1 Little Pike Platte Lake Dock

It was raining today and so I had to go an put the cover on the boat. Naturally when I was done with that I threw a few casts from the dock. I used a white Monsoor Swim Jig with a Pearl Essence 5" Action Plastics Super Mag Grub. I had a follow from a small pike and then a couple of casts later I caught a small pike and that was it for action.

Platte Lake Oct 16th: Something Anyway

Conditions: Today there was sun and the high temp was 61. It was breezy with a 15 to 20mph wind out of the NW. It settled down to a 7mph wind around 6PM. I was out from about 5PM to 7:10PM

The Report:I headed straight back to the spot that was so good to me yesterday and there was nothing there. I fished the area and eventually started working my way down "The Trench" breakline and I got the 15.25" bass in the pic. It hit on a white with white single Colorado blade spinnerbait with bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke trailer. I did throw a marker and worked the area hard with the spinnerbait. I caught a little pike and that was it. If I had it to do over I would have thrown a lipless crank and the crawtube as well. I worked my way around "The Trench" catching 2 more pike. I gave the point off the South tip of the small island a try but didn't get anything.

Around 6PM I made a move to hit up by the maidencaine across from the public access in the Big West Bay. Unfortunately the wind was a little more out of the West than North and I didn't have mostly calm water until I got right up by shore. That was unproductive and a little before 7PM I made a move to hit the rice patch in the middle of the bay where I got into some fish about a week ago. There was still a ripple on the water but the wind had calmed down to under 5MPH, so I tried throwing the Repo Man. It was getting a little dark and with the ripple on the water I kept getting hung up in weeds. Finally I was going to make one last cast with the Repo Man. Sure enough a fish swirled on it a couple of times before hooking up. It felt like a good fish but it got down in the weeds and got off. A couple casts later a little pike came shooting out of the water at the Repo Man, but missed. That was the extent of the nights actions.

Platte Lake Oct. 15th: Hmmmm...Yeah!

Conditions: A very nice day but a bit cooler than it's been. Sun with temps in the high 50's. Wind was out of the SE at about 4-7 turning calm around 6:40PM. I fished from about 4:30PM to 7:10PM

The Report:I started by hitting the first dock to the West of the lake place. Nothing. I then continued in that direction and had a hit, missed it. In fact as I kept going that direction I missed the first 5 hits I got. Visions of another skunk were running in my head until I got this dude on a spinnerbait.

Yeah, no skunk!

I fished the last 3 docks on the South Shore of the Big Middle Bay. That wasn't happening and it was coming up on 6PM and I needed to make a move. I decided to go to the South shore of Platte just to the SE of the small island. I don't think I've fished in this area for at least 3 years. I started out on the weed flat fishing in extremely sparse reeds. I managed to catch one small pike out there on a white Monsoor Swim Jig with pearl essence 5" Action Plastic Super Mag Grub. I worked my way West and towards shore eventually getting to a thicker reed bed. I was working my way around those thicker reeds throwing the swim jig when I got on the lake side where the reeds thinned out considerably. I made a cast by a couple of isolated reeds and I got hit, then hit again, then on the third hit the fish hooked up. I fully expected it to be a pike, but it was this 14.25" bass.

The end of the tail got bit off the grub, but I cast it right out over the same spot and had another bass on that was the same size jump off right at the boat. I cast back to the spot again and got a 13.50" largie. I decided to give the Repo Man a try and it took a couple of casts, but I got 13.50" on that. Then nothing, so I tried the swim jig and nothing. I cast a junebug crawtube to the spot and got bit, but I missed on the hookset. Same thing on the next cast. On the third try I got a 14.75" and that was it. I tried throwing a few more things and it seemed the bite ended. I put a new Super Mag Grub on the swim jig. I cast over the hot spot from a different angle and had a hit that didn't hook up. Cast back a couple of times more and nothing. I then cast back with the crawtube and got a 13.75" and 14.25" on consecutive casts and that seemed to be it for the spot.

It was now about 6:50PM and getting dark quick, and I made the decision to fish the point that comes off the South tip of the small Island. It was a good call. I smacked this 17.5", obviously on the Repo Man.

A couple of casts later a 17.25" largie just lit up the Repo Man right after it landed. I had one more blow up on the Repo Man but it didn't hook up and it didn't come back for seconds. As it was getting dark I moved the boat off the end of the point and was casting over the tip before the drop off with a white single white Colorado blade spinnerbait when I got the last bass of the night, which was 14".

It looks like the secret to catching bass on Platte right now is to find a pod of fish. Easier said than done as the previous two days of no bass proves. I'm not sure what was so special about that one little area to give up so many fish. I plan to go back there tomorrow and try it again and GPS it.

Platte Lake Oct 14th: Skunked, Yes Skunked

Conditions: Wasn't much different than yesterday with temps in the mid 60's, but today the winds were blowing much harder 20mph+ out of the NW. Just as I was heading out I heard on the radio that a front had come through today. Water temps seemed to be 55-57. I got out for a couple of hours until dark.

I ran across the big middle bay to protected water where a couple of docks that are still in the water are located on the end of North Platte Lake Road peninsula point. Nothing on the docks. I out to try the edges of the reed bed and had a good hit with a baby bass Zoom Super Fluke. Unfortunately I didn't hook up. I tried topwaters and spinnerbaits, but nothing happened so I headed across the weed flat heading NE.

The spinnerbait I was getting the pike on yesterday wasn't doing anything, so I tied on a white spinnerbait with white single Colorado blade. I got a couple of hits that I didn't bring in near of in the the reed bed in the middle North of the bay. Topwater wasn't happening at all.

As it was getting dark I made a quick move to fish the outside edge of the big Eastern reed bed. Didn't get any hits there.

Unfortunately I think the topwater bite might be done for the year. To be honest I am not really sure where to go to find bass in Platte now.

Platte Lake Oct 13th: Bassless

Conditions: Today was sunny with temps in the mid 60's with about a 12MPH WNW wind switching to the SW around 6:30PM. I fished from about 4:30PM to 7:15PM

The Report:
My first stop was the reed bed off of the end of the Platte Public Access Peninsula Point. It was nice because it was semi-protected from the wind. I started with topwater but quickly switched from that to a 1oz brown, green pumpkin, and orange spinnerbait with large tandem copper Indiana blades. On the first cast I smacked a small pike. A couple minutes later I got another small pike, and after that I got a 25" pike.

Something got lit up in shallower water and I went in to investigate, but I couldn't make anything happen. I went back to where I was getting the pike, but now the area was dead, so I headed out onto the weed flat. After catching a couple more small pike. I switched to a 1oz brown, green pumpkin, and orange spinnerbait with large tandem copper Willowleaf blades. I ended up catching 5 more small pike with that.

I worked my way across the weedflat to the Southern shoreline of Channel Inn Bay were there is the remains of the summer rice beds. It looked good but it was dead. It was around 6:30PM and sunlight was diminishing quickly, so I was making my way out of the rice when I had a hit on a white Horny Toad. I wasn't paying attention and didn't really get a hookset and the fish came off.

When I got out of the rice I headed to the Big Middle Bay to the reeds where I got into the bass last night. One big problem, the wind had shifted out of the SW and it was blowing on the area pretty good. I gave up on topwater pretty quick and went to the spinnerbait. I got a couple of hits but didn't hook up. Eventually I went in closer to shore where it was calm. I had a hit on the Repo Man but didn't hook up and that was it for action.

I caught 10 pike total.

Platte Lake Oct 12th: Topwater Flurry Late Saves Trip

Conditions: Today was cooler than it has been with temps in the mid 60's and sun. It was windy out of the W NW which I didn't like, but it seemed around 6:30 the wind lowered a bit and shifted more out of the North thus giving me almost calm conditions. Water temps had dropped into the high 50's from the low 60's yesterday. I fished from a little after 5PM to about 7:15PM

The Report:
I was hoping the North shoreline would be protected so I headed across the bay to the North Shore just a bit to the West of where I started yesterday. The shore was sort of protected but only very close in as the wind was more out of the West than North. Basically I fished the same water I started on yesterday. There was nothing on the docks. I had a hit on a spinnerbait that didn't hook up and I got a small pike somewhat close to shore on the Repo Man.

