Jon Boat Remodel and March Trip
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Thanks!
We motor up a few miles then drift back down…for now.
Oars and oarlocks are the next project coming. Only problem is, the boat’s so darn heavy now that dragging it around the really big ledges isn’t much of an option. Drifters and rafts come in handy that way.
I can still load the Crawdad on top, and tow both boats together.
Once I get a Jet, then I’ll really have some options with this boat. Maybe next year on that.That’s a cool rig for sure. If you get a chance, an action pic of the trolling motor and casting platform would be neat to see how you have set it up.
That’s If you get a chance, an action pic of the trolling motor and casting platform would be neat to see how you have set it up.
Beginner’s Luck
Took my buddy John fishing. His wife and Crystal were in Gatlinburg on a ladies’ trip, so I decided to show him the landscapes of E Tennessee and SW Virginia since he hopes to move here from Memphis one day. Our local rivers were blown out, so we ventured east, and explored some nice water that I’ve never fished before.
Before this visit, the most fishing John had ever done was trot-line fishing as a kid. For an honest newbie, John did great. The night before, I showed him some YouTube muskie videos, and the DVR’d TN Muskie episode “Hunt for Big Fish” with Billy Davis on so he could see what a muskie is, and the chaos it creates if you’re lucky enough to hook one.
Our trip started with casting and retrieve lessons. With a stout spinning rod, I had him casting and twitching a weighted fly then a chatterbait, and he was figure eighting in no time.
With an ominous storm approaching, our couple hour afternoon trip was about to be cut short. We found a great bank loaded with structure and the rush began to fish before the lightning and thunder reached us. As I unsnagged my fly from a cluster of logs, I noticed Jon struggling with a strong bend on the graphite.
“He’s got a fish.” I thought to myself. But there was no panic since he gave no verbal cue that he had hooked up—he thought he was in a log jam too.Out of the depths, a nice muskie came thrashing and tugging. John fought the fish perfectly, and we had the fish netted after a knuckle busting battle that almost broke the rod. We finished the evening fishing another stretch of river after the storm. Two more fish spotted, but no takers. On the way home, we stopped for an excellent victory dinner to celebrate John’s first real fishing experience, and a trophy fish that has burned a fever in him to get back to the water again.
Jazzi on the casting deck:
Trying out the Yeti…worked nice with the trolling motor handle.
DSFK—snagged a log, and this coon came floating away—also a garter snake missing it’s head and tail:
John’s great fish
Dinner:
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