Last Trophy Trip of 2025

 

4.71lbs OutKast Chicken Nugget Jig

 

3.54lbs Choked the Nuggy

3.54lbs OCN Jig

3:00-5:40PM Sullivan Lake

High 30's, Cloudy, 3-7mph N

Water Temp 45.5℉ 

Last trip in the Trophy for 2025. I was not gung-ho about getting out after getting beaten up yesterday until I was on my way up to the cabin with my Bass Fishing Playlist playing. I found great enthusiasm at that point. The wind wasn't terrible. I worked the Point/Flat Reeds out to the Juice and anchored. I think I had a couple of hits on the Chicken along the reed line. I tried a bunch of different stuff at the juice, not getting any bites. I then headed toward the Big Walleye Waypoints, getting a small bass just off the Red Area on the Crappie colored Chicken.. I anchored and fan casted, losing one bite that felt good. I got to the Waypoints and it wasn't happening, so I made a move to Jaimen's and worked the reed line. I got the 3lber and 4lber just off the thicker reeds beyond the first boat lane on the "Nuggy". The 3lber choked the Nugget, and the 4lber got it in the top lip, dead center. I trolled the GOMH on the way in, getting snagged on a rock. I was able to free the Ultimate Jerk Shad when I got back to it. A successful final trip.

3Bass 2Pike (4lb)(9.36lbsfor 3 bass)

Snatcher Tournament At Birch Lake

 

Conditions: 65-78℉, PC to Cloudy, 0-7mph SE

The Day:

I met up with Snatcher Herman at Fleet Farm, and we headed North. As Herman predicted, nobody went to our starting area. The area seemed to be a lot less alive, maybe due to it being early in the day. I noticed there was a channel cut into the shore that I didn't know was there. Where the cut meets the bay is a high percentage spot. Unfortunately, we moved in to close and spooked what was there. I did catch a small pike on a buzzbait. About 5 minutes later, Herman had a fish blow up on his swimbait, but miss in a group of pads. A few minutes later, Herman got the skunk out of the boat with a little bass. A couple of minutes later, I did the same thing with a spinnerbait fish (1.56). I switched to Zoom Super Fluke because the area was sloppy. I think I got a bass in the boat (1.58) pretty quickly after going to the fluke. I got more bites, but couldn't get them in the boat. I broke off on a fish that buried me in a pad root and discovered that most of the flukes I brought were torn up and basically unusable. I had four good ones left. We worked our way out of the slop bay, and I took the helm while Herman worked with his tackle. 

I worked a weedline and then some docks that had sunfish on them, but no sign of bass. We bailed on the area and went just West of where the inlet from Ten Mile Lake is. Herman and I quickly put fish in the boat, but mine was barely over 12 inches. Herman got another keeper, and we watched Smitty and Tim pull a couple out of the pads. We worked that northern shoreline, hoping to bump into something, but it just wasn't happening. A little before noon, Herman made us sandwiches. 

We then went to the southern end of the West Basin to a small slop bay, and Herman got his limit fish in front of a tree at the entrance to the bay. I got a keeper and a non-keeper off the tree on a fluke. I then had a pike wreck my second-to-last remaining fluke. I switched to a Z-Man Popping Shad and got a line burner that was hooked in an inopportune way through the eye, so I threw it back.  I lost all three bites I got on a frog in this bay, two of which I had hooked, and they were both 2-lb-class fish, minimum. We then went around the point to work more pads. Herman got a good cull quickly. I got a line burner and pike on my last fluke, which the pike did in. I put on a bubblegum Yum Dinger, but never got a hit on it.  I got my big bass with about 45 minutes left on a frog. We worked pads for 35 minutes. I had a couple of fish boil on the frog, but not take it. With 10 minutes left and still being one fish short of my limit, I pulled the plug on the slop, and we went to the channel between the basins. I fished a tree just to the SW of the channel, nothing. I ended the day getting my limit with a very small keeper on my last cast of the day, just to the SE of the channel.

Results:  I came in second to last. Tuma won and got Lunker (4/03),President Benson got 2nd Place, and Dennis got 3rd Place.

My Thoughts: I had the bites to be in the top half of the field. I didn't bring any Trick Worms, and my packing the wrong Fluke bag was just dumb as well. Lost fish on a frog when you get a good enough hookset to bring them in, most of the time, is tough luck. 

