The Taffy Tradition…

Guest Article by Bill Scherk

For a lot of us, fishing is about traditions.  I have several in my boat.

For instance, folks always notice the random coin or two on the floor. In fact, I’ve had to ask more than one fishing buddy to drop the coins and put ‘em back on the floor.  See, several years ago I was cleaning out the boat and found a quarter on the floor and thought, “Better not get rid of that.”  “It’s gotta be good luck.” Ever since?  Coins on the floor.   This year it’s a single, lonely dime.   Another of my favorite traditions  is the snacks.  I always keep a bag of salted, in-the-shell peanuts and also a sack of saltwater taffy handy.   That tradition’s less about chance and more about family.  See, when I was five or six years old, Dad would load up the old fiberglass tri-hull and we’d hit the water.  He’d always make sure I had plenty of peanuts and taffy.  We’d sit on the water and bobber fish for sunnies.  I’d litter his boat with spent peanut shells.  I also had an incredible knack for tangling (beyond repair) my Zebco closed-face reel.  I’d hand it off to Dad and he’d hand over my sister’s combo.  The exact same rod and reel, except for the single black dot of spray paint.   Dad put that dot on the handle to keep my sister and me from bickering over who owned which rod.  The stuff  my dad put up with….

 

30 years later, Dad and I are still fishing together and yes, we still have snacks in the boat. He laughed a bit as he told me the story a year or two back about those snacks.  Turns out, the peanuts and taffy were the only things he could come up with to buy him a bit of non-chaotic fishing time.  I’d sit in silence cracking peanuts and chomping on taffy. He’d have a few moments to fish without interruption.  He still laughs when he tells me that darn story. Our tackle boxes of memories are full and overflowing.   He’s currently ribbing me over the big pike of his I lost boatside a few weeks back in Ontario (my fault completely).  I still jab him for only fishing red and white Little Joe Spinners.  He just holds up his fish and smiles…That’s the kind of stuff that happens when familes fish together.

I fish with Dad.  He fished with his Dad.  It’s just the way we are.  In fact, .just a few weeks ago, I started a new Sherck tradition.  My young son Brady donned his favorite life vest and the two of us fished Minnesota’s Walleye opener.  An hour of panfish capped with ice cream back at the cabin.  You might say he’s now “hooked”.  Brady keeps asking me to go, as he calls it, “feeshin”.   Our trips are short, but no less sweet. And guess what?   I’ve got a bucket of peanuts and taffy every time Brady steps into the boat.

Thanks Dad…

Ready, Set, Fishing Opener!

Jimmy Bell and Walleye

Guest Article by Jimmy Bell

So being a professional angler what is the question that I get most asked right now?  “So Jimmy with the cold wet spring what should I be planning on for opener this year?”   This is a great question because we all know that it certainly has not felt like spring.

Well here are a couple of suggestions to get ready:

First and foremost is making sure your gear is ready.  Go through the boat and make sure that all the equipment is ready to go fishing. Check the trailer for sure, hopefully you were smart and brought the boat in to the folks at Rapid Marine either this spring or last fall and are ready to go.  If you have time get it out on a small lake and check it all out.  And with the new rules about taking your plug out while the boat is on the trailer make sure to put it in at the ramp.  

Now for the fishing, concentrate on those shallow warming areas.  The Walleyes have certainly spawned out, those big females can only hold their eggs for so long. Concentrating on the shallows should put a lot of males into the boat.  Those males will be aggressive and will stay in the shallows for another month or so.  A light jig and minnow, or a live bait rig with a Mack’s Smile blade moved very slow should do the trick.

If you are looking for bigger fish, the females will be off of the first break and will most likely be more neutral.  They can be caught and can make for a great catch and release photo to share with your friends.

Use those new electronics and look for fish, they will be easy to spot and the old saying is very true, “you can’t catch what isn’t there”. 

A couple of warm days, can catch everything up in a hurry so don’t be discouraged by the recent cold and windy weather.  People will be catching fish, and as I say, “you don’t know if you don’t go!”

"Set Your Compass Due North"

by guest writer, Amy Hannay

Last Tuesday was a great day to get out of the office and enjoy some outdoor time.  My job for the day was to shoot stills of the new Due North/Rapid Marine Group wrapped 2010 Lund Explorer Sport.  So with directions printed out, sunglasses on and my radio tuned to classic rock I headed down to Baker Park in Maple Plain.

As I drove up the road to the campground I could see “Man About the Woods” Bill Sherck and his co-host of Due North Outdoors, Laura Schara were shooting intros to their show with the newly wrapped boat in the background. 

