Slow Night On Bulldog

Forgot the camera, so a Google Images stock photo

4:45-8:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: 18℉, Cloudy some flurries, Light W wind
Depth: 30'

The guy who plowed the Holy Family lot didn't do us ice fishermen any favors by plowing to the East rather than North/South.  Plowing East means the snow is piled up in front of the access.  Hopefully, someone who wants to drive on the lake will change that situation.  I arrived just before a Dad and his kid.  I went to my holes from last night then did two more set to the South.  The Dad set up to the North East of there.  There was nothing going on in those holes, so I ended up in the farthest South holes.  Fish didn't bother with the minnow but occasionally would take the VMC Fly/maggots.  About 5:30 some guys came out and set up just to the North of my farthest North set of holes.  The action was slow so I went out and drilled some holes.  I didn't find anything.  I ended back at the holes I caught fish out of.  Because I didn't whack the ice off the bottom of my heater and ended up tipping it into the bobber hole, which broke my line above the bobber stop.  While reaching over to pull out the heater I also managed to break the line on the VMC Fly/maggots rod.  Then there was the smell of the burning mono.  What a cluster.  At least I didn't lose any lures.  I put the bobber in the minnow bucket and went about getting the VMC Fly re-rigged.  I was interrupted by the bobber hitting the minnow bucket signaling a fish had taken my minnow.   I missed the fish, so I let the minnow go back down.  About a minute later another crappie took the minnow.  I caught it this time.  That was the 3rd minnow fish at that point.  I was unable to thread the line through the Wing-It bobber, so went to a foam bobber.  I would occasionally get a fish, but it was slow.  I gave up at 8:30PM.

11 VMC Fly/maggots
9 Glow Demon/minnow

20 Crappies
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110 Crappies caught so far this ice season
 

Bulldog Again

10" VMC Fly Jig/Maggot

5:00-7:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: 18℉, Cloudy, Light NE Wind
Depth: 30Ft

I found some clips to put on the new power cord for the Vex.  The one that came with the unit when I bought it gave up the ghost.

Then I had to go and get propane for my tank.  I didn't get loaded up until after 4:30PM.  The was a guy out fishing the hole when I got there.  I drilled three sets of holes to his North.  I got one crappie on a minnow in the first set of holes, but it was pretty dead.  Matt Will. came out on his motorbike and set up just to the NE of me.  I started fishing the second set of holes.  A couple of guys came out to the other guys portable.  I was getting a few on a minnow.  The fish didn't want to go for the Glow Demon Spoon tonight as I only caught 2 on it.  Maybe the Impulse Mayfly was more than they wanted.  The other guys packed up and gave me their minnows.  They had gotten 5.   I would occasionally catch one on the minnow or the VMC Fly.  I heard Matt packing up so I went and talked to him.  He had his limit.  I got back in the house and my bobber was down.  It was AWWWWWWWWWN for the next 20 minutes or so.  I doubled my catch for the night and missed about 7 bites as well.  My lantern and headlamp were starting to dim so I called it quits at around 7:30PM.  Fished ranged from 8.5-10.5". 

18 Glow Demon w/minnow
10 VMC Fly w/maggots
2 Glow Demon Spoon w/maggots & Mayfly

More Crappies at Bulldog

4:30-7:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: Mid 20's, Partly Cloudy, NW Windy dying down after dark
Depth: 30 FT

9" Glow Demon/Minnow

What is there to say?  I was the only one out on Bulldog tonight.  I drilled three sets of holes.  I marked fish in the 2nd set and never left. Pulled 20 crappies up on a small Glow Demon spoon with maggots and 14 on the Glow Demon with a minnow.  Did miss nearly as many fish as last night.  Fish ranged from 8" to 10.25".  I ran out of propane for the heater early on.  Fortunately, the wind died down and icing up wasn't too big of a problem.

10"  Demon Spoon/Maggots

34 Crappies

Bulldog Bite

10" VMC Fly/Maggot

4:45-7:15PM Bulldog
Conditions: 35℉, Cloudy, West Wind,
Depth: 29 Ft

With the warm weather, I thought I better get out before the snow and cold later this week.  I decided to hit up Bulldog.  As I was pulling out another car pulled into to the Holy Family lot.  It was two guys that weren't satisfied with the ice thickness on Rock.  They drilled holes farther out than me.  I didn't mark anything in the first three holes I drilled.  The 4th hole was the charm.  I caught about 13 and heard the other guys packing up.   They reported better size than what I was getting and they were using minnows.  He offered me some minnows.  I nearly forgot I had the minnow bucket in the Aerostar.   Fortunately,   I was able to get some before they left.  I got 3 crappies on minnows and missed a couple of bites as well.  I got 17 crappies on the VMC Fly with quite a few misses as well.  I would say about 3 of the fish were keeper size.

