P4 "Perception is everything"

So, I’ve been on P4 a number of times in the Spring when the great madness starts with bumper boating is the norm all over the place.
1 thing that sticks in my mind is that I see this one guy every spring show up in like a 14′ aluminum with a 9.9 and always has a few on a stringer hanging over the side of his boat,anchored, out of the way of everybody else, with a portable fish finder. The best part of it is, he has $50k-to $95k + boats swarming around him wondering what he’s got going on that they don’t.
Do you know who I’m talking about?
Are you one of those boats?
After all this hype about the “latest and greatest”, and dumping $50k-$100k into a new boat with all the “Bells and whistles”, is it really worth it?
Look at the guy I mentioned….
No big boat payment, no “keeping up with the Jones’s,no high priced insurance premiums. He just enjoys getting on the river during prime time, prime bite, and deals with all of these others, (including me) showing up a few times in the spring looking for a good bite on P4. We all have our “Toys” and its fun to play with them but looking into a more simplified life to accomplish the same mission whether your “David” or “Goliath” on the river can bring something to ponder.”their really biting on orange today” was one of his long lasting statements to me. Good luck to all this 2017 spring madness on P4!
Let’s all appreciate what we have or don’t have and just enjoy the resource that we have all been given!

Well said, and great point.

I had a small reminder of that the last two years getting out in a kayak. Some of my best times are in that thing… right up to the point where my rear end goes numb from the crappy seat Still great.

Never look down on someone for getting by with less, or enjoying the experience in a manner that works for them. Sometimes they are getting a lot more out of time and life than the rest of us.

I am fairly new to spring river fishing (first year) but I have to ask, I know I saw a boat out there that was not legal. The only seat I saw in the boat was well above the gunnels and that is where the motor was being ran from.

I guess I am not sure about the legality of it, but I know you would never catch me in that rig. Sitting up so high, one wrong wake and your swimming in very cold water.

I would say 95% of guys with the “bells & whistles” probably didnt start with “bells and whistles”..

I fished most my life out of 12-16′ boats and worked my way up. And I still want to upgrade.. I dont want to be that guy that catches them in April on pool 4 but cant go to mille lacs or Erie in May..

Like I said in another post, if you analyze why and how people spend their money you will go crazy. You are never going to change the people that want to show off with their fancy toys, but if they can afford it, go for it. My truck and boat are 20 and 17 years old, and no loans of coarse, so I get where you are coming from.

I’ve said this for years and others look at me like a deer in the head lights….

No matter how new or big your rig is, you’ll soon see something bigger, faster, and more new than yours, and you say to yourself man I wish I had that…..

No matter how small or old or ratty your rig is, there is someone fishing from shore saying to themselves…….man I wish I had that……

Be proud of what you have and have fun with it

It’s not spring on the river unless I see the SCRATCHER!

No idea who it is. But a guy with “scratcher” written on his boat.

Pretty low budget but he always seems to scratch a few.

I salute him. The SCRATCHER!

Hahaha I actually remember seeing the SCRATCHER last year. I used to head out on the river in my 14ft boat with a 10 hp Evinrude. Loved every minute of it. Now even though my Crestliner is only 16 ft I feel like I’m living the dream most times I’m out fishing. The OP’s message is a great one and it took me a while to realize it. Now that I have children I seem to enjoy experiences much more than things and it is a much happier life.

Sounds like me in my boat ????

The SCRATCHER

Dang I can’t remember his name!

While he was fishing a big pretty boat edged towards him. While he was staying on track the folks in the BPB hollered at him because he was going to cut them off…even though they moved in on him.

He softly but firmly said… can you read the name of my boat?

gonecribbin wrote:

I would say 95% of guys with the “bells & whistles” probably didnt start with “bells and whistles”..

I fished most my life out of 12-16′ boats and worked my way up. And I still want to upgrade.. I dont want to be that guy that catches them in April on pool 4 but cant go to mille lacs or Erie in May..

I agree 100% as I now have a nice boat but spent more time in a little 14′ Alumacraft with a 9.9hp Johnson growing up than I will ever spend in any boat for the rest of my life. I sure like the comfort and features of my 18 foot boat with 150 hp and the different capabilities that it provides me to fish. I also have a more basic 16′ boat that I really enjoy fishing out of also. Whatever you have use it and enjoy it.

