Some New Mojo

14" Piranha with twister tail trailer (see lure below)

My new to me St. Croix Mojo 7'MHM Crankbait

3:45-6:30PM
Conditions:  Started out partly clouding turning overcast,  Windy out of the E, 55 degrees dropping into the 40's.

Our cabin is the yellowish brown boathouse

Due to  the wind being out of the East I couldn't get to where I wanted to go.  When the wind gusted I would make negative headway.  So I made it to the waypoint on the inside turn about 60 yards down from the cabin and put the anchor down.  The inside turn had some green coontail on it.  I started out throwing with my new to me Mojo with a Piranha and was surprised when I quickly landed a bass.  I then had a fish hit the Shadow Rap and not hook up.  Went through a few more baits and had a small pike hit a Bass Pro Flat Shallow.  It clouded up and the wind didn't die down like it was suppose to do.  I had a little bigger pike miss the Shadow Rap boat side.

A monster snapping turtle checked me out for about 15 minutes.  I did move to the way point in front of our place, but didn't get a bite. I came in early.

Skunked On Consecutive Night's, Slop Slip Then Shore

Sunday Night Trip

4:45-7:00PM
Conditions: Cloudy, temps around 50, moderate wind out of the ESE diminishing.

Went out after the Vikes road win in Detroit. Had one hit to the West.  Spent to much time on the close waypoints.  Went East but it was getting dark.

Monday
5:45-6:45PM
Conditions: Cloudy, temps mid 40's, windy out of the NE

Nothing at Bulldog, Rock, or the GOMH.  It was miserable out.

Rock Dock Out, Small Pike at Bulldog

It's Gone

?19?" Mills Spinnerbait w/ Grass Pig trail

5:45-7:15PM Bulldog, Rock, Jenny's, GOMH

Conditions: Mostly sunny, light WNW wind, around 50 degrees

At the last second I decided to head to Bulldog Lake, before hitting Rock.  It was a good choice as it kept me from getting skunked and I wouldn't have been able to fish at Rock yet because there was a boat taking out that was just leaving when I arrived at Rock.  Much to my disappointment the Rock Dock is out.  I had a pike or dogfish porpoise on the Stanley Phantom, but not get it. It wouldn't show itself again.  Didn't get anything at Jenny's or the GOMH.  I thought maybe the GOMH might have something because it rained yesterday.  Maybe somebody fished there before me, who knows.

The St. Croix Mojo I won on Ebay arrived today.  It's the 7' graphite crankbait rod.   

Slop Slip On A Calm Night

15.5" Piranha

Half Moon

Looking East from the Cabin

Looking NW from the Cabin

5:00-7:00PM
Conditions: Sunny, calm, temps in the high 50's

I went to a spot that looked good on my Lakemaster chip.  Sure enough it paid off with the bass on the Piranha.  A 23 inch pike on the Piranha and 19" pike on the Stanley Phantom.  I thought there would be more activity than there was.  Topwater just wasn't happening.  I had a couple fish hit a spinnerbait but not hook up.  I wish I would have gotten out earlier as conditions were perfect.

More Success Tonight in the Slop Slip

15" Mills Spinnerbait w/ Grass Pig trailer

5:40-7:10PM
Conditions:  Mostly Sunny, Mild wind out of the NW, temps around 50 degrees

I decided to drift through the reeds throwing a spinnerbait.  I came out the other side a bit past Jenny's and a fish surfaced just behind me.  I cast back over the area and I got the bass in the picture on the black Mills Spinnerbait with a pink Grass Pig trailer.  I threw out the anchor and marked a waypoint on the GPS after getting a 14.5" bass on the Piranha.  I also missed another hit on the spinnerbait.  I then started casting in towards shore and a got a 24" class pike on the spinnerbait.  I was going to take a picture of it on the end of my line, but it got off before I was able to take the picture.