Around 6:30PM I made a move to hit the weed flat on the North End of the Big Middle Bay. Due to the wind I went much farther to the West than where I fished yesterday. I stopped in the middle of an area that had space reeds that had stalks that were cut off. The wind pushed me to the SE. I just kept working the back side of the reed bed and eventually I happened into a school of bass with the Repo Man. I got a 14.25" and a 14.75" then I missed 3 consecutive bites including what looked to be a 16" largie that got off right at the boat. I then got a 14.5", 15", missed a strike, 14.25", small pike, and a 14.75" all on the Repo Man.
The way things started out I worried that I might get a skunk, because I was going to try and make topwater work no matter what, but it turned out to be a fun and productive night.

Platte Lake Oct. 11th: A Little Better Night

Conditions: Today was in the high 70's with hazy sun. When I went out around 4PM there was about a 8MPH wind but I fished in protected water and it was calm by 6PM. Water temps were in the low 60's. I stopped fishing at about 7:05PM when it was quite dark.

The Report:
I started out by going to the other side of our bay (North) to fish docks. On the first dock I got a bite on a bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke and missed it. I switched to a baby bass Fluke and got hit again and missed again. Finally after casting back in a bunch of times I pulled out a 13.25" largie on the Fluke. I then got a 11.75" largie up shallow on a Paycheck Baits Repo Man. I fished a dock to the West missing a bite (I think it was small) and then I went back to the 1st dock and caught a 14.25" bass. Next I caught a 9.5" bass and 7" bass on the Repo Man. Here is the eager 7 incher:

I got a 13.5" largie between docks on a bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. Then I missed yet another dock fish with the Fluke. I pulled off the shoreline onto the flat where there had been surface activity and got a 15.25" largie on the Buzzjet Jr.

It was about 5:30PM and I wasn't getting anymore bites out on the flat so I headed out of our bay and into the Big Middle Bay and I stopped at the first dock as there were 3 in a row still in the water. I missed about 4 bites on the baby bass Fluke before finally catching a 15" largie. I think there might have been more fish under the dock but I hung the fluke and didn't get a bite with the crawtube.

I cast out towards the reeds and got a 12.75" largie on the Repo Man. On the next dock I got a small pike on a bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke and I pulled a 14.25" bass out from the end of a small tree laydown.

Next I headed out onto the flat where I found the schooling bass last week. My first fish out there was a little pike on the Repo Man. After covering lots of water with the Repo Man I finally had a bass fooling with the Repo Man and after hitting it about 5 times it finally hooked up and was my biggest of the night at 16.25". I didn't take the time to get a pic of the fish, just in case I was on the school. There wasn't a school there. I covered a bunch more water on the flat as it was getting dark. And in about a 10 minute period got a 14, and 2x 14.5"'s on the Repo Man also had a couple of pike attacks. Two of those bass took multiple strikes to hook up. Finally it was pretty dark and I had to leave to catch the Vikings game kickoff.

Platte Lake Oct 10th: Attack of the 14 Inch Bass

Condititions: Today was in the high 70's with sun for most of the day, but it got kind of hazy for about the last hour of fishing. There was wind today, but I didn't notice it where I was fishing and it was calm by 6PM. I fished from about 4:30PM to 7:20PM

As I was was pulling out from the dock there was a boat I thought I recognized heading my way. Sure enough it was one of my blog readers Mike B. and his wife. They were out enjoying the nice afternoon. He had gotten a couple of small bass and pike on a little topwater lure he made; It is a jig with a blade and plastic trailer that kind of has an action on top of the water similar to a Jitterbug. We talked for a little while then I was off the hit some docks on the South shore of the big middle bay of Platte Lake .

On the first dock I pulled a 14" and 10" bass on a bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke. Didn't get anything on the 2nd dock. On the 3rd dock I lost what looked to be about a 17" bass right next to the boat. I cast the Fluke back under the dock and got a 14" bass. Unfortunately that was it for the docks for about 150 yards because the docks that are usually there have been pulled out. There were 4 docks toward the end of the peninsula point and I missed a pike off the last one.

Next I headed to Loon Sex Point and that was a bust. I fished away's into the slop in Loon Sex Bay because I saw some activity, but nothing would hit my Horny Toad.

Next I headed off to fish in the area that has been productive near the maidencaine across from the Platte Lake Public Access. There was a duck and goose hunter sitting in the maidencaine which would prevent me from fishing some of the water I wanted too. I hit the far outside of the rice and had a fish wake on the Horny Toad. I cast back and it waked again, I let the Toad sit and the fish hit it, but I messed up the hookset by not letting the fish take it a little longer. I worked down the rice a little ways to where I saw some activity but nothing was going. I decided to head out to where there was still some standing rice farther out in the bay. I wasn't going to fish the area much longer when I got a 14" largie on a "Drag Stripper" color Paycheck Baits Repo Man. A couple of minutes later I got a 13.5" that just lit up the Repo Man. Then I had a couple of bass come all the way out of the water hitting the Repo Man but neither hooked up despite striking multiple times. Both of these fish were 14 inch class. Before it got to dark to fish I got a 14.25", and two more 14" bass, plus missing one more bass and a pike.

Sure the fish were not huge, but I had fun.

Platte Lake Oct 7th: Prime Time

I wish I would have gotten out sooner on this lovely day. Today had a light SW wind with sun and temps in the 70's. As it was I didn't start fishing until about 5:40PM. I started on a weed flat in the Big West Bay (Public Access Bay). First I went with the Repo Man, but that didn't get looked at. I switched to a white spinnerbait and caught a small pike on that. Eventually I switched up to a purple (blue shiner) Berkley Frenzy Popper. I got a 13" bass on that, then had a pike steal the lure, glad I've still got tons of them. I tied on another purple BFP and threw that some more along with a Herb's Dilly Buzzbait. Eventually I worked myself in shallower where there was sort of a dense patch of brown rice; Here I was throwing a white Sizmic Toad and on one of my casts through the rice it looked like a little pike was waking the thing. I cast back and it happened again. I cast back one more time and when the fish showed behind it, I killed it in place. After a second there was a big swirl. I made sure the fish had it and set the hook. It wasn't a little pike, but a 19.75" bass that was close to 5lbs(pic).

I worked my way over to some thicker slop (rice, reeds, and pads). I had a hit on the end of a long cast that didn't get the Toad. I worked the area hard with a number of lures but couldn't get another strike. With the sun setting I made the call to head across the bay by the maidencaine where I got fish a few nights ago. There was a little breeze and ripple on the water. I went with the Herb's Dilly but that hauled water. The farther I got into the weeds the calmer it got and I started fishing the Sizmic Toad quickly hoping a fish would show itself. I got something to wake a few times but it wouldn't hit. I kept moving in towards shore and had a hit on the Toad on the end of a long cast in the pads that didn't hook up. I got a second chance at this fish on the Toad and missed it again. I pitched a junebug crawtube into the pads and sure enough it got picked up. It was a 13.5" bass. I was now close enough to cast to the last patch of bullrushes. Something waked on the Toad. On a subsequent cast a fish lit it up but I missed it on the hookset. That was my last bite of the night.

Platte Lake Oct 6th: A Good Night That Could Have Been Great.

Unfortunately I forgot the camera.
Conditions: Today was sunny and in the high 60's with a 10MPH wind out of the NW that turned calm a little after sunset. I fished from 4PM to 7:10PM.

Naturally I tried to catch that fish off Sherman's dock that I missed yesterday, but it was a no show. I worked a bit on the other side of Sherman's dock, long enough to know that the area to Jenny's probably wasn't going to give me much. I decided to hit wind protected docks on the North End of the big central bay.

On the very first dock I had a good pick up on a bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke but when I set the hook the line broke. Not sure if it was a pike or maybe part of the dock cut my line. The tag end was frayed up pretty good. I decided to head West 1 dock and give the fish a chance to recover. I think I ended up going two docks with nothing. I got back to the original dock and had a pick up that I whiffed on. I threw the white/chart tail Fluke back to the area and as I was bringing it back I spotted a 12" class bass following. It picked up the Fluke by the tail, and so I couldn't set the hook. After a couple of seconds the fish spit the Fluke instead of sucking it in.