Tournament Grade: C 

I fished hard and got a limit

My Complete 2025 Opener Day

  

8" Rippin Rap (Chrome Blue)

12:00-4:00am Eddy's Jetty Mille Lacs

44-49℉, Partly Cloudy, 7-12mph N

I elected to take the North Jetty Harbor Mouth due to the stiff wind blowing in. There was one guy who showed up at about twenty to midnight, and two boats headed out and came back a couple of times before heading out for about 3 hours. I got a cigar 40 minutes in, then lost a 20+" inch fish at the rocks about 5 minutes later. Both bites on the blue/chrome Rippin Rap. I lost the Rippin Rap.  

I thought it was going to be AWWWN. I didn't get another bite for almost two hours, a 21.5" fish. I got that one at the North Corner. About 20 minutes later, I lost what felt like a keeper at the Harbor Mouth when dialed into the retrieve. At 4 am, I decided to bag it and head to the GOMH. 

An OK Opener, but with conditions, I should have had more opportunities.

3 Eye 

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23" Stunna (Pearl/Org)

2lb Stunna (Pearl/Org)

2lb Big Bite BFE (Junebug)

10" Bear Trap Chicken Jig (Black/Yellow)

4:50-6:00AM GOMH

45-50℉, PC, 

Wheel House Guy was the only car when I arrived. I took the NE side and had a fish on briefly in the first five minutes. About twenty minutes in, I landed the 23" golden bullhead. I got three small jumpers. It was apparent that a bite was not happening. Only one boat from Sully to Platte. Panfish Guy was getting a few silvers on the South side.

1Gold 3Jump 

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5:45-6:45PM Lake Place Dock

I got a nice bass on the BFE, but didn't draw another bite. I had missed several bites leading up to catching the bass. I then got a crappie and 10 sunfish between two baits.  I was getting cool and hungry, so I headed home.

1Bass 1Crip 10Sun

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 4:20-5:40PM GOMH

I stopped to see what was shaken, and nobody was at the GOMH fishing, so I headed down to the SW side. A lot of boat traffic and weeds in the water. My bass tackle is not exactly dialed in yet. I got one small jumper on the BFE on the SW side. I then went to the NE side and missed some bites on a buzzbait that didn't hook up. I got a gator on the BFE and then got bit off. Peter W.  showed up and told me about his Opener highs and lows. He was at the GOMH at midnight and did well. Then went to Cross Lake after oversleeping and missed the bite.

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8:40-9:20PM GOMH

Brett, Lantern Man, and the Morrill Pair were the only people around. I talked with Brett and LM, then caught a few silvers fishing off the bridge and the SE side, then back to the bridge. The Morrill Chick broke her wrist in that fall I saw her take. Lantern Man got a keeper gold, and Brett had gotten a cigar before I left for Mille Lacs.

7Crips 

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10:00-Midnight Eddy's Jetty

Ran into Jamar and his dad. The North Jetty was covered. I went to the S  Jetty. I shined a huge muskie. I had one bite on a 4" Largo Shad, but it didn't hook up. Slight chop on the water.  A guy fishing the Center Jetty got a keeper as I went to pack up. I debated taking a nap and giving it a second go, but decided to head home. I stopped at the GOMH on the way back, and Peter W. was there, and a boat, Sneaky C., perhaps. (It wasn't Sneaky C, but people from Eagle Perch Point. Peter had gotten a silver; bullheads were slow. The wind came up as we were talking. Beautiful, clear night.

PM 1Ski 

4/10 Silver Season Begins, Rock Dock Not In

 

10.5" BT Demon/Minnow

Not Today

6:30-7:00 PM Rock Lake

7:30-11:30 PM GOMH NE, SE, SW

35-40℉, Cloudy/PC, Calm

Water Low

It was a cooler-than-forecast day with some drizzle.

I got to the Rock access and realised I had forgotten to put the minnows in the car, buzzkill; I was not a happy camper. I fished until 7PM, then headed home to get the minnows. Rock Dock not in.

