rufus

One type of fishing where baitcasters are a must is bottom bouncing. With a baitcaster you can let the line down and out in a controlled way with your thumb on the spool. Using a spinning reel results in the weight and lure crashing to the bottom which often results in tangles and snags. I have been using baitcasters more and more these last few years as my confidence with them has increased. My spinning reels seem to not hold up as well either and ordering parts was a common pastime - the larger fish take their toll on my spinning reels more than on my baitcasters. I don't buy top of the line reels though....

A nice selection of fish! Good sized Rocky from shore - lots of fun I bet

Great fish! Congratultions on the PB

Winnipeg River in Northwestern Ontario between Kenora and Minaki. North of Lake of the Woods which is where the river begins.

Wow! some real beauts!

Finding new walleye spots is always good!

Very nice fish! Congrats on your first laker

I was working the lure along the bottom with a 3 oz weight. The depths in the area ranged from 50+ feet to a very rocky 15 feet and the 35 foot level where this fish was caught was a plateau. It could be considered a mid lake hump as it was not close to shore.

I might add that I don't usually see fish on the sonar before I catch them. I am using the sonar more to see what the bottom looks like and perhaps see if there are baitfish in the area. Some say one should drive around the lake and not stop to fish until fish are spotted on the sonar. If I did that I would miss more fish than I catch. I don't let the fact that there are no fish under the boat deter me from dropping a line.

Thanks guys! I am positioned at the back of the boat because I don't have a sonar at the front. I operate the trolling motor from the back (long cord) and can see the sonar on the dash from there. I am generally trolling from .75 to 1.5 mph and I was working the lure along the bottom in 35 feet of water. I am not vertical and often end up with an angle greater than 45 degrees just because of depth changes, current, wind etc. - seems I am usually letting out more line. The back seat of my boat folds down to become a platform so the back works just as well as the front.

Thanks guys! Yes, the big ones should always go back

Went fishing early Thursday morning - which means 9:00 am - Hey! I need my beauty sleep! First fish was a nice 26 inch walleye (see the short video). I caught a number of eaters after that but when I lost my lure and broke my rod I called it quits. I attempted to get back out in the evening but instead ended up rescuing two different groups of American boaters both of whom had run out of gas. What are the odds of that? The second group apologized for keeping me from fishing but I told them not to worry as I was still feeling good over the first fish of the day! <center> <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FSHI1bqeIQo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </center>

Wow! She holds fish like a pro - with a look of pleasure and not "ick!" - especially impressive with that big ol' carp!

The kids will carry those memories for a lifetime - what a great trip and what a terrific report

Great Muskie - congrats!

Terrific video! You did some great editing, had some great camera angles, and of course we always like looking at fish too!

Welcome Jigs! I enjoyed your video and watched a few others as well

That is one happy looking girl - great to get out with the kids

Thanks everyone! There was actually two different lures used in the video. The lure used in the "stomach cam" shot had the modern finish on it and it is possible that lure was a HJ although it was just used for that one fish. The main lure used had the original bland finish on it and was definitely the original floater - I know because it was still in the original box What didn't make it into the video were several sauger, a couple of pike, smallmouth bass, and even a perch and a rock bass smaller than the lure. They all liked the lure. I remember using a floating original Rapala back when that was the only Rapala lure they made back when I was a kid. Then there was a span of decades until I tried it again....

I am using a 3 oz sinker. It is actually a modified bottom bouncer weight which slides up and down the line. I like 3 oz because I am usually fishing between 25 and 50 feet or if I am shallower there is current and that needs some weight too. The original Rapala is a floater so that keeps it from getting hung up when trolling.

I went Walleye fishing for a bit on Tuesday and reached deep into my tackle box for an old-timey lure - an original Rapala. It was hot and hazy from forest fire smoke and the fishing was slower than a week ago but I did catch a few. I tried out Simon's "stomach cam" view but think I will leave that for him in the future <center><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cdxDbCfN2yU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </center>

Great fish - nice report !

Very Nice Indeed! Are you going fishing on your honeymoon? I did.

Beauty!

Even my spinning reels have the handles on the right hand side. I am pretty much ambidextrous but I never could get comfortable reeling with my left hand. I started reeling with my right as a kid with my first reel - a Shakespeare baitcaster bought with money earned delivering newspapers!