Possibly Last Open Water Fish of 2020

4.21lbs/24.75 Jerk Shad (SSS)

8:00-10:00PM Harbor Mouth, Pete's Standing Rock

38-37℉, PC, 4-8mph WNW

I started at the Harbor Mouth with the Sexy Shad Jerk Shad and got the fish on maybe the 12th cast while slowly reeling. I went up on Pete's Rock and got bit right away. It came off about 23rds of the way in as I was trying to play it to the Harbor Mouth. Nothing for a long time. I caught the line that the Rippin Rap was attached to. I think it might be Jamar Sr.'s lure. A little before 10PM` I might have had a bump on the Jerk Shad. I did give the South Jetty a few casts tonight and came up empty. The muskrat was swimming around tonight.

Nothing For Me, But Jamar's Crew Got Some Fish

 

7:45-10:00PM South Jetty, North Corner

29℉, Clear, 4-7mph WNW

When I arrived Jamar's crew had been there a couple hours already. He got one right away and missed another. I went and fished off the South Jetty. Didn't get any bites. I packed up my stuff and warmed up in the car around 9PM. I then went and fished off the North Corner talking ice fishing with Jamar. His cousin or brother from Nevada caught an Eelpout while I was at the South Jetty. They left at about 9:45 and I took off at 10PM, no bites for me. Jamar got his fish while slowly reeling the Jerk Shad.

Still Fishin' Still Catchin'

21" Frenzy Minnow (Firetiger)

 

21" Jerk Shad (Sexy Shad)

7:50-10:00PM Harbor Mouth, South Corner

32℉, Cloudy, 3-10mph SW W NW

Started out throwing the Storm 360 Jig Head/Rage Swimmer Jr. combo at the Harbor Mouth and possibly had a bite. After I threw the Tomato Jerk Shad without a bite I got the first fish at the Harbor Mouth on a Firetiger Frenzy Minnow. I fished back and forth on the Jetty rocking to U2 not getting any bites. I went into leaving after the next fish in hand mode. Then decided to give the South Jetty a try. Didn't get anything at the Harbor Mouth, but did get a fish off of the South Corner. I'm planning on fishing for the next couple of nights and probably on December 1st. There was less ice in Harbor tonight than the last time I was out. Forgot to take a picture due to talking with Pete.

Will This Be My Last Open Water Trip of 2020?

5.53lbs/26.5" Jerk Shad (Silver Sexy Shad)

 

2.20lbs/19" Jerk Shad (Tomato)

7:30-8:30PM Pete's Standing Rock, North Corner

31℉, Clear, 5-7mph SW

I started fishing around 7:30PM. I spotted a moving eyeball when I got up on Pete's Standing Rock. I made several casts to the area. On about the 6th one I caught sight of the eye's obviously tracking to my Tomato Jerk Sahd. I just let the Jerk Shad sit and yanked when I thought it grabbed the lure, which it did. I was glad to have the skunk gone. I wasn't really enjoying myself in the cold and the fish weren't biting so about an hour in I said to myself, next fish in hand and I'm leaving. I was fishing the North Corner just about to go back to the Harbor Mouth and give the Rage Swimmer Jr. a try when the 26-incher grabbed my Sexy Shad Jerk Shad. After releasing the fish I indeed had enough and quit fishing. Will this be my last open water trip of 2020? Not sure, all I know is that I really didn't enjoy the last couple of trips very much. The thought of grinding out walleyes in the bitter cold with freezing hands is losing its luster.

Long Trip For 1 Fish

2.91lbs/20.5" Tomato Jerk Shad

 

6:50-9:00PM North Corner

32-34℉, PC, 0-5mph NNW

When I arrived an owl flew out of a tree and onto one of the dock posts. Didn't see any eyes swimming around. Got the one fish about a half hour in on a long cast from the Big Standing Rock at the North Corner. Same thing as last night. A slow retrieve where I just stopped reeling. The wind made it cold at the end and I wasn't enjoying myself ao I called it quits early. It started to rain as I headed off the Jetty.

1 Eye

Ok Night At the Jetty

4.49lbs/23.25"Jerk Shad (Tomato)

 

3.57lbs/24" Tomato

2.86lbs/20.5" Tomato

Some ice in the Harbor

7:45-10:00PM Harbor Mouth, Pete SR, N. Corner

37-42℉, PC, 0-4mph SW

Started throwing the Tomato at the Harbor Mouth. Got a fish on about my 7th cast on a slow retrieve. About a half hour later I got the 24-incher on the slow retrieve at the Big N. Corner Standing Rock. I went through a slew of lures, nothing. At 9:30PM I went to Pete's SR and got two fish (21.7,23.25) bing bang on the Tomato on the slow retrieve. That was all the bites I had 4 for 4. The muskrats were around and ice was flowing from the harbor out to the lake. Didn't see a single eye. They were all caught blind.

