One Bite on the Blows at the GOMH

16" Shower Blows 105 (Bone)

7:30-8:00AM NE Channel
69℉, Cloudy, 6mph S Wind

Got the one bite in the channel over by the rice. That was it.  I didn't feel like going out in the boat, so I went home.

Should have gone fishing in the evening.  While I was dog sitting Mac I threw a few casts of the dock when I first got there.  The thunderstorms stayed to the north and it got glass calm.  I didn't feel like fishing for some reason, so I didn't.

Fishing With Steve For A Couple Of Hours

3.35lbs/17.5" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

6:30-8:30PM Channel Inn Bay & Big Rice Point
68-64℉, Mostly Sunny, 2-5mph SSE
72℉

3.35lbs/17" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

After not fishing yesterday, I thought I should go out today.  Didn't go in the morning because it was cold and foggy.  Steve came along.  I went to Channel in Bay first.  We hadn't had a bite in 20 minutes and I just finished telling Steve how the bass might be hunkered down with the cold front that hit yesterday when the 17.5-incher annihilated my frog.  About 10 minutes later I got the 17-incher.  And 10 minutes later I got a 16.5".  I also got a couple of pike strikes.  Steve had a few fish dog him but not hit.  By 8PM we were on the way to Big Rice Point where an amazing amount out of slop/rice disappeared over the last couple of days.  I missed a couple bites and that was it.  There was some fish activity that we cast to, but whatever it was that made the swirls wouldn't hit our frogs. Steve got skunked.

3 Bass
3 Pike
Steve Skunked

Morning GOMH Dud, Some Fish Around Big Rice

As I pulled up the boathouse door then turned around and took this picture.

6:00-6:30AM GOMH
7:00AM-12:30PM Big Rice Point & the Flat, 3 Loon Flat
73℉, Sunny to Cloudy, Light Wind from S to NW
72℉

15.25" Terminator Frog (Green)

Didn't even get a hit at the GOMH.  Headed out to Big Rice Point.  Didn't get anything off the tip, but stuff was getting smoked out on the flat and in the junk towards the 17" Hole.  I headed toward the stuff in the junk.  I got a 12.75-inch bass on the Bobby's Perfect then lost a bigger one a couple casts later.  That was it except for a couple of pike.   I then started throwing a buzzbait on the flat and got a few pike doing that.  Also lost a couple that might have been bass.  I worked my way back to Big Rice and was throwing the Sprinker along the East side when I got a 13.9-inch bass.  I wasn't ready and missed a fish on the very next cast.  I kept working down the East side of the point where it turns to pads and scrub weeds.  I got the 15-incher there.  I also missed some fish.  I got stuck in a rut.  Eventually, I got out of there.  I stopped at 3-Loon.  I got a dink by some pads along the docks on the perch Plopper and a couple of small pike on the junebug Jackhammer.

Out With The Brothers On A Windy Cloudy Night

16" Terminator Frog (Green Frog)

7:00-8:30PM NE Inlet to Double Cane Pt.
73℉, Cloudy, 12-16mph E
75℉

The wind was blowing out of the worst possible direction ENE when we set out.  We started at the pads in NE Inlet and Todd missed what he thought was a pike and Steve had a pike miss his frog.  Steve had something big not hook up in the reeds/pads.  All three of us missed hits along the rice line and Todd had my Terminator get bit off.  Todd had the best casting as I drifted us backward anchoring about every 10 yards or so.  When we got to the end of the rice I pulled us into the reeds.  I lost a fish that hung me on a reed, 75% it was a pike.  I then got the skunk out of the boat for us.  Steve lost a fish right off the point and I lost a 90% sure small pike as well. 

Pontoon Trip With Todd & The Girls

I got to the lake place just as Todd was about to start cooking around 6:15PM.  I still had room after eating at the Snatcher's post-tournament picnic to eat a burger.  Belle made me a smore.  Eventually, we (Todd,K,Belle,Mal,Dev,Sophia) got loaded in the pontoon boat and headed for the backside of the big island where the girls like to swim.  While the girls were debating who was going to jump in first I caught a pike.  Devin was first in the water and was quickly joined by Mal and Sophia.  Belle stayed in the boat with us and fished.  At first, we got fooled by acorns falling out of a tree thinking they were fish.  Todd caught a small bass and Belle caught a few weeds.  I had a few fish pull on the ned rig.  Todd took us in getting us in "colder, bit faster" much to Devin's chagrin.   

