# Mousing from a Drift Boat



## 1siena (Apr 15, 2007)

I did a search and didn't find anything...

When people are mousing from a boat, are you anchoring and working over an area. Move a little downstream, anchor and work oer the area. Etc etc.

Ore are you mousing while the boat is moving? (Much like streamer fishing from a boat)

I'm asking about smaller rivers such as the PM.

Thanks.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

1siena said:


> I did a search and didn't find anything...
> 
> When people are mousing from a boat, are you anchoring and working over an area. Move a little downstream, anchor and work oer the area. Etc etc.
> 
> ...


Most people that I know are wading.


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Over the years of being a member and then a mod here in MS it amazes me how many members merely "take" from the site and rarely, if ever, "give". Many members need to ask themselves, "When was the last time that I gave a report, especially with photos, from a trip?" That would be a great way to do a quid pro quo that would be a great way to "give".


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## 1siena (Apr 15, 2007)

Whit1 said:


> Over the years of being a member and then a mod here in MS it amazes me how many members merely "take" from the site and rarely, if ever, "give". Many members need to ask themselves, "When was the last time that I gave a report, especially with photos, from a trip?" That would be a great way to do a quid pro quo that would be a great way to "give".


I've read the way people respond when a report is given..."holding the fish too long, don't give location info, nice straight arm pose, why are you keeping them, etc etc" I understand what you are saying, but it seems like there have been more than one time that a report with pics always hased casued a stir. Seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation...


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## Tooters (Jul 7, 2007)

mousing is a nightime activity. it make sence to wade in familiar waters.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

1siena said:


> I've read the way people respond when a report is given..."holding the fish too long, don't give location info, nice straight arm pose, why are you keeping them, etc etc" I understand what you are saying, but it seems like there have been more than one time that a report with pics always hased casued a stir. Seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation...


But when someone continually looks for advice/info and never posts any results.....

What rod, what reel, which boat, which motor, how about this stretch, that river, what can I expect, early kings, mousing, anchors, the list goes on.

Seems to be a pattern there. Yes we do have most of the answers, but it's a two-way street. Many of our members take valueable time to respond to your endless milking, yet never see anything constructive from your end.


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## lyrick (May 15, 2007)

Only time we mouse from a the boat is when we can't cover the whole area by just wading and then the boat has always been anchored. But I don't own a boat so I am at the mercy of who ever I happen to be with. We will also use the boat for a kid to mouse from. When doing this we are wading holding the boat in place very slowly moving the boat down stream. When mousing you are looking at covering the water thoroughly not quickly. Fishing from a moving boat covers water very quickly. But mousing is realitivly new, try it different ways and report back. You may teach us all something new.


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## 1siena (Apr 15, 2007)

Didn't realizge I was ticking people off....won't have to worry about it anymore. Now you can keep track of other people. Later.



Shoeman said:


> But when someone continually looks for advice/info and never posts any results.....
> 
> What rod, what reel, which boat, which motor, how about this stretch, that river, what can I expect, early kings, mousing, anchors, the list goes on.
> 
> Seems to be a pattern there. Yes we do have most of the answers, but it's a two-way street. Many of our members take valueable time to respond to your endless milking, yet never see anything constructive from your end.


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

1siena said:


> Didn't realizge I was ticking people off....won't have to worry about it anymore. Now you can keep track of other people. Later.


They do have a point.


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## Bull Market (Mar 12, 2005)

I thought this was a "mousing" thread. And, I'm anxiously awaiting any responses from avid drift boat guys. I wade exclusively when I'm mousing. Don't own a boat, but I'm curious as to how the drift boat guys attack the sport. Maybe I'd like to add a boat to my arsenal. Any drift-boaters want to chime in??


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## rwenglish1 (Jan 6, 2007)

Shoeman said:


> But when someone continually looks for advice/info and never posts any results.....
> 
> What rod, what reel, which boat, which motor, how about this stretch, that river, what can I expect, early kings, mousing, anchors, the list goes on.
> 
> Seems to be a pattern there. Yes we do have most of the answers, but it's a two-way street. Many of our members take valueable time to respond to your endless milking, yet never see anything constructive from your end.


 
Shoeman, I think you hit a bleeder, atleast not very tough skinned. I have a mouse fishing story, but it would take to long to tell right now. It was from a drift boat, and all I can say Shoeman, is I wish I would have put your boat motor bracket on my boat. I have not switched them yet and I paid the price the other night on the Au Sable. 

I am sure there is a fly fisherman still laughing who was wading and fishing when my fiascal went down. But that will be a story on it's own.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Sounds like quite the firedrill, RW

We've tried mousing in a boat on the Muskegon, but have yet to hook-up. More than likely it was in the wrong area, but from past experiences darkest nights appear to best (no moon) and those aren't the safest for boating. Even wading can be tricky unless you're very familiar with the water. I was introduced to mousing by a former member that had mastered it. He would take a small stretch of river, probably less than a 1/4 mile and work it for several hours. Much of that stretch was slower in current and sported quite a bit of lumber. The number of hits was astonishing. 
I remember a radio tag study that revealed travels for one of the trout to be upward of 2 miles a night and have it return to its hideout at daybreak. Funny that the majority of mouse trout are over 20". I hope Matt (Nighttimer) chimes in. He's another trophy hunter that sees things in a different dimension many of us can only dream of.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Ralf, I was mousing at Jons last year. A full moon night I lost all my mice (all two of them  ) to pike. Switched over to what I had, BIG bass hair poppers, put them on a straight 16# leader for bite off resistance. went on to caught three browns over 20" in a 150' section of horseshoe bend. Didn't catch a darn thing mousing the next four nights. LOL


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

The guy I know who does it has the ability to start at midnight and quit at 5am (and he is 60 years old). I don't have that go-power.

He floats it with a drag chain.


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## Nighttimer (Jul 24, 2001)

Shoeman said:


> I hope Matt (Nighttimer) chimes in. He's another trophy hunter that sees things in a different dimension many of us can only dream of.


You dragged me in, Ralf.  I would highly advise agaisnt mousin from a boat if you haven't done it with an experienced, nighttime rower. No matter how good you think you know a stretch in the daylight, it isn't the same. Not only is it unsafe, but you affect others fishing the same stretch. I have a few nights where a boat/boats come through bouncing off every bank, rock, or piece of wood in the river. Its not very curtious to other fisherman.

Wading is the best way to learn mousin. Learn the right speed, the right presentation. If the water is wadeable, I would choose wading over fishing from a boat anyday. You cover the water more thoroughly that way. Sometimes the trout slide on the inside of holes or sit in the center of the river in the dark. Places a boat would otherwise spook them.

If you decide to try from a boat, you don't want to anchor. Its not a safe thing to do for yourself or other boaters on the river. Float like you would streamers...a slow backrow. 

Thats my .02


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