Things have slowed down a little bit at the Ford over the last couple times I’ve been there. The fish seem to have moved a little further south, and don’t seem to be quite as active as they were a week ago. Yesterday, the largest concentration of fish that we marked was about 10 miles south of the Ford along the first break out from shore in about 18-25 FOW.
We trolled deep-diving crankbaits while it was still daylight, and quickly had a short strike on a Tail Dancer Deep set 90 feet back. Then, after a long dry spell, the far right board with a silver Down Deep Husky Jerk set 110 feet back hooked up. It turned out to be a really nice 28 inch walleye that weighed 8 lbs and 8 ozs on my digital scale. That turned out to be the only fish that we caught while it was still light out.
Also, it was very hard for me, but I did release that fish. I’m not exactly starving for fish, and it wasn’t a trophy for the wall either. It is hard for me to release those big fish because I honestly think they taste just as good as the smaller ones if you trim them up a bit, and you get 5 times the meat for the same amount of time at the cleaning bench. Also, I can’t stand the thought of the fish swimming off and dying anyway which, based on some studies that I have read about, seems to happen more often than a lot of people think, especially in deep or warm water. Anyway, after I took a picture I stuck that fish in the livewell with it on constant run and in five minutes he was so lively that I had a tough time grabbing him to throw him overboard. I’m sure that one was fine.
After dark, we headed back up north to an area near the Bark River mouth where the drop-off is more defined to troll shallow running crankbaits along the top side in 10 FOW. By doing this we quickly caught five more fish all of which between 19 and 23 inches (these ones didn’t get released!) After that, the fish just shut right down and we couldn’t get anything else. At this point, it was about 11:30.
I would also like to say that it is interesting how much the weight of the fish can very over the same length. A few days ago I caught a 28 incher down there and the only way that I could get the scale to hit 6 lbs was if I put my finger on it. Yesterday the same length fish weighed 8.5 lbs – 2.5 lbs heavier!
Well Walligator.
I guess we follow you all the time. Andrew and I are heading back out on the water tomorrow with my boat this time to test the replacement Engine mount trolling motor from Minn Kota. Hope this one works better than the last, that one was a lemon. Most products from them have been good though and they finally came through with a new replacement.
Should get on the water about 6 and hope to be heading off by midnight or so with some eaters. I will post how we do.
Lloyd
A Little Slower at the Ford
) After that, the fish just shut right down and we couldn’t get anything else. At this point, it was about 11:30.
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