Bass Opener Day 1

5:15-6:00AM GOMH NE
When I arrived Wheel House Guy was there and he had gotten a couple of jumpers, toothy, and golden bullheads.  The shiners were getting beat up in the tube but I couldn't get hit.  A tournament fisherman came through and didn't stay in the boat channel, which sent a bunch of vegetation loose.  A did manage to miss a couple of topwater hits before more tourny guys came through.  By the time they blasted off 6AM, I was packing up to leave.  I did notice nobody started on SPSI

2.73lbs/17.25" Hexa Chinooki (Bubblegum)

6:30AM-12:45 PM SPSI, SPRO, Channel Inn Bay, Starting Spot
Conditions: 67-82℉, Partly Cloudy, Wind from calm to really blowing out of the West
Water Temp: 68-70℉
Seeing as how nobody stopped at the South point of the small island I did on my way to the river.  I was rewarded with my first keepable bass of the season throwing the Chinooki across the Point. Shame it was the only bite I could muster.  I then headed to the river mouth.  There was one non-tournament boat up by the first bend.  I elected not to go in and see if anything was still in the river mouth area.  It's a good thing I didn't try to go down to the damn as there were 3 other non-tournament boats that came out while I was fishing the SPRO.  I didn't get even a hit in the river mouth.  I decided to work down the West shoreline seeing as how I missed a good blow up doing that earlier in the week.

2.88lbs/18.25" Booyah Toad Runner

I was quickly rewarded when this skinny 18 incher crushed the Booyah Toad Runner.  Today was my first-day throwing this bait.  One blow up one hook up.  I thought maybe the Toad Runner might have the answer to my Sprinker hook up issues.  After I missed the next 6 to 10 solid blow ups that hope faded.  I almost picked up one of those missed blowups by a good fish on a Yum Dinger but pooched the hookset and lost that fish too.  I must have missed 5 or so fish before the action stopped on the West shore so I headed to the North shore where I missed 3 or 4 more good opportunities either not hooking up or losing the fish within a couple of seconds.  Very frustrating.  I caught a couple of small bass on the Dinger and Horny Toad.  At about 11AM I needed a change of scenery so I headed into Channel Inn Bay.  I went right to a spot I found last week and had a 17" class fish ht the Toad Runner and battle me nearly to the boat before getting off.  I got pretty down after missing that fish.

3.43lbs/18.5" Toad Runner

But that dejection was quickly turned to elation when this fish gobsmacked that Toad Runner Frog.  It was the kind of topwater smash that I live for, that frog got lit up.  The wind was making for difficult boat control.  Unfortunately, I ended up spooking some good fish and didn't get any more.  I wanted to head up to the "Juice" in the NW Corner, but there was a tournament boat in the area, so I went to try North Center Bay.  Nothing was going on in there.  I lost a pretty good (15/16ish) fish on Double Caine Point shortly after picking up the War Eagle Buzztoad buzzbait. Dang wind.  I caught a couple of dinks off the point.  I then drifted with the wind through the dead reedbed throwing the buzzbait. When I got just past the starting spot I had a 17/18 fish on for a few seconds before getting off.  There was a group of fish in the reedbed and I quickly caught 5 bass and missed a couple more before I had to leave so I could see the weigh-in.  I waved at Dennis and Ruff as I passed them.  Little did I know that a couple of minutes later when Dennis went to start his boat the battery was dead.  Too bad for them because they would have come in 2nd and had big bass as well.  Chuck & Billy Bongs caught a bunch of 16-inch fish, but couldn't find any 3lbers.  The tournament organizers team won with a stout 18lb plus 5-fish limit.

3.61lbs/18" Terminator Frog

I went home ate some lunch watched Major League Fishing and took a nap waking up at 5PM.  I didn't get over to the Lake Place until after 7PM.  When I arrived Isabelle made me a s'more.  Steve, Todd and I headed out a little before 8:30PM to where I was getting them in the afternoon.  Steve jacked a 15 incher on his second cast while I was still in the back of the boat.  Didn't even get a picture of it.  The fish were there and active, but out hooking percentages all sucked, with me driving the suck truck.  Todd did land the one pig and 13" dink.

2.84lbs/17.25" Toad Runner

      I did add to the daily tally with this fish and a 16-incher.  Here is the best 6 for the Day

17.81lbs for 6 Bass 

For the Day:
18 Bass  (At least 25 missed fish)
10 Pike