50 degrees Sunday 4/19 at McDanels Boat Launch

Wilhelm was 44 degrees the day before on the North top end of lake

Started 49 ended up 52 at MC today

Got on the water about 10AM today. Lake is very high and turbid. Water temp was 52 and then up to 56 in the shallows by late afternoon. Fished all over the lake. My buddy caught a 17" wiper (on a chicken liver!) and a small largemouth on a crank. I couldn't buy a bite and got skunked. Fished bait, cranks, sticks, worms etc etc etc and got nada nuthin' zero. Figured maybe everything was turned off because of the incoming high pressure system or could be that I'm just not a good fisherman (my wife's opinion).

About a half dozen boats fishing crappie in Muddy Creek. Nobody really seemed to be catching much. Same report from some guys at the landing when we were putting in--skunked. Hopefully May will be better.

Great report Eagle, sounds just like my kind of fishing.... stupid fish.

Good times & tight lines.

I fished Muddy Crick yesterday after fighting my boat for a few hours prior to the maiden launch of the year.  Which is a huge reason why the maiden voyage only happened in April.  Got a few hours of fishing in, but not much catching.  Did get 3 crappie and 2 perch.  Which was about 1/10 of the catching of my last trip out, but still something.  They are there and they will bite, if the the switch is on (at least seems to be the case with spring panfish for me).  I spent an hour trying to see if I could get some wipers moving, but no action.  Then settled into the panfish.  It just didn't go on for me.  2-3 hours seems to make a huge difference.  Last time out, barely a tap for the first hour, then switch went off.  Not much difference in presentation or anything.  Non-stop action for about 3 hours.  Then switch went off and could barely buy a bite after.  Yesterday, no switch.  But working hard and getting a few fish was still rewarding.  Considering the pain in the rear the boating portion was for me.
 
Good news is, after 2 pulls, my motor that was giving me heck all last year, fired right up.  Ran like it was brand new...  My bow trolling motor that salvaged last year is on strike now for overwork from last year!  It stopped on me late last year and I was hoping it might just come back to life...  But no such luck.  I tore it apart to see if any loose connections or whatever might be obvious.  I am pretty sure it is the control board.  The turning works, but propeller won't go, just gives a clicking sound at the board.  I bypassed the board and the motor itself runs.  Can't find an old control board online.  Anyone know where to get a 203-4005 board?  Attempting to fix a board is well beyond my caveman electronics ability.  

Good to hear your motor fired and ran well Pork.

The trolling motor thingy sucks though. I have a 2003 Minn Kota Powerdrive that has issues similar to yours and I tried locating parts and/or a foot pedal. No need to tell ya how that turned out.

Used foot pedals were available on ebay at the time but I figured those too would succumb to failure.

I lucked out and discovered my problem was with the speed control and was able to convince the thing to once again work.

Not knowing what to expect this year as I need to mask up and head to Walmart for a new M29 battery, before setting afloat in the coming days.

If the motor don't wanna go no mo, not sure what I'll do.😩

You need to get out there soon, take advantage of the hot perch bite.

Water was all the way up to 58 when we left but this BS weather is gonna put it back down. Brought a handful of panfish home but it was kinda slow.

Tried out my 15' canoe.  Even a slight breeze and it spins around like a top. Just me in the back turns the bow into a sail.  I'm going back to my boat and kayak.  Lost one bass, my buddy caught one, in five hours. Anyone want to buy a canoe?