I got the minnows, then immediately headed back North. A guy and gal were fishing on the SW side and bridge when I got there. He said he hadn't caught anything. I fished on the NE side for maybe 15 minutes, then switched to the SE side. He caught a nice jumpin bullhead. I was going to switch to my lighted bobber rod when the first silver bullhead of 2025 showed up (10.75). I did switch to the lighted bobber rod. They left at maybe 8:30. I texted Peter W a little after 9 PM after I missed a bite. Shortly after that, I caught fish number 2, just as I was going to switch to the SW sides. Peter showed up by 9:30. I caught my last fish of the night about a half hour after Peter arrived. I struggled to detect bites between my wonky bobber and the light bites.  At about 10:45, I switched to the SW side with Peter. He left a little after 11. I planned to call it quits at 11:30 PM if I didn't get any more bites. Right before 11:30, I put a cast to close to the Beaver Dam and got hung up. I got my lighted bobber back but broke off the Glow Demon. I did 6 laps and didn't get out of there until 1 AM. It was getting foggy. I didn't shine anything. When I was fishing on the SW side after Peter left, I had a muskrat beelining for my lighted bobber from the south. I could see it coming because of the bright moonlight.  I reeled up, and it just kept the same coarse after lighted bobber until. I reeled up all the way, and only then did it give up on its quest to get that glowing red thing.

3Crip 

4/6 DNF

 I took Dad to Urgent Care in Onamia to get his back pain looked into. We didn't get out of there until after 7pm. So, just like yesterday, daylight ran out before my duties as a son did. 

4/5 DNF

 I drove into the cities to pick up Mom at Jeff's. We didn't get back until 7:50pm, so by the time Mom was settled in, it was dark. No trip to fish for me. 

4/4 Rock & GOMH

 

6:40-7:20pm Rock

7:40-8:20pm GOMH SW

36-38℉, Cloudy w/drizzle and light rain, 0-1mph

Rock Lake Ice Off!

Checked North Platte Lake Drive in the slush before heading down. Ice is holding strong on the North end of Platte. Had off and on drizzle as I fished. No bites. I didn't have time to try everything I wanted. Ice still on Bulldog.

Moved through baits rapid-fire, no bites. I did 4 laps, and it started raining, so I thought I better get home to check the window. It was just about to the point that water would start coming in when I arrived. Lucky break. It was reckless of me to be away for so long after I witnessed how wet it was everywhere tonight.

Skunked 

4/3 at Rock and GOMH

 

 

Me with My New Glasses at Rock

Woodpecker at Rock Lake

Immature Eagle at Bulldog Lake

E of GOMH

Muskrat at Rock

7:00-7:25 Rock Lake

7:50-8:20pm GOMH SW

40℉, MC, 0-3mph

If nobody had gone down to Rock and blazed a trail through the snow, I wasn't going to go down, but somebody did, so I did. I stopped at Bulldog first, and there was an immature eagle that flew into a tree just as I pulled up. Still quite a bit of ice on Bulldog. When I stopped at the Rock Access, I could hear a woodpecker pecking away close by. I took a video and a couple of pictures. When I got out of the car, there was a muskrat swimming by. I didn't get any bites. I'd say under 10% of Rock has ice now.

There was still ice in Our Bay and down by the GOMH the GOMH; I didn't even waste my time driving on North Platte. I shoveled the SW sidewalk so I wouldn't fall. Unusual light refraction tonight because of the clouds at sunset. There were these three swans that appeared pearlish, peach, pink. I didn't get any bites. I did five slow laps in boats and a full lap when I shined fish at the end. I thought I had dropped my headlamp at the GOMH, but it was really in my walking shoe; I just saw it sitting there at 2:30 in the morning.

Skunked 

.

DNF

 

4/1 Rock and GOMH Skunk

 

5:45-5:50pm Rock Lake

6:00-6:30PM GOMH SW

33℉, Cloudy w/snow, 8-10mph ENE

I fished for a few minutes in the wind and snow then said "Hell to dah nah.". Ice is still on Rock and Bulldog.

Ice was still on the North end of Platte and in our bay. Just a little bit of ice left E of GOMH. The SE Bay in Sullivan has ice in it as well. I fished for half an hour and called it quits biteless. I did one lap and checked the NE Access of Sully on the way home.