On the other side of the dock is a shallow reed/slop patch that was holding baitfish and there were lots of leaves in the water. I couldn't get anything. About half way across the shallow reed patch I decided to chuck a white single spin white Colorado blade spinnerbait out to the edge of a reed bed that is in a little deeper water. Sure enough I hooked up on a very hard fighting fish that turned out to be a 18" largie. I made several more casts out with nothing and then fished the rest of the shallow reeds. I was casting well beyond the end of the shallow reeds when a 11.5" bass hit the spinnerbait. Next I worked myself out to the deeper reeds but nothing was happening and after about 20 minutes I headed back to the shore. Next fish was a 14" on the Fluke that I think was on the inside weedline in-between docks. The next fish was a 14.75" bass on the Fluke on the inside weedline; I missed this fish about 4 times before I finally caught it. I pulled a 9.5" bass off a boatlift. Next I caught a little pike and the Fluke was done for, so I switched up to an electric Chicken Fluke (bubblegum top, Chart belly, red tail). I got a 13" largie again on the inside weedline.

I skipped the Fluke under a dock to a boat lift and had a fish pick it up. I pulled instead of set and the fish got hung up and got off and the hook hung on the dock. As I was going in to get the hook un-hung I pitched a crawtube over the dock and under the boat and I ended up pulling out a 11.25" largie. I got the crawtube rigged up and pitched it back to the same spot and had another fish pick it up, but I missed it on the hookset. I pitched in several more times. Finally one of the times when I was working the bait up and down it got picked up and I ended up catching a 15" largie. I couldn't get any more bites so I got the hook un-hung and moved on. I got a 13" off another dock and missed a couple of bites. As I was approaching the last dock I was going to hit, I tossed out a bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. and it got hit by a 13.25" bass.

It was now after 6:30PM and I headed out onto the weed flat trying to pull a fish on topwater. I had seen some good swirls on the flat while working the shoreline. I was throwing the Buzzjet Jr. and Paycheck Baits Repo Man and nothing was happening so I was about to make a move to the Big West Bay. I decided on one last cast with the Repo Man and sure enough it got hit by a 15" bass. On my next cast I brought in a 12.25" largie. On the next cast I connected with a 18.75". On the next cast I had another blow up, but it didn't hook up. On the next cast same thing. And then I missed another fish on the next cast. Obviously I had found and active school. On the next cast I had a huge bass come all the way out of the water but it didn't hook up. I paused the Repo Man and started working it slow and the fish blew up on it hard again. It was hooked for a second then got off. I think I had one more cast missing a fish and then it settled down. After about 5 minutes of nothing I had a fish that I think was probably a small pike repeatedly strike at the Repo Man. About 5 minutes later I missed another blow up and that was it.

It was cool to get into a school like that, but my execution was pretty pathetic.

I recorded 13 bass caught and 1 Pike. I think I might have forgotten to write down one small bass.

Platte Lake Oct5th: Avoided the Skunk

Tonight I got out fishing for about the last hour before dark. Today was warm (70+) and sunny with a pretty good SE wind.

I didn't stop at Jenny's, but did fish from the dock. I cast next to Sherman's dock and a fish boiled on the Ish's Phat Frog, but didn't get it. I cast back and this time the fish really swirled on it, but somehow I didn't hook up. Several more casts produced nothing, so I threw a Zoom Horny Toad and let it sink and sit. On about the 3rd cast of doing that, it got picked up, but I missed the fish.

Finally I got the boat untied and headed towards Sherman's/Jenny's (East). I worked the area with the missed fish hard but didn't get a thing. On the other side of Sherman's dock I made a cast up by shore and had what was sure to be a small pike swipe at and finally get the Horny Toad. When I set the hook the line got cut. I kept working my way East and when nothing happened I decided to move.

I headed to the North side of the bay where I caught fish last week on Monday. I think I got a couple of bites on docks with a crawtube, but I didn't hook anything. The sun set and I decided to head back to the South side of the bay and fish the water that would be calm near Jenny's. I got the skunk out of the boat with a small pike on a white Sizmic Toad. I figured that was going to be my only fish as it was getting dark quickly. I was making my way out of the weeds when I got another hit. I was pleased to get the 15" bass in the pic on the Sizmic. I fished for maybe 5 more minutes and then headed in.

Serpent Lake Snatcher Tournament

Serpent was the 6th and final tournament of the 2010 Baxter Bass Snatcher Bass Club schedule.

Conditions: It was in the mid '30s at blast off, but I think it got into the high 50's by tournament end. It was mostly sunny with a few clouds. Water temps seemed to be in the high 50's.

My Day:
A little before blast off I asked my boater, Tony, where we were headed and he basically told me we were going to the same bay that I had fished so successfully with boater Mark Munson two years ago. Just after Tony told me, Mark pulls up next to us and says mostly in jest "you better stay off my spots." I informed Mark that I hadn't told Tony anything, which was the truth, and that we were going where Tony wanted and I had nothing to do with it. It turned out we stopped more to the West and they started more to the East and then we fished towards one another.

First thing in the morning I was casting with a white/silver Herb's Dilly Buzzbait and actually had a fish show behind it but not take it. Eventually, I switched to a black/red spinnerbait with a large single Colorado blade. I put the first fish in the boat with it, and it was a pike. This is almost the exact same way the tournament on Serpent started two years ago. Mark and his boater 2010 Minnesota Federation Nation Tournament of Champions Champion Nate Steinbauer were approaching us when I got the fish. They were covering water quite a bit quicker than us and said they had one small bass and had caught a couple of pike as well. After they were well past us I was the first one to put a keeper bass in the boat with 13.5" fish. We were working our way East first on the deep weedline without success then we went to the inside weedline and Tony connected with a couple of keeper bass on a white spinnerbait. I switched to a white with white single Colorado blade spinnerbait and got a 14.5" largie and then a 13.25" largie on it. Just after my third bass of the day, Tony brought in a 14"+ smallmouth, which had to go back because they are now in an immediate catch and release season. Tony caught a nice bass off a dock. We worked our way back over the productive water but only caught pike and I missed a couple of bites. We worked our way back West to some docks and I dropped a small bass in front of one of them. Nothing happened after that so we moved to a weedline and some docks on the South East shore. The docks gave up nothing and we kept working down the weedline. I was casting out towards deeper water and bringing it shallow when I connected with a 16" bass on the white spinnerbait.

For a long time we fished a weed flat and picked up several pikes, but the bass just were not on the flat.  I caught a big dogfish though.  Eventually, we went West to a point on the North Shore. As we approached the point I flipped a junebug craw tube into some weeds on the break and I had a very bassy pick-up. I set the hook and was disappointed that it was another pike. We started fishing the inside weedlines and docks going east. Tony picked up a dink (non-keeper) on a dock and I stuck keeper #5, which was a 13.5" largie on a bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke in front of a dock. Tony stuck a couple of more non-keepers. Eventually, we ran out of docks and made the decision to run to where we got most of our fish, which was a good call. It wasn't long and Tony filled his limit. Soon after that I stuck a 14.5" largie on the white spinnerbait and had my tournament limit. Tony stuck a good 17"+ bass, but it turned out to be a smallmouth.

With my limit, I became totally fixated on topwater and got a 12" keeper that didn't help on a Paycheck Baits Repo Man. Not long after that, the day ended with 7 keeper bass and 11 pike.

The Results:
Weigh in proved that the fishing was kind of tough and quite a bit of drama as well. My weight came to 9lbs 4ozs which put me right in the middle of the pack in 8th. I edged Peter Johnson by 1oz despite the fact that he had the days "Lunker" (4lbs 4ozs). Beating Peter was significant because it put me 2 points over Peter in the end of the year standings and helped me capture 6th Place in AOY. 6th Place in Angler of the Year is significant because it gets a plaque and traditionally is the last slot for the Club State Tournament Team. I am not a MN State Federation Nation member, so I am not eligible to go to State but still being in that position is an honor.