20 Crappies

Forgot the Camera (Bulldog)

1:45-2:45PM Bulldog
Conditions: 42℉, Cloudy, Light Rain

I checked out Platte Lake.  A couple of cracks had me concerned, so I decided not to fish there.  I decided not to get minnows and almost didn't go out on Bulldog because the ice was only 3".  I wore my life jacket and trolled on the ice and stopped when I saw some activity in about 22 feet.  I got 3 perch in the first spot.  I got small sunfish and perch in about 30.  The wind came up and it started sprinkling, so I left.

4 Perch
1 Sunfish

First Ice Trip Of the Winter

4:00-5:45PM Bulldog
Conditions: 40-36℉, Mostly Sunny, West Wind turning calm, 30 feet of water

8.5" VMC Fly/Jamei/Wax (Glow)

So the Bugaboots arrived in the mail today.  Think I should have gone with a size 10, oh well.  Trying them out on the ice gave me the motivation to finally get my act together.  I went to Bulldog because I figured the ice would probably be safe there.  There was a guy out fishing when I arrived.  I elected not to go and get minnows by eeny, meany, miny, moe the decision in the Holy Family parking lot.  I checked with the spud bar on my way out.  A couple of times I was able to put it through with two shots, but most of the time I couldn't get through with 3 shots. Shortly after I started fishing the other guy left.  Somebody left a container of waxies out on the ice.  I missed the first fish that bit.  Then nothing.  I hole hopped a few times before finding something.  I landed a couple of Bulldog Lake Specials.   I found a few more fish back towards the North.  I forgot to put the heater in the car, so when I got cold I left.

Maybe I will go after some sunny's out there.

6 Crappie

Skunked On Halloween

I did a little fishing today.  At the GOMH, nothing. Rock Lake, nothing and Rock Dock out.  Lake Place Dock, nothing. Water Temp 38℉.  I ran the motor for a while to get Sea Foam in the system.  Taking the boat and dock out tomorrow in the snow.

Calm Cold Evening (Last Bass of 2017)

18.75" Hack Attack Jig/Craw Fatty

5:30-6:30PM Platte Late F Flat in the Trophy
Conditions: 36-34℉, Partly Cloudy, Light SW Wind
Water Temp: 40℉

This was my last successful tirp in the Trophy for 2017.  If youcan call 1 fish a success.  At least it was a good one.  Dang Winter arrived early this year.

Low Winds = Fishing

14.5" Bubble Walker (White)

2:45-6:45PM Across from PA, Chuck's Pt, Double Cane Pt., F Flat
Conditions: 55-48℉, Partly Cloudy, NW N NE Light Wind/Calm,
Water Temp: 50-48℉

Finally a nice night for me to go fishing.  If the long term forecast is correct this weekend may be it for me in the Trophy.  I started out at West Point and didn't get a hit.  I then went into the hay field across from the Platte Public Access.  Nothing was going on there.  I finally got a hit on the Horny Toad around the cattails in the reeds, but missed it. 

22" Craw Tube (b/b)

I had a pike boil on the Horny Toad, but not hook up. I got it on a Blue Bruiser Craw Tube.  I got one more small pike on the Horny Toad.  I then headed to Chuck's Point.  Had one small pike after the Horny Toad there and that was it.  I then headed to Double Cane Point.  A fish gave it's position away sending me North into the bay.

25.5" Bubble Walker

   I got my biggest pike of the night on the Bubble Walker and a couple of small one's as well.  I got a couple more small pike as I went in the hay along the point on the Horny Toad.  I wasn't getting any bass and wind had switched out of the East so I headed to F Flat.  There I got a couple of 14" bass on consecutive casts and a couple of pike as well on the Bubble Walker.

