GOMH Skunk, Slow Morning/Better Action In the Evening

3.46lbs/18" Sprinker (Black/Purple/Blue)

5:10-5:40AM GOMH NE (Skunked)
6:30-10:30AM Green Cabin, NW Bay
Conditions: 54-78℉, Cloudy, Windy SW

2.91lbs Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

18-incher on the Sprinker

Panfish guy passed in front of me as I waited for a car to pass by so I could turn out of the driveway this morning.  I didn't get a thing at the GOMH and didn't stay long.  Panfish guy got a couple orange, a toothy, and a bullhead bullhead.  I emptied out the Trophy then took it West to Green Cabin Bay.  I missed the first three bites or so, then connected with the 17-incher.  Had a few not hook up on the Sprinker as I headed East along the southern shoreline in the reeds.  I tried the reeds off the end of the point, nothing.  NW bay was pretty dead except for the 18-incher which crushed the Sprinker.  Two bass in four-plus hours, not great fishing.  Can't complain about the size though, they were nice one's at least.

2 Bass
6 Pike
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2.51lbs/16.5" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

7:30-9:30PM Channel Inn Bay, Chuck's Point
Conditions: 78-72℉, Partly Cloudy, 3-7 MPH SSW
Water Temp: 77℉

As I was pushing off Steve called me because he needed a hand up at the house.  I tied off to the pontoon and went up to help.  It took about 15 minutes and we were done.  I decided to try the northern portion of Channel INN Bay.  I had a good bass miss the frog out in the outer rice.  Had a couple small blow-ups up by the shore, probably little pike.  On my way over to the point, the trolling motor bracket broke leaving the trolling motor hanging on by one bracket mount.  The other bracket mount completely busted off.  The trolling motor still worked so all was good.  Didn't get a fish off of the point.  As I headed North I decided to make a quick stop at Chuck's Point to see if anything was happening.

13.25" Bobby's Perfect

 Fish were there and active, but small except for the one 16.5-incher.  I ended up with 7 bass before the skeeters drove me off.

13.42lbs for my Best 6 Today

7 Bass

3 Pike

Short Trip Tonight With Steve

2.42lb/15.75 Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

8:00-9:30PM Double Cane Point
Conditions: 87-84℉, Mostly Cloudy, Calm to Light SE Wind
Water Temp: 77℉

Steve relieved to get a bass.

When I got to the lake place tonight a friend of Steve's family car was blocking the driveway, so I had to walk down to the lake to get the keys.  It was very warm tonight with dew points in the 70's.  Steve wanted to come along tonight. We headed over to Double Cane Point where I was fairly confident there would be some fish.  After the first 15 minutes and not a hit I was beginning to wonder, but then Steve missed a blowup.  Steve missed a couple more and had a dogfish follow.  I switched to a yellow Terminator Frog and caught a 12.5" on it. Steve missed a couple more blow ups and hits on a Dinger.  We moved on the other side of the point and Steve finally got a fish in the boat.  Then he caught his big one on the very next cast.  I worked us a little to the East, then started back toward the point when I got my big one of the night.

3.02lbs/17.75" 

  I think Steve missed a couple more and I had what was probably a pike follow.

4 bass tonight

Calm Morning No GOMH, Docks in the Evening As Well

7:30-11:00AM Reeds Across, F Flat Docks
Conditions: 64-74℉, Sunny, Calm to 7mph SSW
Water Temp: 70-72℉

2.40lb Terminator Jig Craw Fatty (Black/Red)

So started in the reeds across the way.  I got a small pike on the War Eagle Buzz Toad.  I missed several blowups that buried me in the reeds as well as getting a couple of pike on the Sprinker.  Finally, I gave up in the reeds and headed to the docks.  I got 8 bass doing that, but no size to speak of.

