Skunked On Halloween

All docks are out.

4:30-6:15PM GOMH, West Point, Jenny's Reeds
Conditions: 50 degrees, Cloudy some mist, Windy out of the SSE, 45 degree water temp.

I didn't really feel like going out fishing today, but I did anyway.  The GOMH was a bust, didn't bother with the SW side because of the wind.

At the lake, the two docks that were still in the water have been removed.  I think I had one hit on a spinnerbait in the weeds on my way over to West Point.  I didn't get a hit in Jenny's reeds.

The Vikes lost to Cutler, derp!

Nothing But Pike Tonight

24" STX French Pearl

3:35-6:30PM GOMH, N side Don's Bay juice
Conditions: 50 degrees, Mostly Cloudy, Light NW wind turning calm, 47 deg. water temp

Nothing at the GOMH, didn't stay long.

Nothing at West Point.

I headed to the juice.

Missed the first bite on the STX french pearl.  Second hit was the 24" with full stomach.  I then got a 16".  I got a 19.75" on the A.T. Jig w/ Craw Fatty trailer.  I missed a fish on the Poison that ran towards me after it hit.  I got another small pike on the STX.  I lost a good fish on the Poison.  The was some baitfish activity on the flat and a couple of times fish boiled.

Nice Day, Got a Few

17.75" Poison w/Craw Fatty b/b

1:45-6:30PM GOMH, Jenny's Reeds, N Don's Bay Juice
Conditions: 60-58 degrees, Partly cloudy, Light SW wind turning calm, 47 deg water temp.

I didn't get a hit at the GOMH.

I went to Jenny's reeds first.  I missed the first hit I got over by Beaver Point in the reeds.  The fish stole one of the Craw Fatty's claws. I got the 2nd hit on the junebug All-Terrain A.T. Jig with Okeechobee Craw Craw Fatty.

16.75" A.T. Jig w/Craw Fatty

 I then went to West Point and didn't get anything.  Over to the juice.  I got a pike with belly stuffed right away on a bluegill Poison with Grass Pig Jr. trailer.

23.75" Poison w/Grass Pig Jr.

I then got a 14.5" bass on the same Poison.  I got a 14" bass on the A.T. Jig in some cabbage.  On the first cast with the blue/black Poison I got the 17.75".  That was down by the only dock in the water.

17.75" Poison w/Craw Fatty 

I got one last small pike on the b/b Poison.  There were baitfish all over the place on the flat.  Conditions were perfect for topwater, but nothing was going.  The guy who came out and lost the fish last week came out and threw a few casts.  He said I was killing him being that I was out in a boat.

I Didn't Get Skunked

25" Terminator Jig w/Craw Fatty b/b

5:00-7:30PM Reeds Across the Way, GOMH
Conditions: 49 degrees, Cloudy, Light SSE wind, Water Temp 47

I started at West Point and got nothing.  I went across the way to the reeds were the wind was blowing in on them.  Didn't get anything until I was working the inside reed line.  I missed a bass that picked up the jig as I was bringing it out.  I got to the NE corner of the first reed bank and go the pike there on the b/b Terminator Jig.  I kept working the inside reed line.  I went in to the maidencaine and had a pike bite of the Terminator Jig.  I also missed another hit there on the craw tube.  I didn't really leave enough time to fish the weed flat.  I tied on a new Jig when I got in.

Nothing at the GOMH.  I almost went to Mille Lacs, but decided against it.  

A Camera, A Jacket, And Some Fish Slime

16.25" Poison w/Fatty

5:00-6:35PM Trophy West Point, Rock, Bulldog, GOMH NE
Conditions: 41 degrees, Cloudy, some light drzzle, Light E Wind turning Calm, 45 degree water temp at the Lake Place.

So today I got 3 packages in the mail from auctions I won on Ebay:  A new Tatula CT 8:1 Reel, Another Canon Powershot A70 Camera, and a Clam Ice Armor Winter Jacket.  I needed a new winter jacket because the zipper on the red Arctic Armor Jacket Mike Thompson gave me was toast.  For some reason I thought Arctic Armor got bought out by Clam, but I was mistaken on that.  I got the camera because it went dirt cheap and while the A70's take good pictures, they tend to malfunction after a while.   It came with a surprise 128MB Card that wasn't in the Ebay description.  I have plenty of the compatible Flash Cards, but having another one doesn't hurt.  The reel will get spooled up tomorrow and go on the Zillion Swimbait Rod I've been using for pitching jigs on lately.

