NoeDay on Tarpon

The last few weeks have been a giant learning curve for me and the Gheenoe. I've been fishing Lake Tarpon when I get the time and each trip has been highlighted by a new piece of gear or a new technique or a new success for which I owe the members of this site a debt of gratitude. The majority of my trips have consisted of catching a few crappie here and a few byproduct bass there (pretty fun accidental catches). My knowledge, rig, and level of success have begun to grow, and at least a few pieces are beginning to come together.
I started out with no seats, no working motor, and no idea where to start:
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After some searching... a buddy caught the first crappie off the NoeDay...a giant by any rational standards surely!

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Eventually, I began to catch some crappie...

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A few trips later they got bigger...

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Then came the new trolling motor (greatest thing man ever invented) and my first feeble attempt at trolling...

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And my attempt to slow the troll...

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After getting a few actual "crappie rods", a Driftmaster, and a fishfinder (not all at once)...the rig and the crappie have been cooperating quite nicely...

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The last few trips I have been learning the hummingbird and getting used to spider rigging ( I will have better pics of the full transition of the boat soon). My last trip was my first 20+ fish day. The vast majority of my trips had been about 4 to 8 fish per trip prior to "pushing". I will be taking many more pics and will try to post when I can.
The last pic I'll leave you with were the two largest caught so far...prior to these a 12"er was about the biggest (had a few of those)..when these came in the boat I thought they were 15" for sure! They were much larger and fatter fish than the 12" versions. I got one and a buddy got the other. When I did measure them, they were 13"...I was shocked...only 1" longer but much fatter (didn't weigh em). They were both caught before I had the finder and the spider rig...just hooks and minnows.

NoeDay pair of 13's

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nice

It's so much fun going thru the learning curve. Good job, and Merry Christmas.

Nice work! That Gheenoe is going to lend ya a big hand in a month or so when they move shallow on the wood and grass to spawn. Them boats are sneaky!!

:hesaid

WELCOME Neo! Great post. Nice mess of fish :highfive

I appreciate the encouraging words. Merry Christmas.

You are only at the beginning of the learning curve right along with the rest of us.....And it just gets funner!:highfive