15.75" Vet ChatterJig

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15.5" Terminator Jig/Fight'n Frog (B/R/WR)

  7:30-9:30PM Docks Across, Rice East of GOMH
Conditions: 80-74℉, Mostly Sunny, 3-15MPH
Water Temp: 74℉

It was blowing pretty good when I arrived out of the ENE.  I got a bass right away at the first dock on the Vet Chatterjig.  I then went on to catch a couple small bass and pike.  I dumped a couple ok size bass as well, before landing the 15.5" on "The Dock".  I had just dumped it's twin sister a few casts previous.  The wind calmed down and I headed for the rice East of GOMH to see if the warming water headed the fishing up.  Other than a few pike and one ? blow up the move was a bust.

11.19lbs Best 6 Bass for the Day

For the Day:
12 Bass
12 Pike

GOMH Morning/ One Bass Evening

16.33" Rippin Rap

4:45-5:45AM GOMH NE
Conditions: 64℉, Cloudy, Light NE Wind
Water Level up just a bit more

1st Cast 15-incher Rippin Rap

I got a 15-inch jumper on my very first cast this morning.  I got 5 jumpers total on the NE side.  Some lady showed up at about 5:20.  I just figured whoever was fishing on the South side was on the SW and loaded up the car at 5:40.  That is when I discovered the lady was on the SE side.  I elected not to try the SW side.   As I was making my way to the lake place it started sprinkling.  As I was getting the boat ready the sprinkles turned into a light rain.  I chose to pack up and leave.
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6:30-9:40PM Across from Platte Access, The Juice
Conditions: mid 60's, cloudy, light NE wind
Water Temp: 70-68℉

I started out in the reeds on the point.  There is a good combination of thin and thick.  I tried using the Lunkerhunt Propfish Shads.  Wasn't impressed.  I switched to the Sprinker and got 3 quick bites, but didn't get to see what one of them was.  I ended up getting 3 pike and a 13.75 bass on the Sprinker there in the reeds.  I then worked my way toward the bullrushes.  No clue what the bass were doing.  Didn't raise even one.  Got 4 pike on Big Sexy Maxx.  At 8:45 I pulled the plug and headed for the Juice.  I missed two bites there on Maxx and one on the Sprinker as I was coming out.  Fish left me befuddled tonight.  I thought with the overcast the bass would be going, they obviously weren't.

Fishing With Todd On Platte

15.33" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

7:00-9:45PM Rice East Of GOMH, Reeds Across
Conditions: 78-70℉, Mostly Cloudy, Wind Calm to 10MPH ESE
Water Temp: 74-72

16" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

The wind calmed down as we got underway.  Had I known it was gonna get as calm as it did I would have gone to a different spot.  I got the first bass which came off as I was boat flipping it and dropped in the lake.  Todd got the next bass, the 15.33".  I got the next two (16 and 13.25) in the 16 Hole. Todd got a 16" as we moved towards shore.  We then missed a fish or two apiece at each of my next two boat moves farther into the rice.  At 8:40 I pulled the plug on the spot.  As I was pulling the trolling motor Todd was lowering the big motor and the driver's seat bolts pretty much all gave way.  I ended up driving to the reeds sitting on the compartment box.  In the reeds, Todd had one good blow up bury him.  I had a couple fish strike at the Sprinker and not get it.  We didn't get a fish in the last hour plus. Bummer.  The sunset was nice though.

8.22 for the 4 Bass

When we got in Todd had the tools to quickly fix the boat seat.  Hopefully, the repair will last several years.

Snatchers at Lake Minnewawa

1st Place my boater Keith Tuma 19lbs 11ozs

The Plan:  Hope that the rice fish were going and that we wouldn't have too much company.