I had to pump water out of the Trophy from the rain we got today and last night.  After that was done I took the Trophy out for a brief trip to West Point and back.  I got the 16 incher there.  I also missed an even bigger fish on the Terminator Jig w/Chigger Craw (breen).

I then went to Rock to discover the Rock Dock was out of the water.  Didn't catch anything there or at Bulldog.

I went to the GOMH and slipped on to my back on the rocks which were surprisingly slippery.  That was graceful, Not!  I did manage to catch two toothy bullheads (22,17) on a French Pearl STX.

The Struggle Was Real Today

A loon out in no man's land

The sun dropped and so did the temp

2:30-6:45PM  Loon Sex Bay, N side of Don's Bay
Conditions: 55-42 degrees, Mostly Sunny, Calm or very light NE wind, Water temp 51-49 degrees

I thought with the sunny calm weather the fish would be slammin'.  I don't know what happened, but they weren't.  I started out on a dock about 150 yards from Don's.  I worked around the point and got a fish in front of the boat house in Loon Sex Bay on the Pure Poison.

14.25" Poison w/Craw Fatty b/b

  Over at Loon Sex Point.  I had a couple of swirls on the Horny Toad and I missed a fish on the Hack Jig.  At 4:30 I headed to the juice.  I got a pike pretty quickly on the Bubble Walker.  Then I got two bass on consecutive casts on the Bubble Walker.

15" R2S Bubble Walker white

I got a dink about 5 casts later.  Stuff was occasionally getting busted, but it was totally random; To the West, to the East, in shallow, way out on the flat.  I tried chasing the fish way out on the flat.  That's
 when I got the picture with the loon.  I got one last pike on the Bubble Walker as I made my way back to the juice.  It got cold fast, thank goodness there was no wind.  

Morning and Evening Trips

18.5" Pure Poison w/Craw Fatty b/b

8:00-11:00AM North side of Don's Bay in the Trophy
Conditions: 39-45 degrees, Sunny turning mostly cloudy, Wind WSW W WNW, Water temp 47.

With last nights success I decided to do a little fishing before the Vikes/Eagles game.  I headed right to the reeds on the N shore.  I got a 17.5" pike right away on the Fleet Farm Spinnerbait.  I then had another fish hit and steal the Swim Fluke Jr's tail, so I switched up to the Pure Poison.  I was just about to try another lure when I got 2 bass (17.75, 18.5) on consecutive casts.

17.75" Poison b/b

18.5" Poison

The 18.5 was a chub. I got one other bite on the Poison, a 16.5" bass.  The clouds moved in and I started pitching the black/blue Terminator Jig with Craw Fatty in the shallow weeds.  I got 4 bass (15.5, 16, 15.25, 17) doing that and one 17" pike.

16" Terminator Jig w/ Craw Fatty

17" Terminator Jig w/Craw Fatty

If I was more skilled as a jig fishermen I would have caught more as I missed several bites, including my last one that might have been the biggest of the morning.  Getting the hang of that the fish takes it and it's swimming toward me is something I was learning more about this trip.  I caught a couple and missed a couple that did that.

Evening Trip
4:30-6:45PM North side of our bay and Don's Bay
Conditions: 51-45 degrees, Cloudy, Med to Light NW wind, water temp 48 degrees

I decided to hit the North side of our bay to start, a mistake with the quality of fish on the North side of Don's bay.  It's pretty similar water, but there is more cabbage in Don's bay.  I got a pike on the b/b Poison and this fish on the Slush Daddy right up by shore.

13.25" Slush Daddy

 I did have a couple of other fish hit the Slush Daddy and not get it. A little after 5PM I went to the juice.  There I got a 14 incher on the Slush Daddy and missed a couple more.  There was fish activity all over the place.  Eventually I put the Slush Daddy down and got two bass (16.75, 15.25) on consecutive casts on the Poison.

16.75" Pure Poison

I think I might have gotten one more 14 inch bass on the Poison.

Beautiful Evening, Fishing OK

17.75" Fleet Farm Spinnerbait w/Swim Fluke Jr.

