10 May 2015

The water temperatures in the sounds have reached the seventies and the fish are starting to cooperate nicely. Trout, Bluefish, Red drum, and flounder are showing up in the catches.

I went out over the weekend to do a little scouting and try out a new piece of equipment. I caught a nice trout on my second cast but lost it at boat side as I tried to lift it out of the water without a net. It was fat and full of roe so I’ll call it a conservation move. I got one more bite but no hook ups.

I purchased a Minn­kota™ electric trolling motor that has a few new bells and whistles that will surely improve our fishing experience. It is the same size and strength as the old motor but now includes a built in GPS unit. The hand-sized remote control that comes with it allows me to stop and go, steer, change speed, set a course to follow, and troll a specific route at a predetermined speed from anywhere on the boat. In addition, it has an electric anchor function called Spot–Lock™ that keeps the motor within a five-foot radius of where it has been set. I see this as a useful feature. Once we find some cooperative fish, we can stop without dropping a noisy anchor and spend some time there.

Minn­kota Electric Trolling Motor
Electric Trolling Motor
Come take a ride with me and check it out. We will cast at marsh shorelines for trout and flounder, or chase trout and puppy drum up on the flats as we take advantage of quiet electric power. It is also perfect for setting up a slow drift and casting jigs to all of the pilings of the many bridges found around the Outer Banks sounds.