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 

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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 

Pike at Rock Lake Tonight

 

Colors were bright and growing dimmer the whole time  I headed West

Platte Public Access

5:40-6:10PM Rock Lake 

33-36℉, PC, 0-2mph NW

Ice is holding on in Platte, but I don't think by much. I stopped at Rock, and while I was stretching I noticed baitfish activity out by the ice line on the surface. I got one pike, and that was my only bite. I stopped at Bulldog, not much progress again. I got to the GOMH a couple of minutes late for peak colors. I then drove to the Platte Public Access where there was still a bit of ice.

1Pike 

Did Not Fish

 

Dock Guy On The Right

Platte Lake Access

It got cold last night and only made it to about 42 without much wind. I walked to the Storage Ranch and back, that was about all my legs could take today. I stopped at Bulldog and Rock, which looked similar to yesterday. I also drove North Platte Lake Drive. Platte is slightly more open than yesterday. Dock Guy was at the GOMH so I didn't fish, just chatted. I heard a red-wing blackbird. He didn't get any bites. I think Platte will probably be ice-free by tomorrow night; It is supposed to be in the high to mid 40's and windy out of the SE.

Skunked at the GOMH On A Beautiful Evening

 

Three of my Fantasy Bass Guys made the cut. Cobb and Walters got 30's. I bought my fishing license at Bear Trax.

Skunked! I toured the lakes before hitting the GOMH. Bulldog had more ice at the access than before the cold, but some of the shorelines are pulling away. The Rock Lake access area ice pulled away from shore right in front of the access. GOMH had ice on what was open water before the cold. It was plenty open for me to fish. Lots of swans flying around tonight, a few geese, and two chirpy eagles even. It was a beautiful day and got to 55.

Sullivan Aborted, The Dog Produced Again

 

1st Crappie Demon/minnow

One of 5 or 6 ten inchers

5:00-8:30 PM The Dog Holy Family Hole 30' 8 to 12' off of bottom.

3-14℉, PC, 0-4mph W

Ice maybe 8" or 9" thick

The plan today was to fish out from Jaimen's Reeds in Sullivan. I got the car unloaded and discovered that my safety ice picks were missing. WTFrick! Not happy. As I was making my way out it looked like there was a pressure ridge from shore right through the area I wanted to fish.  Without picks, I wasn't going to chance it and turned back. I didn't get the car loaded until after 4 PM. 

I was grateful no one was at the Dog. I made it about halfway out before I slowed down. I put my holes close to where I was last time and only drilled one set. Only crappies again tonight. The size was about the same 8" to 10" maybe a couple more 10 inches than last time. It got slow by 6:30, but didn't die until about 7:45 PM. After I had my rods in the case I swear there was a pike that came through; Biggest mark I saw all night. I turtled it back to the car. Thank God there wasn't much wind; It was 3 °F. Twenty fish for the night, it could be a lot worse. Never did send THE Jig down, probably a mistake. My mind got thrown off by the missing ice picks.

20 Crips 

On The Dog Again

1st Fish on Demon/minnow

Doubles

5:00-8:00 PM Holy Family Hole 30' fish  8 to 12' off the bottom.

20-24℉, Cloudy, 3-8mph N

(Nobody was at the access, so I did a quick unload and made good time getting out. Drilled three sets of holes just like last time. This time it was the third set that had activity. I set up and iced a crappie pretty quickly. A wheeler with a portable went farther NE from me 35 yards or so.  Not as many fish moving through tonight, but I was landing my bites to start. As the night wore on it got progressively slower and started missing bites. I did double up one time. The final hour was really slow. Nothing on the Demon and I would occasionally have something nip, but I would either miss or couldn't keep them hooked. No pike tonight. Fish were mostly 9-inchers, maybe a few 10"'s)

20Crip 

 

First Fish of 2024 on my Birthday

 

Only one decent Crappie

Broken hook

1st Fishh of 2024

23" Cubby Mini-Mite (Glow)

4:45-8:15 PM 30' Holy Family Hole at The Dog

20-30℉, MC, 3-8mph NW

30' of water

I was in angry turtle mode when loading up the car. I was the only one on The Dog tonight. I went to the Holy Family Hole and drilled three sets of holes from  NW to SE. The second set had marks so that is where I set up. I missed the first 8 bites on the Demon/Minnow. Finally, got a small crappie on THE Jig. I then broke off my first of three Glow Demons on the night. I got re-rigged caught 3 or 4 crappies then got broke off again. I put a Cubby down and got a 23" pike. The hook broke when I pulled it out of the pike's beak. I had to get into the rod case to get more line. I caught a few more crappies and broke off one last Demon up by the hole. I was getting cold feet so I called it a night. Thank goodness for the Smitty. Loading up the car was a bit of a cluster. Live and learn.

