kjackson

My next boat will have a boarding ladder, but still I can see problems when fully clothed, in cold water, and so on. Since I"m getting to the old-fart stage of life, I've started wearing an inflatable PFD all the time. Here's something that should work--don't know if it will, but it happened to a walleye pro maybe 20 years ago. He was fishing in the Dakotas in cold weather and fell out of the boat and couldn't get back in. So he moved to the outboard, straddled the lower unit and used the trim switch to lift himself up enough that he could crawl back into the boat. And on the matter of boating safety, not that I want to hijack the thread, but I read a report from the Coast Guard that said the vast majority--something over 70% if I remember correctly-- of drowned males were found with their fly unzipped...kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?

FWIW-- Larew is coming out with a head and plastic bait designed to use shooting docks for bass. I saw an early prototype at ICAST. It looks good...

The first one I ever saw (was living in the Northwest at the time) was on a trip in Ontario. We were a three-hour boat ride north of International Falls.

Rear hook only? Really? I've never noticed that the majority of fish I've taken on crankbaits came on the rear hook. Perhaps that was where I was fishing, but even when I fished Beaver I never saw that. I have to wonder why. Walleye pros I've talked to have said that when a fish hits the rear hook, it was more a matter of the fish not liking something about the bait or its presentation...that color, size, speed or something was wrong, but it wasn't so wrong that the fish didn't want to hit. Not that we can tell what a fish "wants". I figure it's like putting out a bowl of blue peanuts. I like peanuts, and I want to eat peanuts, but blue? OK, so maybe I'll try one to see... I can see a fish's response being something like that, especially when there is a lot of plain peanuts floating around like this year's spawn.

Back before jerkbaits became a spring favorite, PRADCO introduced Bomber jerkbaits--actually the 15A that was part of a series that was endorsed by both PRADCO and Strike King pros (SK didn't make hardballs at the time). The 15A was a signature bait of Kevin Van Dam (still have one or two). Anyway, not knowing any better, I started fishing the 15A as a jerkbait during the summer and did quite well. It didn't surprise me as I also did well with the floating Rapala minnow. Haven't fished either in quite some time. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find that they still work now. And I'm waiting on an order of the Top 20... I can see it working well on some of the flats in Beaver, and I hope in Truman.

Have you visited micro skiff.com? There's a wealth of Gheenoe info there.

Reports says the Perfect 10 is a good walleye trolling bait; at least, the guys on Lake Erie and some of the big waters are doing well enough on them that PRADCO added walleye colors. The Elite 8 is a good jerkbait based on my limited experience. The first day I used it, I had a double header--one LMB at 8-10 and a "smaller" bass that the net guy said was 16 inches or so. That one fell off as we tried to net the pair. Granted, I was fishing in the managed lake of the PRADCO CEO at the time, but still--we caught the stuffing out of bass with the bait. I'm waiting to try the Top 20 for 'eyes. It is supposed to be a deep diver with a pretty unique action. Once I get back fishing, I'll be chasing some Truman Lake fish for sure.

When? That depends upon the company and product. I don't mean to be evasive, but it really depends. Unfortunately, some of the stuff at the show-and-tell of ICAST is a prototype and won't be available until next spring, or ever if there weren't orders. Other companies have their tackle at dealers now...I think Rapala is shipping the new colors and the Skitter V since I got a sample of the latter several weeks ago. The Stutter Step won't be shipping until September... The CastAway rods should be shipping in a couple of weeks.

Some of the same colors are in the Shad Rap series, Quill.

FWIW, an ICAST rumor has Luck-E-Strike moved into the old Norman plant.

ICAST is over, thankfully, and having spent four days at the show, I can say that "newer, better, more options" was the password. This was the largest show ever--something like 650 exhibitors and 15 acres of show floor with over 13,000 attendees. The Stutter Step is probably the best lure I saw, but Rapala has some new things that are worth a look as does Berkley, Mann's and most other companies. Mann's has a 40+ crank bait that may have some working on building shoulder muscles. There were more European companies this year as compared to recent shows. One that is interesting is Lucky John, a Latvian company that has a lot of product for fishing as well as outdoor pursuits. Most rod companies had new product. I was very impressed by the CastAway Taranis (can't remember if the spelling is correct on that or not) that is a $99 rod that will surprise anyone who picks it up. It was a pleasant surprise to see Berkley's Series One back in action. Didn't get time to check them out, so I can't really comment. For those who like underpins, there are more companies making them, and there are some that are better than others. Kayaks and paddle boards were nearly everywhere, and some now have bicycle-style pedal drive. The category is seeing more large boats being built, and many of them really need a trailer to haul around.