3:30-7:30PM Out Front, West of Public Access, N side of Don's Bay
Conditions: 65-58 degrees, Mostly Sunny, Calm, Light E wind, Calm  Water Temp 53-51

And absolutely perfect night to be out on the lake fishing.  I started out in front because there was panfish activity.  I got a bass tossing the Horny Toad back towards the tree.

14" Horny Toad brown

I had something swirl on the Toad casting out and got nothing on West Point.  I went across the way to fish the docks, but there was somebody on "The Dock".  So I only fished the one and then headed to the Big West Bay.  I went to a weed flat that has been good to me in the Fall.  I worked my way into a dock with a boat lift.  Something got hit off the end of the Reeds on my left (East).  To the East of the dock I got a pike on the Horny Toad. I worked my way between the two reed beds the back towards where I saw the fish get hit.  On a cast in to the reeds with the Fleet Farm Spinnerbait I got the 17.5" incher.  I then worked my way back towards the dock heading West this time.  I had a couple fish not get the Horny Toad and I caught 11.5 bass towards the start of the slop.  It was now 5PM and Duck Hunters had taken up residence in the maidencaine across from the Access, so I headed to the North side of Don's Bay.

It got calm just as I arrived.  I had a fish hit the Bubble Walker and not get it over by the single reed I got the big pike on Monday. I think I missed the next hit as well.  I got my first Bubble Walker fish of the night casting out.

15.9" Bubble Walker

As I was working my way East a guy came out and started casting from shore.  He got hit distracting me when a fish hit the BW.  He told his wife it was huge. That told me something I should have already known.  The fish might be holding in a foot of water. Stuff started showing up all over the weed flat.  Lots of gun shots.  Had a few geese fly bye and a few ducks. I think I had another fish or two not get the Bubble Walker.  The Horny Toad didn't get a hit.  I took a picture of the beautiful sky.

Taken a few minutes before the second water/sky picture

Shortly after taking the second water water/sky picture, which is the one underneath the boat picture towards the top of this blog.  I caught my last fish of the night on the night on the Bubble Walker.

16.75" Bubble Walker

I should have taken a picture of the golden sky, but for some reason couldn't put down the rod.

I did try the GOMH and didn't get a hit.  My standing rock on the NE side is now completely out of the water, but hasn't dried out enough yet to stand on.

Fishing With Todd After Pulling the Dock Out

20" Poison w/Swim Fluke Jr.

3:15-4:15PM East Shore and across the way NE shore to the nothing dock.
Conditions: 50 degrees, Mostly cloudy, Wind out of the SSE.  49 water temp

I should have set Todd up on the Techna AV rather than the ML Muse Gold.  The black spinnerbait kept tangling up on his pole so I switched to the Poison on the Muse.

I got the first fish over by the only dock remaining where I had bites out in front of about a week and a half ago.

18.5" bluegill Piranha w/Swim Fluke Jr.

Todd then caught his pike in the same general area.  As we drifted North I totally saw 18.5" pike nail the Piranha.  I had a couple small pike follows, caught a small one and got a 12" bass by the two docks by the NE corner.

That gave the idea to try the docks across the way if they were still in the water.  They were.  Unfortunately I brought Todd up to first on the first one to fast.  We fished "The Dock" but nothing was there.  At the dink bass dock I had a 24-25" pike steal my Piranha.  At least Todd got to see the fish come in and hit.  WE then headed in.

Done Wore Myself Out

18.5" River2Sea Bubble Walker

7:00AM-6:30PM GOMH, Rock Lake, N side of Don's Bay, the reeds and docks across the way.
Conditions: 45-58 degrees, Mostly sunny to mostly cloudy, Calm to light wind NNW NNE, Water Temp 50-53 degrees.

This turned in to my longest day on the water in who knows how long.  I was totally worn out and didn't get on the water again until 4 days later.  This blog is being written 11 days later.

I started at the GOMH and didn't catch anything.  I then went to Rock Lake and didn't get anything there either.

I then got in the Trophy and tried out front and at West point, not getting a thing.  I then ran to the North end of the reeds across the way.  There was a seagull and some baitfish activity on the flat.  I started throwing a River2Sea Rover, a walking topwater across the weed flat.  I had one fish blow up on that but not get it.

