Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Morning And Evening Trips to the GOMH




4:50-6:30AM
Conditions: Hazy sun, very light wind, temps mid 50's

I arrived at the skeeters were out, the golden bullheads weren't.  Eventually I put on a KVD Sexy Dawg and on my first cast right after it landed a bullhead hit it, but didn't hook up.  I went over to the SW side and had a bullhead hit and miss a Berkley Frenzy Popper.  I then got a 13" jumpin' bullhead on a bluegill color Pure Poison and I missed a couple of hits on it too.  The Grass Pig Jr. trailer got bit off.

I went back to the NE side just as the Sun was coming up.  I got this 12" jumper.
12" Spro Frog
 The way it hit I thought I had a 16 incher on, not a peanut.  I also caught a small toothy on the Spro.    That was it for the morning.   I noticed that I had lost a screw out of my Tatula's side plate and it was getting loose.  So when I got home I tightened it up and took a screw from a Fuego I'm not using that needs serviced.

Evening Trip:
8:00-9:35PM
Conditions: Hazy Sun and clouds, temp in the 70's, No wind

Willard and the black lady were fishing on the N side of the bridge and Matt W and some guys were fishing on the S side when I arrived.  I started on the SE side and BAM! First cast.
15.5" Horny Toad
I saw the fish wake 4 feet and nail it.  After trying the SW side slop and talking with Willard at the bridge I headed down into the weeds on the NE side.  I tried fishing the Horny Toad, but I couldn't get enough distance.  I had fish boil on the Spro and not get it.  Then I had a fish boil on it and get hooked only to come off as I got it into the thicker rice, same as last night.  I had what I assume was a toothy swing and miss the
Spro.  About half way to the channel I had a jumper suck the Spro down.
17+" Spro Frog
It was a good one.  That was the last surface hit.  I got a small toothy under the bridge on a Sexy Shad Ultimate Jerk Shad.  Peter and his brother were fishing bullheads when I left.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Got Two Fish I've Probably Hooked or Caught Recently Tonight

Both bullheads I caught tonight were hooked in the same place in the upper lip, with larger old holes right behind where they were hooked tonight.  I was lucky to land both fish.
(Click to enlarge)


8:05-9:35PM
Conditions:  Hazy Sun, windy out of the WNW, Temps in the 70's

When I arrived there was a guy in a fancy wheel chair fishing off the North side of the bridge with who I assume was his daughter and the vans driver.  And there were a couple of guys fishing the SW side.  I didn't get anything in the 10 minutes I fished the SE side.  Peter arrived and started fishing with the guys on the SW side.

On the NE side the wind was such that I was losing 5 to 10 feet on the max distance on a cast.  About 5 minutes in I got a 15+ inch fish on the Spro.
15.??" Spro Frog
The next cast I made to the same spot, about 6 casts later,  I had another one jump on it.  I had it hooked in the more open area, but when it got to the thicker rice it buried me and got off.  I then had a small pike take a shot at the frog.  I got over closer to the buoy's and had 16+ inch fish take the Spro.  You can see where the fish was hooked best in this picture.  I was really lucky that lip held.
I left the rod where I caught the fish and walked back to where the camera was at.  I threw the fish back, then picked up my dipper swimbait rod.  I had a fish miss the Grass Pig on the very first cast.  Didn't have any more bites on the GP.  I did have a small fish take a couple of shots across the channel and something got annihilated by what I'm guessing was a big bass about 15 feet past my max casting distance on a normal day.  I went up and talked with Peter and his friend for a couple of minutes then left.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Slower Night At the GOMH

15.??" Spro Frog
8:35-9:35PM
Conditions: 70's, no wind, partly cloudy

I got out a little later tonight.  People were fishing for oranges on the NE side of the bridge and George was there too.  Here is what a guy named Matt and his girlfriend caught.
I started on the SE side.  I had what I'm pretty sure was a small toothy get off about half way back.  I was fishing the NE side in the weeds by 8:45.  Peter arrived about that time.  My first bite porpoised on the frog and somehow didn't get it.  I couldn't get it to hit again.  The next bite I had was a fish that missed the frog in the thick slop.  I couldn't get this fish to hit again.  I learned my lesson on the third hit which also missed the frog on the first try.  I didn't set the hook.  The fish came back and hit it again and I felt that it had the frog when I set the hook.  Fish in the first picture.  I maybe had one more really weak bite.  I went up to talk with George and Peter on the bridge and ended up talking with Matt.  I left at about 9:45PM

