If I understand correctly, the rod/reel blew out of the boat as it was being trailer-ed from Stockton Lake? What route? Probably close to where you started.
Like to fish for crappie too. Was at Stockton this spring and caught a bunch, in fact we just ate the last fillet this past week. Time to restock the freezer. Any tips on where, such as points, flats, bluffs. I assume you guys who are catching walleye are also running into schools of crappie.
Think it's too early for die-offs yet but with all the bait fish around, pickens has got to be pretty easy. Well, fortunately, I got a bunch of other stuff to try. Slow death, jig and minnow, drop shot, slip bobber, something should work.
18 ft puts them just out of reach for my flicker shad and I don't use lead core. I have had good luck in the past with a 3 way and stick baits such as the rapala floating minnow when the walleye are actively feeding. The size of the 4 - 6 inch minnow tends to eliminate the smaller ones. You get less fish but they are more likely to be keepers. Will switch to worms if this doesn't work. I have been using slow death hooks with pretty good success.
Thanks. The wife and I will be down there starting this Saturday afternoon and will be there until the following Sunday. I'm thinking that if I got the 36 volt I wouldn't need a kicker, the main motor doesn't have any troll control features and pushes the boat at around 3 mph at idle which is a little fast.
My next trolling motor will be a gps model. Which one did you get? Minn Kota and Motor Guide both make one. How well is it working for you? Does spot lock work as advertised? Would love to not have to tend it every second and be able to concentrate on catching fish.
From what I've read, they are stocking walleye every year now at Stockton. Believe I also read it takes 2 years for them to reach legal size. What size are the "dink" walleye you're catching?