The Old Days

[dutchboy]

Cane poles were a valuable tool for the old Dutchman in my neck of the woods. Old wood strip boat, small coughing, smoking gas motor , pair of pliers to wedge into the top strip to lean the pole against, old coffee can to bail and a thermos of coffee. (at least that's what grandpa always said was in there) Use could use whatever you wanted for bait as long as it was either a black & white or red & white DareDevil.

Funny how you remember those things from long ago. I was just a kid when he passed away.

[CHM]

We caught a lot of walleyes in a 12' boat with a Johnson 7 1/2 hp. We also used a Lowrance Green Box with the suction cup mount. We put the fish on a chain type stringer. I can still hear the fish flopping on the floor of that boat as we moved to different spots.

You had to pay attention to where you were. No GPS back then. Some people would mark spots with a buoy and just leave them out all year.

[husker1]

Enjoy reading these posts. Brings back memories of whenI was a kid.

[flintlock]

[QUOTE=drlee;1461380]Mid to late 50's: Our guide on Ottertail Lake in Minnesota was Clarence. One day, another boat came in and fished his marked area. He had no problem until they started interfering with his trolling route. So, he pulled in behind their boat, took his bamboo pole out and scooped up their lines; next, out came his knife...he cut them all off without comment and went back to fishing. They left.

QUOTE]

[Just One More Cast]

I'd start by sectioning the lake/reservoir off. Lakes in 1/4's by N, S, E, W & reservoirs in 3rds, Upper, middle, lower. Pretty much looked for weeds, trees, rocks and felt the bottom with a jig. Drift down the drop offs, through the weeds or bobbers in the trees. Lot's of shore fishing while trying to keep the Scott-at-Waters running on the Tomahawk boat. Cleaned points, carbs & paddled a lot when we ran out of shear pins for the props. Then came the green box and I became a techy with markers & everything. Bought a Glastron Bass boat that had been rolled over in Canada without a motor. Found a 75 HP Evinrude (In 5 boxes of parts) & figured out how to get it together. Put it together and thousands of gallons of gas later + many repairs I wore it out. Still sitting in the back after I cracked the lower unit like an egg. Bought a newer one and off again. So far I'm up to over 30 Green boxes collected but they must have sold a zillion of them. I still see them for sale. Just bought a HB 1198c SI 2 weeks ago. Things have really changed but I think I used to do just as good "In the old days" and occasionally go back there when all else fails.

[Wyn]

I bet there are a lot of guys today that get a lot less out of their HDS 10's than those many years ago got from reading the area around them/under them. I know a number of guys that barely know anything else to do aside from powering the unit on.

[Yarhcaz]

Buying a 60, 70, or 80K+ boat loaded with everything under the sun doesn't make a fisherman. Sure the new graphs and I-pilot technology help but a person can't buy their way into being a good fisherman. They need to know what they are looking for and how to use the information gathered. Like you said there is a lot more than being able to power it up. I still see some old timers out there in tiny old boats, small motors, and old gear...and they slaughter the fish. I am envious of their knowledge and skill and would rather have that than the new latest and greatest. (Ok so really I would like to have both, but if was forced to have one or the other)

Originally Posted by Wyn

I bet there are a lot of guys today that get a lot less out of their HDS 10's than those many years ago got from reading the area around them/under them. I know a number of guys that barely know anything else to do aside from powering the unit on.

[Rapscallion]

We would use jigs to feel our way down points and then mark out a trolling route with small buoys. Contour maps were invaluable if you could get them. Jigging a weed line, marking the bends and then trolling it put many 'eyes, pike, bass and big panfish in the boat. Anywhere a feeder creek came into a lake could be productive. Watching the shoreline for changes from rock to gravel or dirt often meant a change in lake bottom. We occasionally caught suspended fish, at first by accident, by trolling crankbaits over what we assumed was featureless sections of lakes. This usually occurred after striking out on other methods.
I was amazed at what I found when I had my first graph on an Ontario lake that I'd been fishing since I was a kid with our old methods.

[fishing4eyes]

We definietly went through a lot more dynamite back then. But then again it was easier to get a hold of also. **** homeland security..

[DakotaKayak]

My grandfather is his 12 foot boat... sum ancient small outboard... (it was a big deal when he got the brand new 4.5 evinrude) red and white dardevelle and charteuse spinners.... Triangulate off the point with silo over there and blue cabin there..... Now drift.... those are memories i cherish... he liked using frogs as bait on his spinners.... Might have to have the kids catch a few