One Last Open Water Trip

7:45-8:30PM Center Jetty
40℉,  Cloudy, 8mph South

After two weeks of temps well below average temps we got up into the 40's today.  After the disappointing Gophers loss today at Iowa.  I thought what the heck, I'll see if the Jetty is fishable.  The Jetty was rimmed with ice and snow, but there was open water to cast too. I decided to fish off of Center Jetty.  Don't know how I would have landed a big fish had I hooked up, but I didn't.  Not even a bite.   I'll probably get out ice fishing by Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty sure I could get out on Platte, Rock, and Bulldog right now.

I doubt out from Eddy's will have safe ice by December with the temps taking an uptick in this half of the month.

Possibly Last Open Water Trip of 2019

4/7, 25" Crackle Jerk Shad

12" Smallest Eye caught thus Fall

I thought it was a walleye, nope T-Shirt.

20" Tomato
Possibly last open water fish of 2019

5:30-8:30PM North Corner
30-34℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-4mph ESE

When I arrived at the Jetty the launch captain I met the other night was fishing at Pete's spot.  He hadn't gotten any bites.  I set up on the North Corner.  I think I missed one bite on the Grass Pig.  He left after 20 minutes so I moved my stuff to the Harbor Mouth.  I got my first bite around 6PM on the Crackle Jerk Shad.  It was 19.5" eye at the North Corner.  I added it's twin about 5 minutes later.  Then I went at least half an hour between fish catches.  I did miss a couple of bites.  I switched to the small Rage Swimmer and had a 19.5-inch eye take it immediately on the first cast.   Then that was it, so I switched back to the Crackle and got 4 quality sized eyes (25, 3x24.5).  I also caught the T-shirt at the Harbor Mouth.  I was debating most of the time after I hooked it as to whether or not it was a walleye convincing myself a few times that it was.  The joke was on me.  That was the only bite I got a the Harbor Mouth, but I didn't fish there very hard either.  Then the action tailed off so I switched back to the small Rage Swimmer and had a 24/25-inch fish get off just as I was bringing it up to the rocks.  I ended the night fishing the Tomato Jerk Shad catching that little cigar and three 20-inch fish.  When I first started fishing the Tomato a boat full of muskie fishermen came into the harbor.  One of the guys started casting a big muskie plug off of the North Face and brought in a walleye on his first cast.  I think he said it was about 24-inches long.  My guides started freezing up so I left.  The guys didn't get any muskies.  This may be my last open water trip of the year.  However, if it's above freezing tomorrow at dark then I will probably get out one more time.

12 Eyes
1 T-Shirt

Good Night On The Jetty

26" Crackle Jerk Shad

26" Pike Crackle Jerk Shad

3/7,22" Grass Pig Jr.

3/9,25" Crackle Jerk Shad

6:30-9:30PM Harbor Mouth and North Corner
30-34℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-7mph NNW

Finally, a night above freezing before dark so I headed over to the Jetty.  The wind blowing in on the Northside of the Jetty was cold. It took me about half an hour to get acclimated to it.  I got a walleye (22.5) right away at the Harbor Mouth on the Grass Pig.  The second fish was off the North Corner on the Grass Pig.  I then switched up to the Crackle Jerk Shad and the eyes were all over it.  I got 13 eyes (25,25,24.75,24.75,24.5,23,23,22.5,22,22,21,18.5,18.5) and 1 Pike on the Crackle with fish coming at the Harbor Mouth and North Corner.  I had a Eddy's Launch Captain stop and talk for a little while.  The last fish of the night was 20.25" eye that bit the small green pumpkin Rage Swimmer at the Harbor Mouth.  The fish really quit biting by 9PM.

16 Eye
1 Pike

Last Trophy Trip Of 2019

3.30lbs/17.5" Poison/Grass Pig Jr (Bluegill)

21" Strike King Spin (Blk/Red)

4:30-6:30PM W Flat Small Island, F Flat
50-55℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-8mph SW
WT: 45℉ water level very high

The weather forecast called for cold temps starting tomorrow, so this was my last trip in the Trophy for 2019.  After coming up empty for bass on F Fat yesterday and with the wind being what it was today I wasn't that enthusiastic about getting out so I waited until after 3:30PM to head to the lake place.  I started at SPSI and then drifted North along the flat.  I got a couple of Pike doing that.  Nothing at NPSI and SPBI.  I headed to F Flat around 5:45PM.  I got a pike out where I got a couple pike last night.  I then went and worked the juice losing a 14/15 bass on the All-Terrain Finesse Jig at the boat.  I put the anchor down and fan cast the area getting the last open water largie on the Pure Poison casting in toward shore.  It was a 3lber. Not a bad way to end the season. It was quite peaceful on the water tonight was a beautiful sunset.     

