kjackson

It wouldn't be worth buying heavy braid to test unless you're super serious about this, but the Sufix 832 has a Teflon tracer in it. That stuff is super slick. If you think you might want to go the outrigger route, check this out: http://www.sideplaner.com. It is designed to be used with just one line off the tail, much like the in-liner planer boards. However, you could set it up like a standard planer. All you would need would be the clips for each line an some means of running the board line out--like the butt of an old rod. For suspended fish out in the middle of No-Man's land, it could be the ticket...

What about 50 lb. braid? And maybe use a stiff rod in a vertical position to run your line? I've got a large board designed to be used just like that. I think it's made by Molder. I'll do some research on it and get back later today. I do know it was designed to be run off the lower half of the rod... It's not one of the big planer boards that the walleye and big trout guys use.

That says a lot. Thanks; I appreciate your time and efforts!

Wrench-- glad to hear that Johnnyrude parts are still around. Not long after the purchase, I was talking to one of the marketing guys, and at that time he said that the company wouldn't be supporting older engines--pre-sale engines, that is. It's also good to get your spin on outboards and brands in general. I was kinda leaning toward Mercury, but now I know better. I've had good luck with Yamaha, except for a certain four-stroke six horse, and my former marine dealer was a strong Yamaha dealer. With your comments on four-strokes, I'm thinking now that maybe Evinrude might be the way to go. What's your experience with the new Evinrude systems?

Last report I had is two weeks old. Then the whites were scattered all the way to Houseman. Haven't fished it since before the report, though, so I'm no help.

The Lowe Stinger is nice but not the type of boat I'm looking for. I want a little more of a vee-hull than what is offered by the Stinger. That is the nicest Lowe I've seen. I also looked at the Lowe vee hulls at Cabela's, but the finish on the hull wasn't great. I did see an older Lowe hull on Craig's that I really liked, but it was paired with an older Evinrude. Since Bombardier bought Johnson/Evinrude, I understand parts for these older motors are not available. Is this still the case? Are older 'Rudes and Johnsons a risk?

Thanks. Your use of planer board is similar to the method used by the folks on Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho for huge rainbows. It will be interesting to see how you do.

Hey, Fins-- One thing you didn't mention about your presentation: the line. Material and diameter is important for precision. I noticed on my last outing that by using 8 lb fluorocarbon as opposed to 10-lb mono, I was seeing somewhere between two and four feet greater diving depth. What are you using?

Thanks to all-- this is a good example of what the board offers: help when you need it. While I want to run out right now and plunk down the bucks for a boat (I really would like a livewell!), I'm determined to do as much research as I can and take as many rides as I can to find the right boat. It would be easier if I was chasing after bass only or fishing just one or two lakes. But since I'll probably be doing some traveling up north and fishing some of those walleye lakes as well as trying for crappie down here and flyfishing for bluegill and whatnot, it's a challenge. It not only has to be stable for me as I continue to age, but it's got to be a good trolling boat and one that I can take the grandkids out on for tubing and such. And I want a boat and motor combo that will hang together for a long time...so the search continues. Again, thanks for the input and keep it coming.

We missed each other by not much, F&F. I launched at 9, which was too late. Hit a nice white about 10 feet into my first trolling pass, then popped a striper about 16 inches. Success dropped from there with scattered whites, some small keeper spots and a couple of nice crappie. As I moved away from the bridge area, I found most of the fish a lot deeper than I wanted to fish with the gear I had. Most of the bait and fish I marked were out at the 30-foot-plus level. I ended up doing some exploration--headed back under the bridge and around the back side of the islands. Found a few crappie, a bluegill that should have known better, and had a couple of bites. All fish came on a variety of crankbaits. I tried a three way rig with a minnow bait, a River Rocker and crawler harness, but there was no joy on those. I pulled the plug at 4 and was on the road shortly thereafter. Temps were 64 to 67 and change, depending upon location. This is an interesting area and certainly worth fishing...

Yes, Quill, we live in Eureka Springs, so I'm not stuck in the Rogers, etc. area by any means. And thanks for the lead on the Spokane dealer (we once lived in the other Spokane, the real one); there's even one of the boats I was thinking about in stock. It would be good to get a report on the quality of the dealership before I buy, though--not that I'm that close. In regards to the four-stroke/two-stroke controversy, I ran an F50 Yammie prop for eight years on an Alumaweld vee-sled and loved the motor. I never had problems with it, used it for mooching and trolling for salmon and really appreciated the quiet, lack of smoke and fuel economy. It trolled really slow--don't recall just how slow at the moment, but it was slow enough that I didn't use my six-hp kicker that much. Of course, that kicker (Yamaha four-stroke as well) was a bugger to start for some reason. The 50 was a gem. My current 50-hp Yamaha is a two-stroke, and while I don't have any real complaints, it is not as slow at trolling as the F50. Plus it does use more gas, not a lot, though, and burns oil. Right now, all boat brands are on the table, so advice is still wanted. I'm even looking at decent used hulls to save some bucks, and if I found the right one, I might even re-power if it makes sense.

Thanks for the information. If I were looking for a truck, I could drive west into the Bentonville Triangle and drive everything I wanted to in an afternoon. But as for boats-- it's a bit more complicated. I used to work for Bass & Walleye Boats magazine until just before it folded, so I got to drive and evaluate a number of hulls. I also owned a few boats myself. As a result, I can look at a Lund and figure out if I want the boat or not. I also feel pretty confident about Crestliner and Alumacraft (a brand I think is highly undervalued). But I've got very little experience with G3 and none with Lowe, Xpress, or some of the other brands I see kicking around in ads. And trying to find dealers with something other than pontoons or jon-style hulls is a bit of a challenge. Since this is going to be my retirement boat--not that I'll be able to retire, mind you--I want to make sure it is a good one that will serve my needs for the next 20 years or so. I'll want to test drive brands I'm not familiar with, and I'll want to find a good service shop for the brand of motor I choose. So--any and all help is much appreciated.

