Fishin’ With Capt. Gus! Boat Names 7-17-11-1.jpg

Photo Courtesy of Capt. Gus

Jill and Leonard Taylor of Cornelius, NC holding three flathead catfish caught on July lake Norman fishing trip



Fishin’ With Capt. Gus!
Boat Names
7-17-11



What’s in a boat name?



“A YACHT OF FUN”, “KNOT WORKING” and “SEAS THE DAY” are not misspelled words in a phrase or sentence, but are names of boats. Naming a vessel gives the owner the opportunity to make a statement, whether it’s serious or just plain fun. Some names have hidden or double meanings, while with others, the intent isn’t quite as obvious. Each takes a lot of thought and originality.



Names like “WIND DANCER”, “WIND WEAVER”, “SECOND WIND”, “THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND” and “BLEW BAYOU” are often on the transoms of sailboats. Fishing boats get tagged with names like “REEL TIME”, “ REEL MUSIC”, “ REEL LADY”, “ REEL BUSY” and “MEALS ON REELS”. Then there are others like “ FISH TALES”, “ FISHTRATION”, “THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY”, “ SWORD DANCER”, “CATCH 22” and “GET THE NET”.



Some are named after fictional vessels, like the “PEQUOD”, a whaling ship that sailed the seven seas in search of Moby Dick. Another, named “ORCA” was the fishing boat that was sunk by a great white shark named Jaws. And, the ”LEAKIN’ LENA”, is a sailboat that took the cartoon characters Beanie and Cecil (a sea serpent) on one adventure after another in the early sixties.



There are names of real ships that are frequently recycled by boat owners. A few popular ones are the “SANTA MARIA”, “MAYFLOWER”, “PT 109”, “USS NAUTILUS”, “BISMARK” and the “ROBERT E. LEE”. The best known ship of all time is probably the “TITANIC”, a British luxury liner that struck an iceberg and sank to the ocean bottom in 1912 with 1517 passengers aboard.


A lady named Patty, labeled her pontoon boat “THE PATTY WAGON”. Another, probably a guy new to boating, labeled his cruiser,” HARVEY DOCK BANGER”. There is a house boat with the unique name, “WHAT’S LEFT”. Others like “FISH AND CHICKS”, “KNOT ON CALL”, “YOUR AD HERE”, “GRUMPY BEAR”, “THE DOG HOUSE”, and “GOT DEBT” say something about the boat owner.



Finally, the “SS MINNOW” of Gilligan’s Island fame, brings to mind the hapless and sometimes funny things that happen on the water. And, there must be more Gillians out there or we wouldn’t see boats with names like, ”HOPE IT FLOATS”, “HIGH N DRY”, “TOWED A LOT”, “BOTTOM BUMPER” and “HULL BUSTER”.



Boat names are a dime a dozen, but each has a slip at the dock. When you have a little time, think of a name that will best suit the yacht you are dreaming about buying.



Upcoming events:
Free Fishing Seminar: “Bank and Dock Fishing for Sunfish, White Perch, Catfish and Bass” will be discussed at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. p.m. I will cover everything from fishing with cane poles, hooks and bobbers, to using live and cut baits. Suggestions will be given about the best places to fish from shore and where the white perch are biting. Bring the entire family! Contact 704-658-0822 for additional information.



Hot Spots of the Week: Catfish and some stripers are in the main river channel from Marker 7, south to the dam. Best fishing is after dark and early morning. White perch continue to please anglers who are “fun fishing” with children or for lots of fish to fry. Look for them in deep coves and points. The larger fish are deep (40' to 60’).



In spite of the heat, bass fishing continues to be good to very good. Deep is the key word. Fish deep docks, brush and humps during the day. Crappie are hitting around bridge pilings after dark, and catfish are plentiful day and night.




Tips from Capt. Gus: Tip your Sabiki fly or jigging spoon with a small piece of white perch. The scent will attract larger perch, cats and bass.



The surface water temperature varies by location, but is mainly in the high eighties in open waters not affected by power generation. The water level is about 2.1 ' below full pond on Lake Norman and 2.9' below on Mountain Island Lake.



Capt. Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an Outdoor Columnist and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, www.Fishingwithgus.com or call 704-617-6812.