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So I was looking through photos and couldn’t help but laugh and figure you guys would get a kick out of it as well. When I first purchased my boat I was mainly looking for something just big enough to perch fish the lake in and fish the rock walls for smallies and still take in small lakes to pan and bass fish so I settled on a Amuacraft 175.... Last year for giggles I decided to troll for some coho because me and my dad use to always coho fish together when I was a kid so I was still fairly familiar with it. But we never got crazy. 2 flat lines, and 2 dodger flys on riggers was our normal set up. So that’s all I really knew. Well here is a photo from that day of me going out just a year ago with 2 Walleye trolling rods and 2 bass rods running flatlines for coho with my brother and nephew........Now fast forward a year later after being a somewhat active member on this site and getting to know some awesome folks especially Big shout out to Bill (Angry Pirate) who is never too busy answer questions over text or take me out and school me, my style of fishing and my boat have completely went in the trolling direction. I now run 12 rod spread out of a little 17 foot boat, Here is a photo from yesterday with my brother and my nephew almost a year to date from when the first photo was taken of just one side of the boat lol.

As spring has finally decided to show her beautiful face and the weather breaks and the fish move deep I look forward to making some big water runs with the big boats and making some big memories!

Good read Jums. I think a lot of us feel the same way as you. It's about the only type of fishing I do now. Lake michigan and its salmon have that draw that keeps us all coming back. Hope you have a great season.

That’s awesome Jums I’m glad I have been able to help you learn and put more fish in the box. I can’t lie I enjoy teaching and helping guys with fishing. Especially when the person I am talking to is very passionate about it.

I am right there with you Jum's. Bought my boat in 14 and never really planned to take it out on the big lake - it was just going to be for smaller lakes and Ky and Bull Shoals lakes. Then a co-worker turned me on to the salmon. I owe a lot to a lot of various people but the Irish Prince was the one who got me into it initially. I still have a ton to learn but feel I have come so far in a couple of years. I am not sure I want to run 12 poles on my 17' but can run 9 with pretty safely.

I started in a triton bass boat, then the stratos walley boat......and now well I have the gas guzzler. Amazing how things change

Awesome setup you got here. Last year I went to order a 16 footer while dealer was urging go up a foot and wider. I thought he’s trying to make extra 7000$ but somehow I went with 17ft he had on display. I could not thank him more. Plan was to do simple walleye panfish rig... now I’m waiting for a kicker, traxtech’es in my bucket list, already got 15 rods.... gonna go to Calumet see Frank for to get autopilot installed... no day other when kids were born was better than on the big lake.
Good luck with your rig and keep updating us!