The Day: We blasted off right around 7:30AM and Keith beelined for the SW rice bay.  He was shocked that we were the only boat to come into the bay.  Several boats stopped in the cane and rice outside of the bay.  Keith wondered if we had missed something.  Seeing how nobody else came into the bay, we didn't head right to Breanne's Secret Spot.  We started on a point with arrowhead pads just inside the bay.  Keith had a good bass in the boat in less than 5 minutes of fishing out of the arrowheads.  I had a fish strike at my new just out of the package Bluegrass Mad Maxx and not get it.  Keith put the Power Poles down.  The fish struck at me again but didn't get it.  Several more casts with nothing and the Power Poles came up.  I made a couple casts back and finally the fish committed and it was a solid 2lber (2.62lbs).  We then didn't get a hit for about 20 minutes.  We went in by a dock and Keith got a couple of dinks.  I had a fish hit me in the rice, but not get it.  On about the fourth try the fish nailed Maxx and stole it. Damn pike.

Ooops!

I don't think we got another bite for about half an hour.  As we were in that lull I went to make a cast, but my line got caught in the hook keeper and I slammed Maxx straight down resulting in a catastrophic overrun.  I decided to just switch Maxx onto my X-Heavy Frog Rod, not switch rods and reels.   We came into an area that really held some big fish on Keith's first-day pre-fishing.  The wind made presenting frogs difficult, but Keith got himself a good one.  After he brought that fish in he decided to switch out reel handles on the Revo Rocket.  We then got to an area where we had access to the bank.  Keith got a couple of small bass and I had a couple of fish hit, but not get the frog.  We then got into an area with a little more rice.  I got a couple of dinks on a Yum Dinger, before getting a 1.47lber on Maxx.  I also missed some hits on the Dinger.  We came up to another big bank of rice and Keith got himself another quality fish.  Unfortunately, that was the only one we could raise.  I tried pitching a craw tube and got a couple of pike.

Right around noon, we got to Breanne's Spot.  It wasn't but one or two casts and Keith is bringing in a good one.  It jumped and I'm thinking 5lber.  I got it in the net and we high fived.  A couple minutes later and Keith make a good cull.  I missed a couple of hits from fish that didn't get the frog.  Keith got a couple that didn't help.  I ended up getting a line burner, a few shorts, dropping a decent one that got me in the arrowheads and missing another one in the arrowheads in Breanne's Spot.  I should of had my limit when we left.  We headed back to the first big fish area.  Keith got a couple that didn't help and I got a pike or two.  We were working our way out of the bay when I got another line burner out of the rice on the Frog.  With about 2 Hours left, we left the Rice Bay for some slop on the eastern side of the lake.  Keith got a couple of dinks on docks.

For the last 45 minutes or so we worked docks in the public access bay.  I got lucky and got my big fish (3/11) on a bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke off of a dock.  I got a couple pike as well.  And then time ran out.

Results: My 5 bass weighed 10lbs and put me in 6th Place.  Keith blew everyone away with 19lb 11oz, putting him 5/11 over Nate Steinbauer in 2nd Place.  Keith's big bass went 4/14.  The club really struggled in this one and only 4 limits were brought in.  I'm pretty sure

My Thoughts:  I kind of blew it.  I had the ideal partner for getting a top 3 finish and was on water that held big fish and I just couldn't make it happen.  I didn't even get a limit for goodness sakes.  If only it was a little warmer and the wind was half of what it was I'm pretty sure I would have had a pretty good sack.  The tournament was a day late for that to happen as the weather was ideal on Saturday.  Me deciding not to switch a working reel onto my favorite frog rod was a mistake.

Well, on to the Lake Edward.

     

GOMH, Sullivan, & Fishing With Steve & Friend

10.5" Shower Blows 105 (Bone)

4:45-5:45 GOMH NE
6:30-10:00AM Intersection, River Sullivan Lake
Conditions: 54-72℉, Partly Cloudy, Calm to light NE Wind
Water Temp: 70℉

3.90lbs/18.75 Terminator Frog

I started out the morning at the GOMH.  Skeeters were bad.  Panfish guy arrived before 5AM.  I lost a good jumper in the tube when it jumped off the Jerk Shad.  I got the one small jumper on the shower Blows and another dink in the tube on a junebug craw tube.

