Since I now read that the relocation of the molds for The Duck Boat Company is now complete, and Olsen Marine is taking orders for Sea Class TDB-17' hulls, I will post the results of a 3 day Chinook salmon fishing trip in northwestern Lake Michigan I took earlier this month in my TDB 17'.
Well, you can fish Chinook salmon out of a TDB-17' classic! I sold my Boston Whaler Conquest 235, with the collapse of the salmon sport fishery imminent on Lake Michigan, to a gentlemen living on San Juan Island, Washington. I decided I did not want to get caught-up in the glut of used top-end Great Lakes trolling boat hulls that will likely be flooding the market in the next couple years. So I am obligated to fish out of my TDB while I wait to see whether the alewife forage stock will collapse over the next year; the 2014 year-class of fish essentially consists of "it" for the spawning age adult segment of the stock, down from eight sexually mature age classes in 2007.
I made a jig to guide my hole saw and bit at the proper angle to mount a pair of Smith Stainless rod holders in the gunnels that would allow me to "nest" a pair of gimbaled Bert's Tracks and three ratcheting Bert's rod holders per side, which is matches the legal number of rods out for two fisherman. By running copper and 5-7 color leadcore set-ups off in-line boards, along with a pair of in-line wire diver rods, I can present spoons, flasher-fly dodger rigs and meat rigs at depth strata from 25 to around 100' successfully. After getting stoned the first night out, the following morning was more fruitful, ending in a five fish limit, with one male topping 25lbs. The fish are primarily in the 15 to 18lbs range, which is, to me, almost ideal size for consumption. I only had to contend with one double, which was a "fire drill" experience: grab a rod and set the fish, then back-off the drag to let it run and do the same on the other fish, then come-back and get tight to fish number one again while steering the boat to put line pressure on the second fish.
I made one significant mistake. I should have removed the Styx River camouflage foam mats from the deck. I have the fitted pair that came with the boat sitting on top of a layer of trimmed to fit commercial kitchen locking edge mats; nice cushion and floor insulation that drains during duck season, but now covered with fish slime and salmon scales that, on two attempts to remove via the shop vac., still remain at least at 50% of the original number. While I am glad I brought an iced-full 100quart cooler on board, stuffed up in the bow. I wish I could figure out a way to allow it to drain, other than simply run-out on deck and run back to the sump.
I've found that, with a tiller extension and the throttle lock on the Honda 50hp main's tiller, I can stand and play fish, guiding the boat via the tiller extension held between my knees. In a large pack of boats, this will likely not work-out as well...particularly when it comes to netting a good sized fish while holding it on its side one-handed. A net far smaller than those used by most Great Lakes trollers works far better, since it affords better control once the hoop is down in the water a foot or so. A net bag retention clip on the net handle, made from a Scotty downrigger release, is a must-have item for a solo fisherman.