The Killer Bs: Live Bait and Boat Control
by: Mark Martin
No matter where or when you're fishing, the going can
get tough with big winds and waves, everyone's least favorite conditions
for chasing walleyes. But if you're on vacation, out for a tournament
or way into angling, your time is too precious spend ashore unless
the water¹s downright dangerous. But if it's still doable, it's
time to get tough when the going gets rough. Under such circumstances,
the twin pillars of my attack are live bait and boat control. I choose
bait for the ability to present it with heavier weight and to keep
bottom contact when casting jigs or trolling would be futile. Boat
control, meanwhile, is a plain and simple necessity. When the wind
and waves rock, keeping your craft in place to the best of your ability
will translate into more walleyes. Seldom is it easy, but it can be
accomplished with the right gear and approach under adverse conditions.
Bait Control - Whether the weather' nasty or nice, you're going to
want to put everything possible in your favor.
Bait Control
Whether the weather's nasty or nice, you're going to want to put
everything possible in your favor. I start with high-quality bait.
It's hard to beat lively, crazy leeches, and the best way to keep
them or turn them that way is with a mesh bag container . Put your leeches in the tough mesh bag,
sealable with Velcro, and put them in your livewell. It's better
than in a foam cup, where the leeches crud and waste eventually
kills them. The bag also lets the leeches acclimate to the water
temperature so they don't ball up when you put one on a hook and
drop it in the drink.
Storage is also important to keep my tackle from going
into orbit. For rigs and jigs and whatnot, I take one of Plano's waterproof storage boxes and put my terminal tackle in there to keep
it from rusting. Plano's Cinch Bags, which contain
four tray-style boxes, are great for segregating jig weights and hook
styles in a neat, tidy soft-sided container that's about the size
of a briefcase. I also stock a tray with an assortment of goodies
for bait fishing beads, including Northland's rattle beads; Gum-Drop
Floats for suspending a bait; colored hooks; and swivels.
To store my bottom bouncers,I use a Bouncer
Bag, also from Beckman Fishing, to organize my bouncers by
weight and keep them from tangling and rusting on the boat's carpet.
With everything squared away, I start looking for
prime walleye spots and plumbing them with a bottom bouncer with bait
or a slip-sinker rig. From spring into early summer, I turn to points,
With a line in the water, it's hard to beat a Northland Rock-Runner bottom bouncer or slide bouncer with a three-foot leader ahead of
livebait. A slip-sinker rig will work, too, if you boost up the size
of the weight to combat the wind. After all, you're going to need
to find bottom and stay there. Depending on the depth and wind velocity,
you might need a bouncer of one, two or three ounces. Where it's possible
to run more than one rod, I like to hold one and put another in a
rod holder. Pick a rod with a supple tip that lets a walleye bend
the rod over without feeling anything. You just pick it up and set
the hook.
It's a bit of a trick, though, to know when to set.
With a V-armed
Rock-Runner bouncer, you're unable to feed line to a biting fish.
Instead,
with the extra weight your bait will be nearly vertical below the
boat, and
when you get a bite, you pull the fish along for a few seconds before
setting the hook. If you keep missing, switch to a sliding bouncer
or a
slip-sinker rig that allows you to feed line.
Boat Control
Now's the time to keep your boat under control. While no small task
in the rough stuff, it's again possible with the proper equipment.
On my Lund 2025, a wide-beamed boat with high sides
to deflect waves, I have a 109-pound-thrust transom mount and a 109-pound-thrust
bowmount. Although the bowmount electric holds me in almost all conditions,
if things get incredibly nasty, I'll opt for the 225-horsepower Mercury main engine to keep me in place or slow my drift. I just kick it in
and out of gear.
Most of the time, I stay on the bowmount. Up there,
I'm sure to fill the
front livewell for extra weight, even putting tackle on the front
deck or a
big buddy. This will help keep your trolling motor propeller in the
water.
Also when operating from the bow, I'll put out a drift sock - The socks are nice because they pop open
right away without even monkeying with them a great safety feature
when the boat is pitching and yawing. I also keep the drift sock on
a short leash a short rope, that is to help keep the propeller in
the water.
With everything in order, the hatches battened down
and motors ready to rev, it's time to square off with the conditions.
By fishing bait below the boat and slowing your craft as much as possible
without flying, you'll stay in the fish zone longer. Of course that's
easy on a nice day. Not so on a nasty one. Nevertheless, now's the
time to do what it takes to keep you fishing despite the weather.
|