Snatcher Pelican Lake

The sun rises over a surprisingly fogless Pelican Lake 

Conditions: 60-73℉, Cloudy for most of the day, Light Wind WSW
Water Temp: 76℉ maybe

1st Fish of the Day Caught on a Jackhammer

The Day:  The first spot we stopped at was at a hump offshore somewhere where Dwight caught a good one while pre-fishing.  We both started out throwing topwaters, but with there being a bit of a breeze I quickly put the popper I was throwing down in favor of a junebug color Evergreen Jackhammer.  On about my 5th cast, it was fish on.  I could tell it was a good fish, but it wasn't exactly fighting like a bass.  Turns out it was a nice walleye, maybe 23-inches long.  About 5 minutes later I got a pike.  That was it for the starting spot.  We tried briefly aways off of a point, not getting anything.  Then we tried close to some reeds.  No bites there.  Then we headed out to where I had the big bass miss my topwater in pre-fish. 

On my very first cast with the same smoke colored tube I used to catch some fish on my first ever tournament on Pelican Lake in 2009 I got the skunk out of the boat for myself with a 1.75lb bass.  That was the only bite we got out there.  Next, we went to the reeds on the South side of the island.  Dwight had we thought was a 2lb smallmouth hit at his lure, but not get it.  We then briefly fished off a point and on the north side of the island not getting anything.  Next, we headed to the reeds on the south side of the entrance to Breezy Point Bay.  I had a good fish take my Hack Attack Jig, but it came off as I tried to bring him through the reeds.  Pretty quickly after that Dwight got the skunk out of the boat with a nice one.  Dwight then added a small keeper after missing a couple of bites.  I had a fish hit the Jig, but I swung and missed.  I pitched right back to the spot and got a small keeper.

Next, we were gonna fish some other reeds, but another tournament boat was fishing out in front of them, so we fished a sunken island instead.  Pretty sure this was the spot Dennis started us on back in 2009.  It was calm, so I got out the good old bullfrog color Frenzy Popper I used to catch some fish on back in 2009.  Sure enough, I had a fish hit it, but not hook up.  I threw back to spot missing it by several yards.  A bass that was just over a pound and a half was on it.  Not sure if it was the same fish or not, but that was the only bite I got on the popper for the day.  We next went and tried the reeds, but Dwight didn't like them and we quickly left for a cabbage area somewhere on the eastern side of the lake.  There was a bit of a chop and I elected to throw a swimbait and was quickly rewarded with a small keeper.  Next, we went back to the area where I got my first keeper and I got a 2lber there on the swimbait.  We tried running South, then back to the starting spot.  With about an hour left we went back to the reeds where we caught fish.   They now had the wind blowing on them and we didn't get any bites.  With about a half hour left we ran some docks.  Dwight got a small keeper and a short.  He also had a what was probably a small keeper come off.  With 10 minutes left, we were getting over towards a large swimming area when we came to a dock that was right on the break.  Dwight got a good keeper.  I then briefly had a fish on.  A few casts later I got a 2lber on a green pumpkin Jackhammer.  I was pretty pumped.  My last bite of the day was a nice pike that hit the junebug Jackhammer.  And then time was up.     

Results: My limit weighed 10lbs 4ozs and put me in 10th Place out of 21 anglers fishing. 
Dennis Lothspeich won with 19/2.  Chuck Steinbauer had "Lunker" with a 4/12 largemouth.  Beau Bacon was the Co-Angler Challenge Winner with a 18/6 bag, which was 2nd Place for the tournament.

My thoughts:  There were only 8 limits caught of which mine was the smallest.  I am pretty darn proud that I managed to catch a limit.  With two tournaments remaining I still have a shot at finishing in the Club Super 6, but it's an outside shot with 4 guys ahead of me right now for the 6th Spot.  One more finish in the Top 8 should pretty much guarantee I reach my goal of finishing in the Top 10 for the year.

