Good Night at The GOMH Catching Bullheads

 

Bullhead Bullhead

Lantern Man's 2nd 14-incher of the night

12" THE Jig (Glow/Pink)

17.5" Cubby/minnow (Glow)

Hunting Pack of Pelicans

5:00PM-Midnight GOMH SW SE

41-59℉, cloudy clearing late, 0-4mph 

Water high and rising

1st person there tonight took the SW corner. I got done stretching than an old-timer named Richard S. stopped, and we talked for 10 minutes. He didn't have any minnows, so he left. Think I got 3 small jumpers before a friend of LM showed up and took the SE side. I got a few more jumpers and a toothy on the Swim Shad after I caught a weed right away on the previous cast and spooked it. Some guys fished on the NE side for about 20 minutes. LM showed up around 7:30. His son was on his way. Skibidi showed up and joined the guy on the SE side.

We all got a few bass. Brett showed up and caught some jumpers. We watched several groups of pelicans fly in and land. We got to see them hunt and start a feeding frenzy. I missed my first two silvers. They started catching them on the other side. LM's wife showed up while I was missing those first two. As it got dark, the action picked up but not as fast as last night. Beautiful night. LM got two 14s, and Brett got a 14.25" as well. The SE vacated after 10PM. Brett started getting smaller ones. I went to the SE side. and they kept catching fish. I got a 9" and missed a couple of bites. They left at 11 PM. I didn't care for the current, practically to the cattails. I got a 14" bullhead and headed back to the SW side. I Got two more silvers, and my last bite was a 17.5" jumper with melanated spots. I stopped fishing a bit after midnight. The sky was clear when I left. A lot of loon chatter after 11PM, and I heard an owl as I was packing up

Morning & Evening at the GOMH

28.5" 2" Swim Shad

5:00-7:30AM GOMH NE SW
Conditions: 38-42℉, Mostly Sunny, NW Wind
High and falling

17.5" Glow Demon/minnow

16.25" Swim Shad

You never know what the GOMH is going to give me.  This morning it paid off with a big slab of gold.  Biggest golden bullhead I've ever caught at the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  I also got the one small golden bullhead, a toothy, and a few jumpers on the NE side.  On the SW side, I only got jumpers.  A guy stopped and fished for 20 minutes or so.  He didn't get anything.  Biggest jumper of the morning was 17.5, caught on the Cubby/minnow.  I can't believe that the silvers have left already.

11.25" Glow Demon

9:00PM-12:30AM GOMH SE SW
Conditions: 50-45℉, Partly Cloudy, Light N Wind
Water level high but falling

I got a late start due to having to record the Big Bang Theory then a flat tire on the Expedition.   Much to my surprise, no one was at the GOMH when I arrived. Lantern Man showed up when I was getting my stuff out.   I took the SE side and he took the SW side.  I caught a silver on my very first cast then missed one on my second.  I thought maybe it would be AWWWWWWWWN, but it wasn't.  A Bullhead fisherman and his two daughters showed up and fished the NE side.  I got the one bullhead and gave it to them.  They had a dogfish break them off.  Lantern Man started getting some fish, especially around 10:45PM.   I ended up giving him the two I had in the bucket to fill out his limit.  I went on the SW side after he left.  Got a silver on my very first cast.  Didn't get another bite for half an hour.  I ended up with 6 silvers and the bullhead bullhead.  I left a little after 12:30AM.  MUch to my surprise the Twins post game was still on.

Bulldog & GOMH

12.25" Glow Demon/stickleback

6:45-9:30PM Bulldog
10:00-1:30AM GOMH SW
Conditions: 72-58℉, Mostly sunny, Light wind NE, calm

8.25 THE Jig

There was a high school kid fishing at Bulldog when I arrived.  He had been there about half an hour and had gotten 3 crappies and some tiny sunnies.  The big sunfish was like the third one I caught.  It wasn't a crazy bite tonight at Bulldog, and most of the sunnies were small, but I was entertained.  It's really too bad Devin was up to other things because it was such a lovely night, and she would have gotten a lot of practice setting the hook.  The crappies were pretty sporadic at first but came on the darker it got.  Most fish were caught on a THE Jig, a few crappies tipped with a stickleback and a Cubby/stickleback.

9.5" THE Jig

10" Cubby/Stickleback

 I got 13 crappies (8 kept) and 31 or so sunfish (4 kept). Jan is gonna be a happy camper.