If you have never met Bill Sherck, he is your outdoorsy kinda guy who is quick to smile and likes to laugh and tell jokes.   Laura is as sweet as she is pretty.  The chemistry between Bill and Laura is remarkable.  They have been hosting Due North Outdoors for 5 years now and you can tell.  As they continued to shoot their intros, their laughter and teasing filled the air and I couldn’t help but find myself laughing right along with them.

In between takes, I was able to shoot some great “behind the scenes” photos of Bill and Laura with the boat.  Be sure to keep an eye out for this boat during the summer.  Rapid Marine Group is planning on giving away some great prizes to the boat spotters.  Look for details on their Facebook Page.

With that I will leave you with a joke that Bill told me that day.  “Did you hear that YouTube, Twitter and Facebook is combining into one site?  Yeah… it’s going to be called YouTwitFace!”  Come on… you gotta laugh at that one!

With that I will leave you with some valuable tips from the “Man About the Woods” Bill Sherck.

Notice a lot of smudges and water spots on your electronics screens?   If you're careful, you can clean 'em up and make them look new without scratching the sensitive screens.  I use window sprays with vinegar.   The small amount of vinegar helps break up those stubborn water spots. Stay away from anything with ammonia.  It can ruin the coating on your screen. Also be sure to use a lint-free, microfiber cloth.  Paper towels will scratch the screen.

It's time to gear up for the fishing season.  First on my checklist?  Get my gear in good order.  I start with my reels. I grease each one and load fresh line, especially if the old line is twisted or feels frayed.  I also check all my hooks.   I change out any rusty hooks on crank baits and dip the hooks in red dye.  I'll also sharpen any hooks that don't feel laser sharp.  Finally, I'll check my rod guides to make sure they're not pinched or coming loose and I'll put just a bit of grease on the reel seats to make sure they don't seize up.

 

Having trouble trying to store all your walleye snells and spinner rigs without 'em all tangling up?   Well, try this.   Pick up one of those long foam swimming noodles and cut them into two foot sections.  Then, simply wrap your snells around them and keep 'em on tight by burying the hook in the foam.

I'm a gadget guy and I love Lund's Sport Trac system. It allows me to mount just about any boating or fishing accessory I can dream up without having to drill holes or permanently mount stuff to the boat. The portable Sport Trac brackets simply snap in and slide along the Sport Trac rails on the gunnels on both sides of Lund Boats. You can mount GPS units, rod holders, ram mounts, radio antennas, even downriggers. 

Perry Good’s Top 5 Tips for a Successful Fishing Season

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.  ~Author Unknown

Now imagine what a good day of fishing would feel like! We spoke with Perry Good, Lund Pro-staffer, and he told us his top 5 tips for a successful fishing season.  With spring almost here and the fishing opener just a couple short months away, we thought it would be a good time to share these tips.

Tip #1
Make sure your boat is in good working condition.

Boat and motor maintenance begins in the fall.  Make sure you drain your lower unit, change the gearcase oil if you have a four-stroke and fog the cylinders. Make sure all the water is drained from your pumps in your boat. Charge your batteries before you store your rig for the winter and make sure that you treat your gas with stabil or seafoam.  A proper fall tune-up should make your first fishing trip of the spring a successful one.   A spring-tune up isn’t a bad idea either!  Key areas to look at are the fuel system, belts, cables & hoses, electrical system, fluid levels, propeller & hulls and your safety equipment.

If you are unsure about the proper winterizing procedures and what to look for in a spring-tune up I would recommend bringing your rig to an authorized dealer such as Rapid Marine Group.

Tip #2
Become a student of walleye fishing.

Read fishing articles, attend seminars, watch fishing shows and try to gain as much information as you can about fishing. Once the ice goes off the lakes take the information you’ve learned and apply it on the water. Time on the water leads to experience.  With experience, comes confidence which will lead to fishing success.

Tip #3
Be prepared before you go fishing.

The off-season is a great time to get prepared. Organize your tackle boxes so you know where things are and make sure your gear is in working condition. Fix broken rods, oil your reels and change out your old line. Tie rigs and spinners during the off-season.

Study lakes on the internet and get detailed maps of the lake you want to fish.  Bait shops are a great source of information as well.  Find out if your lake is stocked.  This will determine if the fish you are looking for are in weed beds, rock or mud.

Being organized and prepared means more productive time on the water.

Tip #4
Invest in quality electronics.

Using quality electronics will increase your success greatly.
Read the instructions and learn how to use your electronics.

Tip #5
Be flexible and versatile.

Develop confidence in using several different fishing techniques such as rigging, jigging, trolling and bobber fishing. Be willing to change or modify presentations when necessary. The best time to experiment is when you’re catching fish. Fine tuning a presentation is often the best way to catch bigger fish.