06-12-2016, 03:00 AM
Planners verse snap weights... No calls there. All caught equally. I didn't keep track so can't say one was x% better than the other. I will say having planers, in particular a mast mounted planer system, with downrigger clips is 100% worth the time/investment.
Madison launched the boat all week. It was SOOOO nice not having to walk a rope off the trailer/dock it, etc in the mornings. She was in the boat as we left camp and in the water waiting for me to walk to the dock after parking the truck. It litterally took minutes every morning after leaving camp to have the boat in the water and ready to go. She wasn't pleased with having to give up the "warm" seat though when I got to the boat
Remote controlled trolling motor... What a gift when it is windy and one has to dock the boat. Last year I put a healthy dent in the boat trying to get tied up since essentially I am a one person crew. She can drive a little, etc but all by commands when it comes to dealing with anything other than open water, especially winds. Forward, reverse, now neutral, turn right, etc. Anyways I thought about it after that dent and this year I decided to put the Terrova in when it was windy. Which it is every afternoon... I docked the boat like a grand master every single day in the winds. It was soooo nice to be on the bow running the Terrova with Madison at the wheel. I ran the front of the boat and gave some commands to her to keep the rear of the boat in check. It is the way to go!!!
(I haven't been brave enough to ask/see if she wants to try putting the boat on the trailer... I'm thinking I will continue to dock the boat in the evenings and do that part myself. She is close to being able to get a drivers license. I'd feel a whole heck of a lot better teaching her how to back up a trailer verse trying to put a boat on a trailer in the winds.)
We had more doubles than I could keep track of, quite a few triples and several times all 4 rods were on the deck since it got so busy I couldn't get one out... She'd get one to the boat and hand off the rod to grab another. I'd deal with landing it as fast as possible to be ready for the next one. Sometimes another rod would take off about that same time... It was interesting at times. Suppppper fun nonetheless being that chaotic at times [cool]
Tom
[signature]
Madison launched the boat all week. It was SOOOO nice not having to walk a rope off the trailer/dock it, etc in the mornings. She was in the boat as we left camp and in the water waiting for me to walk to the dock after parking the truck. It litterally took minutes every morning after leaving camp to have the boat in the water and ready to go. She wasn't pleased with having to give up the "warm" seat though when I got to the boat
Remote controlled trolling motor... What a gift when it is windy and one has to dock the boat. Last year I put a healthy dent in the boat trying to get tied up since essentially I am a one person crew. She can drive a little, etc but all by commands when it comes to dealing with anything other than open water, especially winds. Forward, reverse, now neutral, turn right, etc. Anyways I thought about it after that dent and this year I decided to put the Terrova in when it was windy. Which it is every afternoon... I docked the boat like a grand master every single day in the winds. It was soooo nice to be on the bow running the Terrova with Madison at the wheel. I ran the front of the boat and gave some commands to her to keep the rear of the boat in check. It is the way to go!!!
(I haven't been brave enough to ask/see if she wants to try putting the boat on the trailer... I'm thinking I will continue to dock the boat in the evenings and do that part myself. She is close to being able to get a drivers license. I'd feel a whole heck of a lot better teaching her how to back up a trailer verse trying to put a boat on a trailer in the winds.)
We had more doubles than I could keep track of, quite a few triples and several times all 4 rods were on the deck since it got so busy I couldn't get one out... She'd get one to the boat and hand off the rod to grab another. I'd deal with landing it as fast as possible to be ready for the next one. Sometimes another rod would take off about that same time... It was interesting at times. Suppppper fun nonetheless being that chaotic at times [cool]
Tom
[signature]