Skunked 

3/31 Rock Twice and GOMH

 

Dude had been eating good

Little Guy on THE Jig

3:20-5:20pm Rock Lake

6:20-7:05pm Bulldog and Rock Lake

7:30-8:30pm GOMH SW

37-45℉, Sunny, 0-3mphNE

Low Water

I think I had a hit on the EVo Chatter, but ended up snagged and broke it off. Nice sunny afternoon. Nothing for the first hour plus after the snag. I got two bites in short order on a Size 6 X-Rap . The first time the fish was on for maybe 3 seconds. The second bite was on for 10 seconds. I saw it rolling, and then it came off. I was chilled, so I headed home to get a bite to eat and warm up.

I stopped at Bulldog first and threw a few casts, but there was nothing. Bulldog is maybe 1/3rd open. Long is open. Rock 80% open. Platte 90%. I fished for a half hour and got a pike with a full belly on the Swim Shad.

I drove North Platte Lake, and the North Bay is still locked up. Still some ice in our bay and East of GOMH. I caught a small gator just as the guy from NSPRO showed up on the Mini Rage Swimmer.. He said there were people fishing on the ice at Mille Lacs today.. I caught a little bit bigger small gator about ten minutes later on THE Jig. There was some surface activity tonight. It got cold quick. I did 10 laps, and the first one was sub 3 minutes.

3 Pike

3/30 Rock and GOMH Not Skunked

9.06lbs on 2" Storm Swim Shad

 

Junk in the Trunk

6:10-7:45pm Rock Lake

8:00-8:30PM GOMH SW

33-37℉, C to PC, 0-6 NNE

Water Low

It was 37 degrees, and the overcast was starting ot clear off to the West when I arrived. Ice is still on the North and SE. It was calm, and I spotted a sunfish swimming in the shoreline flotsam. I was going to give it maybe 10 more minutes when the pike struck. Put up a great fight. Full-bodied dude, right around 29ish inches. Scraped up my hands and fishing line. I headed out just as the sun set. Beaver, Otters, and muskrats were out tonight, and a fish broke the surface to the South.

I arrived late, thanks to action at Rock Lake and the tour of North Platte Lake Drive. Still ice on the North End,  in our bay, and some just East of GOMH on Platte. I fished for 20 minutes and then quit. I managed 8 laps in boots. I did a 9th lap with the spotlight and spotted a panfish, a silver bullhead maybe, on the northwest side where there will be pads. I also clipped some weeds. I think I'm going to get some minnows tomorrow if they have them at Bear Trax. (They didn't)

1Pike 

1Sun 

3/29 Skunked at Rock and the GOMH

 

Ice Jam at the GOMH Platte

Platte Lake Access

Rock Looking North

Rock Looking South, still plenty of ice

NW Access Sullivan

Sullivan Inlet

Sully Inlet Dirt Access

5:10-5:20pm Rock Access

5:50-6:25PM GOMH SW

33℉, Cloudy some sprinkles, 10-20mph NE

I checked out Bulldog first still 80% locked up. Then I went to Rock. Saw an Eagle. I fished for about 15 minutes. I'd say maybe 50% of Rock still has ice. I drove North Platte Lake Drive. Don's Bay is completely ice-free. Our bay was over 50% ice-free. The North Bay 80% still covered. Not much ice left in Big West, and I think that ice flow down by the GOMH is what is left on the southern end of the lake. I was not feeling it tonight, so I only fished until 6:30. I drove down the West side of Sullivan, which I would say was 50 to 60%  ice-free. 

Tomorrow or Monday at the latest for ice out.

Morning and Evening Trips On A Cool Dreary Day

  

Platte Lake Access

Looking East of GOMH

Rock Lake looking North

Rock looking South

I caught a gator in the morning

8:10-8:00am GOMH SW

37℉, Cloudy, 4mph NE

It's a amazin that I actually fished after going back to sleep after my alarm went off. A good-sized mink crossed the road in front of me when I parked in my spot. It was cloudy, cool, and windy out of the NE. I just got the one bite. I decided to hold off on getting minnows. If today would have been warm I would have got some.

1Pike 

6:15-8:00PM GOMH SW

38℉, Cloudy, 13-20mph NE

The NE wind is doing a number on the ice in Platte Lake. Ice-out could very well be tomorrow. I only fished the SW side. Maybe a couple if bites, maybe not. It sprinkled on and off. The wind when I was putting the rods away was something. No laps, in gale force around freezing, screw that!

Skunked!