First off, I am getting an automatic bilge pump for my boat, twice last season rains on the chip were hard enough to come close to swamping the boat. Once you get to a certain point waves can finish off the boat quick. I was lucky both times. Aug last year was tough, saw fish early in the week before the temp climbed to bad, even using Ty and Dave Dorazio was not able to get a fish. Did have some half hearted hits but nothing I could put the hooks to. In Sept tried a magnum sized hawg wobbler I had repainted to look like a Killer Whale with glow in the dark white. Had a tremendous blow up on it, cast it back and brought it all the way to the boat and blew a chance at the fish, it followed all the way to the boat and left a big boatside swirl when it left. Joe Bucher would have smaked me for just doing the L turn and not a full figure 8, especially after a blowup like I had.
Did get a 38 incher on a small ghosttail during a rainstorm while working a shoreline for a few northerns to just get the feel of having a fish hit. Was my first time catching one by myself and it went easier than I thought it would. Had the presence of mind to back off the drag a bit after hook set and on the sencond time I lead it to the net, she went in just like leading a Horse to its stall. She was lightly hooked in the lower jaw so hook removal was easy, only problem was no decent pics in the pouring rain. Dean