Fair Haven April 6th - Shakedown Run

[Billy V]

Today Yankee Troller, Jay and I spent the morning prepping the boat for the season...electronics installed, downriggers mounted, probes repaired, rods, reels and tackle put on the boat, etc. We finally got things ready to go shortly before noon and by 12:30 we had fish slime on the floor for the first time of the year. Jay boated a nice fat brown that came on a firetiger KA-BOOM shiner fished off of a planer board. We found that once the wind began to die down that the color went out of the water and the fishing slowed considerably. We spent a couple of hours running the boat thru her paces and for the most part we're ready to go.

Be careful if you're heading out of Fair Haven as there's a log buried on the west side of the channel just before you get the the chute that you definitely don't want to hit in the dark on your way out. It's sticking up about 6" out of the water.

A couple of pics from today:

I'm SO glad that the season is finally here!

[Landshark]

nice job fellas!!!!!

[Erbyjoe]

Billy the Boat looks great. Hows the new Home? Nice looking fish. Can't wait to head up your way I hope to get the boat out of the back yard this week. The ground is almost ready to go so I don't sink up to my axles in mud pulling her out :mrgreen: .

[Billy V]

Thanks Erin, I'm very happy with how the boat looks. No new home yet, we're looking & talking to builders.

Hope you're able to get the boat out soon!

[Misty IV]

Nice job, Bill. Glad to see you managed to get out and the boat is running great. Saw the picture of her over on the GLA site - she looks awesome!

[SharkHunter]

Shakedown runs can be the most enjoyable rides of the year. Great to see everything was working and you were able to put fish in the boat.

Now with the boat in the water comes the hard part of the season, do you go to work or play for the day?

Capt. Eli,

[W.W.IV.]

Shakedowns are fun. Went out this morning with a fishing buddy at IBay.Put his boat in for the first time this season,found the perch and started fishing. then noticed the bilge was full of water,the pump couldn't keep up so we headed for the dock and got it on the trailer. Any way the live well intake line was either broken or came loose. We put a plug in it and went back out and enjoyed the rest of the day. Got some nice Perch.

[W.W.IV.]

Nice fish guys.

[Yankee Troller]

I almost forgot to tell everyone that Bill and I put a SD/fly out on a rigger for a little while! You cant say we were thinking big time!

[ray koziatek]

ya might try a blk/silver yozuri crystel minnow out side board it wont be smoking but when it goes it should be salmon or steelie.pu/silver too..........coho like em in the shallow waters

[FISHINMAN]

Nice job Billy, that first fish is a true Big O brownie!

[Yankee Troller]

that first fish is a true Big O brownie!

Yeah...no such thing! You would be amazed at how many tricks these two know about with a camera. They can make 3lb browns look big with crappie sized lures hanging from thier mouth.

[FISHINMAN]

that first fish is a true Big O brownie!

Yeah...no such thing! You would be amazed at how many tricks these two know about with a camera. They can make 3lb browns look big with crappie sized lures hanging from thier mouth.

YT I saw the way you were holding that one between your legs last week trying to make "something" look bigger than it probably is :shock:

Nice fish again Billy

[Yankee Troller]

There you go again Tom! You have it all backwards. I didn't have and small baits on board so I was trying to show you how big the fish really was.

[Billy V]

Camera tricks?!?!? Nah...it was just a nice plump brown. As I recall it, Yankee was so excited about that fish that he was trying to add a pound or two to it...you know how it goes... I say "Nice fish. What is it, 6 or 7 lbs?". Yankee says, "6 or 7lbs? Are you nuts, that's all of 9 or 10lbs!"

:)

[ray koziatek]

typical bass fisherman response spellialy the ones that got away....yup when that large moulth jumped it was so big it blocked the sun on the whole boat...

[Yankee Troller]

Thats only becasue I have had more experience with them hog browns the past few weeks Bill. I've weighed a few 7-8lbers. But I'm not braggin or anything.

[Billy V]

So you're finally becoming a brown fisherman? NICE!! Maybe that'll help you out in a Pro-Am someday when the Kings aren't around!

But that fish was only 7lbs at most.... Even still, it was a nice fish.

[Yankee Troller]

There are always kings around! You just need to run to them.

[FISHINMAN]

typical bass fisherman response spellialy the ones that got away....yup when that large moulth jumped it was so big it blocked the sun on the whole boat...

Ray kinda like me and Musky in the back of your boat :shock:

YT now I know where Jax gets it from :shock:

[muskybob]

Ray kinda like me and Musky in the back of your boat :shock:

He lets us fish with him just for the shade in the summer.