Upper 4?

[Down to Earth]

Jim,

Your point about being new to the "dam thing" brings up a question I have then. The trolling motor I have on my boat is stern mounted and hand controlled. Would make it difficult, though not impossible to fish, but for me at least very difficult. Trying to jig in one hand, control the boat with the other all while trying to keep an eye out for others around you. If luck would fall on me and I hook into a fish there goes the boat control all together via the trolling motor. Would anchoring be a viable strategy for one in my position? Granted it wouldn't be the best option, but the most simplified as I could simply concentrate on fishing. How much does having an anchor "spook" the fish down below? Feedback on this? Thanks.

Andy

[Jim W]

Down to Earth,

Good Question. From my experience it all depends on the boat traffic up there. Yesterday, most who were anchored were on the WIsconsin side of the channel and the drifters and floaters on the MN side.

Anchoring is a fine technique up there at times and should not spook any fish. The fish are moving around too much to care. Plus with all of the boat motors etc running a quickly dropped anchor won't hurt much.

Just don't anchor right in someones drift path!LOL Ya never know what that might stir up!hehehe

Actually Andy, your trolling motor might work better. The flow isn't so fast to effect much while reeling in a fish.

Plus, not sure anyone would blame ya if ya got too close during a catch anyway. Keep in mind if everyone is moving with the current reeling in a fish shouldn't effect distance between boats.

My case yesterday, I was the only one holding in a spot with my trolling motor. Everyone else was drifting down, driving back up and repeating process. I tried not to hog the spot and was full aware of the next guy. The fish seemed to be most active in one area. SO why drift aimlessly?

Not sure if this helps or not. Once ya get up there and if you can handle your boat now, you'll have no problems adjusting.

Jim W

[CrappieJohn]

Andy.....As jim has just alluded to, the electric is more for positioning the boat than it is for actual trolling. We were just bumping the motor to keep us in the fish and not so much as to keep us moving.

Also, there are two distinct areas at that dam where fishing differs: the Wis. shore will see lots of anchored boats near the dam and the Mn shore will be mostly drifting boats. Drop an anchor where they are drifting and you will not be in the top five of the popularity plus group. The only reason that anchoring is done on the other shore is due to the heavy back-wash which likes to tow the drifting boats back up to the dam. Just a few feet away from those anchored boats, on the channel side of them, you will find boats doing the drifting thing again.

Your boat with the transom mount will be just fine up there. When we were there some of the fanciest boats amoungst us were tauting transom mounts.

[Bait Killer]

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Down to Earth,

Just don't anchor right in someones drift path!LOL Ya never know what that might stir up!hehehe

Wow............ So it turns out I am the A$$. I was mad at everyone bumping into me!!!! Guess I gots lots to learn.