As a kid, I grew up learning to fish and loving it. From going out on the boat with my grandpa or dad. To just having a lazy day on the side of the river in a lawn chair throwing mud at one another. It has always been a memory making experience for myself. All of which are etched into my mind and I wouldn’t change for the world. So when I got the opportunity to make some new friends and go fishing, I took it.
Let me start off by saying that a “noob” is short for a newbie, or some one who is new or bad at something. I am not a “noob” fisherman. I am however a “noob” at trolling from a boat. And I was clueless about “Lake Francis Case”. I really didn’t even know what fish were in the lake until I got there.
So here is my story about getting some quick hard lessons and what to tell you if you bump into this same problem. That way, you can be less of a “noob” then I was.
My Mistakes
OK. When I had fished off my little john boat in the chutes of Lewis and Clark Lake, I would find a spot, drop an anchor, and start fishing. Now, you can fish this way on Francis Case. This was not however what we were doing. And because of the very deep water in Lake Francis Case, it seems this isn’t the most efficient. We were trolling using bottom bouncers and led line for crank baits. Something I have almost no experience with. With that being said, here is my list of 10 tips for fishing Lake Francis Case in South Dakota.
1. Getting Snagged
If you are trolling with a bait casting rod, and you snag, don’t push the button to let the line out. Why you might ask? Because it will resemble what looks like a birds nest that hated life. This bird may have been suicidal and at the very least wasn’t right in it’s head. It had some personal problems. A bad home life. We don’t know. It also let out a scream that definitely ticks off the owner of this reel. You can actually hear that the reel is angry with you too. I may have been imagining it, but I could have swore I heard the rod yell “Hey!”.
What I should have done, was gave a gentle tug on the pole. This usually pulled the line lose without much effort. It also had a lead line connected to it. This was line that was slightly less pound rating that would snap before large chunks of the expensive led line would break.
2. Bring Sunscreen
I also discovered that the sun, even on a cloudy day, is very angry and vengeful. So if you forget your sunscreen lotion in a bag back on shore, (Sorry Hun) you will learn to hate life much like the before mentioned bird. I have never seen a tomato quite take on the shade of red that we had on that day. It became a almost vibrant purple the next day that made you afraid to fall asleep because of the pain.
This is a big one to actually help you enjoy yourself. And really should be without saying followed outside always.
3. Learn How To Use A Planer Board
When the person your with talks about bringing out boards, he is not talking about ones to hit you in the head with. Even though he may want to. He’s referring to this great invention that keeps your lines from tangling in the middle of the water when you use more than 2 poles. You attach them to your line that drags against the water and allows for the board to push the line further away from the boat. Very clever trick. Yet, he may as well have hit me with it. I didn’t have a clue and only forgot to take the board off the line the first fifteen times or so.(It is pretty big. And there is no way are you going to reel past this sucker)
Trolling behind a boat definitely has challenges. This just helps you cut down on one of them.
4. Don’t Be Shy
Peeing off a boat posses certain challenges you never thought of. Particularly for ladies, but guys as well. You need to think outside the box and be creative. And shy isn’t a real option either. Most of the times there were other boaters within range of seeing our boat. SO it was kind of a stealth peeing. If that’s a thing?
Being on a boat for several hours does help you too escape. It also helps get to know people on a much more personal level that under normal every day conditions, couldn’t do.
5. Reel Slow
Even if your reeling in a fish and it’s surfing across the water, reel slow. Yes, much like a kid who caught his first bluegill, I apparently thought there was a time limit on reeling in the fish. And I actually lost one. This doesn’t make the people you are with very happy. Especially if the fish are not biting very fast to begin with. At this point I was glad we weren’t using an anchor. I wouldn’t have wanted it to accidentally tangle around my ankle and slip over board.
6. Know If You Have a Bite
One of the first questions I asked when I got on the boat, “How do I tell if I have a bite?”
The answer? You’ll know. Believe me. You’ll know.
Even some of the smallest fish make it look like your landing a Marlin.
7. What Kind Of Fish You Should Expect
We caught a true grab bag of fish while we were there. Even though the main fish we were after were walleye. We also caught small mouth bass, drum, stripe bass, catfish and even perch. This being said I was told you can also catch northern occasionally as well as a lot more species of fish. The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks could definitely help you more with this.
8. Double Check The Live Well
OK. How exactly do you forget how to count or clearly see there is another fish in the live well? I really can’t answer that. I can however tell you that the next day you feel about 2 inches tall. And it doesn’t smell very good.
9. Patience
This should go with out saying, but having patience, being diverse with your approach, and trying to find a pattern to what was working helps a ton. Much like fishing anywhere. And if your willing to be patient and take the time, you will be rewarded.
We were using bottom bouncers and crank baits. I did however notice some people using crappie rigs and seeming to have success as well. Dig into your tackle box and give it a try.
10. Enjoy It
So many times when I’ve been hunting, fishing, or in the outdoors in general, I forget why I’m there. Add in some great people, and suddenly, you have something that will last a lifetime. This area of the Missouri River is a very beautiful scenic place. And the fish were slowly doing there part. But being out on the water and getting to spend time getting to know some great people made it worth it. I considered it a great privilege to get to do so. And putting up with a noob fisherman can’t be easy. So I’m also thankful they didn’t throw me overboard.
Regardless of what you do or where you’re at just remember why you’re doing it. In a day and age where things keep moving faster, taking the time to take it in seems to slip our minds. Enjoy it. Life’s to short not too.