Might try a Rat-L-Trap.

I haven't used Korkers studded soles here, but in the PNW, they were the best for wading on slippery rocks in the salt. I've only fallen one time with the sticky rubber/studded soles (not Korkers but a pair of Simms), and that was when I stepped on a very smooth drift log that was sloped dramatically. I still don't know why the studs didn't bite into the wood, but they didn't. Since falling is an issue now that I'm older, I will only wade with studded boots. Also, the boa system is a lot better than any other I've used.

Spots really like the Taildancer as well...

Sorry to see your boat go,Randy, but the house is still on the block. There are some folks interested, but obviously it wasn't soon enough! I am happy for you, though, and envious about the new boat.

I used to have a 17-foot semi-vee sled with a 50hp Yamaha four-stroke. I also ran a 6-hp on it for mooching (very slow trolling with bait), both were tillers. The six often was temperamental, and when that happened, I would fish with the big motor. After a while I just used the 50. My current boat is a vee-bottom jon that is pretty bare bones. I also have a 50 tiller on it, but it's a two-stroke. I do use it to pull crankbaits, but it doesn't slow down as much as I'd like. I would expect a 60-hp, four-stroke to be just about right for what you want to use it, depending upon the boat. I can't speak for higher horsepower motors.

What I make-- snelled spinners, including those with a hooch body, jig heads, sinkers, rods, leadcore segments, and flies. Once I get the kitchen done, I'll start tying crappie jigs. I also make things for the boat: tool holders where appropriate, and my next project will be a catfish-sized ice chest. I'm also considering a pram for some of the strip pits up here, but there is a list that needs to be finished first. I have no images at the moment, but when a couple of projects finish, I'll work on that.

I see why you like that...I'll put it on my ICAST shopping list.

A boarding ladder on the stern should help that. I know I will have one on my next boat. However, if you do take a dive, you can use the trim on the big motor. About 15 years ago or more, a walleye pro went over the side when he was fishing alone in cold water (translates to a lot of clothes). He worked his way back to the big motor, straddled it and hit the trim button. It lifted him up enough that he could make it back into the boat. I've not tried it, but I keep that in mind as I'm hitting that window of age with a realization that balance can be an issue. I wear an inflatable PFD but don't use the kill-switch lanyard. I run a 50 hp tiller, so it's not quite the same situation as when in a bass boat.

Send me an image of the GP you like. I will be going to ICAST this year, and there are a lot of new exhibitors lining up. You never can tell what I might find. On the PRADCO side, I meant to add (before I got siphoned off to do a bit or yard work) that it was three years ago or so that PRADCO was Walmart's Number One Vendor---and that was for all WM's vendors. That might give you an idea of what the company's main focus is now.

Quill-- Knowing what I do of PRADCO (long association with some of the upper-level folks there), you might hit eBay for your faves. From what I've seen with past acquisitions, the Norman baits will be cherrypicked for those that sell best, and the rest will be dropped. It's possible that the company will run with nearly the entire line for a year before it chops the line. The issue is that PRADCO has a product line that is so extensive (the 2015 catalog is 3/4-inch thick) that lures will compete with one another for sales. When that happens, the one that sells the least gets dropped. My guess is that the DD22 and maybe the Deep Little N will continue, but after that...

Has anyone heard that Luck-E-Strike is moving to Greenwood, AR? I was talking to a tackle rep today, and he had heard a bit about LES either moving into the Norman facility there or at least moving to Greenwood. His informants said when Norman sold its business to PRADCO, it was for the blue sky, lures and molds but the machinery and facility wasn't part of the deal. Just curious...

OK, just sell the house...seriously. Your boat is set up just about the way I like to fish. A tiller is the ultimate boat-control set up (I've owned or run eight tiller boats, and while I've also had console boats, the tiller is still my favorite.

Still waiting on the house sale...getting closer.

And for the former West Coasters, I'll add slow-reeling a rockfish around sealions...or seals, for that matter.