Bass Snatchers Leech Lake June 30th

Well due to my sore back  I'm getting to this a bit late, but better late than never.

We launched out of Horseshoe Bay around 7:45AM.  And we were fishing 5 minutes later down in Uram Bay.  First cast I landed a 17.75" on a white Zoom Horny Toad out of the reeds.  I thought great, I'm screwed. Getting a fish on the first cast has been bad luck for me in the past.  About 20 minutes later my boater Darren landed a 5lb 50z fish that was big bass for the tournament.  Unfortunately he was 3ozs short of our club's buy in running big bass pot.  Darren missed a couple of bites and had a pike steal his Spro he got the fish on.  We worked around the bay for a couple of hours.  As we were working our way out I spotted a fish hit something in some shallow reeds.  We moved that way.  I put a cast in the area with a Mad Maxx Big Sexy Frog and got smacked by a 15.75".  Darren ended up missing one more bite, then we headed for Sucker Bay, which took about  25 minutes to get to.


It clouded up by the time we got up there.  We started in some Rice on the West side of the bay.  I think Darren got 1 in the rice, then he broke off his other Spro Frog.  We got up by some docks and Darren got a fish on the crawtube, and I jumped off a good fish on a Spro.  On the backside of the same dock, I hooked an 18", on the Spro which was my big bass.  I think Darren got a couple more among the weeds on the docks.  

Next we went to some Reeds and Darren and I doubled up on crawtubes.  My fish was 14.25".  I next got a 15.75" on the crawtube.  I filled out my limit with a 13" on a white Horny Toad.  Next I stuck a nice pike in the reeds. I missed another hit.  Darren was catching and missing fish occasionally.   We got to some undercut banks and I got a 14.5" on the crawtube.  I missed one more hit on the undercut banks before we got into rice again.  We moved across to the East shore and I missed a couple on frogs, before I finally caught my last fish, a 16.25" on a Mad Maxx "Big Sexy" after the sun came back out.  Darren got the last keeper.

My 6 fish went for 16/11, which is my best Snatcher weight ever, but was only good enough for 21st Place. The weights were crazy.  Darren got 5th with 19/7. Four bags we over 20lbs and Art caught the new Snatchers biggest bag at 22/10 and his boater Todd Berghuis caught 21/14.  An 18/7 bag was 12th place.  We blew away the club's record average bag by over 3lbs at 16.7lbs. Blew away clubs record total weight in a tournament by 127lbs.


Overall it was a fun day and I can't complain to much Darren had us around good fish.

Morning at the PRO

This morning I fished out of the Trophy from 7AM to 10:30AM.  I fished in the Platte River Outlet area of Sullivan Lake.  I decided to hit the SE side of the Intersection on a whim.  Turned out that was a good call as I got my biggest fish there.

17.25"

I think I got it on the Horny Toad, but I may have got it on a black Spro Frog.  I think I got 5 in this area.  Then I headed to the River mouth and got a small pike.  I got a couple in the River mouth, a 15",12"and a pike in the river, and a couple of 13.25 at the dam and a 10" on the Grass Pig.  I got a 13" on the way out at the River mouth.

12 bass
2 pike

Boat Fishing on Rock

Tonight I fished on Rock in the Trophy from 7:45PM to 9:30PM.  I started out in the reeds by the access and got a single 14" bass and I missed a few hits on the Horny Toad.  I worked my way into the Platte River Outlet area and got another 14" fish and missed a couple of good strikes as on the Horny Toad.  At 9PM I decided to run to the Beaver Dam.  There I got 3 fish on the Toad including this 16" and I missed about 3 more.

 I threw out the Crawtube and got 16 and a 14".  Then it was time to go.  I really need to get my frog game together, missing to many fish.

This Mornings Trip

I was out this morning from 7:15AM to 10:15AM.  I started East of the GOMH and didn't have a sniff.  I then went to the GOMH and got a jumpin bullhead on the Pure Poison and this one on a Crawtube.

Next I went to the Culvert and got an 11" bass on the Horny Toad and a 14" on the Poison.  I also lost a Mann's Baby Minus 1 in the South Culvert that got hung on something and I had to retrieve a frog that I broke off in the cattails.  I then went to the inlet and lost a swimbait hook in the reeds.

Toad's and Big Sexy at Jenny's

15.25"

Tonight I fished from 7:30PM to 9:20PM at Jenny's.  I got 5 bass on the swirl black/white Horny Toad and 3 Bass on a Mad Maxx Big Sexy frog.  Nothing over 15.75".  I also had a pike bite off a Toad.

I then went to East of the GOMH and had a few swirls but no takes on the Toad.  The mosquito's got to bad so I went up to the bridge to talk with John W.  Apparently he got a couple of nice jumpin bullheads there tonight and 1 nice one at the Culvert.  He even got a golden bullhead under the bridge.

