Busy day on the water today. I landed 3 fish in two hours, trolling along the Loop Route above. My original plan was to just head north and south from the marina, but I know that fish “always” hang out above and below the island across from the marina. I also know that there are areas along the Northern and Southern routes above that don’t usually hold fish. So, I created the Loop Route shown above as a third alternative, one that usually holds fish.
I used the Sportstracker app to keep the speed of the boat between 1.5 and 2.0 miles per hour. I stopped the app when I hooked a fish as time is lost from trolling when fish are caught. I thought that it would be better to have just a trolling time for each experimental run as catching the fish cut into the path of the boat. For example, I trolled and caught fish for one hour. The time trolling was only 50 minutes. To make sure that the same amount of water is covered in each session, trolling time will used for the beginning and end of each session.
The Loop Route took 45 minutes of trolling time. Therefore, 45 minutes trolling time will be the standard length of each session. So, I’ll head north and south for 22.5 minutes, then turn back and cover the same water. The Loop Route also has each of the part of the water covered twice, as does the Loop Route.
So, once I learn how to thread a Nightcrawler on to a hook I’ll be ready to start the study. I have randomized 200 sessions for: 1 of the 3 routes; worms or lures; and if lures, whether silver or bronze. I can probably do two sessions on a single day, leaving time for fly fishing.
My winter base training for my bicycle tour is under way (1 hour tonight), and my experiment is about ready to start. Things are good on my end. This will be an interesting winter.
Tight Lines!