while my boys are now fully grown...back in the day one of the biggest challenges was addressing boredom. No matter how well you fish or how good the fishing is...its almost impossible to consistently put each boy on fishing. 2-3 fish an hour is a good rate but with 4 fisherman...thats over an hour between fish at the best of times. Since trolling is not an active activity like casting...its even tougher no kids. Solutions:
Rotate rather than assign rods. This way everyone gets a turn and nobody goes home with no fish caught where someone else caught 4.
Watch for boredom signs and be ready to pickup. Forcing kids to stay out makes them less likely to want to go again. Doesn't mean go home. Maybe grab an ice cream or pizza. Go for a swim. Go cast for some smallmouth.
Bring games. Games that fit well on a boat with some wind (cards don't do well) like Yahtzee or boggle etc.
Be 100% ready to drop lines BEFORE you leave the dock. Futzing with tackle for 1/2 hour before you are fully deploys starts things on a wrong foot.
Assign "duties" to each boy so they get involved.
Have the boy "on deck" choose one rod for which he can go through your tackle box and have you put on any bait. If he chooses a rubber frog...throw it out there! That rod likely won't catch any fish but it involves them in decisions...who knows maybe you catch a salmon on a rubber frog!
If you can't beat the boredom...go home before things get more intense.
Of course increasing your catch rate is awesome but it will be rare that your catch rate exceeds boredom rates for young boys. Do your best to increase catch by buying from and talking to local shots mentioned above and maybe even chartering a guide. Join facebook groups related to salmon fishing on Winni. Talk to other fisherman...many times you get luke warm responses to message board broadcasts for "put me on fish" but if you see someone report success on a board...direct message them with your situation and ask for help and promise discretion in sharing spots and methods. The FishLakeWinni.com website has grown very inactive but there are searchable archives in the message boards for over a decade that talk specifically to how to target Winni salmon.
Bottom line:
-Address Boredom
-Do everything you can to increase catch rate BEFORE leaving the dock
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