I eventually decided to leave the crappies biting at Bulldog to see what was up at the GOMH.  The Bullhead Boys were fishing off the Northside and had gotten one dogfish.  There was a family fishing bullheads without much success on the SE side, and  Lantern Man was on the SW side.  He had gotten three throwback silvers, a toothy, and a small jumper.  I went down with LM.  I was just about to head back to Bulldog when I called the last cast for a fish, or I leave for The Dog.  Luckily, I caught a nice bullhead bullhead that I gave to the family.  The Dad told us about the crappie fishing out on Rock this winter.  I caught the 12 incher about 5 minutes later on a small stickleback.  I got a couple of 9.5" that LM didn't want.  The Bullhead Boys and the Bullhead family left, so LM went over to the SE side.   Not much was happening over there.  He did get a couple to keep, and I got a couple that he found acceptable.  He left at about 12:15AM.  I caught a 10.5" and an 11" in the next hour before leaving.  I caught 10 silvers total.

10 Silver Bullheads
13 Crappies
31 Sunfish
1 Bullhead 

Slow Morning Long Night at the GOMH

The Sun coming over the horizon at the GOMH

4:30-7:00AM GOMH SE SW NE
Conditions: 39℉, Mostly sunny with fog, Very light N Wind, Water seems to have leveled off.

23.9" Glow Demon & Minnow

I thought maybe some silvers might show up in the morning seeing as how they didn't bite last night.  I spent an hour on the S side, not getting a bite.  I then moved to the NE side and quickly picked up the golden.  I also got this butterball.

16.75" Glow Demon & Minnow

I went back to the South side and picked up a couple of more jumpers and one toothy.  It was a calm and peaceful morning. I decided not to get more minnows seeing as how the last two trips went down.

The view of Sullivan

Evening Trip:
7:00-7:25PM Bulldog
7:30PM-3:30AM
Conditions: 54-40℉, Partly Cloudy, Calm,

First stop was at Bulldog Lake.  I got a couple bites with T.H.E. Jig.  One of them was a big fish that swirled on the Rocket Bobber.  I caught the one sunfish.  Pretty slow, so I headed to the GOMH.

No one was there when I arrived, but by the time I had my stuff down to the water on the SW side two guys showed up and started fishing the SE side.  Then Dad showed up.  The renters had put the dock in a couple weeks ago apparently.  I gave Dad the Cubby Rod and he fished off the bridge.  He missed the first four bites losing his minnow each time.  I caught a toothy on the Swim Shad.

22.5" Swim Shad

Dad had a silver on that got off.  That was it for the night for Dad.

That crappie was huge!!!

The guys on the other side started getting some silvers.  I started getting some silvers.

10.5" Glow Demon & Minnow

Lantern Man showed up and started fishing with me.  The other guys got a few more silvers and left. LM went over to the SE side.  I caught me an ultra rare rock bullhead.

7.75" Demon & Minnow

We were both getting an occasional silver.  A pontoon full of young bow fisherman went to the river, then went back to Platte.  They got so may dogs and carp they lost count.  They said there were a lot of good size bass in the river. I think I know where I am going to be on Opener morning.

The Bow Fishermen

Lantern Man packed up at midnight.  I was down to only 2 minnows at that point, but LM gave me what he had, a couple dozen maybe.  It was nice out and the fish were biting occasionally so I stayed.  I decided to head over to the SE side and was quickly rewarded with a bullhead bullhead.

11.5" Glow Demon & Minnow

Size increased on the SE side as did the frequency of bites.  Unfortunately I missed a lot of them.  With a certain size of minnow I could call my shot.  The owls were hooting, the loons calling, the frogs chirping with the muskrats.  I even got to see a few shooting stars.

11.75" Glow Demon & Minnow

The action slowed down so I went to the NE side to give it a try,  There was a toothy swimming around in the rocks that I could see.   Other than that nothing was going on. The moon went down and I was down to about 8 of the wrong size minnows, so I left.

12.5" Biggest of the night

A long, but fun night.

Hammered 'em

12.9" Glow Demon & Minnow

9:15PM-12:15AM GOMH SE SW
Conditions: 39-31℉, Clear sky's bright moon, Calm

After the disappointing trip on Rock, I got home, got the dogs fed and reloaded.

I arrived at the GOMH and the Bullhead Boys were back.  They caught a 23" sucker and a small dogfish, unfortunately.  They had been there for about an hour and were the only ones around when I got there.  They were fishing off the Northside. I went to the SE side.  I got a bite after about 10 minutes and it was a good one.

11.5" GD & Minnow

 I continued to get a bite about every 10 to 15 minutes.  The 12.9" was the second fish.  I also got an 11.5, 11.25, and a 10.25".  I was getting the bites out.  I decided to give the SW side a try.  The Bullhead Boys had gotten a couple.  I got a 9.75" on the first cast.  I then lost 4 consecutive minnows to fish.  I caught 4 more pretty quick (10, 10.25, 11.75, 11.5).  Then it got slow for a while.  I eventually got back to the juice and caught them until I left getting 6 more and missing several bites (9.75,8,11,11,10.5,11.75")  They wanted an active minnow.  I left them biting.

