Fisher's Landing to Alex Bay. Gene (Prof T)