Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Skunk Ice Fishing Platte

Ice Conditions Platte Lake: 10inches of honeycombed ice.

I went out fishing today and the ice was rotten from top to bottom. It never got below freezing last night and the wind worked the water on top of the ice through the ice column. The lake has even turned dark at this point. Open water could be here within a week if the correct conditions prevail, which they just might.

BTW-Didn't catch anything but saw a pike go by high in the water column.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

3 Days

Rock Lake 3/18
I fished from about Noon till Dark, it was sunny but cool with Temps right at freezing. I tried the spot I've been wanting to try on the SE part of the lake. I would mark fish occasionally but I think they were nothing but small crappie and perch. That was all I caught any way a few small crappie and perch. At about 3 I tried heading to the northern basin where I encountered dead water and a few small perch. I drilled holes close to the small NW point and saw sunnies on the Aqua View. At dusk I headed back to where I started and landed a couple of small crappies and 1 sunfish. Overall a disappointment.

Platte Lake 3/17
I headed out to the CollegeOutdoorsGuy Hole and did nothing but mark fish which I never did catch. Probably small sunnies and perch. Arrived around 5 done at dark.

Sullivan Lake 3/16
Headed out to the West Access Hole at Dusk. Got 1 small Crappie and 2x10" Keepers on Demon's and minnows. That was it.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

2005 BP Big Bass Review

2004 Big Bass Review

2005:

21.5" Caught 10/12/05

Largemouth:
Measured by length:
21inch 1Bass Platte Lake White Sizmic Frog

20inch 7Bass
Lakes: 4 Sullivan, 2 Platte, Rock
Baits: 3 Green Deadstick Rogue, White JigNPig, BrownChart JigNpig, Glow Demon and Minnow, Red Snagproof Bobby's Perfect Frog

19inch 17Bass
Lakes: 9 Sullivan, 2 Platte, 2 Bone (WI), 2 Towline, Blackwater, Rock
Baits: 3 Blue/Black JigNPig Denny Brauer 3x Chunk, 3 Brown Snagproof Bobby's Perfect Frog, 2 Green Deadstick Rogue, 2 White Snag Proof Frog, Chart Cubby Mini Mite, Beetle Spin, Silver Deadstick Rogue, 4" Senko, White JigNPig, Black SnagProof Frog, Brown/Chart Jig.


Smallmouth:
Measured by Length:
19inch 3Bass
Lake: Mille Lacs
Bait: Skitter Prop Blaze, Gold Frenzy Popper, Purple Frenzy Popper

Measured by weight:
4-00 Koronis Berkley Frenzy Popper Bullfrog


BP's Thoughts: I consider a big bass in MN as anything bigger than 19" or over 4lbs. Generally Tournaments in MN will have the Big Bass be a 4 to 5lb fish with an occasional 6lber.

The way the year started out I really thought I was gonna slay the big bass but the results ended up just being OK and just about the same as 2003 and 2004; (I didn't keep track of big fish in 2003). In 2004 I caught 26, in 2005 the number is 29 or so. I just could not find the big fish or larger concentrations of fish in Platte this year either. By the numbers it is clear that Sullivan was again my best bet for big bass.

My biggest Largemouth in 2005, 21.5inches, was one of the last bass I caught for the year. The Biggest Smallie was a 19.75" Chunk out of Mille Lacs Lake.

Here's some Pics of this years fish (Click to enlarge)

Solid 19" from the Pro, caught while fishing with my brothers Steve and Todd.


These two 19"ers were caught out of the Pro on a Black and Blue Jig


This 19.75" was my biggest Smallie of the Year 2005, I got two others that day that were 4lbs or bigger.


Caught this 20inch fish in June. I am pretty sure it came off a dock on a jig.


20 incher caught on Cubby Mini-Mite in the Spring.


Bone Lake 19+


2nd Bone Lake 19+


A Grumpy Old Man Hole Lunker.


18.75" Dock fish caught on the MN openner.


20+ Fish caught on a swim jig at the PRO

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Two hefty dogs. 1 dock fish, 1 slop fish, both on Frogs.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Mixed bag

It was sunny and so I decided to head out even with a chill in the air. I thought it wasn't windy but it kind of was out of the NW. I got out around 3:30 or so. I first set up on the point out front where I quickly learned that the battery for the Aqua View needed a charge. I caught a couple of perch and a small pike.

At 5:30 I headed out off the N side of the Big Island and found a pre-drilled hole in 9ft of water; Somebody had been fishing there earlier in the day. I think there were sunfish in the spot that I couldn't catch cause I had no grubs. I caught 2 8-9" Crappies and a bullhead before it got dark and I gave up.

Hopefully it will warm up this week.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Fishing With Cyb on West Rush

West Rush Lake Report: The Cyberfish secret spot was only good for Cyberfish and that for about 5 minutes. The schools of Crappies really seemed to be on the move today and the action was there for sporadic bursts, the average crappie size left something to be desired too. Overall we had a good time and when the sun was out, and there was no wind, it was a heck of a nice morning and early afternoon. Thank goodness it wasn't a BP vs. Cyberfish competition day because he pretty much cleaned everyones clock. Maybe I'll have to challenge him to a big Crappie Contest at next weeks G.E.M. Outing.