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| Launched early today (not sure why we got up this early) at 5am and headed out in a strong East wind. Wrong wind to fish shallow so we started in 23 feet of water and trolled west. Took us 2 passes to find the fish. We fished that same marks as last week running 60 back, 1.5 mph, Purple blades with Chartreuse back 5/8 oz keel weights with glass green/orange/purple (I started painting my blades because I could not find this combo). Had to run 2.5 mph to set up to keep the crawlers on the harnesses and away from those pesky White Perch. We caught 6 nice fish on 3 passes 24-26's. Then the wind switched straight north and both my fishing partner and I just smiled because that is my favorite wind to fish shallow. We caught and released 25-30 nice 17-21 inch Walleyes, 2 big Northerns and 1 sheephead that I could have sworn was a 9# Walleye that way it shook on the way in, darn thing just about broke my fishing partner's heart.
Had to leave at 1pm and we were still catching fish on the last board we pulled in.
Met a young Iraq vet that had just returned from overseas at the landing. He was out on his first trip out since coming back and had returned to the landing more than a little disappointed because they had not caught any fish. I spent the next 30 minutes giving him GPS Coordinates and also a 1/2 dozen of my best producing harnesses along with the information to catch a few fish. With a firm handshake he looked me in the eye and said “thank you sir”. The attitude this young 20 year old showed made me incredibly humble.
It also made me realize once again how important it is to be thankful for the wonderful resources we have at our doorsteps and the sacrifices that others are willing to give that allow us to enjoy our great outdoors.
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| Not sure I should be giving you suggestions for you have been doing a whole lot better than I have on the Bay. I have only been up there twice, Tues and again Sat of this past week. I also was having trouble keeping a crawler on so I tried a Gulp Minnow Worm along with the crawler. All the fish I have cought have come on the Gulp. As I am not sure when and if the crawler is gone when the fish hits I can't say for sure they are hitting only the Gulp. But the crawler is always gone when the fish is boated and most of the time the Gulp is ready to go again.
I am learning from your reports so thanks. I beleive I have been trolling to deep and to fast. My kicker will not go slow enough and my electric motor battery is about to give up. But I am not giving up and will be going again tomorrw. Looking to give a big one CPR.
Keep up the good reports and hopefully I can add one someday. |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| Fish-tale,
If you need to slow down with your kicker, get a couple 25" drift socks, and tie them off to the front cleats on either side of the boat. They'll slow you down plenty, and with one on each side, the boat will track straight.
You also may try to adjust the idle down a bit, too. And put the big motor in gear. |
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Member
Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | If it is a 4-stk kicker be very careful about turning the idle down. We just had one in our shop that the guy did this to and his top crank bearing was shot as the oil pump would not lubricate it. There just wasn't enough pressure. |
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| Was it covered under warranty.... so it is possible to run a kicker too slow, or I show pose that in a form of a question. Is it hurt to run a kicker hour after hour at idle?
Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to figure out a way to get the Walleyes to hit a bait skipping on the surface at 3.5 mph.
Thanks |
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Member
Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | Guest
Whether or not it was covered under warranty is not the issue. It is what can happen should you decide to mess with pre-set factory recommendations. Let me ask you this. Should a Motor company warranty issues with a motor when adjustments were made by a untrained tech?
As far as the question that i read as this "Will it hurt a kicker to run hour upon hour at idle speed?" The answer is no. They are made to run at idle with no problems as long as the rpms are set to factory recommendations.
As far as the baits skipping at 3.5 mph, well, it sounds like your rig could use some professional help. I have seen alot of boats and have not seen a 9.9 push a walleye rig at 3.5mph at its slowest setting. But nothing would amaze me in this business.
Denny
Fort Fremont Marine |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| Seems to me the Merc 9.9 has a low oil pressure light on it. Correct me if I am wrong, Denny.
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| Dang, I had the wall hanger on today and she came unbuttoned. I brought her to the boat for the third time and she shook her head and for a second didn't realize she was free and lingered. Looked like a good yard in the water. But like all the women I've asked to take their measurments and pictures she turned and left. I was just east of Geano in 15 to 12 ft of water. The wind was from the North East at a whisper. Also landed and lost a number of small fish (17 to 20) prior to noon.
