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!

Jumpin' Bullheads at the GOMH Tonight

1st Jumper of 2025 was caught on this Mepps Spinner

4.93lbs Rocket Shad

4.53lbs Mepps See Best Spinner

Dark blue ice and open water out from the GOMH

Bulldog Access

5:45-8:50pm GOMH SW

40-55℉, MS, 0-3mph NE

Water: Low

Bulldog about 10% open, Rock still locked up. Open water at various points in Platte, maybe 10% open. A warm sunny day with little wind brought some jumpers to the Grumpy Old Man Hole. I also lost a couple of fish and had a couple of bites that did not hook up. Lots of Candanian Geese sorties tonight. Muscrats, ducks, and swans. I think I spotlighted a carp, but it was tough to tell in the dirty water. I was only up for 5 laps. If it's nice tomorrow, I'll see about getting some crappie minnows.

6 Jump 

Short GOMH Afternoon Trip & Bulldog Report

 

Picture Kim took

E of GOMH

Bulldog Access

12:30-1:00pm GOMH NE SW

43-44℉, MS turning cloudy, 4-6mph SW

I drove Kim up to Pine Center to get her car. I stopped at Bulldog, where open water was creeping North from the access next to shore. More open water E of GOMH and out from SPSI. I didn't get any hits in the half hour I fished both sides. Clouds moved in for the day as I was finishing up. We took mom into the cities after 3:30 pm, so we didn't get back until after 8 pm. Kim sent me a pick fro the lake place of where there is open water out front.

Skunked 

DNF

 This afternoon, I had an eye exam in Pierz. Came home, ate dinner, and loaded rods into the car. But I was feeling tired, so I took a nap instead. It got to the low 50's I think.

Not Skunked!

 

Muskrat headed South

 

6:50-8:30pm GOMH NE SW

33-37℉, MS, 0-2mph NW

Water Low

Thankfully, there was not much wind because it got cold after dark. I think swans were swimming off of SPSI, and E of GOMH is starting to open up. I thought maybe I had a hit on consecutive casts with the Rocket Shad on the SW side, but then again, maybe not. As I was about to call it a night due to darkness, I got hit halfway in on the same exact cast I got hit two times earlier at the beginning of the retrieve. Gator Bullhead, no skunk on the boot tail shad. I thought maybe i saw a small walleye when I was doing my shinig at the end of the night after I did 7 laps.

1Pike 

Aqua-Vu Test and a few casts Skunk at the GOMH

 

4:45-5:00pm SW GOMH

37℉, MS, 10-12mph SE

I stopped on my way up to Brainerd for the Bass Snatchers Award Banquet. I tried out using the Aqua-VU from the bridge using a bobber. I was satisfied that it could work, provided I can come up with something to create a dark room for viewing the screen. I threw about 30 casts. Open water has started toward the Small Island, breaking out of GOMH Bay. . I almost hit a turkey on the road up the west side of Platte.

Skunked 

3/21 GOMH Trip

 

6:45-7:45pm GOMH SW

28-30℉, Sunny, 10-15mph WNW

Water Low

By the time I got to the GOMH, it was below freezing. There was a small open hole about the size of a couple of backyard swimming pools with ducks swimming in it when I arrived. Cold wind out of the WNW. I went through a bunch of lures and had my guides freezing up. A fair amount of geese were flying around tonight, as well as a few swans—a little more open water tonight, but nothing notable. One muskrat swam through. I decided it was too cold to do laps tonight; My iPhone battery was getting low from listening to the Classic weigh-in.

Skunked 

3/20 GOMH & Sully Inlet Trip

 

6:30-7:10pm GOMH SW NE & Sully Inlet

37℉, PC, 10-15mph SSE

Sunny Day but Cool and windy out of the South. Ice in Platte is a bit past the first dock. I didn't wear bibs, so the wind went right through me, making the conditions suck to fish in. Not as many birds around tonight. I went down to the inlet on the south end of Sully. Water is flowing and is getting close to being open on the marsh side. I was hungry, so I skipped doing laps and headed home early. Luca and Belle were in the field when I dropped by the lake place.

Skunked 

3/19 GOMH Skunk w/Sunset & Goal Idea

7:00-8:15pm GOMH NE SW

33℉, MC, 0-3 mph N

Water Low

It was cool and cloudy today, so there was little progress in the departing ice department. More birds were around tonight. I saw a muskrat. The sunset was quite nice. I didn't get any bites. I came up with a new goal or two for the 2025 Fishing Season. I want to catch a fish on at least 200 different lures this year; I will do that by being more intentional about what and how I pack, with a goal of carrying less or the same, but with greater diversity in my selections, hopefully allowing me to continually cycling through different baits in a given category. I plan to always have at least a couple of my extra rods rigged up with something I haven't caught them on yet. The Fish Swami "Other Patterns Tried" feature should help immensely with this goal. I'll just need to remember to stock that list after every trip with what I brought along but didn't catch anything with and replace what I did catch them on with new lures that I will need to get for the next trip. I did 11 laps tonight.

Skunked 

Skunked Again

 6:15-8:00pm    GOMH NE SW

37-39℉, Cloudy, 7-12mph NE

Breezy out of the North. Cloudy. Quite a bit less bird activity tonight. Not much more open water today. I didn't get a bite. Discovered I need to put more line on the Loomis GLX 783 Spinning rod. A few muskrats around. I haven't noticed any eagles flying around this year yet. I did 10 Laps.

Skunked 

Skunked Tonight

 

Birds were at the Intersection tonight

6:15-8:00pm GOMH NE SW

44-49℉, MS, 0-2mph

water Low with slight rise

It was sunny and 50 today, Most of the ice off progress was unseen. Lakes in the cities are getting close. Overnight, I discovered the Mojo Dock Skipper needed a new tip, and I put a reel on the 7'6" H Tatula Rod. I also brought Loomis Smallmouth Jerkbait Rod, which I never took a shine to, and the 5'6" Premium Spinning Rod. I need to put a line on that reel. I didn't get a bite tonight. I saw muskrats. Lots of swans and geese. I didn't hear any frogs with bird noise. I did six laps, and the skies were clear. A pair of C 130's flew in from the West to the North.

Skunked