Not According To Plan This Morning

With the flash on

Flash On

5:30-6:00AM GOMH NE
6:00-6:30AM Driving to the Hospital in Onamia
6:30-7:45AM Mostly waiting for things to get done
8:00-10:15AM Mille Lacs Eddy's Jetty
Conditions: 60's, Cloudy, some sprinkles, light to very light E wind

I wanted to arrive at the Grumpy Old Man Hole at 5:15, but spent to long putzing around.  The sky was still cool looking when I got there but not quite as pink.  After taking pictures I went down on the NE side.  I got hit immediately on the Loon Whopper Plopper.

13" Whopper Plopper

 That was it for topwater.  I tried a few other baits then tied on the Jerk Shad and brought in this small toothy on it.

19" Jerk Shad Crackle

It was hooked by one hook on the middle treble.  I made the mistake of trying to take it off the hook.  As I went to grab it started fighting.  In a instant the treble was out of the fish and in-bedded in my thumb.

 There is a first time for everything and this was the first time a fish stuck me beyond the barb.  It was in deep and not pulling out at all.  I didn't think the line trick would work with how deep the hook was so I headed to the Hospital in Onamia.  I was right about the line trick.  The P.A. numbed up my thumb then cut the hook as far up as he could.  He was able to push the point through than pull it out.  It took 5 minutes.  They gave me some antibiotics and a prescription and I was out of there.

I decided to head up to Eddy's and try for some smallies.  Having the numb thumb didn't effect my ability to cast or hold the rod.  I fished for about 45 minutes without so much as a sign of a fish when a fish gave itself away well within casting distance.  I put on this Lucky Craft Kelly J.

 Sure enough a 17-18" smallie hit it.  I maneuvered it into the harbor mouth where it jumped a couple of times and got off.  That was it for action for about half an hour until I got this pike on the Jerk Shad.

22" Jerk Shad

I think I had one other bite on the Jerk Shad that didn't hook up.  The sun was starting to break through the clouds and I had flogged the water enough so I headed home.