2 Bass
9 Pike

A Trip Out To F Flat

16.75" Fleet Farm Spinnerbait

5:30-7:00PM F Flat
Conditions: 60-58℉, Partly Cloudy, SWSSE Wind
Water Temp: 52℉

15.25" Fleet Spin

The Vikes beat the Ravens today. Defense is looking good.  Steve needed to take the Soul in to the cities to pick up Mack.  So I transferred my stuff into the Aerostar and helped Steve pick up a little bit.  Had about 2/3rds of an inch of rain in the boat from last night.  I didn't get anything at West Point.  I then headed to the West side of F Flat.  Unfortunately I can't make out where the reeds are as they are all cut off.  I drifted in over the top of them. Up towards shore I got my first bass of the night (15.25).  I didn't get anything else until I got out front of the flags.  I picked up two dinks and a 13 incher.  I got the biggest one of the night over by the white thing.  I missed one that knocked slack in the line over there as well.  No luck on topwater.

5 Bass

Ironman Mission Lakes

I screwed up when I went to crop this pic, no back up.

Fished one of Smitty's Ironman's with Snatcher Chuck. We came in about 5th or 6th Place out of about 13 teams or so.  It was windy and cool.  Jig bite was the deal for us.  I think big bass was a 6lber.   I only contributed one fish to our bag.  Between the two of us we got about 17 bass and 4 pike.

It's kind of hard to remember details seeing as how I am writing this on March 4th 2018.

Off the Dock/GOMH

8" BPS Spinnerbait/Gifted Grub

Got the dock pulled in a bit today.  I took the nieces out for a short boat ride.  Dang wind.  I got one bass off the dock and lost a pike.  On the way home I stopped at the GOMH.  I got the one toothy and missed a decent jumper.  I had to get my tackle organized for tomorrows tournament with Chuck Steinbauer at Mission Lakes, so I didn't take the Trophy out.

Found Some On F Flat

15.75" Mils Fleet Farm Spinnerbait/Swim Fluke/Gifted Grub (B/W/R)

3:35-3:50PM GOMH
4:30-7:00PM Out Front, F Flat
7:40-8:00PM GOMH
Conditions: 72-67℉, Partly Cloudy, S Wind
Water Temp: 53-51℉

I didn't get a hit at the GOMH.

I started at West POint and worked my way East.  I got two small pike in front of Jim's.  I had a Sprinker Tail and Hack Jig get bit off in the reeds.  At about 6PM I headed to F Flat.  I should have gone there sooner.  I missed the first bite I had.  I then got into a school of bass out front of the white thing catching 5 of them (15.75x2, 15, 13, 9.66) on the Fleet Farm Spinnerbait.  I also got a small pike.  MY last bass (13.25) of the night came on the Piranha.

I tried the GOMH again and didn't get a hit.

9.30lbs Best 6 Bass

6 Bass
3 Pike

Plans Change, Dang Wind

3.54lbs/17.75" Piranha/Craw Fatty (June/B/B)

8:30-9:00AM GOM
9:00-9:30AM Rock Dock
10:00-11:30AM West Point. East of Jenny's,  SPSI
4:00-7:00PM Loon Flat
Conditions: 48-64℉, Partly Cloudy, Light to Heavy Wind SW W
Water Temp: 52℉

16" Piranha/Grub (Chart)

I got one jumper at the GOMH on the Piranha. I also missed a hit on the Real Deal Craw.

21" Piranha/Grub (Chart)

I got one pike at the Rock Dock. I took my sweet time getting out in the Trophy.  I got two bass at West Point.  A 11.5 incher on the white Bubble Walker and a 13.66 incher on a chart Rippin' Rap.

Juvenile Loon Checking Me Out 

 
I then went and fish the inside turn and point over by Jenny's.  Didn't get a bit.  Then I headed to South Point of the Small Island.  Nothing going on there.  I got a phone call, but the phone was out of juice.  I headed in just in case Dad needed to use the car.  Turns out it was Snatcher Chuck asking me to fish a tournament with him on Mission Lakes this Saturday.
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17.1" Fleet Farm Spinnerbait/Swim Fluke/Gifted Grub

The plan was to head across to the West side of the lake, but the waves at the North narrows made me turn back.  I got soaked too.  I pulled up on Loon Flat and spent the whole evening there.

I got the melanistic bass as soon as I switched the the spinnerbait.  I quickly got a 8.5" dink and pike. I then had probably 5 fish hit the spinnerbait and not hook up.  I got one more pike on the spinnerbait and a small one on a 3/4oz Red Eye Shad.

17.75" Piranha/Craw Fatty

And the big bass of the day was my last bite of the night.

 

11.15lbs Best 6 Bass for the Day

7 Bass

4 Pike