4 Eye's 

iPhone Back At the Jetty with Jamar and Kin

 

4.32lbs/23.5" Jerk Shad (Tomato)

6:30-8:45PM North Jetty

33℉, Cloudy/Snow, 3-6mph WNW

I suited up in Eddy's parking lot and didn't notice anyone out on the Jetty when I pulled up and parked. I was almost to where I put my stuff down when I noticed Jamar's stuff sitting where he always puts it. He had gotten a walleye on his first cast of the night (swimbait). That was the only fish they had gotten and had been there for about half an hour. I got my rods rigged. Jamar headed to the N.Corner and Sr, headed for the South Jetty. About 5 minutes later Jamar caught the 5.59lb walleye on a gold Husky Jerk. I didn't get anything at the Harbor Mouth or Pete's Spot. When I was at CSR Jamar lost one at the N. Corner. He went back to the Harbor Mouth, so I went to the N. Corrner. I spied two different eyes in shallow right next to the Jetty to the West of the standing platform. I threw the Tomato Jerk Shad at them and they both swam out to deeper water where I lost sight of them. I threw about 12 casts out to where I figured they would be sitting and eventually the 4lber bit. Jamar went to the North Corner and got a fish as did one of his kin (not sure if it was a brother or cousin). I switched to the Rage Swimmer Jr. It started snowing and I had to get my line, which was getting caught on a knot on the spool straightened out. Sr. caught a fish on the South Jetty on a swimbait. After I go my line situation fixed I missed two bites then hooked up with a skinny 24"/3.94lb walleye. One of Jamar's Crew got a fish at the Harbor Mouth at about the same time. I think they got a couple more and then the bite quit. The snow got heavier and started accumulating on the rocks. I had enough of the wet heavy snow at 8:45 and gave up. I was amazed that once I got to the ridge about a mile to the East of our place on 27 that it went from snow to wet pavement.

Fish Jamar caught after I left on a Jerk Shad

Good Night at the North Jetty

 No Pics due to Phone Issues

8:00-10:00PM Pete's Standing Rock, Harbor Mouth, and North Corner

56℉, MC, 3-15mph WSW

Started out with a  fish right off the bat at the Harbor Mouth on the Sexy Shad Jerk Shad. I went up to Pete's Standing Rock and lost the Jerk Shad, doh! I couldn't find the tag end of the line, so I went to the Rage Swimmer Jr. I quickly got hung on a rock and lost my last Money Jig, grrrr! I took a break and hunted down the tag end which took about 10 minutes. I got one fish on the Tomato Jerk Shad and two on the Frenzy Minnow. I think I sight fished the Tomato Fish at the North Corner and the last fish of the night at Pete's Standing Rock. I saw as least as many as I caught.

4 Eyes

Good Night on the South and North Jetty

No Pics due to Phone issues 
7:00-10:00PM South Jetty and North Corner Noth Jetty

55℉, PC, 3-15mph SW

There were two natives and a chick fishing the North Corner when I got there. I parked at the South Jetty and walked over to see if they were getting anything. One of the guys brought in a fish as I was walking over there. It was their third fish of the night. I went and fished the South Jetty. I got the first fish on the Rage Swimmer Jr.at the Harbor Mouth. I then got a couple ( at the South Corner on the Sexy Shad Gold Jerk Shad. The action stopped and the people left so I went to the North Jetty. They were biting at the North Corner. I got 5 fish thereon the SS Jerk Shad and left them biting.

8 Eyes

3 Fish, DQ Break, 3 Fish

 

6:30-8:00PM North Corner

8:40-10:00PM NC and Harbor Mouth

56-52℉, PC, 5-14mph SSW

Nothing at the Harbor Mouth to start. I got on the North Corner standing rock and got 25-incher way out there on the Sexy Shad Jerk Shad. He must have had a little buddy follow him in because I had two eyes staring back at me when I got back to the Standing Rock. I immediately converted that 18-incher on the Jerk shad. A couple casts later and I had fish number three. Then I went for about half an hour without a bite. I was hungry so I went to DQ. After I got back I got an 18.5 at the NSR on the Rage Swimmer Jr. And I picked off an 18" on a gold X-Rap at the Harbor Mouth after losing one. The final fish of the night came at about a quarter to 10PM at the NSR on the X-Rap. Didn't get any moonlight until right about 10PM. Only saw 3 or 4 swimmers tonight. The muskrats were sure busy though.

Two Fish And A Visit From CO Starr

 8:30-10:00PM Pete's Standing Rock

56℉, MC, 5mph SW

Had a couple of follows at Pete's standing rock, but I didn't convert either. I went to the North Corner set my rods down and there was CO Starr. Didn't even hear him pull up. He asked me if the other guy had gotten anything. I told him I'm the only one here. He thought my jacket which was hanging on a dock pole was another person. We both got a chuckle out of that. Nothing at the North Corner tonight. I put on a Firetiger Frenzy Minnow and had a 22-incher truck it on the first cast at PSR. Right before 10PM, I got an 18-incher at PSR on the Sexy Shad Jerk Shad.

2 Eyes

Good Night After I Went to DQ/Taco John's

 No Pic's

Good Night On The Jetty Ended With A Good One

 

5.51lbs/26.25" Rage Swimmer Jr.

Good Night For the Frenzy Minnow

Cold And Slow At The Jetty

2.82lbs X-Rap SS (Perch)

8:00-10:00PM South Jetty

24-28℉, Clear, 0-3mph SW

Vikings beat the Pack today. I talked about that with Jamar when I got to the Jetty. They had been there for about an hour and a half when I arrived. He was fishing with his Dad and brother.  I think they had gotten a  couple, but it was slow. One of them got a pike. I went to the South Jetty not wanting to take any opportunities to get a fish away from them. There was quite a bit of ice on the rocks and the harbors were icing up. Conservation Officer Starr showed up and checked me for my license around 8:30.  Around 9:15 I got my only bite of the night on the X-Rap Shad Shallow. Jamar left around 9:45. I just stayed at the South Jetty.

1 Eye