Mom and Dad got home from there trip tonight so I didn't go to the Jetty

2 Bass
4 Pike

Ok Night at the Jetty

5/5,26" Rage Swimmer (Ghost Shad)

3/8,24.5" Rage Swimmer (Ghost Shad)

8:00-10:00PM South Jetty, North Corner

45℉, Clear, 3-18mph WSW

When I arrived at Jetty the truck on the Jetty guys were fishing the North Jetty and the lady went to Center so I went to South Jetty.  I got three walleyes (24.5, 18, 26) there on the Rage Swimmer and one (19.5) on the Crackle Jerk Shad.  The truck guys left at 9PM, so I went to the North Corner of the North Jetty and got three eyes (22, 20.5,17.5) there on the Crackle Jerk Shad and three on Tomato (24,19,18).  There wasn't much wind when I got there, but it was howling by the time I left.  The wind was at my back so it didn't affect fishing at all. 

10 Eyes

Couple Hours On Platte

2.31lbs/16" Strike King Spin (Blk/Red)

5:00-6:30PM SPSI, NPSI, WsideBI, F Flat
48-54℉, Mostly Sunny, 3-7mph WSW

I didn't get out earlier due to the wind which was blowing pretty good when I got to the southside of the Small Island.  Didn't get anything at SPSI.  On a fluke, I stopped at the NPSI and got the bass there on the Strike King Spinnerbait.  I then ran the SW side of the Big Island getting a pike there.  Then it was off to F Flat where I got two pike out where the school of small bass were last weekend.  I got the last little pike on the All-Terrain Finesse Jig in the juice area of the Flat.  Was bummed not to get a bass bite. 

On The Jetty With Rasta and Jamar

Jamar & Rasta

3.88lbs/24.5" KVD Jerkbait (Sexy Ghost Minnow)

7:30-8:30PM North Jetty, Harbor Mouth
38-34℉, Cloudy, 6-10MPH NNW

Seeing as how it got dark so quick and I wasn't catching anything in the Trophy I bailed while it was still light out.  When I got to the Jetty there was a truck on the North Jetty and people fishing on all three Jetties.  I was sending a text to Pete to fill him in on me getting skunked on Platte tonight when lo and behold Rasta from the other night came strolling down the Jetty and motioned for me to roll down the window.  He offered me a shot of what he was drinking.  Then went on to tell me his group got a couple of northerns before it got dark including a big one for himself.  He also hit a $900 dollar jackpot on the slots the other night after they got done fishing.  He said they got 5 or 6 walleyes that night (I got skunked that night).  He said they were getting a few eyes and invited me to come and join his group which was at the North Corner.  He hadn't seen anyone else catch anything.

So I get my stuff and walk out to the North Corner and I was surprised to find out he is buds with Jamar who I met last year.  There was Jamar in the flesh.  Those two and one other buddy caught 5 or 6 fish in about 20-minutes and then called it a night. The people who were at the Harbor Mouth and other Jetty's left about 15-minutes later.  I couldn't get a bite, very frustrating.  Finally, I got a fish at the Harbor Mouth.  It was a good one and I was cold, so I called it a night.  I realized when I got home that I had forgotten to put my Vikings sweatshirt on over my Columbia hoodie, oops. 

Skunked on F Flat

5:00-6:30PM F Flat
43℉, Cloudy, 2-9mph NW
Water Temp: 44℉ water level very high and rising

I was hoping the fish on F Flat would still be there.  I started over by the East reeds and had a hit there that didn't hook up.  The wind diminished significantly by the time I got to the juice.  It was dead or I didn't have what they wanted.  I even threw the Jerk Shad around.  Skunked, bummer!

Skunked At The GOMH

We had a long rainstorm that started early Monday morning and lasted until mid-morning today.  I emptied the boat out yesterday at 4:30PM and it took a half hour plus to get most of the water out.  It didn't help that it was raining the whole time.  When I got up to the lake place this afternoon the water was as high as I've ever seen it.  I think we got about 3-inches. Because of the detour on 8 I hit the GOMH on the way home and because I had rods in the car I threw a couple of casts, nothing.

