Day ONE of my new pontoon adventures.

[fishnxtc]

Started my first day of what I call pontoon crash coarse. I'm already learning a lot. Started on the NF Nehalem at ericksens ramp....
WOW :shocked: :shocked: never new just spinning around in circles could be so fun. Ok after getting used to the river flow and rowing backwards, I decide I'll try going down the shute below the ramp. I don't know if I really enjoyed spinning in the upper portion but I did it all the way down the slot. First I started heading down backwards then over correcting and begin spin around heading backwards again.
Lesson #1 learned.(but not mastered).Don't try to overpower corrections..

Dragged my pontoon on shore and fished a little. I think every cast I looked at my boat and just wanted to get back in and try more water. Here is were lesson#2 comes into play. Ahead there are a few boats that are anchored up. All I can think "DON'T RUN INTO THEIR BOAT", I have a power boat and people really don't like you running to close to them, so I thought. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] I'll row to the other side of the river and totally avoid them. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img] Well not to bright on my part, and I got an ear full about I should not go over someone's water. Well I though I should explain my behavior. As I'm spinning around down the river past them, I tell them "I'm just learning I did do it on purpose, as I spinning away they tell me good luck". I'm not to sure if they meant it though or by the looks of it they knew I would need the luck.
Lesson #2 go ahead hit anybody's boat , just don't row over their fishing water.

Now I'm starting to get comfortable with my newly found arm extentions and start looking for a little more challeging water, and I start down the shute and I start into my usual spin manuever, but this time I don't over correct and end up perfect through the whole shute. Stopped a few place to fish and not much was happening. So I got back on and practiced my rowing backwards and correction for the rest of the drift.
All in all I feel I had a successful day and I never once ran into the bank, trees or anyone else unwilling. I think I can really enjoy this type of boating. I had a blast today .......Chris

[ 12-20-2002, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: fishnxtc ]

[Miss B Haven]

Sounds like the term "crash course" was re-coined today! Sounds like fun! You should be ready for a TUNA run in that thing by next August - right? :shocked:

[Bobby Ray]

So you did it, Sweet
I should have never got rid of mine

I tried the Clack today but it was way dead
water looked great but no Steelies,
Give me a call, we got to get out there again
when the numbers start picking up we'll get em

BnB

[Mad Mikey]

Here's another tip that will save you some grief. Guys anchored or casting, let them know you are there and go right next to them. If you see guys flyfishing do the opposite, go as far to the other side as possible. If it is a small stream you might want to ask them where to go or make some hand gestures from above when they spot you.
Since I fish both ways I understand both methods of reason, gear and bait guys don't want you going over the fish, Flyfishermen(especially true on the Deschutes) know fish will follow the fly in close and they also fish close to shore in low light hours.
It probably doesn't make a bit of difference to the fish at all but fishermen of all kinds are funny about this issue. A certain local FF'ing icon would throw rocks at steelhead to spook them to an easier casting lie and he WOULD catch them. An old high school buddy of mine was notorious for bouncing spinners off the back of jet sleds going by at Heritage Landing on the Deschutes and hooking fish in the motor wash. The fish don't care that much but the fishermen do.