July 1 On The Upper End With A Guest

[rps]

Huntest joined me this morning at 6:00 and for a very long time I was afraid having a guest would be the kiss of death. We caught bluegill. We caught bass. No walleye. Not even at the Rock Creek location. Finally around 10, at the third location, I caught a keeper. That was it for that location. The last stop, up river of Holiday Island, gave up two keepers and two shorts.

I might note that both Dave and I were experiencing long distance releases today. Had we landed all the good fish we had on, we would have had twice as many keeps.

Depth was 24 to 28 feet. Nightcrawlers on bright harnesses behind 1 ounce bottom bouncers at 1.2 mph. Fish were on breaks or in cover near the channel edge.

[powerdive]

Even though it's a bit early, based on Babler's statement that he's been starting to catch a few walleyes lately, I went to Baxter the other day intending to troll cranks. Problem was, once I got out on the water, I found I'd forgotten to put my crankbait boxes in the boat. (Duh.) Bottom bouncing crawlers at 25-30 feet, I caught several legal bass, but no walleyes. I don't care much for bouncing, or for bass, so it was easy to get off the water early before life got too dangerous.

[Feathers and Fins]

Good looking trio Randy.

PD why don't you like bouncing?

[merc1997 Bo]

NICE!!!

bo

[powerdive]

FnF, I just don't like messing with crawlers if I don't have to. And I like covering ground. And I hate paying for them, because where I come from, they're free for the pickin'. Also, as Bruce DeShano (Offshore Tackle prez/walleye pro) put it, "The difference between a trolled fish and a jigged [live bait] fish: three pounds." I really believe that, on average.

Unfortunately, bouncing works really well. Gotta do it, just not my fave way of putting fish in the boat.

Way to persevere, rps!

[Feathers and Fins]

I can see that on messing with crawlers for certain they are not my favorite live bait for sure and tend to attract green fish.

[rps]

PD - I agree about the crawlers. They are a mess. I look forward to getting on a trolled crank bite. But when you have a guest, you go with what you know has been working. In the next two weeks I will spend some serious time using other methods. When I begin to find success, I will post.

BTW, I want a good jigging spoon bite this year. That is just plain fun.

[powerdive]

BTW, I want a good jigging spoon bite this year. That is just plain fun.

Yup, that's my favorite way to catch 'em too. Love to jump in with ya again sometime.

You wash your crawlers, right?

[rps]

Mostly.

[96 CHAMP]

wash the crawlers and i take small water bottles and freeze them solid and put them in a small cooler with just a tad of water in there and no mess, i keep a small rag in my front pocket to wipe my hands with, good fishin!!