Good Night at the Jetty

4/3, 24.5" Rage Swimmer

22.5" Jerk Shad

8:10-10:00PM Harbor Mouth, North Corner
54-51℉, Cloudy, 2-6mph SSE

I started out the night missing a hit on the Rage Swimmer on my third cast at the Harbor Mouth.  About 5 casts later I got the big one of the night.  That was my last bite on the 4" Swimmer.  I tried the Grass Pig and Rippin Rap and didn't get a bite.  I got a 16.5-incher on the X-Rap and lost a bite as well at the North Corner.  I got an 18.5" at the North Corner on the Tomato Jerk Shad sometime around 9:30PM after the wind had picked up a bit  My upper back was bugging me, but I had brought the GLX 782 with the small Rage Swimmer down to the North Corner so I decided to give it a  shot.  I got a 20.5" on what was going to be my last cast.

I went down and got my stuff and took a picture of my weight for the night and then zeroed the scale.  I got down to the North end of the Jetty to pick up the two rods I had down there and I thought I'd take a few more casts with the little Swimmer.  I ended up getting 5 eyes in about 20 minutes with 2 (20,21.5) on the Rage Swimmer and 3 (18,18.5,22.5) on the Crackle Jerk Shad.  Even though the fish were biting my back was hurting and I was hungry so I called last fish on the Crackle caught it and left.

4 Eyes
Then
5 Eyes

Great Night On F Flat

4/15, 19.75" Craw Tube (Junebug)

3/2,16.75" Bubble Walker (Pearl)

4:45-6:30PM F Flat
60-64℉, Cloudy, 6-2mph ESE
Water Temp: 52℉, Water Very High

I was a bit slow getting out after the Vikings victory against the Lions.  I went straight to F Flat approaching the juice from the East. I got a couple of dinks to start on the SK Colorado and Bubble Walker at "The Dock".  I caught a 14-incher as I approached the juice and put the anchor down.  It looked calm, but there was a light wind blowing me West.  I didn't get any more hits on the spinnerbait, so I threw the craw tube and immediately got a 16.5-incher.  On the very next cast, I got the toad.  I knew she was a special one by the fight she put up before I saw her.  I then thought to try and see if I could get a pig to go on the Bubble Walker.  It took a few casts, but I got the 3lber who put on an aerial display when I was bringing her in.  I was thinking that might have turned the juice school on.  I had just released the fish and my phone rang with my mom calling. I shouldn't have picked it up but I did.  By the time I got off the phone 5-minutes later, I couldn't get another fish to go on topwater.  I switched back to the craw tube and got a 15-incher.  Then I lost a fish and it shut the juice down.  There had been baitfish getting busted over toward the reeds to the South and West.  I started heading toward the West when something got busted about two and a half cast lengths out from me. I put the troller on high and gave that fish a shot with the Bubble Walker.  I couldn't get it to go.  A couple baitfish got busted back to the East so I quickly made my way there quickly.  I managed to get 3 bass (13,13.5,14) there on the Bubble Walker.  It got dark quickly tonight with the thick overcast and I was done fishing by 6:30PM. Quite possibly my last topwater bite of the year.

10 Bass

Skunked at the Jetty

8:30-9:30PM Eddy's Jetty North
48℉, Clear, Calm

They didn't have meatballs at Subway, bummer.  It was dead calm.  I did see a couple of eyes.  A very small fish at Standing Rock and about 20-incher swimming tight to the rocks at the harbor mouth.  I missed a bite right away at the Harbor Mouth on the Rage Swimmer. At the end of my night, a native with dreads from Leech that goes by Rasta showed up with a couple of buds and two chicks.  He wanted to show me his hot walleye Rapala but couldn't find it.  He also explained that I should have been using a treble hook lure and I wouldn't have lost the fish that bit.  He wasn't having my excuse that I couldn't get hit on a treble hook lure tonight.  Nice guy.