My boater Tony had 10/1 which put him in a tie for 4th Place with Chuck Steinbauer. Tony won the tiebreaker with Chuck by 1oz on big fish and that 1oz cost Chuck the club Angler of the Year title (Mr. Bass). 5th Place put Chuck in a tie in the end of the year points with Guy Henkensiefken for Mr. Bass, but Guy owned that tiebreaker. Chuck was totally out of luck.

Analysis: Man was that a squeaker. I probably spent way to much time trying to make a topwater bite happen, but as it was I got lucky and it didn't cost me. The day was a bit of a thriller not getting my limit until the last hour. I think switching to that white spinnerbait was probably a key move. I could cast it farther than the black spinnerbait and a couple of my keepers came right at the start of the retrieve.

Note: Mark Munson who was my partner at Serpent in 2008 and came in 2nd at that tournament got his revenge and captured 1st Place with 11lbs 13ozs.

Next Tournament: Bass Snatchers vs. Range Bassmasters Challenge Cup at Sylvan Lake in South Cass County.

Platte Lake Sept 30th: Avoided the Skunk

Tonight I got out from about 6PM until dark around 7:30PM. Today was near 70 degrees with a 10MPH W NW wind. The wind steadily diminished and was non-existent by 7PM.

I headed out to the Big West Bay (Platte Public Access Bay) and planned to fish water that I caught 3 fish on Tuesday Night. I started quite a ways West of the area I got the fish and drifted with the wind along the sparse but definite rice edge. Right away I missed a hit from what I think was a small pike. I threw a Herb's Dilly, Buzzjet Jr., Repo Man, Texas rigged Yum Wooly Bug, and a spinnerbait. Nothing was happening and there was very little surface activity, whereas on Tuesday night there was a fair amount.

At around 7PM when the sunset I bailed to try the North side of the bay by the maidencaine. As I was getting close to the start of the rice I saw some rings in the first area of rice. I shut it down and started fishing a pumpkin Zoom Horny Toad. On about my 4th cast it got nailed by a big bass, but I didn't hook up. A few casts later I had a little pike harass the Horny Toad. I saw a little bit of movement on the surface and quickly moved to cast in that area. I made several casts with nothing, but on about the 5th cast something waked behind the bait, so I killed it and the fish took it. I set the hook and landed a 18" bass.

A couple minutes later I had a 15" class bass blast the Horny Toad, on my hookset the fish skipped across the water which caused it to get loose. I got a hit a few casts later and landed a little pike. That was my last bite.

Platte Lake Sept 29th: Slow But a Couple of Toads

Today I fished from about 4PM to 7:15PM. Conditions a first were mostly cloudy with a 15-20MPH wind out of the NW. About 6:00PM the sun came out and by 6:30 the wind died down to nothing. Temps were in the mid to high 60's. It turned into a beautiful night for fishing.

To get out of the wind I headed to the NW corner of the lake and I went shallow. I started off in the reeds near a rice bed that was practically non-existent at this point. Right away I got a small pike on a green/yellow Herbs Dilly Buzzbait. I moved up very close to shore into pads and sparse rice and scored a 13.25" bass on a watermelon red Zoom Horny Toad. As I moved North I got a 24" pike on the Horny Toad, which came off during the fight. I went a long way in great looking water with nothing. I wasn't seeing any fish activity at all.

I got to a spot that has traditionally been good where there is pads and rice that give way to reeds and sparse rice. I cast into the reeds with a pumpkin Zoom Horny Toad when I brought it out into the open space before the pads start a fish blew up and missed 10 feet from the boat. I figured it was a pike, but cast back anyway. The fish blew up on it again about 6 feet from the boat. I quickly discovered it wasn't a pike, but a big bass.
She went 20" and looked to be a touch over 5lbs on my Rapala spring scale, which I believe is pretty accurate. This is my biggest largemouth in several years.

I ended up working out of the reeds and into the deeper sparse rice when I had a swirl on the Herb's Dilly. I cast back a couple of times but it wouldn't go. So I cast back in with a crawdad color Yum Wooly Bug. The fish hit just as I got into some weeds and it didn't hook up. I cast back and it flashed but didn't get it. I was right next to the boat and it flashed again but missed. I saw it was a nice pike. I just kept shaking it right next to the boat and finally it slammed it and hooked up, fortunately with the hook safely in the side of it's mouth. It put up a good battle and finally I netted it.
The fish went 31".

Conditions basically got perfect about 20 minutes before sunset and the stuff I was fishing looked awesome, but it was totally dead water. Didn't get another bite.

Platte Lake Sept 28th

Today I got out from about 4 to 7:15PM. Air temps were in the low 60's with sun and it was pretty much calm until about 7PM when a 5MPH wind came up out of the E SE.

All my equipment was at the lake, so I didn't fish Jenny's. Off the dock I had a strike in the exact same spot I got a pike yesterday, but the fish didn't hook up and didn't go after any follow up casts.

I headed out in the boat and my first stop was at the reed bed off the North point of Channel Inn Bay. There was some activity off the deep edge of the reeds, so I started there. I had a nice bass come completely out of the water as it hit the green/yellow Herb's Dilly Buzzbait but it didn't hook up. I was seeing some activity off the reeds on the weed flat so I went that way. My first fish was a 14.25" largie on the Herb's Dilly. I also got a pike out there on a bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. Eventually I got back to the reeds and in closer to shore where it looked awesome but there were not any fish. I started working North and picked a 11.75" largie from open shoreline by where a dock used to sit. I kept working around the point to the west. This water was now shaded and the docks were worthless. I did get a couple of hits between docks on the Buzzjet Jr. but the fish didn't hook up.

Eventually I decided to motor farther West to some docks that have historically been better; They weren't. I decided to go deeper onto the flat into some reeds. I started seeing some activity. I had a 15" largie jump all over the Buzzjet Jr. in the sparse reeds. I worked west to where there were the remains of a rice bed. I nailed a 18.25" largie just before the sparse rice.

I did work into the rice edge with the Herb's Dilly but didn't get bit.

I decided to motor back to the weed flat reeds. The wind had come up at this point. I was throwing my new jet black Buzzjet and had a pike come out of the water after it but not hook up. Eventually I switched to the Paycheck Baits Repo Man and I got a 13.25" largie and a small pike on that. It was getting dark and the fish seemed to shut down so I headed in.

Platte Lake Sept 27th

It was a nice day. 70+ degrees, partly cloudy to cloudy, and a 10 to 15mph West NW wind. I got out around 3:30PM.

First stop was Jenny's and I got bit of by a pike on a white Sizmic Toad.

Off the dock at the Lake Place I got a 22" pike on a wht/silver Herb's Dilly Buzzbait. I took the boat and mostly drifted towards Jenny's fishing a watermelon red Horny Toad and a green/yellow Herb's Dilly. I only got a couple of hits and didn't hook anything.

Around 6PM I moved to the North side of our bay to try around some docks. At the first dock I think I missed a fish. On the second dock I had a bass flash on my brand new bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. but it didn't get it. I pitched back in with a crawdad color Yum Wooly Bug and on about my 4th cast it got picked up and I got a 13+" bass. On the next dock down I pulled 2 bass on an electric chicken Zoom Super Fluke. Next came a big open area with scattered weeds between docks. I was throwing the bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. when it got crushed by this 15.75" largie.
In this open area I also got a 14" largie and a pike on the Buzzjet Jr. Also had a couple of blow ups that I missed.

On the next dock I got this 15+ bass, obviously on the Buzzjet Jr.


I pretty much worked to the bend South and didn't get any hits, then I quickly worked the reeds in the area I missed that big one a couple of weeks ago. Then I headed to the place I got a 19+" last week. There was baitfish activity and a couple of big swirls that I was able to cast too fairly quickly, but those fish wouldn't hit. It got dark and I went in.

Fishers of Men Club Twin Cities Fall Outing Report

(FallEE WallEE the Fall Outing Tournament Trophy)

On Friday it was cold very windy and wet in the morning. Nobody wanted to go out in it. Around 1PM it dried up, still overcast, and I was willing to go out but nobody with a boat wanted too.

On Saturday I fished with Gary Pflipsen on Mule Lake. Conditions were clear, then cloudy, then clear again with little to no wind and it got warm enough that I fished for about 3 hours in a T-shirt.

