the ice is out and the long winter has past
and i cannot wait to get on the water.
all the old timers tell have labeled
me as a fool, i have no fish finder
just my canoe and a troller, nor do i have a large assortment or even the understanding
of how to use anything beyond a texas jig
i know the fish are deep and i know they are still and mellow.
so tell me do i stand a chance of getting the best of the old timers ???
any words of experience beyond respect your elders that would assist

Waz,
You're right, the fish will be deep at least for awhile, but with a canoe and trolling motor you can go just about anywhere you want.
You don't need as lot of tackle, I would suggest a jig and pig combo, fished slowly in deeper waters. Black and blue or brown are good colors.
Even without sonars you should be able to lo0ok at the banks and determine if the water is shallow or deep. A cast with the jig can tell you also. As the jig sinks, count one thousand one- 1002-1003 etc as it sinks. Each number counted will represent about one foot in depth. When the line goes slack you've hit bottom. I would suggest fishing no less than fiftten feet deep for now and gradually move shallower as the waters warm. A 1/2 ounce spinnerbait in silver and white is another good -any-depth bait. Fish it slowly in deeper water, faster in shallower water. Good luck to you, spring really IS coming. Johnnie