The kicker problem - mine is a 2003 and have had it in with the speed problem. I guess it can't be slowed down any more. I have thought about pulling a couple of 5 gallon buckets with holes drilled in them on each side. May still give this a try. Today I got most of my action with the bow trolling motor at about 1.2 MPH until the battery ran out. I will be replacing the battery tomorrow. I have power tilt on the kicker and found that by tilting it up just before the water is not pumping it slows down to 1.4 or 1.5.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am having a good time learning the Bay and still waiting for that "Big One". If it is a 30 plus I'll post the picture. |
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Member
Posts: 106
Location: Chilton, WI | fish-tale: You should look at getting a lower pitch prop or even a 4 blade prop if they make them for that motor. |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| 5 gallon buckets will work. Go to Fleet Farm and get the soft rubber ones. As with the socks like I use, put about a 5-8 foot rope on them, and loop through the front cleats of the boat. Use electrician's tape to secure the rope knot to the center of the bucket handle. The buckets will slow you down some. I'm not sure the holes are necessary.
As for the kicker speed, mine was a 2002, and idled down enough. I had it set pretty low, though. I still had to use bags if the wind was blowing.
When them big pigs come up and stick their yaps out of the water and start shaking their heads, I have learned to stick the rod tip in the water to keep the fish down. Just like you see the bass guys do. I've had my heart broken several times by fish that way.
Good luck, and looking forward to seeing a pic of your wall hanger!
Edited by Shep 8/29/2006 7:46 AM
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| I have a 2003 Merc 9.9 on a 20' aluminum boat and couldn't slow it down enough for pulling harnesses and had very poor boat control idled all the way down. I switched out the prop the the Merucry 4-blade 6 pitch and it slowed it down to where I need to be. Cost was about $100 for the prop, but it better than dealing with buckets! |
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| I have a 2003 Merc 9.9 on a 20' aluminum boat and couldn't slow it down enough for pulling harnesses and had very poor boat control idled all the way down. I switched out the prop the the Merucry 4-blade 6 pitch and it slowed it down to where I need to be. Cost was about $100 for the prop, but it better than dealing with buckets! |
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| I bought a new 5 1/2 pitch prop today from Ed's. They told me the four blade wouldn't help. Then I went to Little Lake to try it out and what I could tell was about 2 tens of a mile difference. So went back to Ed's with the boat and asked if it could be idled down more? They put their timer on it and said it was already running slower than specks. They showed me how to idle it down, and we did a little more. Now, a good day of trolling will tell if I'm in business.
Fish Hound, your right the prop was $96.00. They told me it is the same one that Merc now puts on their new kicker. Back in 03 Merc put the same prop on all 9.9, for some people bought them as the only motor on a small boat. I did not like the dragging something idea myself so hopefully this will work.
Also shopped for a new Optima battery at the Battery place on N. Richmond. They tell me they can't get the bigger ones as the Millitary is taking them all. Also the price is going up to the sky for lead is high. Ran out of time to look around some more but my thought is to buy any that may be left somewhere. I should probably not post that until I get mine.
Will be on the Bay tomorrow, hope to find a buddy to go with me, but if not I haven't had many arguments with myself lately. |
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Member
Posts: 88
Location: Fond du Lac, Wi | Fish-tale,
as far as optima batteries go they are great. If you are having trouble find one go to a place that installs car stereos, They should have them in stock. |
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| Fish Tale,
How slow is the slowest you can troll? I know I troll faster with harnesses than anyone I know, but 1.4-1.7 is my normal speed whether I'm on Bago or the Bay of Green bay. I surely would not spend a whole lot of effort or time trying to get lower than that. On GB right now, any slower than that and all I do is lose my crawlers to the white perch. When I'm in shallow under 8 feet, less than 1.5 will put you into the weeds instead of above them.
Also, are you using your GPS or your Deptfinder to measure speed. I really have not found a few 10th's either way have made a big difference this year when running Harnesses.
Several times this year, I swear the Russians were in charge of the GPS Satellites because my speed would jump from 1.4 - 2.8 within a 1/2 second and then continue to fluctuate up and down.
anonymous |
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Saturday, August 26th Green Bay