Full Results:

GOMH And Big Rice Point

10lbs for My best 6 this Morning

Started at the GOMH

5:45-6:15AM GOMH
7:00-8:30AM Big Rice Point
54-64℉, Mostly  Sunny, 2-5MPH SSW
72-70℉

I got a hit from a small golden bullhead on the first cast, but it went jumpin' bullhead on me and threw the X-Rap.  That was the only hit I got there.

I went straight to Big Rice Point and anchored.  There I got bass and pike on a Bobby's Perfect Frog and the Vet Chatterjig.  I lost the best bit of the morning on the Bobby's.  As my weight indicates the bass were on the small side.  The acton slowed, the wind came up and I headed in.

Tonight With Steve Not Catching Much

Bass In the Boat Finally

6:20-8:50PM NW Bay, Melon Patch, Center B.W., Big Rice Point
77-70℉, Sunny, 2-5mph SW
77-75℉

Stevie Wide-Eyes

Steve came along tonight.  We started in the South rice in NW Bay.  He missed a bite and I missed a couple of weak ones. I wasn't impressed so I got us out of there and headed to the Melon Patch.  Nothing was going on there except for a couple of small pike.  I pulled up stakes at 8PM and decided to see if we could get something out of the stuff in the center of Big West Bay. Steve missed a great blowup, then caught the pike.  By 8:20 we were off to Big Rice Point (not a far drive at all).  I told Steve this spot has been hot.  He cast out and had a fish blow up on his frog immediately.  He lost it.  Steve missed at least 3 more before landing the only bass of the trip.  I don't know why the fish wanted nothing to do with "Big Sexy" tonight.

GOMH, Big Rice, Fog/Green Cabin, Melon Patch, Big Rice & Broken Rod

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

15.25" X-Rap Shad Shallow (Perch)

6:00-6:50AM GOMH
7:30-10:30AM Big Rice Point
60-66℉, Fog, Cloudy, Light Rain, Calm to 5MPH
73℉

17" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

I started at the GOMH when it was still pretty dark thanks to the fog and heavy overcast.  I got 4 jumpers there.  The 15.25" and 12-incher came on the perch Shad Shallow X-Rap.  I got a 15-incher on the chart/orange belly Rippin Rap and a 12.75" on the junebug chatterjig.  The Panfish guy showed up around 6:15, so I didn't fish the South side.

18.25" Picasso Jig/Craw Fatty (Sunfish/OkCraw)

The fog was still heavy when I left the GOMH.  It wasn't as bad on the East side of the lake, but once I was past the island I was down to maybe 30 feet of visibility.  Thanks to the GPS I found the reed edge and followed that around to Big Rice.  I didn't have any action until the fog had mostly lifted.  I missed the first blow up, which happened right next to the boat when I wasn't expecting it as I worked my way towards the tip along the front side.  I had a bass miss the frog in a hole in the rice, which I couldn't recoax into hitting.  I caught the 18-incher in a different hole in the rice.  I thought it was going to be a dogfish with the way it pushed water when it hit.  I got the 17-incher off the tip on the Sparrow Bobby's Perfect.  I had the Picasso Jig get bit off by a pike.  I also caught an aggressive 15-inch bass on the back side.  If it wasn't raining and cold I would have stayed out later.  I foolishly left my sweatshirt in the car, but rain wasn't in the forecast. How was I to know it might rain.
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17.25" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

6:30-9:05PM Chuck's Point, Melon Patch, Big Rice Point
70-60℉, Mostly Sunny, 6-2mph NW
73℉

17" Monsoor Swim Jig/Grass Pig Jr (GP/SG)