Conditions seemed just ideal for topwater, so I switched to a Vixen, then the small Whopper Plopper, and then to a River2Sea Bubble Walker.  The Bubble Walker was what they wanted.

14" River2Sea Bubble Walker

That was the first fish I ever caught on the lure.  I then had a 16.5" not get the lure, but I was patient and just let the bait sit still for about 45 seconds.  I then worked the lure for a couple seconds, then killed it again letting it sit for about 15 seconds.  When I started up again the fish blasted it.

16.5" Bubble Walker

You can see I was working about the length of a cast from shore, casting parallel to shore, sometimes shallower, sometimes out more.  The 18.5" was my fourth fish on the Walker at that point with a couple of more misses.

18.5" Bubble Walker

 I got over by the start of the reeds on the North end of Don's Bay when I got this long, but skinny pike.

27.5" Bubble Walker

I worked the flat back an forth for a number of hours getting enough hits to keep things interesting.  I missed my fair share, that's for sure.

16.5" Bubble Walker

For a little while it looked like it was going to rain and a light wind came up.  I switched to Pop Max and immediately got nailed by a typical fish.

15.75" Pop Max

I then got a small pike and then missed 3 or 4 straight hits.  I then let myself get pulled off of the juice.  Instead of going back to the juice I decided to fish the reeds across the way.  Stuff was getting blown up well inside the reed bed so I worked my way in fishing a Pad Crasher.

16.25" Pad Crasher

I caught a couple and missed a couple doing that.  It was now cooling off and I was getting tired.  I elected to try "The Dock" and was rewarded with a good bass on the Hack Attack Jig.

17.75" Hack Jig w/Chigger Craw breen

That worked out so well I tried the next dock down and got an even bigger fish.

18" Hack Jig w/Chigger Craw

I then hit the two docks and our dock on my way in.  I didn't get anything on the docks, but missed two fish in the pads in front of our place.  I was beat.  On the way home I bumped a deer and sent it rolling into the ditch.  It got back up and kept on running.  It was the darndest thing.  No damage to the Kia Soul, thankfully.

11 bass on the Bubble Walker
2 Pike on the Bubble Walker
16 bass total and 3 pike
I missed at least 12 hits

Good Day In The Trophy Across the Way

19" Craw Tube grn pumpkin

3:00-7:45PM Trophy Reeds and Shoreline across the way.
Conditions: 64-62 degrees, Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy, ESE Windy, Water Temp 52 degrees

I actually brought the Garmin today

I didn't get a hit off the dock and the wind was out of the East enough there really wasn't and protection from it.  I went to West Point and I think I missed a couple of hits on the Craw Tube.

I went across the way to where the wind was blowing into the reeds.  I got my first bass of the day on the blue/black Terminator with Craw Fatty trailer.  It was a chunk.

18" Terminator JIg w/Craw Fatty b/b

I then got into protected water and had a fish miss the Horny Toad on a dock.  I sent in the Craw Tube and got a 16.75"

16.75" Craw Tube grn pumpkin

 I then got a bass with no upper lip off the same dock.

15.5" Craw Tube

I was working my way down to the next dock when I had a pike strike at the Herb's Dilly a couple of times.  I was coming to large opening in the reeds down by the only other dock on that shoreline.  I got 3 bass (16, 15, 14.75) on the back corner and missed a couple bites as well on the Terminator Jig.  I then went across the opening to the northern most reed bed's back corner and got this pike and 14.5" bass there on the Terminator.

25.5" Terminator Jig

 I got 12" bass off the dock.  I then fished my way back to the first dock and got the 19 incher there.

I was coming to the end of the rocks along the shoreline when I had a fish hit the Horny Toad, but not hook up.  I reeled it about 10 more feet and either the same fish or another one jumped it and hooked up.

16" Horny Toad brown

I then got a nasty overrun on the Tatula CT.  I had accidently put the breaks at zero.  Getting the backlash out that was way deep in the spool probably took me 15 minutes to get out.  I got another 16" bass on the Horny Toad as I got into the wind on the shore bulrush area.  That was my last bite of the night

16" Horny Toad

I made the run to the remaining docks on the East shoreline of our bay getting nothing.

Looking West