Maybe This Is My Last Open Water Fish This Year

17.25" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

3:45-5:00PM
Conditions: Overcast, light wind out of the SW, temp around 40, less ice than yesterday.

I just got one toothy today.  I had caught it before. I could tell by the cut at the bottom of it's tail.  A guy stopped and told me he was getting bullheads at the bridge last year around this time.  It's going to get colder, so this might be my last open water trip of the year.

Six Toothy's And Pete Melts Down

How much Open water on the N side

Pete broke off some ice

1:30-2:30PM Rock, GOMH
3:30-5:10PM Sullivan Inlet, GOMH

Conditions: Partly Sunny, 39-34 degrees, wind out of the ???

So Pete and I went out fishing again.  I started on the SW side and Pete on the NE side.  I didn't get anything so we switched sides.  I landed one and then another on the STX.

Luck-E-Strike RC STX

Luck-E-Strike RC STX

On the second fish I hooked my jacket at the wrist.  I managed to get the fish off, then made the mistake of asking for Pete's help in getting the lure off my jacket.  In the process of getting the hook out of the jacket Pete got a hook in a finger past the barb.  He then melted down in a hail of swear words and busted my pliers.

I wasn't to happy about that.   He got a hook in his finger, big deal.  Unfortunately it was Tuesday so Bear Trax was closed and Pete didn't want to go to the Clinic/Hospital.  I drove home and Pete cut the hook off leaving part of it in his finger.  He wanted me to drive him the the St. Cloud VA, but I wasn't having that.  So he packed up his stuff and headed to the VA in the cities.

I went back fishing and caught 4 more toothy's and saw a nice moon rise.

Luck-E-Strike RC STX

Luck-E-Strike RC STX

Two More At The GOMH

18" Piranha

17" STX

Pete at the culvert

4:00-5:10PM
Conditions;  mid 30's, partly cloudy, light wind out of the NW, water level up about 6-8"'s.  Iced up except in the current area's.

I took Pete out fishing tonight.   The cold weather had most of the south end locked up except in the current area out about 100 yards.  Didn't get anything at the Inlet and at the Culvert.  At the GOMH the N side had about a long cast and half of open water and then Channel Inn Bay was locked.  The sides had ice so I had to be careful bringing in my lures.  I had a toothy hit the Piranha on the first cast, but not hook up.  A couple casts later I got the 18 incher.  Pete missed a bite and I got the 17 incher on the same STX I got most of the other toothy's on this month.  We will probably go out tomorrow as well.  I was surprised how much ice there is.

Last Open Water Trip???

19" Spro McStick 110

8:40-10:00AM
Conditions: Nearly 60 degrees, light winds turning windy out of the SE, during a break in the rain with some sprinkles,  We had gotten about 2 inches over the last couple of days. Mostly overcast,

Since there was break in the rain and it was so warm out I decided to go fishing again this morning.  I got the one toothy bullhead at the GOMH on the McStick on the NE side.  Then I decided the give the Inlet on Sullivan a try.  I got 5 small pike there on an STX and missed 1 fish that felt bigger.  I then went to the access at Round and didn't get anything.  I then tried the culvert and it started to rain, so I was done.

19" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

20.5" STX

17" STX

Toothy Bullhead School at the GOMH

Used the top two today

8:45-9:30AM
Conditions: Overcast, light rain, windy out of the SE, 48 degrees

After more than a year of bidding on Luck-E-Strike Rick Clunn STX Jerkbaits on Ebay I finally won 5 used one's at my price point.  I also won a New Spro Mc Stick 110 from the same seller on a different auction.  They arrived yesterday and I gave them a try this morning.  I was rather surprised to get 6 toothy bullheads on a couple of the STX's that I put on.  I didn't try the Mc Stick.  Every thing came on the NE side.

17.75" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

17" STX

20" STX

Mille Lacs Morning, Got 1 at GOMH

Looking at Mojo, Shadow Rap, and Indian Point

Wind out of the SW, not what I wanted

6:40-7:30AM Mille Lacs
7:50-8:40AM Bulldog, Rock, GOMH

Conditions: Cloudy, windy out of the SW at Mille Lacs, SE here, 60 degrees

Because of the warm weather and what I thought was the wind direction I headed to Eddy's Jetty to try for some smalleye's.  When I arrived I was surprised the wind was blowing out, not in.  I threw the Rippin' Rap and Shadow Rap and caught zeebs.  It was Pirate Bones.

I decided to hit the area lakes and I got a toothy bullhead at the GOMH.

18.25" Jerk Shad Ghost Shad color

 That was it.

Skunked Tonight

3:45-6:15PM
Conditions: Mostly sunny, wind out of the E, temps in the 60's.

Didn't even have a hit.  Saw no activity except for a few minnows at the surface.