F Flat Comes Through On A Very Windy Night

3/13,18.75" SK Colorado Spin (Blk/Red)

4:30-7:00PM West Point, SPSI, Green Cabin Bay, NPSI, F Flat

61-65℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-20mph WSW
Very High Water

I should have gone fishing in the morning before the wind came up.  It was really howling out of the WSW when I got out.  West Point was protected so I started there but didn't get a bite once again.  I then ran to SPSI in the heaviest wind and waves I've had to run into this year.  I didn't get a bite in the lee behind the Island and working in the wind was ridiculous and there weren't any fish.  I decided to head up to Green Cabin.  As I worked my way back through the reeds eventually I got a hit on the junebug craw tube.  Missed it. Threw back and the head of the bait got torn when it hit again.  I cast in with the Hack Attack Jig and had a good size pike do a doggy role and get off.  I then lost a bite that felt when I got hung in the reeds for the 3rd time three-quarters of the way in; I was not pleased.  There was fish activity, but I didn't get any more bites.  I stayed longer than I should have because the wind died down a bit before 6PM.  Nothing at NPBI.

I got a pike on F Flat to the West of the juice up by the shore.  I lost my first bite over the juice then caught 3 quick bass (18.75,14.5x2).  I then lost a fish and it shut them down.  Didn't get another bite 

They Wanted A Feathered Treble

3/1,20.5" X-Rap 10 (Glass Ghost/Pearl)

8:00-10:00PM North Corner Eddy's Jetty

61℉, Cloudy to mostly cloudy, the moon did come out at 9:50 or so, 5-8mph SSE

Fish were sporadically getting busted along the Jetty all night.  I wasn't able to convert any of it into a bite 

The wave action was a lot less than I expected it would be.  I tried a Rippen Rap to start.  Nothing.  Then I tried the Shad Shallow, nothing.  I decided to go with the pearl X-Rap and the 17-20-inch walleyes ate that thing up.  I got 7 fish in about 35 minutes.  The bite had slowed a bit and I was thinking about switching lures when I backlashed and bye-bye X-Rap.  Should have re-tied my Power Clip as that is where my line broke I think.  I went to the Grass Pig and lost a good feeling fish on the first cast.  I lost one other bite at the North Corner Standing rock.  I then tried the Tomato and Crackle,  I briefly had a fish on one of those two.  I then went to the Rage Swimmer and got a 20-incher and missed a couple of bites.  I then thought to myself.  They really liked that feathered X-Rap, why don't I put one of them back on.  I put on my other Glass Ghost, but it didn't have many feathers left.  I put on a pearl/blue X-Rap with full feather and caught two fish pretty quick. My back was tightening up and I was hungry so I didn't wait to see if the moonlight would turn on the big girls.  All the fish tonight were between 18-20.5-inches.

10 Eyes    

Great Windy Night On Platte

4/6,18.75" SK Spin (Blk/Red)

3/9,17.75" SK Spin

3/3,17.5" SK Spin

3/13,18" SK Spin (Red Blk)

4:50-7:05PM West Point, SPSI, NPSI, NPBI, F Flat

63-66℉, Mostly Sunny turning cloudy by 6PM, 4-15mph ESE SE

Water Level very high and not dropping much

The wind was really howling like a mofo when I was getting my stuff in the boat.  By the time I was ready to head out it was starting to diminish a bit.  I didn't get a hit at West Point.  I then ran to SPSI hugging the shoreline rather than driving straight.  I didn't get anything off of the reed/weedline where I got the pike yesterday.  My first bite of the night was the 3/3 on the Strike King over the juice.  I was disappointed it was a loner.  About 10 minutes after I got the fish the clouds moved in.  I did get a pike up by the reeds on the point.  I also missed a bite over the flat.  I elected not to hit the GOMH and stopped at the NPSI on a whim.  Good thing as I got two toads (3/9,4/9) there.  I stopped at the NPBI and missed a hit on the Hack Attack Jig and then it was off to F Flat. 

I couldn't get hit on the spinnerbait, so I started throwing the Hack Jig.  I located where a school was and put the anchor down.  I got a couple of 13.5s and a 16.5" on the Jig as well as missing a few hits.  It was now getting dark and they stopped hitting the jig, so I started throwing the spinnerbait and got 4 fish (13.5,13.5,16,18) on that including the final 3lber which was the last bite of the night.

10 Bass

1 Pike 

Just noticed tonight that the scale gives the total weight in hundredths not ounces even though that's how it gives individual weights.  

20.21lbs (This is one my best weights of the year)