I put the red tackle bag on the center seat per usual.  Big mistake.  It got bounced off and broke my favorite frog rod, the 7'4" heavy Tatula.  I am very much now regretting not picking up more of them over the years as the rod is now discontinued and they have seemingly all been snapped up.  Just last week I did buy the same rod in a Tatula XT in a deal on eBay I couldn't pass up.  This was my inaugural trip with that rod in the boat; I put an old Team Daiwa X on the rod as well as a "Big Sexy" frog.  So not wanting to cry over spilled milk I picked up the XT and started casting in the reeds on Chuck's Point. I had a good blow up but discovered that the drag on the reel was totally backed off.  The fish got off. Not the ideal start to a trip.  I quickly decided I didn't like the way the TD-X felt on the rod, so I exchanged it for the Tatula that was on the broken rod.  Better, but not as good as feeling as the broken rod.  Nothing was taking the frog, so I switched to the Monsoor Swim Jig, different rod, and was into fish immediately.  I caught 5 bass (15.75, 13.75, 17, 12, 13.25) on the Monsoor Jig and lost 3 or 4 in the reeds as well.  I also got my first bass (15.5) on the new frog rod and a Sparrow Bobby's Perfect. The bite slowed down to a crawl around 7:15, so I headed to the Melon Patch, which was dead.  I caught one small pike on the Monsoor Jig and that was it.  I broke for Big Rice by 8:15PM. I was immediately rewarded with the biggest bass of the night, the 17.25" on "Big Sexy".  I caught 3 more bass (16.25,14,12) and a small pike on Big Sexy as well.  It stayed surprising light out and the skeeters weren't much of a bother, so I stayed out past 9.

18.25lbs (Fish 2 & 3 were from last night)

         

Fished at the Grumpy Old Man Hole Tonight

17" eBay Vet Chatterjig/Swim Fluke Jr (Junebug/GP)

8:00-8:35PM GOMH NE
71℉, Mostly Cloudy, 10-13mph WNW

16.75" Vet CJ

Tonight I got to the lake place at 7PM and drained water from the boat.  The wind was blowing pretty good so I decided not to take the Trophy out tonight.  I showed up at the GOMH just as a pontoon was passing underneath.  I started out throwing the bone Shower Blows 105.  I missed the first 3 bites and finally hooked up with a 12-inch jumper.  I then put on the Vet Chatterjig with Swim Fluke Jr.  I caught a small toothy.  Then I missed a couple of bites before hooking up with the 17 and 16.75.  I went to the SW side and missed a hit on the Mag Fluke.  The skeeters got annoying so I gave up. 

No Skunk And A Biggun Tonight

4.98lbs/20" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

6:45-8:40PM Melon Patch, Big Rice Point
74℉, Cloudy/Haze with thunder to the East, 3-5mph NW N
78℉

16.25" BPS 

I thought the fish would really be going tonight, but that wasn't the case.  I started off in the Melon Patch and had a pike miss the green Terminator Frog right away.  I had something in an end rice patch lightly strike at my frog and not get it.  Couldn't get it to hit again with the frog or on a jig.  I worked my way all the way across the MP.  I was back by the dog/bass pads.  I wasn't paying attention looking for my next cast When I had something absolutely slam the Sparrow.  I looked and the frog was gone and my line was moving off, so I set the hook hard, but I didn't hook the fish.  That was my last bite at the Melon Patch.  At 8PM I pulled the plug and went to the 17" Hole.  Nothing going on there, so I figured maybe the falling water is getting to the fish so maybe the tip of Big Rice would be where I could get a bite.  As I made my way there I had something suck in the Sparrow. I got a good hookset but came up empty again.  Something got busted on the tip of BRP, so I beelined to it as it was getting dark.  I threw the Sparrow into the rice and the 16.25" jacked it.  No skunk, whew.  A few casts later I got my heaviest bass of the year so far at 4.98lbs.  I tried several times, but couldn't get the scale to put it at 5lbs.  I had one other smaller bass on. I pulled stakes at 8:40PM.  Skeeters weren't too bad as I put my stuff away.

8.13lbs for 2 Bass

 

With Todd at the Melon Patch, With Steve in Todd's Pond

15.75" Ish's Phat Frog (Ballin')

Fog rolled in at about 7AM

6:00-10:00AM Melon Patch
58-68℉, Fog and Smoke Haze, 2-5 MPH SE S

3.65/17.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

Todd got the first fish of the morning and I got a 14-incher and that was it for the first hour and a half.  The fog rolled in and the wind calmed down some. 