Nothing better than going to the river in the spring in my 14′ duck boat with my Helix 5 Ice suction cupped to the side…Not the best for moving around or working big fish, but it works just fine! Plus, like mentioned earlier, I don’t mind playing bumper boats in it…My boat isn’t the SCRATCHER, however. It’s the Quack Head…

You’re also assuming that the people with bigger boats only fish the dam area a few times per year. Some of us have the boats we do because we fish big water often and in less than ideal conditions. I started with a small flat and a 5 horse myself, but I wouldn’t be caught dead in Lake Michigan in 3-4 foot rollers in it. I’m happy for anybody who’s getting out, whether they have a 100K rig, or are on shore.

Worrying about what anybody else has, just takes away from the experience. Over the years, I’ve given up bow hunting, playing sports, playing cards, going out with buddies etc…. After giving up all of that time and money spent, I decided to focus on fishing. That’s my outlet and where I put my extra money, if I was only going to do one thing, I was going to make darn sure I had the equipment needed to give me the opportunity to get out when I had time. It all depends on what you want, and what you’re willing to give up to get there.

I’ve thought about this alot. How cool would it be to see a riverrat enter a big walleye tournament in a old 14′ red lund with a 15 hp. I would pay part of the entry fee just to see that.

Speaking of old red lunds. I remember a guy who always fished the backchannel in one. Was always trolling plugs and wore some sort of goofy hat, like a conductors hat. I believe my grandpa called him “Flaky” or something similar. I wonder if that guy still fishes the river, haven’t seen him for years.

Good luck to all this 2017 spring madness on P4!
Let’s all appreciate what we have or don’t have and just enjoy the resource that we have all been given!

It’s not the boat, rod, graph that will catch the most fish. It’s the experience of the angler. The other things just add comfort and sometimes confidence to the experience.

The reason I have the Lund I do now was more for my dad getting older and not being able to handle the bench seats as well as he could in the past in the 14 footer. Of course it was easier for me to get in the boat the second day of fishing as well.

When I first thought about a larger boat, I asked dad if he wanted to go in on it with me. He asked how big the motor was and I said 90. “That’s way too big” and he didn’t want anything to do with it. The first time I had him catching fish on Winni he asked me if I wanted him to help with the payments. I said no, I’m good. He replied with “if you ever need any help, I got you covered”.

Over the last 20 or so years, the 14′ “fishing” boat with it’s bench seats have been increasingly scarce. Next time you head up North, count how many 14 footers you see. Amazingly few.

I’m not saying it’s right or wrong…it just is.

Split shot, hook and a minnow—will catch fish all day on P4 during the day, if fished correctly. Remember seeing that guy and, yup, he caught fish when nobody else did. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways, but one trick ponies usually have a couple stellar days and 363 days of scratching their heads.

My electronics and accessories cost way more than my boat. I learned many years ago that a boat floats and a motor pushes the boat and electronics find fish… So I put less money in the floating boat and motor and more into the electronics… Add in experience and fishing where fish are… And whether they are biting or not, whether it’s warm or cold…I enjoy it… Being outdoors.

bullcans wrote:

So, I’ve been on P4 a number of times in the Spring when the great madness starts with bumper boating is the norm all over the place.
1 thing that sticks in my mind is that I see this one guy every spring show up in like a 14′ aluminum with a 9.9 and always has a few on a stringer hanging over the side of his boat,anchored, out of the way of everybody else, with a portable fish finder. The best part of it is, he has $50k-to $95k + boats swarming around him wondering what he’s got going on that they don’t.
Do you know who I’m talking about?
Are you one of those boats?
After all this hype about the “latest and greatest”, and dumping $50k-$100k into a new boat with all the “Bells and whistles”, is it really worth it?
Look at the guy I mentioned….
No big boat payment, no “keeping up with the Jones’s,no high priced insurance premiums. He just enjoys getting on the river during prime time, prime bite, and deals with all of these others, (including me) showing up a few times in the spring looking for a good bite on P4. We all have our “Toys” and its fun to play with them but looking into a more simplified life to accomplish the same mission whether your “David” or “Goliath” on the river can bring something to ponder.”their really biting on orange today” was one of his long lasting statements to me. Good luck to all this 2017 spring madness on P4!
Let’s all appreciate what we have or don’t have and just enjoy the resource that we have all been given!