When Gary and I arrived we motored a fair ways North of the access and started fishing the West shoreline. I got the first fish which was this largemouth.
It bit on a green pumpkin Strike King Pro Model tube on a leadhead jig. Gary got then next bass which was a 15+ largie caught off a dock. I got another decent bass on the tube. I was missing a few bites.

In the calm and overcast I started throwing topwater and I caught an 18" pike on a Lucky Craft Gunfish. Gary caught a nice mid 20" pike off a dock with a Senko. Finally we got down to the Narrows and on the North point I got largies number 3 & 4 on a PB&J Yum Wooly Bug. 4 Bass was the limit for bass in the FallEE WallEE Tournament. I believe bass #4 was 15" and my biggest of the day. To the East of the narrows we started seeing a lot of baitfish activity on the surface so I started throwing topwater. I got an 8" largie on a clear bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. I put on a motor oil Yum Wooly Bug and caught my second pike which was a meager 14 inches long. 2 was the tournament limit on pike and it was this fish that won me the top spot for 2010 on FallEE WallEE. I caught one more 11" largie on the bluegill Deps Buzzjet Jr. and a 12" largie off a dock on the Strike King tube.

When the sun came out in the afternoon the fishing got tough and I didn't catch any more fish.

As it turns out fishing was kind of tough on everybody. Several of the guys had their 4 bass, but didn't get there limit of pike. Because of this and Gary Pflipsen and Mike Thompson not participating in the tournament I won the top spot on FallEE WallEE. Gordy got second and Jim Druk got 3rd. Gordy was fishing out of his new boat on Boy Lake and Jim got his fish on Three Island Lake fishing with minnows.

Tough, But A Good 1

In anticipation of the rain we are suppose to be getting, Dad and I pulled the dock up on to shore about 8 feet, so it won't be underwater. We got done with that around 2PM and I went out fishing.

Conditions: Overcast with a 8-12MPH East wind. At times it seemed like it was more SE and at other times more NE.

I started fishing across the bay in the reeds where I missed a big fish a little over a week ago. The reeds were dead and I don't think I even had a hit.

Next I went to a slop patch on the North End of the big middle bay. I was throwing the same Herb's Dilly buzzbait as yesterday, when it got plastered by a good one.
It was 19.25" .

Down the way a little bit I got a 13.5" close to a dock on the Dilly. I worked down to the last slop patch which is basically nothing but a few pads at this point.

Next I moved all the way around the point to the NE bay where it was calm. There was some activity in this spot but all I could raise was pike. I didn't catch any. I made a move to fish the entrance to the North middle bay. I got a 13.5" on the Dilly along some bullrushes by shore and got a 14" on the Dilly in some rice with reeds. Fished some good looking pads and rice but nothing was going. On the back side of the maidencaine I got a little pike. Next I moved to where I got the big one yesterday but the whole area was totally dead, not even a pike strike. I decided to call it a day a little after 5PM

Herb's Dilly Day

Today I was out on Platte Lake from about 2PM to 6:15PM

Conditions were overcast with W NW wind blowing 8 to 18MPH

My first stop was Jenny's from shore and I had a hit on a Sizmic Toad almost up on shore. I didn't set the hook, so I don't know if it was a bass or pike.

Next I headed to the lake place and got the boat ready. I decided with the West wind to just drift the slop to the East of our lake place. Two docks down I got a 13.75" bass on the white Sizmic Toad. As I rounded the corner I had something big follow the Toad to the boat. I wasn't paying attention and didn't realise something was up until there was a big boil just after I pulled the Toad out of the water.

I decided to try a Herb's Dilly buzzbait and I had a couple of strikes right away that didn't hook up. Then I caught 14", 15", and a 15.25" and a pike. The fish definitely wanted that buzzbait. I missed a couple of more strikes. I worked my way out of the slop, then decided to go right back into a boat lane. I made a good cast into an open area in some thick stuff and was rewarded with a 15.5" largie. I had a swirl and I cast back with a Title Shot Jig with white/red Strike King Bleeding Bait Flippen Tube. The fish nailed it, but I missed the hook set. I cast back in and it got picked up, but I missed it again and it was gone. I worked the area with the Dilly. As I was ripping it out of the weeds I had a Norman Speed Clip malfunction and the Dilly disappeared. I got right to the spot, but the water was just to weedy, murky, and deep for me to get it back. Stupid mistake on my part not tying direct as soon as it was clear the fish were on the Dilly. As far as I know the Herb's Dilly with a normal buzzbait blade are not made anymore and losing one totally sucks. Fortunately I have several I picked up on Ebay and I just put on another one in the exact same color green with yellow skirt.

It was about 4PM and I decided to make a move to the North end of the big West bay across from the Public Access on Platte. Right away I was rewarded with a 14" and 13.75" bass on a Snagproof "Buck Nasty" (brown) Ish's Phat Frog. I had a fish follow the Dilly out from the bullrushes. I cast back at the follow with the Strike King Tube and the fish hit. It was about a 23" pike. I worked my way around the bullrushes. I was casting towards the last patch of rushes that are out from shore when the water erupted on the Dilly. I knew it was a good one immediately. It stayed hooked up and I landed this 19.5" which was just under 5lbs.

I had a couple more good opportunities with the Dilly. One I think was a big pike but I couldn't hook up or they just boiled on it. My final fish was a Pike on the Sizmic Toad.

As I headed out of the junk I decided to throw my new Lunker Punker on the edge of the maidencaine. Can't say I'm real impressed with the thing, but I did have a small pike swirl on it.

I'm now 3 for 4 on fish with the Ish's Phat Frog.

Mille Lacs Skunk

Tried for some smallies today for about an hour from Eddy's Jetty (5:30-6:30PM). Didn't have a hit. Did get to try the Paycheck Baits Repo Man and a Deps Buzzjet Jr. I really like both and think they will be good for picking off fish. The Repo Man has a super smooth gliding walk the dog action that I've never seen before.

Platte Pike with Pete

Today Pete and I got out around 3PM until about 8PM. Conditions were partly cloudy with a 5 to 12MPH West wind. Was windier earlier than later. Forgot the camera.

First we drifted off the weeds down past Jenny's. I got 2 small pike on a blue/white Strike King Burner Spinnerbait.

Then we went to the East shore of the Big Island and fished from the middle corner around to the West shoreline most of the way up. We were getting a few pike here and there and got several in one concentrated area on the back of the island. We decided to work ourselves back over the productive water going South. I caught 3 largies and Pete got 1. I got a couple of more pike on the South end of the island.

I think I ended up with 8 Pike and those 3 bass which were not bigger than 14". All my fish were caught on the Burner. I think Pete caught 8 Pike and the bass. When we got in Jim's grandson Landon was coming in. He said he just hammered small to medium sized bass on a buzzbait, getting a few fish on docks. He was fishing on the North end of the lake, protected from the wind for much of his fishing.

About An Hours Worth

Today I fished for about an hour maybe a little more.

Conditions were overcast with a bit of drizzle and 10MPH winds out of the E SE.

First stop was at Jenny's, nothing.

Next I went to the lake to get the boat. Fished around the dock first with a white Sizmic Toad and didn't get any hits. Got the boat ready to go, only bringing 4 rods. 2x Ish Phat Frog's, 1 Sizmic Toad, and Fin-Tech Title Shot Jig with wht/red Strike King Bleeding Bait Flippen Tube.

I didn't fire up the big motor and just started moving East fishing into the wind. I basically worked my way far enough to know, nothing was happening in this slop. So I decided to head across the bay to the reeds where I missed the big one last night.

I was hoping the wind was more out of the NE so this area would be a little protected, but the SE direction meant I would quickly get pushed right into the reeds. As I was drifting through the weeds in the area I missed the big one last night, I had a fish swirl on the "Iced Out" blue Ish's Phat Frog. This happened really close to the boat, so I followed up with the tube and think it got swiped at by a pike. I continued to drift through the reeds and had a small pike come flying out of the water after "Iced Out". On probably the next cast a fish boiled about 10 feet in front of the boat. I was kind of out of the wind at this point and pretty stationary. I followed up a couple of times with the frog, then the tube. I thought the tube got picked up and I set the hook, nothing. I re-rigged the tube and cast it back. Sure enough it got picked up and this time I hooked the fish and landed a 15.25" largie. I worked the area hard and had one more blow up that didn't get the Phat Frog. The follow up with the tube didn't produce this time, so I think it was probably a pike.