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Yet Another Good Night Frogging At the GOMH

Pig 17.?? Spro Frog (Hope she survives)
7:00-9:40PM
Conditions: Temps in the low 70's, moderate wind out of the SSW, mostly cloudy

The black lady was fishing off the bridge when I arrived.  She had only got a couple of oranges.  I started on the SW side, but didn't have a bite on the S side.  By 7:30 I was on the NE side in the weeds.  My first hit was a toothy that didn't hook up at about 7:45.  Next bite was this fish about 5 minutes later.
?15" Spro Frog
My next two fish were smaller.   The one I estimated at no bigger than 14" I gave to Nice Old Man Farmer George.  I also lost a good one in between the two smaller fish. I talked to George for a little while, then went back to fishing.

I was now back to fishing water I had already covered earlier without a bite.   That is when the bleeding fish jumped on the Spro.  It was hooked in the tongue.  I didn't realize it was bleeding like that until after I took the picture.  I threw it back immediately hoping getting it back in the water would stop the bleeding.  I really really hope that fish makes it, because obviously it was a tank.

I quickly got two more 16" class fish.
16.?? Spro Frog
I missed my last 4 bites or so.  The last one I missed because I was putting my hood up when it hit and I didn't get a good hookset.  It felt like a good fish.

I caught 6, missed about 5 or so and had a few that didn't get the frog at all.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Another Good Night Frogging the GOMH

Pig 17" Spro Bronzeye Frog
8:30-9:30PM
Conditions: Pretty calm, temps in the high 60's, partly sunny

I arrived a little later tonight.  A bunch of people were fishing off the bridge.  I didn't get anything on the SE side.  I quickly made the move the NE side.  I missed my first hit, but got a 15 incher on the next cast.

15.??" Spro Frog
I missed another couple of hits (they didn't get the frog).  I then got fish on back to back casts, including this 16" fish.
16?" Spro Frog
I had another couple fish fiddle with me, then I caught that pig of a 17" fish.
Pic taken by a guy fishing on the bridge of the 17".
The skeeters got bad, so I left.  Yep, it was another good night with the frog.

Filed Under: I Don't Hardly Believe It Myself

20.25" Jerk Shad 
6:00-7:30AM
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, slight wind out of the SE, temps in the low 60's.

So I went to Mille Lacs this morning to try for smallies at Eddy's Jetty.  I got there in time to catch the sunrise.

not many mayflies around this morning







I started with topwater, but that produced nothing.  I tried a Fluke, nothing.  I then put on the Jerk Shad and was fishing off the dock on the North jetty corner.  A fish took it and immediately headed to the surface.  I thought for sure it was going to be a good sized smallmouth.  I was amazed when it was instead a big largemouth.  I thought the better of trying to lift it up on the dock and took the fish to shore.  She choked it.
20.25" Crackle Color Ultimate Jerk Shad
A guy who was staying at Eddy's came buy when I was bringing it to shore and took a picture for me.
Un-cropped 
That was the only bite I got.  I did have a perch following the Jerk Shad on one cast.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Man, I Love Frog Fishing

1st Cast BAM! 15" Spro Frog
8:15-9:45PM
Conditions: Mostly Sunny, temps in the 70's, comfortable, no wind

The four fish I got tonight (2x15's, 2x14's) were a bit smaller than what I got last night but no less fun.  The 2nd fish I got was a real leaper clearing water at least 4 times.  I got the first two on the SE side and the last two on the NE side.  I also missed one bite on the SE side.  There were people fishing the bridge so I didn't get to fish there until they all left around 9:30PM.  I didn't get a hit at the bridge, but I know they had caught a jumper or two.
2nd Bass was a jumping machine.

