1st Dogfish of the Year

1st Dogfish of the Year!
Yesterday I went to Mille Lacs for a little bit of multi-species angling. I started in the Isle Island Canal for panfish. I caught 2 small crappies 1 sunfish and one milting perch. There were tons of baitfish in this canal along with several muskie; At one point I had two 40 something inch muskies swimming side by side right under the boat. Apparently the crappie had been going good in the canal up until the cold weather a couple of days ago.

As the day wore on I decided to try "Dogfish Nirvana" which is a very small bay over by the State Park Isle Bay. For some reason there always seems to be dogfish in this particular cut. I got in there and started tossing a 1/2 White Jig and pig. As I made my way in I spotted a nice doggy right in front of me. I was able to make a couple of casts and bounce the jig off his white nose, but he didn't bite. The boat then passed over the fish and I had to spin around. I re-spotted the fish and cast passed it. I then hopped the bait closer and closer, sure enough it struck and I set the hook. I fought the dogfish until it was plum wore out and then I netted it. It was a dark fish (looked a lot like doggy drawing above) that measured 30 inches. YES! What a way to start for doggies this year.

I think I saw another smaller fish in "Dogfish Nirvana" too.

Fishing Goals 2006

Crappie:
1. Catch 14inch or bigger
2. Find the Crappies this spring on Platte

Dogfish:
1. Repeat as MN Bowfin Grand Champion
2. Catch a State Record Doggy (Current Record 10lb15oz 32"/15"- 31"/14.5")

Walleye:
1. Catch a 30inch fish.

Pike:
1. Win or place in the money in Hillman Lions Platte Lake Pike Tournament (August)

Bass:
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 7lb Largemouth
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth
3. Catch 40 Bass@ or over 19inches or 4lbs.
4. Catch 60 Smallmouth.

Team Bass Trail:
1. Win 2 Tournaments (1@Horseshoe)
2. Win Big Bass 2 Times
3. Place in the Money 4 times
4. Never Finish below 10th place
5. Limit every tournament
6. Average over 2.25lbs per fish
7. Make the Super Stars Tournament

New Lakes to Fish:
Osakis (Team Bass)
Bordon

Rock Off

April 9th
Got the boat in the water at Rock, and the engine fired right up. Unfortunately, I forgot the Garmin and the GPS.

I fished around by the Bulldog inlet and the RPRO, nothing doing; there was some activity in some shallow water. I thought I saw a sucker.

Rock Again

April 8th
About 5PM I headed over to rock. Right away I got a 16"bass on the Silver Panther. About an hour later I got a 22" Bass on the green flu flu and a minnow. The fish had a huge head but thinned down by the tale. I don't think it was a 6lb fish, probably middle high 5. First piggey of the year.

After 7PM I headed to the GOMH. The same guys as last night were there along with a father and his two sons. One of the kids caught a decent sized bass. No Crappies, but I did think I saw some baitfish moving. The guys from last night had lighted bobbers and it sounded like they were going to stay out a while.

Rock ON

April 7th
I slept in late today. Around 5PM I thought I would see if the Rock Access was open enough for fishing yet; As it turns out the whole lake was open.

I got up on the back of the pick-up and gave it a try. The access area was protected from a faily stiff NW wind and the air temp was a cool 50 or so. I caught one sunfish on green flu flu and a small pike on the silver panther.

I went on a drive, Bulldog Open, Long Open, Sullivan Open, Platte Open. People fishing at the GOMH, I thought I saw one guy real something small in, but I'm not totally sure.

Goings on at GOMH

For those who don't know, GOMH is short for the "Grumpy Old Man Hole," which is the bridge and channel area where Platte and Sullivan lake connect.

4/4- The Second GOM sighting, GOM#3

I went to the GOMH, and darn it if I didn't get a hit on my second cast or at least what I thought was a bite on the White panther. After a few more casts, I decided to see what a jig and a minnow would do.

About that time, a van pulled up with "Lewis," aka GOM#3. He got out and caught me up on some GOM things. Lee Ander, aka GOM#2, got gangrene from stepping on a nail last July and had his right leg cut off just below the knee. That kept him cooped up for the summer, but he made it out ice fishing almost every day. Willard, aka GOM#1, did lots of the ice fishing with GOM#2. Lewis informed me that he and Willard are brothers, which I did not know. I didn't see much of Lewis at the GOMH last year. Also, Willard just had foot surgery himself and went into town shopping against the doctor's orders because he wasn't feeling any pain in his foot. Lewis was glad to hear I haven't had any heart trouble recently.

Sometime during our conversation, the guy on the NW corner of the GOMH started a grass fire. It started getting smokey, so Lewis and I left.

4/5 The First Bullheads of the season
I arrived at the GOMH at about 6:15PM and started fishing with a green flu flu and a minnow. Lo and behold, I hooked into one of those famous GOMH "jumpin bullheads" that I would say went 15". Nice, pretty, looking fish. A few casts later, I had another bullhead coming in.

Around this time, a Pick Up truck pulled up and started watching me. Not knowing who it was, I didn't bait up and hoped they would leave. Someone lady was walking along the road and started talking to the guy in the truck whose voice I thought I recognized as Lee Ander's; Sure enough, that's who it was. Soon after Lee Ander stopped, a younger guy in a car also stopped. I had to go to Bible Study, so I picked up my stuff and headed to the truck. I asked Lee Ander how he was doing, and he gave me the whole story about his leg. He also told me about his winter fishing success on Platte and Sullivan. Just as I told Lee Ander I was heading to Bible Study, up drives Willard with an offer to give me a shoe. He was talking about the shoe brace they gave him after his surgery. Naturally, Willard had to tell me all about that ordeal and how much pain he had been in. The surgery was a big success, and his recovery was speedy. Willard said he hadn't even needed to take one of the pain pills his Dr. prescribed. After about another 15-minute delay, I was off to Garrison Alliance.

Looks like I'll be hearing a lot from the GOM this spring. One can only hope they will be as entertaining as ever. Actually, it's really only Willard who is fun; he almost never stops talking.