Morning Horny Toad

14"

Got out and got a couple and a small pike in the morning East of the GOMH from 6:15AM to 7:45AM

Horny Toad Tonight

Tonight I got out at 7:30PM and it turned into a Horny Toad night when I put on Pete's waders that he forgot here last week.  At Jenny's I got 5 bass and I missed a couple.  The three biggest were about 15.5".  This was the first of those.

 At about 9PM I went to go to the Grumpy Old Man Hole, but when I saw there were people there I stopped short along where the lake is next to the road.  I climbed down into the weeds and got a 15.5" bass, then I got a little pike, then I got 13" bass,  then I missed some bites before I got another 15.5" bass.  Next I landed this little dude.

Yep I got a little Bowfin.  After that I got 2 more 15.5" bass and I missed a few bites.  I quit at around 9:45PM.

This Morning I.C.G

This morning I hit the Inlet on the South End of Sullivan, the Culvert and the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  I got a solid 16+ at the Inlet on a Crawtube.  Didn't measure cause I left the board at the GOMH last night and I forgot to get a picture. I also missed something on the Grass Pig.  I got a 14" or so bass at the Culvert on the Pure Poison.

At the GOMH I got 6 jumpin bullheads, including this 15" all on the Crawtube.

Missed a toothy bullhead and a couple more bites.  I did get my measuring board back.

Missed A Good One At the GOMH

Tonight I missed a good fish at the Grumpy Old Man Hole on a Horny Toad.  It came all the way out of the water and had it.  I just blew the hook set.  I'm going to need to work on my Horny Toad hook sets this week, with Leech Lake coming up next week.  I did catch two small jumpin bullheads on a Pure Poison with Craw Fatty.  I got out a bit late, so I didn't get to the Culvert or Inlet.

Yesterday I got 2 bass at Jenny's on the Horny Toad and got bit off.  And in the morning I got 2 bass at the Culvert on a spinnerbait and a Crawtube and I got 2 jumpin bullheads at the GOMH on a Yum Wooly Bug.

GOMH On Fire!!!

20"

Apparently the recent rain lit the fire at the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  I fished from 8 to 9:45PM and caught this 20, 2x 17.25, 15, 6x 14's, 4x 13's, and 2x 12's.  Plus several more missed fish.  Got most of them on a Crawtube including the 2 17's.  Got the 20" and 1 other fish on the Horny Toad, and I got a couple on the Pure Poison with Craw Fatty.

1st Smallmouth of the Year

Today on my way back up from the cities I stopped at a bridge over the Rum River and caught a nice 18.5" smallie.  Unfortunately a couple of casts later I back-lashed and my spinnerbait was gone.  I tried to retrieve it as the line broke at the reel, but I didn't have a crankbait to catch the line with.  I also fished at Mille Lacs and at the Rum River at the Shakopee Lake bridge.  Didn't get anything there.

BP 4 Pete 2

This morning Pete and I went out and fished from about 6 to 8AM.  Pete got his spinnerbait back at the Culvert and missed a pike.  I might have missed a fish.  Then we went to the inlet.  Pete caught a nice 18" bass on a spinnerbait and got one more.  I got 2 bass and 2 pike in the culvert area on a Crawtube.

Pete had a major meltdown over his gear giving him issues.  He finished it off by breaking the top guide on his rod and chucking the rod into the lake.  He was able to retrieve the rod.

BP 5 Pete 4

Tonight we went out from 8PM to 9:30PM.  At the Culvert Pete got the first fish.

Pete lost the spinnerbait.

Later on I got a pike and a nice bass on the Strike King Pure Poison

17"

That was it for the Culvert.

Next we went to the inlet where I got 2 bass and missed another out from the culvert with a Crawtube and Pete got 1.  Pete got 2 off of the access and I got 1 and missed 1 in the reeds with the Grass Pig.

Pete 3 BP 0

Tonight Pete and I didn't get out until after 9PM.  I figured we were just going to try and recover a lost spinnerbait for Pete at the Culvert.  But Pete managed 3 quick fish on a different spinnerbait..  And luckily I spotted where his lost spinnerbait was so he could put on his waders and get it, otherwise Pete had no clue where it was at.  So it was a successful trip for Pete anyway

BP 2 Pete 1

Tonight we were out from 8PM to 9:30PM.  Didn't get anything at the Culvert or at the Platte Lake Access.

We both got a small bass at the West Sullivan Access

I got this small pike at the inlet on a Grass Pig

Pete had a pike bite him off.

Pete 2 BP 1

Tonight we got out a bit later than planned fishing from 8:30PM to 9:30PM.  We fished at the culvert again and on the South end same as last night.

Pete caught 2 bass including his biggest one yet.

I got 1

14"

Then we headed to the South end of Sullivan.  Here is a picture I took last night of Pete wading.  (Couldn't find it last night because it was in a new folder.)

BP 4 Pete 3

Pete and I went out shore fishing again from 8PM until 9:45PM.  We went by the GOMH and didn't stop even though Willard was there.  Platte Lake Access was being fished, so we went to the River Culverts.  Pete got the first couple of bass on the Yum Wooly Bug.