A Little Disappointed This Morning at the GOMH


Even the sunrise was a bit of a bust this morning
4:45-6:10AM
Conditions: Partly cloudy, temps in mid 50's, no to light wind out of the East

After the way last night went I had visions of jumping gold for this mornings trip.  I didn't realize it at first, but water was flowing into Platte when I arrived this morning.  When I figured that out I switched to the SW side from the NE side.  I did manage to get two small jumpers on the Slush Daddy.  And I pooched a hookset with the Spro Frog when I went back to the NE side, just after sunrise.  That was my morning.
12" Slush Daddy

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Good Night at the GOMH

Nice Old Man George with 17.5" on a Sexy Shad Ultimate Jerk Shad
7:30-9:45PM
Conditions: Temps in the 70's, mostly sunny, little wind

I arrived when Willard did.  I started on the SE side and I got a 16.75" jumpin' bullhead on this Spro Bronzeye Frog.
16.?? Spro Frog
I didn't get a picture of that fish because my camera went on the fritz.
I missed one other bite on the SE side.

I went to the NE side and got a 15.75" on the Spro and a 16.25" on the H20 Xpress Ultimate Jerk Shad in Sexy Shad color under the bridge.  I missed what was probably a toothy on a Fluke.  There also was a dogfish swimming around.  I went down the shoreline.  Willard had just left when I got this jumper and my camera started working again.
16.?? Spro Frog
I heard another car arrive, so I threw the fish back and walked up the hill to see who it was.  It was George.  I walked back to the bridge and talked with George.  I caught the toothy and gave it to George.  I had a good eater sized golden get off as I tried bringing it up on the rocks.  I was kind of bummed I didn't get it for him.  The mosquito's started getting bad so I called "last cast" and I got a 15.25" jumpin' bullhead.  That wasn't my last cast as I heard baitfish getting hit.  The skeeters were so bad though I only lasted another couple of casts.

Not a bad night at all.

Oh and I nearly forgot.  I had two frogs "get it on" with the Spro on the SE side.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Pretty Night For A Paddle On Bulldog Lake

On my way back to the Holy Family Access
7:50-9:30PM
Conditions:  Mostly sunny, 70 degrees, slight wind out of the South diminishing to nothing

I decided to take the Slop Slip to Bulldog for a quick trip tonight because of the light winds.  I figured fish would still be where they were last week on Thurs.  There were, but they weren't as aggressive.  I had two or three fish that I missed the hookset on and another 5 to 7 that didn't get the frog.  It was such a nice night with the loons calling as I paddled back that getting skunked didn't matter.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Grapes of ..., He Gone!

"Grapes of Wrath" color Mad Maxx Frog
8:00-9:50PM GOMH

Conditions: Mostly Sunny, no wind, temps in the mid 70's

I took of the Sweet Revenge Mad Maxx Frog for repairs and put a Grapes of Wrath on the Tatula Rod in it's place.  It caught me one toothy.
23.5" Mad Maxx Frog
Then a couple of minutes later I set the hook on a fish and the frog was gone.  I checked my line for nicks, so I'm pretty sure it was a second tooth that stole it.  I also had a small toothy hit the Phantom and fight me for about 7 seconds before it got off.  I started the night fishing the far E rice and didn't get a hit.  The fish bit from 9:15 to 9:30PM on the NE side.

Nice Sunrise And A Couple Small Bullheads Too




10" Ultimate Jerk Shad
5:00-6:35 GOMH, Culvert, Sullivan Inlet
Conditions: Temps in the mid 50's, some fog, no wind, partly cloudy

I lost the first fish on the Jerk Shad, could have been a golden.  I noticed the hook was bent out a bit on the back treble.  I got the 10" and a 13.5" on the Sexy Shad color Jerk Shad.  I only fished the N side because somebody showed up about 10 minutes after I arrived and fished the SW side for orange bullheads.  I lost what I think was a small pike on the Jerk Shad on the South side of the inlet culvert.