I don’t understand why you have to bash people who have worked hard and are fortune enough to buy an expensive boats. I agree that some of the guys who own these are you know what’s but by prejudging everyone who has an expensive boat to be a ding dong isn’t right. I have an expensive boat because I fish big water and usually have a few people fishing with me and want to feel safe in. but yet i still take it on smaller bodies of water and fish rivers.

I have a 14′ boat works fine for me I added a casting platform for Northern/Muskies/Bass and I left the back open bench so I can sit and troll. I love the little thing. I would love to get 21′ bass boat with a 250 because I want to fish bigger water and faster boat could get me to my spots faster as I am getting less and less time to fish.

bradl110 wrote:

I don’t understand why you have to bash people who have worked hard and are fortune enough to buy an expensive boats. I agree that some of the guys who own these are you know what’s but by prejudging everyone who has an expensive boat to be a ding dong isn’t right.

I didn’t see where Bullcans was bashing, prejudging or calling anyone a ding dong. In fact he included himself in the spring P4 fisherman. I thought it was a nice ode to the river rats! Famed Mississippi/St Croix guide, the Griz, still hits the river in a smaller deck boat. I first experienced P4 going out in my buddies 14′ red lund with a 1974 15 hp Evinrude with a Vexilar hanging over the side. We go out there now in much nicer boats, but it was what we learned in the Lund that helps us catch fish significantly more than anything on our new boats imo.

I am one of the fortunate, I have a very nice truck and Rig, matter of fact I am thinking about buying a newer model.
With that being said, if I am siting at the bar or restaurant after enjoying a beautiful day on the water I have never asked the fisherman next to me what type of boat he has, it always starts out with how did you do do today.
And if you ever see me and my bright shining boat,come on up and talk to me I’d gladly swap stories and toast a drink to you no matter what you or I have.

BigWerm wrote:

didn’t see where Bullcans was bashing, prejudging or calling anyone a ding dong. In fact he included himself in the spring P4 fisherman. I thought it was a nice ode to the river rats! Famed Mississippi/St Croix guide, the Griz, still hits the river in a smaller deck boat. I first experienced P4 going out in my buddies 14′ red lund with a 1974 15 hp Evinrude with a Vexilar hanging over the side. We go out there now in much nicer boats, but it was what we learned in the Lund that helps us catch fish significantly more than anything on our new boats imo.

PSSSTT; the griz also has bright shiny ranger

I didn’t read bullcans post to be bashing the big boat guys. He even said he is included in that group. I read it more as an admiration for the guy that can get it done with less and an appreciation for the simpler times of outdoor sports. Nothing wrong with that perspective IMO.

I, for one, admire and am sometimes jealous of the little boy guy. He who sees and acts with a simplicity not found in the life of the modern angler. I think we can all recognize that story anytime we think back upon the tales told by those that came before us – those being the elders that gave us our love for the outdoors.

jeff_huberty wrote:

PSSSTT; the griz also has bright shiny ranger waytogo

Now there’s a guy I see frequently but I’ve never seen him wave or even nod at another angler on the water..

He does give me a crazy look when he’s running off the water from a storm and I’m launching though but never a nod or wave.

jeff_huberty wrote:

PSSSTT; the griz also has bright shiny ranger

That’s news to me, I’ve seen him on the water the last few years (maybe not last year) in a camo deck boat.

I assure you that BigWerm and I did not consult with each other before typing our replies.

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>jeff_huberty wrote:</div>
PSSSTT; the griz also has bright shiny ranger

That’s news to me, I’ve seen him on the water the last few years (maybe not last year) in a camo deck boat.

Frankies marine is one of his sponsors

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Now there’s a guy I see frequently but I’ve never seen him wave or even nod at another angler on the water..

Haha that is the truth!

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>jeff_huberty wrote:</div>
PSSSTT; the griz also has bright shiny ranger waytogo

Now there’s a guy I see frequently but I’ve never seen him wave or even nod at another angler on the water..

He does give me a crazy look when he’s running off the water from a storm and I’m launching though but never a nod or wave.

It’s like looking in the eyes of Moses

Great post.

Use to fish so much in my lil S-14. Worked your normal 40-50 week and enjoyed life. Now with a much nicer boat, afford all the gadgets I barely get out. Sad really. Hopefully it plays out in the end.