Well, duh, RPS. If you're not using the very expensive Japanese Jika rigs, you're not doing it right. (Insert sarcastic emoticon here) Duo locks would make it easy, for sure. I made up a few jika rigs myself the other day, thinking I could use 'em just before the latest front. Didn't quite get to the water, though. BUT, what I did find is that the Northland Tackle Roach Rig sinkers were perfect as the wire eye of the sinker opens and lets you slide it over and then close it around a split ring.  But using snaps...that is intriguing.  It will be interesting seeing what you think of the snaps after some time on the water.

I'm thinking that after the summer is over, I'll be looking for a new boat. I will likely to stick to aluminum. I'm fairly certain that I will want a vee-hull. Rather than a bass boat style, I am looking at a "multi-species" design with a raised casting deck and enough open transom that I can mount a small kicker and be able to mount downriggers. While I like tiller boats (and have one now), I'm thinking a side console will be more user friendly. I've owned several Lunds, and run both a Crestliner and an Alumacraft. I've also owned a Smokercraft and an Alumaweld (the West Coast version). I currently own a Star/Smoker/Sylvan Sportsman sled style that is OK, but it's not quite what I want. I've been looking at G3 boats (did run one for a week or so), but I have no knowledge of any issues with that brand. However, the company is owned by Yamaha, and that means the boat will be rigged with one. As I don't know any of the shops in the Rogers/Springdale/Eureka Springs area, I don't want to commit to a brand that may not have decent service relatively close. So--what are your thoughts or experience with G3 boats? What about Yamaha service within an hour or so of NW Arkansas? What is the best shop for repair in the area, and what brand motors do they handle? Thanks.

I'm not sure how the fishing is holding up, Quill, but I'm sure there are more salmon than here. My last trip north was to Kodiak where we did well on silvers but had missed the kings. As far as traveling with fish, one of my buddies lived in New York and said he had no issues bringing back fish from Alaska. I'm thinking if you were able to schedule your flights out of a major airport like KC, things would be OK --assuming it wasn't 106 in the shade like last summer. A lot would depend upon time in transit and also how well the fish was packed. I'd probably bring along some of that Mylar-backed bubble wrap and insist my fish was packed in that.

Very cool info; thanks. I'll second Power Pro's Depthhunter line, especially in lower pound tests. With its reduced diameter, compared to comparable mono, it will let baits run deeper. Another way to slow a boat--if you have a tiller motor--is to troll in reverse. That also gives you pinpoint turns. However, if I want to slow down that much, I'd rather use my trolling motor.

I had the same issues, plus the coons decided to open it one night (after the fish was out), and they didn't quite use the right technique. As for the smoking gear, I do need a turkey/pork butt smoker, and I'll probably pick one of those up this spring. That will be the test. If it works, a Little Chief will be next. Of course, a trip to Sitka would settle the issue of whether or not to get a smoker...

Or...take some smoked chinook, flake it, mix in a bit of minced onion, a dash of Tabasco and cream cheese.... Quill--have you tried smoking any of the fish out here? I'm tempted to try white bass as they have a lot of oil. However, I my Little Chief wasn't fit to move. I may experiment with my grill, and if whities are decent, invest in a Little Chief.

If I had a ready source of whitefish, I'd buy a Little Chief smoker. They are good smoked--not as good as kokanee, but good.

Thanks--the 12 bridge area it is then. I've not done much walleye fishing in 15 years, but I think I get the idea. I notice, F&F that you troll crankbaits but don't do inline spinners with crawlers. Is there a reason? That wouldn't be my first choice when you have to go fast, but on a picky bite where you need to go slow, it can be effective.

I'm thinking Wednesday might be a fishing day, and it's a choice between the run up the river from Holiday Island, head for the Roaring River arm or launching at Starkey and running up to the Clifty area. I'm thinking the last option is probably what I should do since I've not fished there yet, so I'm looking for advice. I'm assuming some bass will be on the banks, and there may be walleyes and possibly stripers out toward the main lake and some of the flats. However, Beaver is still a big mystery to me, so any and all suggestions are welcome from where to go to gear choices. Thanks.

Good report; thanks. I may have to fish further up lake than the dam from the reports. I've been trying to learn the Indian Creek area, and there are some fish there, but it's nothing like reports from upstream.

Washington State uses Lahontans in some of the lakes in the east side (the desert side) of the state. There are a few lakes that are fairly alkaline and one in particular, Lenore, won't support any other fish--only Lahontans. The most popular fishery is in the early spring when the trout move toward the inlet and outlets trying to find enough current in which to spawn. They're colorful fish but not really pretty--kind of a greyish with a rose band and rose gill plates with some spots. Like most cutts, they're not great fighters; it's all bulldogging runs with few if any jumps.

Which size Senko, et al, do you cut?

A friend on Holiday Island said he dumped his rain gauge at six inches this morning, and we've had heavy rains in Eureka since then--at least another inch. But it's stopped raining now, and the radar looks clear for a while. Fished the White yesterday running up from Holiday, and there were quite a few floating logs that were just below the surface. I'm guessing there will be a lot more now. It's going to be hazardous boating for a bit.