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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | No, this isn't a post about Southern Baptist habbits of rolling in the isles. Or some new religious sect or newly discovered Texas underground compound called the Thumpers. It's to show you guys a combination of both new and old school Tommy Harris blades I had order for this summers trolling season. The size #7 and #8 blades are what I call the thumpers. I've seen few other blades throw off more of a flash then these monsters. And along with the success I had running them last year, two other things happened that I witnessed and never experienced before when running them walleye trolling that stands out in my mind. Firstly, with how clear the water column has become on the Saginaw Bay, these things throw off a flash that can be seen over 30 feet away and several feet down in the water column. And I mean the whole surrounding area in back of the boat is flashing when a hooked fish is getting near, and I'm standing at the back ready (net in hand) looking down and waiting for a charter client to bring the fish up behind the boat.
On one of these occasions I saw another walleye chasing and striking at the blade while his buddy was being keel-hauled in at the end of the harness. I know all of you have seen this before and it is quit common with bass, pike and a few other type fish species, but this was my first time seeing it with walleyes. Then on another occasion we had a double on fishing in 23 FOW. I could tell one of the walleyes was a bigger fish so we landed the smaller fish first. I removed the smaller one, threw him into the cooler, straightened the Gulp nightcrawler back onto the harness and lowered it just a few feet back into the water behind the boat, so it would not swing around and get tangled while we netted the bigger fish. This rig was no more then 6 feet down and maybe 15 feet behind the boat, and remember we were in 23 FOW. As I got ready to net the bigger fish the rod I just laid down bent and started overboard. I thought because of it's short distence out, it had gotten tangled in the trollling motors prop. But about an 18 incher had come up and slammed this rig virtually in the prop wash. I jumped on the rod before it went over, but that to was a first for me in that deep of water.
As for the blades Tommy calls Holy Rollers, the smaller ones with the holes in them, I cannot vouch for their effectiveness. I've seen them before, mainly much bigger blades like them tied in on Lake Trout Cow Bells, but have never used them with harness rigs. The hole is supposed to throw the rotation of the blade off slightly and even create some cavitation bubbles occasionally when rotating, adding both more sound and a visual effect to the rig. That makes sense to me, and having something new to try always appeals to me.
Edited by walleye express 4/10/2008 4:45 PM
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | I think I like my second batch better with all solid colored beads on the harness. What do you guys think? 
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| Dan,
They'll never work. You might as well ship them all to me for safe keeping.
Dave Landahl
Fishing Fanatics Radio
[email protected] | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | You at the same address Dave?  | |
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Member
Posts: 33
| I always enjoy your posts on new stuff, new rigs that you come up with and other experiments. I bought some of your spoon harnesses a few years back, have had some good days here in Bay de Noc with them. I love a good gizmo. My only good one lately has been a trailer fly (streamer) on a piece of light sevenstrand about 8" long, clipped to the tail of a Husky Jerk. There have been some days the streamer way outfishes the cranks, not many, but enough to keep me fiddling around. I appreciate your enthusiasm Capt. Dan. Good stuff. | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Thanks Frank.
Glad you've had some success with my gizmos. Those good days with those streamer flies you talked about don't come around about the same time the May flies are hatching does it?
Edited by walleye express 4/11/2008 2:06 PM
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| Same address Dan. | |
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Member
Posts: 33
| I originally thought of them for mayfly time, and did have some good days then, but also on days later in the season, cold front conditions, when they are just not very "bitey". I'm thinking the crank may act like a mini-flasher. I've got some tied up on stiff flouro to try if winter ever eases. Snowing hard right now. | |
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