In the Trophy I stopped at SPSI and didn't get a hit.  Next, I went to the NE point of the intersection in Sullivan.  I had what I believe was a pike miss the Plopper 110 on my first cast.  I switched to the Terminator Frog throwing into the rice/reeds and got the 18-incher on my second cast.  I also got 15.75" off of the NE point.  I got a 14.5" as I worked the SW side with a Terminator and 13.3" 12.25" on the Bluegrass Maxx.  I switched up to Big Sexy at the river and got 5 bass there and a couple pike.
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Kevin with his first pike

22" Poison/Swim Fluke Jr.

3.10lbs/18" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

 7:00-10:00PM Jenny's to our place, Reeds Across
Conditions: 78-72℉, Partly Cloudy, Calm
Water Temp: 72℉

I took Steve and his friend Kevin out for a short trip.  The bass were not hitting in the rice, so we went out off the pad point and got into some pike.  We then went back to the rice and I got the 18-incher just as I was telling Kevin I hadn't gotten a bass in the area in a couple of years.  I also got a 14.5 over towards the lake place.  After I dropped the two of them off I went to the reeds across the way.  I got a 15.75" on the green Terminator Frog and a 15.5" on a brown Terminator Jig/Craw Fatty.

15.16lbs for 6 Biggest for the Day

Slow Night On Platte With Bonus Jumper at the GOMH

3.35lbs/18" Rippin Rap (Pink UV)

7:00-9:45PM Reeds Across, Double Cane Point
10:40-11:15PM GOMH NE
Conditions: 74-66℉, Partly Cloudy, NE 7-Calm
Water Temp: 73-71℉ water level slightly higher than Tuesday.

3lb/17.25" Yum Dinger

Still, a bit wore down from the past two days I was much slower about getting on the water today than I had hoped to be.  Didn't get to the lake place until just about 6PM.  Then I had stuff to do on the boat  that kept me from launching until 7PM.  I headed over to the north end of the reeds across the way.  Not much was going on there.  I got one small bass on a Bobby's Perfect. Lost a fish along the cane on a Yum Dinger.  And lost a good dogfish boat side on the Sprinker.

Since the tournament, this Sunday may turn into a rice fest I headed over to the Starting Spot rice bed working my way to Double Cane Point.  I got 3 bass there on Maxx.  The only 3 bass that hit.  It was slow.  I also got a three pike.  As I was making my way out I lost a good bass along the cane.  Good hookset. Just came off.  Skeeters were terrible.

 Landed the only hit I got at the GOMH.

9.78lbs for my 5 Bass this evening

Lake Minnewawa Pre-Fish

Keith and the PanfishMaster Bre

I shouldn't have stayed out on the lake for as long as I did yesterday.  I also should have gone to bed sooner.  I was one worn out puppy today.  We arrived at the lake sometime after 8.  Keith gave me a Snag Proof Frog with the hooks cut off.  We then headed for Horseshoe Lake fishing our way in.  We got a few bites in the channel, but not much was going on in Horseshoe.  We were in there for maybe an hour and a half or so. Snatcher Chuck and Lois came over for a short chat and to see Breanne.  Bre caught the sunny in the picture in Horseshoe along with a crappie.

We went back into Minewawa and basically worked the North shoreline of the Eastern Arm until 2PM. Keith got a couple of decent ones on docks and we both had some good blow-ups in the rice/pads.  We checked out the cane out front of the SW rice bay and didn't get anything.  We spent the last hour in the rice bay.  Saw a lot of baitfish activity, but only got one blowup.

If the rice fish are going on frogs, it's gonna be a good tournament.  If not, it may be a challenge.

OK Night In The Trophy

3.17lbs/17.33" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

6:25-9:35PM NE Corner Inlet Bay to Double Cane Point
10:30-11:00PM GOMH NE
Conditions: 78-70℉, Partly Cloudy, ENE ESE E 7 to calm
Water Temp: 73-70℉
Water Level: Rising, It's over the lowest point on my standing rock.

