THE IMPORTANCE OF BOAT CONTROL

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Boat control is as important as using the right bait. Without proper boat control you cannot fish properly. Whether casting shorelines, mid lake structure, or even drifting open water boat control is a must. An electric trolling motor is very helpful in controlling your boat, whether it is a bow mount or a transom mounted trolling motor. With a trolling motor you can follow the structure and stay in the desired depth you want to fish in. You can easily follow the inside and outside turns. It allows you to move about quietly and at different speeds. I personally use a bow mounted Minn Kota Power Drive unit. Some people prefer the transom mounted hand controlled units while others mount a foot controlled unit on the transom. It is just a matter of preference.

When casting a shoreline or a mid lake structure I prefer to go into the wind as much as possible. I feel that I can control my speed and direction better than going with the wind. Going into the wind allows you to move slower and cover the targeted area better. Keeping an eye on your locator you can stay in the desired depth and work the breaklines and turns properly. If you use a transom mounted trolling motor in a strong wind you may want back into the wind. I find that this will give you better control of your direction and speed. When using this method in stronger winds the waves could break over the transom so a set of Wave Wackers might be something to think about.

They are made of a plexiglas type of material. They attach to the transom on each side of the outboard motor. They come with a slotted area to accommodate a trolling motor.

They flare out away from the boat keeping you dry.

When selecting a trolling motor it is important to get the proper motor for your needs. If you feel that you need a bow mount motor there are several things to consider. One would be the amount of thrust you will need. If you have a 14 ft. aluminum boat you probably only need a 30 pound thrust motor where as if you have an 18 ft. fiberglass boat you might need one with 74 pounds of thrust. Another thing to consider is the shaft length. It has to be long enough to stay in the water in stronger winds. The depth of your boat will control the length needed. Voltage is another thing to consider. The mid rangemotors will come in either 12 or 24 volt systems.

Another thing to consider is the type of foot control you want. As I stated earlier, I use a Minn Kota power drive unit. This unit has an 18 ft. cord on the foot pedal allowing me to operate the motor from anywhere in my boat. This allows my clients to fish from the front platform while I run the motor from the back. If you fish from the front of your boat all of the time you might want a trolling motor with a cable operated foot pedal. This will give you instant turning while the power drive unit turns more slowly. An Auto Pilot unit is also available on most brands. Depending on what brand you get the auto pilot will let you fish at a selected depth or at a desired distance from a shoreline.

Transom mount trolling motors also offer different options. On some models when you turn the handle 90 degrees the motor will turn a full 360 degrees. This is a nice feature when you have to back into the wind or position-fish. With this feature you can get the full use of the amount of thrust you need. On trolling motors with out this feature you have several reverse speeds but this does not give you a lot of power. If you do a lot of back trolling with this type of motor you might want to move the handle 180 degrees on the shaft. This will let the motor run in a forward gear while you are back trolling.

Back to boat control. Another method of fishing is drift-fishing. Whether casting for muskies or drifting for walleyes or panfish drifting is a very good method. It lets you cover a lot of water while fishing weed flats or deep water. In the early season I use this method while fishing for walleyes and later in the season for muskies and bluegills. In light winds this is an easy thing to do. I use marker buoys to mark my starting and ending points. When fishing for walleyes or panfish I mark the spot that I catch the first fish and then I mark the spot where I chose to end my drift. To keep my drift on line I use my trolling motor to move either forward or backward to hit my marks. As the wind picks up you may have to use some method to slow your drift. I use a drift sock to control my speed. In heavy winds I will use two drift socks.

A drift sock is a big nylon cone shaped bag with openings on both ends. It attaches to the mooring cleats. If your boat does not have cleats you can attach the drift sock to your seat braces. When you put out the drift sock the flow of the water opens the sock and slows down your drift giving you more speed control and allowing you to fish in a controlled manner. There is a rope on the sock attached to the small opening. When you are done with your drift you just pull on the rope and it collapses the sock making it easy to bring into the boat.

Remember boat control is "positioning your boat so you can effectively fish" whether it be shorelines, open water structures or drifting. Use these methods and the wind will not be your enemy. If you have any questions about what type or brand of trolling motor is appropriate for you boat or what size drift sock is right for you talk to dealers or the pros at the fishing and sport shows. They will be glad to help you out. Good Luck and I hope to see you on the water.

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