I then caught a 16" on the Wooly Bug on a weighted swimbait hook.

Pete caught his last bass on the WB and I got a 15.5".  Pete hung the WB up in the weeds and I had to break it off.  Pete then got his waders and retrieved his Rapala from last night.  I got a chunky 19" on the Wooly Bug.

Right after that I lost the grip pin off the swimbait hook, so we were SOL on the weedless bottom bumping lures.

We went to the outlet on the South end of Sullivan and I amazingly caught a walleye on the Pure Poison w/ Craw Fatty.

Pete waded around but didn't get anything.

BP 3 Pete 1.5

Tonight Pete and I got out for some shore fishing.

First stop was the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  I think we both got a bite, but didn't catch anything.  Next we went to the NE access on Sullivan.  That was a bust.  Next we went to the Platte Access and Pete got this pike.

Next we went to the culverts over the Platte River and I got this nice bass, missed another one, and a pike.

16"

Got them on the Pure Poison with Havoc Craw Fatty. Pete got a Rapala stuck in the cattails.  Then we went to the inlet on the South end of Sullivan Lake.  Pete got some bites on a Yum Wooly Bug but couldn't hook up.  He gave it to me and I caught a 14" bass.  Gave it back to Pete and he got a couple more bites but only caught a stick.

Bulldog & Platte

I got out fishing tonight from shore at 8PM.  First stop was Bulldog where I got this 14" largie on a Yum Wooly  Bug.

Next I headed to Jenny's where I got 2 bass and missed 1 or 2 more.

16.75"

Same Fish

Last stop was the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  Willard was there with another old guy.  John W. was there and he got a limit with the help of a jumpin bullhead from me.  Caught on the "Big Sexy" Mad Maxx same as at Jenny's.

B.B.S. Bay Lake June 2nd

2nd Place

Conditions: Day started cool in the low 50's getting up to about 70 in the afternoon.  I was sunny and had light to medium winds out of the W NW.

Blast off was at around a quarter to 7AM and we stuck around close to the launch but didn't get anything so we left after 20 minutes.  We went around to the West side of Battle Point and started fishing the weedline.  I immediately caught a pike on a red Spro Aruku Shad.  Then my boater Roger landed the first small keeper of the day on a flat sided chartreuse DT shallow runner.   I landed a couple dink bass and a northern.  Roger got a couple more keepers before I got a 13.25" on the Aruku.  Roger landed a couple more before I got my 2nd fish, a 12.75 on the Aruku.  Roger was putting on a clinic with the DT.  I slowly got a 15.25", a 13", and a 16.5" on the Blue Bruiser Lake Fork Craw Tube.  We decided to run back to where we started so I could finish my limit.  I got a 14" to finish my limit on a chartreuse Cordell Spot.  I then started throwing a blue/black Strike King Pure Poison Chatterjig with blue/black Berkley Havoc Craw Fatty Trailer.  I was just thinking I was going to quit throwing it when I got 17.75" bass.  I  culled my smallest got her in the well and immediately got a 17.5".  Put her in the well, put a new Craw Fatty on and within a couple of casts had a 16.75" in the boat.  Bing bang boom, now I had more weight than Roger.  I got a 14.75" to cull out a 14" and then things got slow.

We were headed to Johnson Point but a boat was there so we started working up from West to East along the North side of Corey Point.  It was slow for a while, but then I got a 16.5 on the Crawtube and I figured I had around 13lbs.  I got a few more that didn't help and then I got a 15.25" that culled my previous 15.25" up towards the tip of Corey Point.  That convinced Roger to fish there a little more and he got his best fish and another cull or two.  We were both pretty happy with our bags at this point.  I was now after 11AM and we fished off the SE tip of Malkerson Island.  Just got a couple that didn't help.

We headed to the bar off the South side of Brighton Point and got nothing but rockies and a pike or two.  For the last hour or so we headed back to our starting spot.  I  got a couple that didn't help and I don't think Roger got anything to help himself either, and the day was done.

When we weighed I was shocked to hear Rogers weight at 14/6.  I was even more shocked to hear my weight at 15/11 which put me in 2nd place where I stayed through the rest of the weigh-in.  My big bass was 3/2.  I didn't realize it at the time but I was only 2oz behind new Bass Snatcher member Jim Smith who got 1st.  Roger got 3rd Place. Bay Lake was really on with 15 guys at just under 12lbs and up.  10lbs bags went down to 25th Place.

Analysis:  Surprisingly we out fished our pre-fish day where we had about 13lbs a piece.  I really thought I was in the 13lb range.  Here were my two baits.

The huge key was that flurry I had in our 2nd pass off of Battle Point with the Pure Poison.  I had my 3 biggest fish in like 7 casts.  Not only was it my best Snatcher finish, but it was my best weight in a Snatcher Tournament by over a pound.

I counted 21 bass, 12 Pike and 5 Rock Bass