A flock of geese flying East

I had a small pike hit the Horny Toad as I paddled my way back to the cabin

Windy Night In the Slop Slip

23.5" Piranha

Rippin Rap over rippling waves

4:50-6:50PM
Conditions: Mostly Sunny, Windy out of the NE, Temps in the mid 50's

The wind was blowing right in to the lake place.  I decided to paddle out to the weed point beyond the reeds.  I got a pike on the Piranha and the Rippin Rap I got in the mail today from Bass Pro Shops.  I think I missed a couple of hits as well.  I parked a couple more times getting nothing.  It was getting dark so I pulled anchor to drift through the reeds and I hog tide this pike just as I arrived at the reeds.

24" Mills Spinnerbait w/ Grass Pig trailer

I did drift in to the area I had been fishing but didn't get anything there.

Beautiful Night, Not Much Of A Bite

24" Stanley Phantom

5:45-8:00PM
Conditions: Mostly sunny, calm, comfortable, temps in the mid 60's.

It was a beautiful night on the lake.  The fish were sluggish.  I missed one in front of Sherman's.  And found a couple more I couldn't get to hit.  Did get the one on the Phantom.  I stayed out tell about 7:30PM enjoying the conditions.  I also tried the GOMH and got nothing.

Thumbs up for being out on the water tonight

Better Execution + Less Bites= 2 Fish

13.5" Horny Toad

5:45-7PM
Conditions:  Mostly Sunny,  Windy out of the SSE, temps in the mid to high 50's.

I started in the same area that all the fish were in yesterday.  Had to drop anchor cause the wind was howling.  I got the bass then a 19.5" pike to reveal themselves on an Ish's Phat Frog and I caught the fish on the Horny Toad.  I then paddled over by Jenny's neighbors dock and I missed a fish on the Phantom.  That was it for action.

The area I got my fish out of tonight.

Poor Execution Tonght

19.5" Stanley Phantom

5:45-7:00PM
Conditions:  Mostly sunny, calm to very light NW wind, temps in low 50 to mid 40's

Tonight I took the Slop Slip out for a short trip.  After not getting a hit out front I started working towards Jenny's.  A fish showed itself up by shore so I went in closer and had the fish miss Ish's Phat Frog.  Then the fish that I got showed itself back towards the cabin.  I then went back towards Jenny's.  Missing probably one bass and several northern's on the Ish's.  Fish were all around me.  Eventually it got to dark and the fish quit biting.

One On The Phantom Tonight

16.5" Stanley Phantom

5:30-5:45PM Bulldog (Nothing)
5:50-6:40 Rock
6:45-6:50 Jenny's (Nothing)
7:00-7:15PM GOMH (Nothing)

Conditions:  Partly sunny, cool 45-36 degrees, WNW wind turning calm

Turned into a beautiful night and I caught a fish on topwater.

Winning!

Success at Rock Dock Tonight

15.5" Piranha

5:30-5:40 Bulldog (Nothing)
5:45-6:50 Rock Lake
6:55-7:00 Jenny's (Nothing)
7:05-7:30PM GOMH

Conditions: Mostly Sunny,  48-42 degrees, light wind out of the WNW

Fish were swirling at Rock.  I missed a fish that hit to the N of the dock on a Ish's Phat.  About 15 minutes later I got the 15 out of the same spot on the D & M Piranha.  That was it for action.

Fish hit to left of the mat, beyond the mat.

Bulldog, Rock, Jenny's, and GOMH

Pictures I took at Rock Lake before I ran out of memory.

5:45-6:05PM Bulldog
6:10-6:35PM Rock Lake (nothing)
6:40-6:55PM Jenny's
7:00-7:30PM GOMH

Conditions:  Partly cloudy, light wind SSE, Temp mid to high 60's

10" Z. S.Fluke

What I caught at Bulldog.  The reel doesn't look great, but seems to work just fine.

At rock I didn't get a hit.

At Jenny's I saw quite a bit of fish activity and missed a hit.

At the GOMH I caught a 19.5" toothy on the Jerk Shad on the SW side.  Thought I had me a golden for a few seconds.