15.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

Then I got the 15.25" thug out of the spot I first got a fish in the Melon Patch and the 17-incher shortly thereafter in the middle of a weed cover filled cove in the rice.  I got a 23" pike as we fished our way across the Melon Patch.  I think Todd missed a fish and I had a fish hit me in some pads in the rice and not get it.  The fish didn't go for any of my follow-ups.  We worked farther NE than I ever have after Todd lost a good one up that way.  I caught a 16.25".  Todd had what I estimated was a 30-inch pike dangling next to the boat.  He thought I was getting the net when I instructed him to just pull it into the boat.  As he began to do that the gator squirmed and got off.  Todd wasn't that disappointed about not getting a picture.  A little later on Todd had a pike bite of the Ish's, but I quickly got to the spot and found it floating.  I re-tied it on and about 3 casts later a bigger pike bit it off again, but this time it didn't resurface. Bummer.  I caught one last 12-inch bass giving us 6 for the morning trip.
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16" Zoom Magnum Super Fluke (Disco Violet)

6:45-8:40PM Todd's Pond, Green Cabin Bay

77-73℉, Hazy Sun, 3-7mph SE Wind

78℉

We went to Todd's Pond to start.  I had a pike miss my Terminator Frog right away. Then Steve missed a couple of bites up against the cane.  I had a fish "dog me" in the reeds.  I couldn't get the fish to pick up anything else. Steve had something just suck his frog under the pads.  He set the hook hard but didn't get it.  I just heard the fish get off and figured Steve set the hook too quickly, but that wasn't the case the fish was moving off with the frog for several seconds before he set the hook.  It was probably a dogfish or had the frog by the legs.  I had another fish "dog me" this time by the rice where I had a bass miss my frog a few days ago.  I got the fish, probably the same bass as the other day, on the Mag Fluke.  I had one other fish "dog me" that I didn't get.  At about 8 I got us out of the Pond and headed for the SE corner of Inlet Bay, but I didn't like the way that looked and quickly moved us to Green Cabin.  I got a quick pike.  Steve missed a bite.  I got a 13-incher on the Terminator Frog and then rolled one about the same size.  That was the last bite of the trip.

15.38lbs for the Best 6 of the Day.

Pre-Fishing Pelican With Snatcher "Hammer"

11:30AM-3:00PM Pelican Lake
82℉, Heavy Smokey Haze, 0-3MPH Sw
78℉

With the heavy haze, one would have thought the bass would be on the chew.  But all we caught was one bass; at least it was a good one.  Hammer caught it on our second stop on a craw tube. It hit on the fall. I did have a big bass miss my topwater, which I threw about 25% of the time.  Hammer caught a couple of pike and we missed a few hits that felt like bass.  The lake really has Dwight befuddled right now.  It's a lake he has fished a lot over the years and it's never come together for him in a Snatcher tournament.  I figure he is overdue for a good finish on the lake.  He has been catching quality fish for the most part, but it's been hours between bites.  I will be mentally prepared for the tournament to be a grind. 

Melon Patch Morning, Docks & Reeds Across Evening

17.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

6:00-10:00AM Melon Patch
56-72℉, Sunny, 0-3mph SE

I spent the morning at the Melon Patch.  I caught 3 bass (17.25,14.5,13.75) and two pike there.  I also missed a big fish on a poor hookset.
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16.25" Terminator Frog (Green)

7:30-8:50PM Docks & Reeds Across
79-74℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-4mph NW
78℉

It got to 84 degrees on this day. I started out by getting a couple of 9-inch dinks off docks on the Terminator Jig.  I then got the first of two 16.25-inch bass out of the pads.  With the sun going down I headed to the reeds.  I lost a big one when it buried me in the reeds.  I caught the 2nd 16.25" in the reeds.  There was a loud group fishing off of a dock.  Todd and girls came up and went out on the pontoon just after I left.  I came back and sat around the fire with them for a while.

I didn't weigh either of the dinks.

Got "Big Momma" Fishing With Steve

4.16lbs/18.5" Terminator Frog (Green)

7:15-9:55PM NW Bay
75-70℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm

14.25" Ish's Phat Frog

I got kind of a late start tonight.  I elected to go to the NW Bay with an option to Todd's Pond.  L caught "Big Momma" in the first 5 casts.

