Smithville 4/6

[basscatman]

While I slaved away at work today my son gave me his fishing report at the LP docks with my pops. They were limited in 3 hour with mainly 10-12" that were 80% fat females. My dad mentioned while he was cleaning fish my son caught another 12 keepers. Sure wish I would have been there but very happy my son got out with his grandpa!

[Downsea]

Sounds like they had a good time together. Good for the youngster to spend the time with his grandpa. I used to fish with mine every chance I had 40 years ago. I learned a lot from my grandfathers.

[G.Gordon]

LP docks?

Congrats to your kid and his papa...

[TnRidge]

Congrats on the catch !

[beagle man]

great report, sounds like the son and grandpa had a good time for sure.. congrats on the day and the catch

[embo_9]

Great job. From appearances yesterday at CB docks, things were slow.

[embo_9]

Finally the guppy is on the pond! What scatter brains Fisherman's Daughter and I were though. We forgot all our life jackets at home as well as the minnow bucket, so we had to buy new jackets. Then once on the water, we realized we'd left our tackle box in the locker on the dock (it was the first day with the "new to us" lift/locker) so we had to come back for that.

Prior to that when we went to get our boat out of Paradise Storage, it wouldn't turn over.......wifey poo suggested checking battery connections (good call). Then it cranked like hell but wouldn't fire. I tried and tried and tried and it finally took off. Imagine the blue cloud my two banger made inside that storage unit. Should help keep the bugs down for months to come.

Once on the water, our new electronics worked great (though does anyone have any ideas on how to reduce the clutter on an HDS 7 fishfinder?) and the new trolling motor was smooth as butter and plenty powerful to combat the winds (no more staying home if there's a stiff breeze) until..........we got deep back in the last northern cove north east of the 2nd W bridge.....in about 2 feet of water.........that's when the batteries died. Guess those new gel batteries that were installed with the trolling motor weren't fully charged or didn't hold one well after I picked 'er up in early Feb. So we miraculously managed to get out of the cove with the main motor trimmed about as high as she'd go and still pee.

As for the fishing. We tried along the shoreline south of the island near the Collins Rd Bridge. Nada. We trolled all along the rip rap on the north side of the 2nd W bridge. Zip. We thoroughly covered that previously mentioned cove, and got nothing. Not many fish were even showing UP on the fish finder. Even the 10 minutes I fished the C-Dock provided nary a bite. So.........here's to the folks on LP dock. They obviously kicked some booty.

We're just happy to have the boat on the water (and up OUT of the water) and the life jackets and minnow bucket are loaded on my truck and ready to go.

One last footnote to this novel. I recall viewing a video, when I first got my boat, on you tube about launching your boat. One of it's key points was doing a quick dry start of your motor to make sure it will start (is the battery dead, are the connections tight, are you out of fuel, whatever) before you hit the ramp. My wife thought I was nuts for trying to start the boat in storage. But after a half hour or more mucking with it before it finally sprung to life, she thought I was a genius. So think about doing that before you launch for the first time this year. I would have been awfully embarrassed trying to bring her to life at the ramp. Oh yeah, and don't forget your life jackets, minnow bucket, throwable cushion and tackle box!!!!

Tight lines everyone!

Bruce

[buckeye]

Finally the guppy is on the pond! What scatter brains Fisherman's Daughter and I were though. We forgot all our life jackets at home as well as the minnow bucket, so we had to buy new jackets. Then once on the water, we realized we'd left our tackle box in the locker on the dock (it was the first day with the "new to us" lift/locker) so we had to come back for that.

Prior to that when we went to get our boat out of Paradise Storage, it wouldn't turn over.......wifey poo suggested checking battery connections (good call). Then it cranked like hell but wouldn't fire. I tried and tried and tried and it finally took off. Imagine the blue cloud my two banger made inside that storage unit. Should help keep the bugs down for months to come.

Once on the water, our new electronics worked great (though does anyone have any ideas on how to reduce the clutter on an HDS 7 fishfinder?) and the new trolling motor was smooth as butter and plenty powerful to combat the winds (no more staying home if there's a stiff breeze) until..........we got deep back in the last northern cove north east of the 2nd W bridge.....in about 2 feet of water.........that's when the batteries died. Guess those new gel batteries that were installed with the trolling motor weren't fully charged or didn't hold one well after I picked 'er up in early Feb. So we miraculously managed to get out of the cove with the main motor trimmed about as high as she'd go and still pee.

As for the fishing. We tried along the shoreline south of the island near the Collins Rd Bridge. Nada. We trolled all along the rip rap on the north side of the 2nd W bridge. Zip. We thoroughly covered that previously mentioned cove, and got nothing. Not many fish were even showing UP on the fish finder. Even the 10 minutes I fished the C-Dock provided nary a bite. So.........here's to the folks on LP dock. They obviously kicked some booty.

We're just happy to have the boat on the water (and up OUT of the water) and the life jackets and minnow bucket are loaded on my truck and ready to go.

One last footnote to this novel. I recall viewing a video, when I first got my boat, on you tube about launching your boat. One of it's key points was doing a quick dry start of your motor to make sure it will start (is the battery dead, are the connections tight, are you out of fuel, whatever) before you hit the ramp. My wife thought I was nuts for trying to start the boat in storage. But after a half hour or more mucking with it before it finally sprung to life, she thought I was a genius. So think about doing that before you launch for the first time this year. I would have been awfully embarrassed trying to bring her to life at the ramp. Oh yeah, and don't forget your life jackets, minnow bucket, throwable cushion and tackle box!!!!

Tight lines everyone!

Bruce

Very good advice here. Nothing gets a ramp backed up faster than someone working on their motor trying to get it started.

I do hope you had a water source going to the motor while trying to fire her up.

I have owned my own boat since I was 16 ( turning 38 next month), and was 1st mate on my grampas boat from the time I could fish by myself and he ALWAYS started the boat the night before in the backyard. Back then we had a 55gallon drum cut in half and we lowered the motor into it. It only takes SECONDS for the water pump impellor to melt without any water! I know from experience! Once, gramps and I were getting his boat ready and he was cranking it over and over while I was walking to the spigot to turn the water on to the muffs. Motor fired about 2 seconds before I was able to turn the spigot. Needless to say I was ripping apart the lower unit that afternoon to replace the impellor. After that we use the 55 gallon drum and filled it with water before we even got near the key!

[grb22]

Sounds like your son and father had a ball........good for them, that's what it is all about!

[embo_9]

BTW, sorry. I didn't mean to post this to THIS thread. I meant to start another.

Also, good advice on the water. I have the muffs but there is no water at my storage. I also tried to use them at my house last year and they didn't work.

A giant drum is a good idea. Maybe a nice plastic one.

Bruce