3.30lbs/18.5" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass) 

I started out beyond the reeds in the pads in the NE Corner.  I had a decent 22-24ish pike jump all over the Toad Runner on my first cast.  I didn't set the hook.  It held onto it for quite a while before finally spitting it.  As I got over by the reeds I had a big dogfish follow the Toad Runner all the way to the boat then spook, unfortunately.  I got a couple small pike as I worked my way toward the Starting Spot.  Almost the whole first hour and 20 minutes or so was a waste.  I should have either started at Double Cane or the western edge of the rice/reeds; That was where I got all of my fish tonight.  I started things off with a 16.5" then got the 17.33" chunky monkey on Maxx.  I then got 3 smaller bass and lost a good one in the rice before getting the 18.5" on Maxx.  I got one last good fish (15.5) in the rice/reeds right on the edge on Maxx.  I got 3 good fish right off of Cane Point. A 15.75" and 16.25" on Maxx and a 15.75" on a 4" Yum Dinger.  I also missed a hit on the Dinger.  The Skeeters got bad by 9:30, so I left.

The View from out front of the lake place as I headed in

16.27lbs for my Best 6 Bass tonight

10 Bass
6 Pike
1 Fin Follow
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At the GOMH I had something hit the Shad Shallow and not hook up.  On the very next cast, I had a good fish on for a few seconds before it jumped and got off.  Probably a jumper

GOMH Gold, Todd Trip, Evening Quicky GOMH/Inlet

4.40lbs/27" Grass Pig (GP)

5:45-6:05 GOMH NE SW
7:30-9:30AM Fishing With Todd in the Reeds Across the Way
Conditions: 68-76℉, Cloudy, ENE E ESE calm to 8MPH
Water Temp: 72℉ water level rising from storms last night.

Listening in the car to Drowning Man by U2.  I should have taken a pic of the radio display in the car.

What it looked like when the song ended

18.5" Jerk Shad (Crackle)

At the GOMH no bites on 3 separate Rippin Raps and the Shad Shallow.  Almost didn't put the Jerk Shad on, but  thought what the heck and I got the gold on the third cast.  I also got a dink pike.  I got a couple of jumpers (14.5, 13.5) on the SW side on the Gunfish 117 and a 13.25" jumper on the Vet Chatterjig.  I lost a fish on the craw tube just as Wheel House Guy was pulling up.  I decided it was time for me to head for the Trophy, so I started getting my gear together.  I talked to WHG for a minute or two then left.

I had to get water pumped out of the boat.  We got over an inch last night.  We headed to where we fished last night because a storm could pop up any moment and the way the wind was blowing.  It was small gators to start.  I got a small bass on my Terminator Frog, but a half hour in and just that to show for it.  It was clear topwater wasn't the deal.  I put on a bubblegum Grass Pig, nothing;  I put on a green pumpkin one and got a 15.5" bass on my first cast.  I got one rigged up for Todd and that is what we did for most of the rest of the time.

Todd said to make it look as big as possible

13" Grass Pig (GP)

I got the one good pike, a dink bass and had something bury me in the reeds.  Todd caught the one bass and an anorexic small pike that got off before I could get a picture of it.  We missed several bites right at the end of the trip.  I elected to work on tackle rather than go back out even though conditions seemed to be getting favorable for a topwater bite.
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17" eBay Vet Chatterjig/Swim Fluke Jr. (Grey/Blue/Black/GP)

8:30-9:30PM GOMH NE SW, Culvert, Inlet
Conditions: 72℉, Partly Cloudy, Light NW Wind
Water levels on the rise from the 2" plus rain we got last night and this afternoon.

I had to go and get my rods which I left in the Trophy and also pump out the boat and get the battery on the charger. When that was done I headed over to the GOMH.  I got a 15.5" jumper on my second cast into the tube with the Vet Chatterjig and thought it might be AWWWWWWWWN! but it wasn't.  I got one other 12-incher on the SW side.  I then headed to the culvert, nothing.  I got "One Eye Willy" at the Inlet as it was getting dark and the skeeters started swarming, so I was done after freeing Willy.

With Pike included

Best 6 Bass of the Day