Hey everybody! Hope all is well up in the Northland. While I don’t miss ice in May, I did feel a little bad about not being up for the opener.
However – After spending the last 2 weekends chasing Reds in Louisiana I don’t feel so bad!
First the fun part then the trailer problems.
The Reds are going crazy right now in the Hopedale/Shell Beach area of Louisiana. We’ve been beating up on them for the past 2 weekends. However, this weekend was the most insane Red bite I’ve ever been a part of.
In 2 hours myself and a buddy boated over 75+ reds in 2 hours. Caught 150+ for the weekend. We sat in the spot for an hour and a half before the tide started rolling not catching anything, more so just to protect our spot. As soon as the falling tide picked up it was on. I started on a Carolina rigged shrimp but soon started messing around with cranks. Landed on the old #7 Rippin’ Rap in Helsinki Shad and proceeded to catch 26-30″ reds on nearly every cast. Fishing in 10 feet of water off a rock point. I went 12 fish on 12 casts. I’d cast it out and pump it like James has taught for years, and whack. If they missed, no sweat, rip it a time or two more and boom another one.
Sometimes you lose one half way to the boat, don’t worry about it. Give her a couple rips as soon as it came unpinned, and the one that was following it up would eat it! If one guy had a fish on, you’d reel in and fire a cast in the direction of the fighting fish and you’d get bit by the following fish.
Pure insanity. My arms hurt. But now on to my problem.
I bought a bay boat about a year ago and at the time realized how the boat sits on the trailer isn’t right. I thought the trailer was way undersized, but according to magic tilt, it’s the correct size for the boat.
The bow eye sits above the roller (see pics) which isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I decided enough is enough when I backed the boat into the water and had to lift the boat over the roller, and smashed/gashed the bejesus out of my finger. (Should have got stitches, but then I would miss a morning of fishing) Then to make it worse, I drove home and notice the drivers side tire wore an unbelievable amount on both the inside and outside. I then came to the conclusion there wasn’t enough tongue weight because the boat wasn’t slid far enough forward, and with all the bumps I’m sure it was swaying after all the bumps and potholes we have in the south.
I can’t move the winch high enough to get the bow eye under it, and if I do it sits really funny on the bunks, which I may just replace to make it work eventually. If I don’t get the boat up far enough on the trailer it has probably less than 100lbs of tongue weight. I also can move the winch stand far enough forward due to the aluminum beams connecting to the tongue.
Do you think a higher winch stand would fix the problem?
What are your thoughts?
Ben Brettingen
Attachments:
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