It was getting to be time to leave (Vikings Game) and I decided to go on the inside edge of the reeds to leave. There was a dock there that I decided to fish. I skipped the "Buck Nasty" (brown) Ish's Phat Frog well under the dock and sure enough I heard it get attacked. I set the hook and landed this nice 16".

3 X 15"

Tonight I left the house a little after 5PM to go fishing. Today was sunny and in the high 60's with a fairly light NE breeze. Naturally, I stopped to fish from shore at Jenny's. I had replaced the Mad Maxx frogs with the Snaproof Ish Phat Frogs I got yesterday. On about my third cast I got a backlash and my line broke at the knot sending the "Iced Out" Phat Frog off into the lake. Being that the Phat frogs are not supposed to take in water and sink, I figured I would be able to come back with the boat and find it. I then worked the area with the "Buck Nasty" color Phat Frog and didn't get any hits. At the lake place I did a quick round off the dock with a white Sizmic toad. I got struck by a pike right in front of the dock and it stole one of the Sizmic Toad's legs.

I got my stuff in the boat and headed off to retrieve my frog. Sure enough I found it and got it tied back on and I started fishing with it. I probably fished for 20 minutes without a single hit and it was pretty clear to me that these fish were off. I decided to go across the lake and fish docks.

Before I got to the docks I decided to hit the Southern edge of a big reed bed. I wasn't getting anything when I noticed a some fish movement. I cast past the spot and brought the Phat frog slowly into the area. All of a sudden a big bass (4+ I'm sure) comes completely out of the water as it hits the frog. The fish jumped in my direction and I ended up with a lousy hookset and it got away. It sure seems like I've missed my fair share of bigger fish over the last couple of years. I worked the reeds but couldn't get anymore hits, so eventually I started in on docks. On probably the 6th or 7th dock I cast my white Fin-Tech Title Shot Jig with white/red Strike King Bleeding Bait Flippen Tube up by a shallow fishing boat lift and sure enough it got picked up. I set the hook and caught this 15.5"
I was really glad I caught something as it was around 7:30PM and I thought I might get skunked.

A couple of docks down I pitched in between a dock and boat lift with the same tube and I thought I felt something pick it up, but when I set the hook all I did was mess up the tube on the jig. I got it re-rigged and pitched it back in and sure enough it got picked up again and I landed a 15.25" bass.

Down the way a couple more docks there is a good sized slop patch between a couple of docks. I threw the one legged Sizmic Toad on the inside weedline of the slop and had a fish steal the other leg. I cast back and ended up pulling out a 15" bass, which was my last fish of the night.

The last dock in the run, which is usually money had the pontoon lift, boat lift, and the 2 wave runner lifts taken out of the water. I just left.

1 Pike

Today was windy again with rain predicted for later in the day. I went to Brainerd and stopped at the little park at the river outlet on Lower South Long Lake. The wind was blowing straight in out of the East. I did get a hit on a white Sizmic Toad, but it was something quite small, maybe a sunfish.

On the way back from Brainerd I stopped at Bulldog which was also getting the full force of the East wind. Didn't get anything.

Last stop was at Jenny's from shore. On my second cast I had a pike steal my Sizmic Toad and Owner TwistLock Hook. I decided to live dangerously and give it a shot with a "Grapes of Wrath" Mad Maxx frog. I had a fish wake at it but not hit. Then a few casts later a boil that missed then right after that a fish came up throught the duckweed and got it. It was a pike, unfortunately no sign of my hook. I threw a few more casts and had a strike from a very small pike that came completely out of the water as it missed the frog.

I now am 10 for 12 with Mad Maxx.

Mille Lacs, Platte Lake Dock N Slop

Went to Eddy's Jetty on Mille Lacs. The SE wind was probably too much for topwater and I didn't get any hits on a spinnerbait, so this trip was a skunk.

My first stop at Platte Lake per usual was at Jenny's from shore. Right away I missed a good bite on a white Sizmic Toad. I didn't hook the fish so I thought I could get it to bite again, but the Toad didn't get a 2nd look. After working the area I went and got a "Grapes of Wrath" Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx. I cast to the area where I missed the strike and slowly brought it to the edge of the opening when WHAM. Fish ON!

Do you think it wanted it?


Next I headed to the lake place. Fishing from the dock I had a hit on the Sizmic Toad that didn't get it and I couldn't get the fish to go a 2nd time, probably a pike. I thought the wind was blowing out of the SE so I took the boat to go fish docks by the Platte Lake public access. Turns out the wind was out of the E NE so I was actually getting blown along the docks and a bit towards shore. On the first dock I thought I had a hit twice, but both hooksets came up empty. On the 2nd dock I picked up a 13" bass on a junebug crawtube. On the 3rd dock I got a 20" pike which lost the crawtube body, so I put on a black/blue one. On my way around the dock I spotted the junebug crawtube floating, so I went and got it. It will need some Mend-It before fishing again. The rest of the docks I fished were a bust and I broke off the crawtube on a boat lift. I came to area with a sparse pad bed and I fished the white Sizmic Toad. I missed my first bite, small fish and then caught a 13" bass. The wind was blowing in pretty good to the slop I wanted to fish and I didn't get a bite. I headed to the other side of the bay (North) to see if the wind wasn't as bad. I went past the maidencaine in up by shore where there are reeds, pads, and bullrushes. I missed the first 3 strikes I got on the Sizmic. Finally I picked up a 14" bass on a "Big Sexy" Mad Maxx frog along the bullrush edge. A little farther down I picked up another 14" on the Sizmic Toad off the very last edge of the rushes.

I worked my way into the rice and pads managing to miss the final 3 strikes I got. One of the misses was a choke on my part with the "Grapes of Wrath" Mad Maxx. I think that one was a bigger fish.

Platte Lake Sloppin'

I got out around 3PM today and fished until dark. All I did was fish slop (rice, pads, weed mats, duck weed, reeds). I started from our lake place and worked East. Around 7PM I headed to the vicinity of the big maidencaine bed across from the Platte public access fishing rice, pads, and weed mats. My big fish was this 19.25" caught on a watermelon Red Zoom Horny Toad.
I also caught fish on a white Stanley Ribbit, Junebug Crawtube, and a white Sizmic Toad high floater.

Here is a run down of the Fish:

Horny Toad: 15, 14.5, 19.25, 13.25
Ribbit: 13.5, 14, 14, 13.25, 14, 14, 14.25"
Crawtube: 13.25"
Sizmic: 14.25"

I did miss a few fish today, including what looked like a very good one that took my last Stanley Ribbit. I had one pike bite off a Ribbit as I went to lift him in the boat.

Wind, Rock Dock, Platte Lake

Today I left the house to go fishing at 4PM. When I arrived at Jenny's, the wind was blowing hard out of the W NW and I found it difficult to cast. Next I headed to the lake place which was a bit more protected and I worked the area from the dock. It was blowing a steady 20+ with gusts to 30 I'm sure. I made the decision that taking the boat out in that wasn't the best idea. Since the Rock Dock would be protected I decided to go there. Indeed the area was totally calm and I elected to try my new Lucky Craft Gunfish. I had pike miss and come completely out of the water. Glad I didn't lose the lure on that one.

I made a cast to a pocket in the shoreline weeds to the North of the dock and this bass was all over that Gunfish.
I was a happy camper at this point. I tried several of my new topwaters, but didn't get any hits on those. Eventually I started throwing a spinnerbait and I had a small fish on that got off after about a 5 second fight. I switched to a black/blue Crawtube and I felt something hit it. Set the hook and reeled in a 13inch bass.

It was getting close to 7PM and it seemed like the wind had maybe calmed down some, so I headed back to the lake place to check it out. Sure enough the wind was now down under 10MPH, so I decided to take the boat out.

I decided to hit up the SE side of the big Island because that area was protected from the big wind today. I ended up catching 2x14+" bass and one nice pike on a "Big Sexy" Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx frog. I am just glad I didn't get skunked.