That was the only bite till I got down in "the juice" were I had a good one on and coming to the boat when I inexplicably stopped reeling when the fish got hung up for a second and it got off.  I got a 13.5".  Steve then caught a pike and the 14.24". I punted on the area at 8:35 and tried that North rice wall.  Nothing was there.  Oh well, it looks great.

7.03lbs for 3 Bass

One Stinkin' Pike, That's It!

5:45-6:15AM GOMH
6:45-9:00AM Reeds Across. Todd's Pond
Low 70's, Cloudy, 3-18MPH N NNE

With a front approaching, I thought the fish would really be snapping this morning, but that wasn't the case.  Could it be the thunder when I first arrived at the GOMH.  The GOMH was a bust.  The reeds across the way produced a couple of bites that didn't hook up.  Next, I went to Todd's Pond.

Looking to the South

Looking to the North

Todd's Pond is an area of reeds, pads, and rice off of Big Bass Point.  It has thick rice to the West and North and cane to the East and North.  Shortly after taking the pics of the place I lost a big bass in the thicker reeds in the center of the pic looking North.  I also had a 16/17 bass miss the frog as I was bringing through some rice with reeds.  I got the one pike and that was it. Lighting forced me to leave before I wanted to,  Oh well.

Tough Morning With Todd And That's All

Todd's Not Impressed

6:00-9:30AM Reeds Across, Green Cabin, Chuck's Point, Todd's Pond
63-73℉, Haze Mostly Sunny, 2-5mph SSE
76℉

15" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

I didn't fish with Todd yesterday morning due to being too tired and I didn't fish with Todd last night due to going out swimming with the Todd and the girls on the pontoon and the Vikings game starting at 8PM.  The fish bit really well for Todd on both trips yesterday in the haze.

This is his FB message to me from yesterday morning.  In the evening he went to the reeds across the way and lost a bunch of bites in the pads in the Southern end and caught a 16-incher.  We started in the reeds across the way this morning. We didn't get anything in the pads.  I got the first bass in the boat just a 12.5" dink on the Bobby's Perfect Sparrow.  I think Todd caught the 11.75" fish from the first picture just as I was releasing my fish.  I got a 13.75" on the Sparrow.  We got to the "South Reeds Juice" and I caught the 15" there and Todd got 14.75".  Then I lost a 16/17 right at the boat.  When the lure popped out of the mouth my braid got tangled on itself, which I didn't notice and so I backlashed my next cast.  In a bit of frustration, I pulled out the backlashed line before getting to the line that was stuck further up on the rod.  The line I pulled out got caught on a reed tassel making a big mess.  I had to anchor the boat. Meanwhile, Todd missed a couple of blowups. Once, I got my line situation straightened out about 5 minutes later I think I missed a couple bites on a Jig.  I tried to teach Todd how to pitch, but he wasn't really picking it up and went back to the frog pretty quickly. I think we both missed a few bites in the North Reeds.  It was now after 8, so I took us to Green Cabin.  I missed a good bite in the rice in the pads/reeds.  I think we might have missed a couple more weak bites as well.  We got over to Chucks Point, nothing going there and Todd's back was giving him trouble, so he stopped fishing for a while.  Todd took me to the spot he got some fish yesterday morning, which I will now call Todd's Pond.  Basically, it's the spot just inside of the cane on Big Bass Point with thick rice on its western boundary. It's very bassy looking water.  Todd missed a couple of bites right away against the cane and I missed a good one out more towards the middle in the pads/reeds.  We didn't get any more bites.  You can bet I'll be back though.

I ended up not getting the Expedition to Todd before Dad got home, much to Todd's frustration.  I took Mallory out tubing.  When we came in they had all gone to Rock Lake to try out the runabout.  Mal and I went to check things out, but they passed us on the way there.  The motor worked great, but the cables broke and the boat was taking on water from somewhere.  Todd was mucho disappointed.  I went out in the Pontoon with Steve, Devin, Todd & the girls. All that time in the sun meant I didn't have any interest in going fishing this evening like I planned or on Monday for that matter.