Tough Tournament On Cedar For Me Again

My Boater Guy came in 3rd Place and sealed Club Mr. Bass/AOY Honors

Conditions: Mostly sunny, wind out of the ESE 5 to 15mph, temps from the low 40's getting to low 60's.  About 4-5 foot of visibility in some of the bays less in others.

The Day:  We headed up to the North end of the eastern most bay.  It's a slop area where we got bites in pre-fish.  Guy was punching and I was throwing a frog and toad.  Guy missed one or two hits, before we left after about trying for half an hour.  We went to the southern end of the same bay where there is some slop and reeds.  I broke off my Horny Toad when I got hung up on a reed.  I think guy got his first bass and a pike out on the weedline.  I got a pike on a Craw Fatty just before we left to fish some docks.

Guy got one out of a dock and I missed one.  Next we went to a weed hump up in the area by where we started.  I think Guy got a bass and I got a 16" and a 15.75" on the Craw Fatty.  Next we went back to where we started and Guy caught a good one immediately punching.  I think he ended up getting his limit and culling once before we left.  We went back to the spot where I broke off the Horny Toad and I spotted it, so I got it back. We tried a bunch of spots and didn't get anything but break offs.  We ended up going back to the area with the reeds where I caught my pike and I got another one, could have been the same fish.  Then we went back up to where we started with about an hour and a half left.  Guy got a cull and I got a 13" on the Horny Toad.  I think getting that fish in amped me up a little to much an I sailed my next cast onto a beaver dam where I got hung up and had to break off.  We tried some other spots, I did had one hit on the Horny Toad in some pads but it didn't hook up and then the day was done.

Results:  My 3 bass weighed 5lbs 6oz, which garnered me 11th Place out of a field of 14.  First Place went to Bill Ludenia with 15-10 and Lunker was caught by Chuck Johansen with a 4-10 fish.  Guy's 3rd Place limit went 13-7, just an ounce shy of Johansen.  It was a tough day with only 6 guys getting a limit. Well at least I beat my 3 fish limit I got here in 2009, which was 4-2.  If we never fish Cedar Lake again, I'll be fine with that.

My Thoughts on the 2015 season:  I didn't get my revenge on any lake, but Farm Island.  It was the second time I missed two tournaments in a year;  The other time was in 2012 with back issues.  Missing the tournament at Woman Lake really sucked.  Missing what would have been a hot, humid, and miserable day on Rush Lake not so much.  It was my worst year for number of fish weighed (16), weight (28.31lbs), and points accumulated (101), which was down 9 places from 2012.  However, I finished 16th out of 41 guys in the Club this year, which was better than 2012 when I finished in 18th Place.

It was a tough year for fishing in the Club as a whole.  For the first time since I've been in the Club we didn't have a single Snatcher go 6 for 36 getting a limit in each tournament.  In the final four tournaments of the year Woman, Rush, Mission, and Cedar more than half the field failed to come in with a limit. Hopefully the poor fishing in the last two thirds of the season is a fluke of the lakes chosen and days fished and not a trend. Participation was down with Cedar Lake being the smallest field I've fished against.

        

Single Toothy at the GOMH Tonight

6:15-7:00PM
Conditions: Sunny, windy out of the ENE, temps in the mid 50's

Missed what was probably the same fish on the Mad Maxx on my first cast fishing on the SW side.  It hit several more times before I finally got it on the Piranha.

I think I got a hit on the LiveTarget Wakebait on the NE side that didn't hook up.

Another Good Evening at the GOMH

Sweet Revenge Mad Maxx

6:45-7:20PM
Conditions: Mostly Sunny, wind out of the E NE, Temps in the high 50's, water flowing to Platte, water low

I decided to start on the SW side, and I missed a jumper that hit the frog along the SW wall and came off just as I pulled it out from under the bridge.  It looked like a 17" or so fish.  I then got this skinny fish on the Jerk Shad.

15.5"

I might have missed a hit on the Piranha on the SW side as well.  I then went to the NE side where I got the slob out of the slop along the NE side.  Think it might have been the one I missed last night.

18" Mad Maxx