I think I am now 7 for 8 on catching strikes I've gotten with the Mad Maxx.

Sept 1 Evening on Platte Lake

I headed out the door a little after 3PM and dropped off a fish fillet for Jenny. Naturally I hit up Jenny's from shore, but couldn't get bit on the Mad Maxx frog. So off I went to get the boat ready. I fished the area around the dock with a Mad Maxx and didn't have any hits. I got the boat loaded and went to start the motor. It was turning over but not starting. After a couple of minutes of this I sat back to reflect and realised I didn't have the kill switch attached. Put it on and the motor started right up, amazing.

Conditions were sunny with a light breeze out of the E NE, around 6PM it changed to the SE but still only a light breeze.

I would say I was off around a quarter past 4PM. And my plan was to hit docks on the North End of the big Center bay. I started out in a little slop patch with a white Zoom Horny Toad and was immediately rewarded with a nice 15.25 bass. Originally I was going to work to the East but I decided to go hit up the first dock to the West of the slop. I cast in front of the dock and had a fish boil and steal the Horny Toad. I decided to pitch a black/blue Crawtube to the spot and it got picked up immediately. I set the hook and my line broke, probably a pike but I'm not 100% sure. I rigged up a watermelon red Horny Toad and cast to the next dock to the West and got a 12.5" which I kept. The water looked good, so I continued west but I didn't get a fish until the last dock on the stretch and it was only a 10 incher that I got on the Horny Toad. I tried the reeds for a few minutes with the Mad Maxx, but nothing was going so I motored back to the dock where I broke the fish off.

I worked a bunch of docks to the East and didn't get anything until I came to another patch of slop. I had a hit back in the reeds by shore but didn't get the fish. At one point right before I was to go over a weed mat I think something pulled the Horny Toad under. I pitched back into the spot with a black/blue Crawtube and sure enough it got picked up, but I came up empty with the hookset. I pitched it right back in and it got picked up again. This time I pulled a 14.75 out. I made a cast over the weed mats the Horny Toad and pulled a bass that was just over 13" which I kept. The slop area ended and it was back to docks. I think I missed a fish on an electric chicken Super Fluke and I got a few pecks from sunnies. I got to a little fishing boat on a boat lift. I pitched the Crawtube underneath and something picked it up. This 17.25" would be my big fish of the night, even though a little later on I pulled one that was longer.


A couple of docks down I made a good skip cast under a dock and boat lift. I felt something pulling on the Fluke and I set into a fish, which turned out to be this 8+" pumpkinseed, which I kept.


Eventually I got into some docks with some vegetation around them and I pulled up a hammer handle on the Horny Toad. I made a cast in front of the next dock and had a big blow up. I set the hook and my line broke. Probably another pike or maybe my line was frayed from the pike I just caught. After that dock there is another lengthy slop area. I got a thin one eyed 17.75" bass on the Horny Toad towards the middle of this slop bed. Just before the slop ended I got a 15.5" on a "Big Sexy" Mad Maxx frog. It was starting to get late in the day and I opted not to make a move but to try the firetiger Megabass Pop Max around the docks in this area. I did get one hit up real shallow but I think it was a little fish. The area was full of the carpet weed that takes over after chemical treatment for weeds. I didn't get any more bites except from Mosquito's.

Megabass Mille LacK of Action

Today I got all 3 of my Megabass lures I won on Ebay from Japan. I headed out to Eddy's Jetty on Mille Lacs to try the firetiger Pop Max and the yellowish brown Pop X along with the Payo Buzzjet and a bunch of my other topwater lures. Unfortunately there were just not any smallies to be fooled tonight.

The Megabass Pop Max is an interesting lure. You can work it as a popper or with a quick light bouncing action it walks the dog in a really tight pattern. The lure rolls as it walks. I wasn't nearly as enamored with the smaller Megabass Pop X. There was a bit of a chop on the water and it was a challenge to work the thing properly. From what I could tell you have to be kind of gentle to work it right. On a number of retrieves I was getting fouled up with the front hook.

I did head to Cemetery Jetty but between the mosquito's and the overgrown weeds I decided it wasn't worth it to try and get out on it.

Evening on Platte

I left to the lake around 3:30PM and first hit up Jenny's from shore, nothing. I then went and got the boat ready fishing the area around the dock pretty good, no hits. Conditions were sunny with a strong wind out of the SE.

Once I got out in the boat I headed just a little to the East and started fishing the rice edge with my new Payo Buzzjet Jr. At first I don't think I was doing a very good job of working the lure. Due to the wind I was getting blown along fairly quickly. Once I got around the little point at the entrance to our bay I was out of the wind. I decided with the high water to stay shallow right up by shore. I got my first fish on the Buzzjet Jr., which was just a little dude.
I kept working along the shore and maybe 150yards down I had this 14.5" smash the Buzzjet Jr.

Eventually I got past a little pad field to where the docks start in earnest. I think at the 2nd dock I skipped my bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke under a boat lift and I pulled out this 17"

After landing the fish I got situated and cast up under the boat lift again and pulled out a 14+".

On the next dock by the boat lift I caught a dink on the Buzzjet Jr. even smaller than that first one I got. I think I missed a couple of bites under the boat lift on this dock. On the next dock I pulled a 13+" and 15+" with the Fluke. Around this time it started getting pretty overcast. On the next couple of docks I pulled a 14+" and this 17.5" off boat lifts on a Texas rigged black/blue Crawtube.
The 17.5" was my big fish of the night; I missed the fish once as it bit and let go before I set the hook, so I pitched back into the same spot between the dock and the boat lift and got her.

I fished about 5 more docks without getting any hits, so I decided with about an hour of sunlight left to hit the slop on Loon Sex Point. I decided to start down along the last 3 docks before the slop starts. Nothing on the docks. I had worked my way maybe 30 yards up into the slop when I had a hit. I let it take the Zoom Horny Toad for several seconds and then set the hook. I missed the fish. I re-rigged the toad and cast back over the same spot and had a nice bass come out of the water but not hook up. I cast back again and this time caught a 13+" fish. I know the one that came out of the water after the toad was bigger so I cast back over the spot and sure enough I got another hit and hooked up. This bass was just under 15". About 2/3 of the way up the point I had a blow up in a shallow pocket, but I missed it. Didn't get any hits off the end of the point.

In the last bit of daylight I worked the wind blown rice/weed edges with the Buzzjet Jr. and Horny Toad. I had one little pike after the Toad and that was it.

All in all, not a bad night.

Snatcher Washburn Lake Tournament

Note-Washburn Lake is made up of 3 distinct basins (West, North, East)

Conditions for the day would be a little hazy for about the first hour giving way to sun and wind 12-20MPH out of the S or SW.

A number of our guys were none too pleased with the welcoming committee at the public access. Basically, a number of people from the Washburn Lake Association wanted to make sure we weren't bringing any exotic species to their lake. The lake already has Milfoil in it. Apparently, they also quizzed some of our guys about what lakes they have had their boats in recently.

We blasted off around 10 to 8AM from the Public Access on the South end of the East basin. My boater Darren and I headed North to a large rice and pad bed in the East basin. The wind was blowing close to 10mph at this point. I quickly switched from a white Spro Bronzeye Frog to a white Zoom Horny Toad because the slop wasn't the thickest stuff in the world and there were lots of open pockets. About 15 minutes into the day I landed a 13.75" largie. About 2 minutes later I had a blow-up that didn't get the Toad. I cast right back to the area and let the Horny Toad sink in a whole and sure enough, it got picked up and I put a 14.75" in the boat. Right after that, my partner Darren missed a blow-up on his black Spro Frog. At one point we worked our way down a lane in the weeds towards a beaver hut. I made a cast to the South into another open lane in the weeds and had a good blow up that didn't hook up. I cast back to the spot and got a good backlash. Right as I got done pulling out the backlash I realized a fish was running with the Toad. I set the hook and landed a 11.5" which was a short fish (12" minimum length). We kind of got stuck for a couple of minutes but eventually were able to get away from the beaver hut. We worked out way down a trail in the weeds but it was super shallow and we didn't get nothing.

