You’ll catch more fish than ever once you learn the ins and outs of boat control
As I sit in my office, fingers’ tapping away at my computer’s keyboard, a late-summer wind is howling. So much so that the siding of my home shakes and rumbles with each gale.
This is not a good day to be on any waterway.
If it were only breezy instead of this torrential wind, however, you’d lose you favorite Rapala crankbait if you bet it against finding me in my Lund Pro-V, either casting or trolling in search of fish. That’s because fish of all species tend to go on the feed when the wind blows. In fact, it is the shoreline taking the blunt of the waves where you want to be fishing when the surf ’s up.
But many anglers have a tough time catching fish when the wind’s blowing. The main reason is a lack of boat control on their part. By far, boat control is of the utmost important factor when it comes to catching verses just fishing, no matter what the weather’s like.
And once you learn the ins and outs of control your boat, you’ll catch more fish than ever.
LARGE AND IN CHARGE
There’s quite a difference in how I control my boat nowadays compared to how my father and grandfather did it in the past.
During their era, anchors and oars were used to keep their small boat steadfast along breaklines and structure. Now, it’s not to say the aforementioned are not still great ways to control a small boat, but nowadays there are devices that make boat control easier than ever; thus your focus can be on fishing, rather than always fighting the wind.
The device I use most for boat control, by far, is my bow-mounted electric trolling motor. Bow-mounted motors pull a boat rather than push it, which makes for the best maneuverability.
Anytime I’m fishing from the front of my Lund Pro-V, my bow-mounted electric is deployed – whether I’m casting Rapala crankbaits, jigging Northland jig heads tipped with Berkley Gulp!, pulling Northland bottom-bouncers and spinners or any other technique.
There are even times I will deploy my 9.9-hp 4-stroke kicker motor to push me along for power while I steer with my bow-mounted electric. I utilize both during the rare occasions I must troll crankbaits into or across the direction of the wind. (Tip: Anytime you can, always troll with the wind. When you are done with a pass, reel in start up the main motor, power back up wind and start the process over again.)
Besides the electric trolling motor at the bow, there’s another one mounted on my boat’s transom. I usually use this one for back trolling at a creep with Northland Roach Rigs and the like.
If you fish from a small rowboat than, a transom- mounted trolling motor will more than likely be the type of electric trolling motor you’ll be using. It’ll work fine, even in breezy conditions. For best control in windy conditions, however, you’ll want to use pull your boat in reverse rather than push it forward as wind will catch the bow of a light-weight aluminum boat and spin it in the wrong direction.
And no matter what, a trolling motor is only as good as its power source. That’s why I only use Optima marine batteries for all my electric trolling motors. Just make sure you use the correct battery for the task. This means using a marine battery made for “continuous use” with trolling motors. “Cranking” batteries are made to give a boost of power all at once, which is better left for starting your outboards.
DRIFTING OFF
Drift socks (aka: sea anchors) are essential boat control devices, as well.
I’ll use two small ones—one each side my Lund, tied to the cleats nearest the bow—when trolling in the same direction of larger waves. When employing drift socks, I able to control my speed better as well reduce the surge created while surfing down the front of a outsized wave.
Some surge is okay, however. In fact, the stop-and-go motion created when trolling with the waves can induce strikes when crankbaits or spinners are being trolled. But too much heave can detract fish from biting. The double drift sock ploy really helps reduce too much motion to manageable slow-and- go action.
Medium-size drift socks are great for slowing the drift or troll in small boats. In fact, I take along one along every time I take a fly-in trip with my family to PK Resort in Ontario, Canada. I tie it off at the bow of the 16-foot Lund boats they have for their clients, allowing it to deploy under the vessel about mid way. Just make sure you don’t deploy too much line as it will get tangled in the outboard motor’s prop.
CHANGE IN THE WEATHER
As you may have gathered from the first paragraph of this article, there are times you should never go out in any watercraft; like when the wind’s howling or storms are forecasted for the near future. But there are times a sudden unforeseen storm can brew out of seemingly nowhere and wind and waves can kick up and turn a fun day on the water into a nightmare if you’re not prepared.
Lifejackets for everyone are a must, as well all the essential safety items such as flares and other distress devices you should have onboard no matter what waterway you are on. (Check out the US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary websites for more details).
But knowing I have all the right equipment onboard and taking my time and not panicking when foul weather arises has always gotten me back to the boat ramp no worse for wear.
One apparatus I’ve had onboard all my Lund boats the last 20 -plus years that’s helped me get back to shore tenfold during high wave moments are is Smooth Moves seat mounts. These are shock-absorbing devices that are installed between the boat seat and floor.
Smooth Moves’ seat mounts turn a joint-jarring impact when hitting a large wave into a nice, soft cushioned ride. Not only they allowed me years on the water without injury to my back, but during intense moments, when concentration on taking every wave just right is crucial, my focus can be directed towards driving the boat rather than the pain of pile-during into a steep wave.
HEAD YONDER
Next time you’re on the water and the wind is blowing, don’t head for the calm side of the lake, but rather be one with the waves and catch fish.
Utilize equipment made for proper boat control, like electric trolling motors, drift socks and the like, and take control of your day. Once you learn the ins and outs of boat control you’ll catch more fish than ever. I promise.
Mark Martin is a walleye tournament pro and instructor with the Fishing Vacation/Schools, who lives in the southwest corner of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Check out his websites at markmartins.net and fishingvacationschool.com for more information.