8Crip 

1Pike 

Bulldog, Didn't Impress Me

 

10" Demon/Minnow

3.55-7:50PM SE of the Access, then to Holy Family Hole

31-36℉, PC, 2-10mph NE

Hopefully, I finally got the seat secure. Was sore today so I moved extra slowly. Decided to go to Bulldog. Started out from the reeds just to the S of the access. I didn't think through what I was doing. I should have drilled single holes to look for fish instead of the full 4. I didn't see anything and quickly bailed for the basin. Some guys that were fishing the NE side passed in front of me. There was a wheeler and two guys fishing just to the North of Holy Family I set up about 30 yards to the SE of where they had their portable. Pretty dead until dark. Fish were in the bottom 10 feet. I missed my first 5 or so bites. Finally got one to hook up on the Demon/Minnow. Also caught a couple on T.H.E. Jig. I could call them in with a Northland Buck Shot Spoon. but didn''t convert any on it. The other guys left. I went and checked their holes and didn't mark anything. I caught my last crappie at 7:45. I moved like a turtle on my way to the Access.

5Crip 

1st Bullhead of 2023

 

Bullhead

8:00-9:40PM GOMH SW

53-59℉ , MC,  0-4mph NE

I started by driving the lakes. Ice is still on Platte 25%, Rock 80%, and Bulldog 65%. Ice at the Platte Access. Arrived at the GOMH, a guy was looking at the fish kill. A bunch of floaters today. He told me about the kill in the 90s and how bad it stunk. I went down and fished the SW side. Somebody came by and told me the reason they didn't get the aerator in was no volunteers. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, didn't and now it's dead fish under the bridge; a bunch of sunfish, a few bass and pike. I fished for maybe half an hour and bounced to see what was going on at the Lake Place. Just saw a dead bass, pike, and sunny. No bites. I went back to the bridge. I got a bite, and it ran towards me and got off. 90% sure it was a Gator. About 10 minutes later, I snagged the jumper in the Pelvic fin. I stayed until after dark, hoping Silver might play, but all I saw was some baitfish.

Skunked at the GOMH Again

A lot of open water in Sully

Open to SPSI tomorrow?

How high is the water, mama?

7:30-8:30PM SW NE GOMH

38-40℉, Sunny, 3-5mph NNW

Water High and rising

Got 5" to 6" of snow yesterday. Uff Dah, was that depressing! Amazingly enough, the lakes were grey, not white, tonight. I fished for an hour on both sides. Open water was well into the Intersection and, as far as I could see, along the NSPRO. On the Platte side, open water along the shoreline nearly to the small island. ESE winds predicted the next couple of days gonna be doing some eating. Not many birds floating on the S side tonight. Some Eagles, Swans, and one loon heading south were flying around. Some small ducks on the Platte side.

Skunked 

 

Morning and Afternoon Trips

6:40-7:20AM GOMH SW NE

56-62℉, PC, 3-4mph S
Water on the rise

I should have gotten up sooner; it was nice out and great color in the sky.  Arrived just before sunrise. Fished both sides. Saw a flying loon and heard the first loon call of the year. Checked out Bulldog and Rock, not much progress.

Skunked

 Here is my morning fishing report

3:45-4:10 PM SW NE GOMH

68℉, Cloudy, 6-8mph S

Water high and rising

Short stop, briefly fishing both sides. It darkened up considerably as I left to head to the lake place. I didn't get the boat vacuumed because of the rain. Trip fail. Got home and was too tired to eat dinner or get an evening trip in. I slept until 11 PM.

Skunked

The Dog Again

 

5:00-7:00PM The Dog 8' 

30-33℉, Cloudy, 3-6mph SE

Not as many fish around as yesterday. Visibility was slightly better. Got that pesky weed out of the way with a jigging rap. Had a big bass come through. Saw one other little guy. Only caught one 9" pumpkinseed. I was a hot mess packing up and getting the car loaded. Two other guys arrived as I was unloading the car. They went to the Holy Family Hole. I almost bounced to go there at 6 PM when it wasn't happening but decided that would be too much work. I got the smallest minnows ever at Beat Trax.

1 Sun