Next, we headed off to some docks in the channel between the West and North basins where my boater had success in pre-fish. We were between docks where there were reeds and pads when Darren said he had a bite. At the time I was throwing a texas rigged junebug Crawtube out into the lake. I switched directions and started pitching the Crawtube into the pads. Sure enough, I had a pickup and I brought in a 15.5". We kept working down the shore and I started throwing a white Strike King Burner spinnerbait out into the lake. I got a hit and brought in a 12.75" bass. Eventually, we worked our way into a little bay. When we didn't get anything there we headed out to work a rock pile in the West basin.  I started out throwing the spinnerbait and had a couple of hits that didn't hook up. Eventually, I got a very small pike. When we got on the backside of the rock pile where Darren had gotten a couple of bites in pre-fish. I switched up to the Crawtube. Darren caught a rock bass, then I caught a pike. We worked the area good, but no bass.

Next, we headed to go hit a fallen tree where Darren got a good bass in pre-fish. We actually started a little North of the tree at the first dock on that side of the bay. There were good looking emergent and submerged weeds here and I got hit right by the boat on the spinnerbait by what I'm guessing was a little pike. We got to the tree and Darren got the first crack at it. Eventually, I started pitching a black/blue Crawtube to the tree and on about the 3rd pitch I had a fish nail it. I set the hook and it was a good one.  18.5" and it would go 4lbs even. We kept working down the shoreline and I got a little pike. We were not getting any bites, so we headed to the other side of the bay to work the weedline and docks where Darren had gotten a number of bass in pre-fish. I pulled a couple of pike off the reeds weedline transition and then we got into fishing docks. On about the 6th dock I had a bad skip that went through and then under the dock. Sure enough, a fish picked up my Zoom Super Fluke. I set the hook, but being that my line was over part of the underside of the dock I didn't get a good set and the fish came up and got off. I ended up hanging on the dock, so we had to go get me un-hung. That would be the only bite we would get on a dock. We did fish several more docks and then we decided to make a move to another rock pile.

I started throwing a Mann's Baby Minus One and got a little dink of a pike. Next, I tried some topwater, then I switched up to a mushroom jig with a wacky rigged Zoom Z-Nail. I had a pike steal my jig. We worked this area hard as my Ace in the Hole said this was his favorite rock pile, but we came up empty.

Next, we headed off to find a dock that was recommended. I am not sure we found the right dock. It was about 1PM and Darren informed me that the trolling motor was losing power. We fished a little pad filled bay that was out of the wind. It looked awesome but there weren't any fish.

Next, we headed to the slop in the NW corner of the West Basin. It was a challenge working in this stuff with a dying trolling motor but at first, the wind actually helped us a little bit. I was fishing with an albino Spro Bronzeye and I had a fish just bump the lure in the duckweed. I cast back to the spot and very slowly worked the frog. Sure enough, it took it and I landed my limit fish, which was 14.5". The wind was starting to be our enemy and Darren missed a good blow-up on his black Spro. Right after that I had a blow-up and landed a 14.25". At this point, Darren was really struggling with the wind and we almost got stuck in the junk.

Basically, we were not sure what to do next so we headed to the SE end of the lake and just started a controlled drift down the East side of the West Lake. I got a couple of pike on the spinnerbait, I switched up to a white Pointer 100 but couldn't get bit on that, so I switched to a black/blue Strike King Pure Poison chatter jig. I got a couple of pike on that. Darren caught a couple of pike on a spinnerbait. I had a big pike hit but not hook up on the Burner spinnerbait. With about 1/2 an hour left we decided to head back and try the shallow pads by the access. I did get a hit on my Spro, but I think it was something small. And that was it.

Results:
As I wrote before my big one was 4lbs even and my bag went 12lbs 13ozs and was good for 4th Place, which equals my best showing of last year and this ties for my 2nd best result in the club. My poor partner Darren got skunked. The Tournament was won by Nate Steinbauer with 14lbs 11ozs and big bass was 4lbs 6ozs. I believe 1 smallmouth was weighed and a couple of guys caught them in practice.

Analysis: I fished clean other than missing that one at the dock. If we had not lost trolling motor power I think I would have probably done even better. Unfortunately, the bass just didn't seem to be chasing on the weedline and flats and that drifting in the wind was totally unproductive. How I wish we had made a move to a pad area my Ace in Hole informed me about. This spot was out of the wind and on our way in we watched one of our boats pull a good fish from the spot and they got another good one right after that.

I want to say a BIG THANKS to my "Ace in the Hole" Bob Downey of B3 blog for giving me excellent info about the lake.

Next Tournament: Serpent Lake (With a very good showing at Serpent I could move into the coveted Club Top 6 for the year. Currently I am in 8th, which is the highest I've ever been ranked)

A little "Big Sexy"

Today I got out for a little big of shore fishing on Platte Lake. I only had one hit and it was while casting off our neighbor Jim's dock. I did catch the bass and it was about 14". The camera was in the car but at the time I was in bare feet because Jim's dock is partly under water. I figured it was too much hassle to go and put my shoes on and run to the car for a picture. So far I am 3 for 4 on Mad Maxx strikes where the fish gets the lure in it's mouth.

If you didn't guess I got it on the Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx in "Big Sexy" color.

Mad Maxx- In the Mail to On the Water.

Today my shipment of Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx frog arrived from Bass Tackle Depot and tonight I got to try them out. I got out for about an hour up until dark.

My first stop was off the shore at Jenny's. Right away I was impressed with how far the frog casts. I don't know how much the frog weighs because it doesn't say on the package and I haven't been able to find that info online. Maybe I can't throw it as far as a Spro but what other frog does?

When I tied it up I cut the legs a little shorter and uneven; I've found doing that helps the side to side action of slop frogs. This frog has a tendency to glide a little bit which is good for walking the frog. I'm not the best frog walker in the world but I could get the MM to do it. Another feature that seemed to work as advertised was it didn't sink and it didn't seem to take on water.

I started out throwing "big sexy" which is a white/Chartruese/light blue colored frog. On about my 3rd cast I had a good fish boil hard on the MM as I was walking the frog. I seemed to be hooked up for a couple of seconds but then it got off. It definitely was a good fish and might have been a dogfish. I made several more casts with "big sexy" and then I switched to "Grapes of Wrath" and got this fish.
I did have a couple of small fish probably sunfish also hit at the bait.

Next I headed to the lake place to take the boat out for a quick trip in the general vicinity of the lake place. First I thoroughly fished from the dock and didn't get a hit. I took the boat out and headed East getting hit by something small that didn't get the frog. I worked myself 2 docks down and it started getting kind of dark so I headed back. I pulled the frog off some lilly pads and a fish boiled on the frog but didn't take it. I cast back and once again the fish bumped it but didn't take it. On the 4th cast it committed and I caught this chunk of a 17".

As you can see from the pick it really engulfed the "Grapes of Wrath" MM.

Since I had this luck in front of our jerk neighbor Sherman's dock I quickly moved over to the lane in the rice by our cool neighbor Jim's dock. It was so dark I went to the lighter colored "Big Sexy" and I cast it right up by the dock. Sure enough a fish swirled and just like that my frog was gone. Dang Pike. I quickly moved to the area of the strike to see if maybe the frog was around, but it wasn't on top and it was now too dark to see in the water. I would think it would have floated if it came loose from the fish. Didn't even catch a fish on that frog.

Hey lake, here's $5.

Lake Place Fishing From Dock

Tonight I had to go and drain water from the boat. I forgot to grab the slop frog rod, so I had to use what was in the boat house. First I picked up one of my 6'10"MH swim jig rods. On one of the casts as I was bringing the swim jig across the rice and I had a fish hit and miss. I cast right back to the spot and it smashed it this time. I set the hook hard and the line broke, apparently where the braid was connected with the wire leader. Haven't had that happen before.

I went and grabbed a rod with a Fin-Tech Title Shot Jig with white/red Strike King Bleeding Bait Flippin Tube. As I brought the tube off the rice into the open water of the boat channel the tube was nailed by a 14.5" largie which I caught. No camera for pics.

I had to get a move on for the Vikings pre-season game and so I didn't hit up Jenny's.