I got home and cooked crappies and stuffing.  Yum!

16 Crappies

I reached my goal of 300 crappies for the year.  I currently am at 303.

Wasn't A Skunk or Muskrat Thankfully!

25" STX Deadly Black Illusion

8:15-40PM Bulldog (Had a pike bite off my craw tube)
8:45-9:10PM Rock Lake (Saw a Medical Helicopter do a U-Turn.)
9:15-10:45PM GOMH SW NE
Conditions: 50's, W wind getting lighter and out of the SW, Mostly cloudy, it did sprinkle some at Bulldog

I thought maybe I was going to get a skunk tonight, but then the Yabbie caught me a small toothy.  With that I went to the NE side. I was about to quit, but then something got blown up in the tunnel.  I decided to fish just a little bit longer.  After my cast landed I pulled the STX a couple of times, then something hit and immediately went to thrashing around on the surface for about 5 seconds.  Then it went back under and pulled really hard.  I thought maybe I had caught a muskrat.  It turned out to be the big golden bullhead.

A couple of minutes after I released it Peter W. showed up.  I didn't put his rod in the car tonight so I went and got it.  When I got back he had been pulling in bullhead after bullhead (real bullheads).  I decided to do a little more fishing but didn't get anything.  I wonder if the golden thought that Black Illusion was a bullhead.

Just One Shy Of My Crappie Goal

11.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

8:15PM-12:45AM GOMH SW NE
Conditions: 63-59, mostly clear, no wind, slow flow into Sullivan.

The plan was to check out what was going on at the GOMH and then go to Rock.  Nobody was at the GOMH, so I scrapped the plan and fished there.  I had a golden bullhead hit the WildEye Swim Shad, but it got off.  I might of had a small dogfish meekly hit the Horny Toad. I saw the bite and I could see more than half of the Horny Toad the whole time.  I also had a toothy slash at the HT.  I tried the NE side, but saw no signs of fish.  As I went back to the S side the Buckman Dad and Daughter showed up.  They took up the SE side so I went to the SW side.  They caught a silver, then I caught the 11.5" silver.  They caught a silver, then I caught a 11.75" silver.

Lantern Man showed up and I got another 11' silver.  It then slowed down.  LM got a couple of small fish and the Dad and Daughter left at about 10:30PM.  I decided to give the North side a try.  I got bit on the first cast but missed it.  I caught a 10 incher which I gave to LM.  I quickly caught another 10 incher.  I got a non keeper then got a 10.25" after Peter W. showed up.  I got one last non-keeper silver leaving me just one shy of 300 crappies for the year.

While I was packing up Peter got a bullhead.

 

Morning and Evening GOMH Trips

16.75" Glow Demon w/minnow

5:15-6:50PM
Conditions:  36-33degrees, calm, mostly sunny

The silvers were either not there or active.  There was some baitfish activity.  Got some jumpers and one toothy on the NE side as I was thinking about taking that tube picture.  Here is the toothy.

23" WildEye Swim Shad

8:30-11:30PM

Conditions: 60-50 degrees, mostly sunny, calm

10.25" Glow Demon w/minnow

The access at Bulldog was taken by that guy, so I tried Holy Family, didn't get a bite.

At the GOMH Joe's bearded friend was there.  He had gotten a couple toothy's and a couple jumpers.  He got his first silver shortly after I got there.  The guy and his daughter showed up and fished by me and the Rowdy Bullhead fishermen showed up as well. My first fish was a bullhead bullhead.  The RBF got a dogfish on the North side.  The bite was slow as it has been.  CO Kuske showed up at about 11PM.  Joe's friend forgot his lic. but Kuske was able to verify he had one.  I got 2 silvers, Joe's friend got 3, and the Dad and daughter got about 3 a piece. I got sick of pulling teeth so I left at 11:30PM.   

Rock, Bulldog, GOMH

15" 2" Swim Shad

7:40-8:20PM Rock Lake
8:30-9:00PM Bulldog
9:15-12:10PM GOMH SE

Conditions: 60-40 degrees, light wind NE diminishing to calm, mostly clear,  Amazing Northern Lights and shooting star to the South

It was a halfway decent day.  Stopped at the GOMH first.  The guy with his daughter was there not having much success.  Those little bugs were terrible.

Rock Lake produced one small pike.

16.5" Craw tube

Got the one fish at Bulldog.  The guy with the graphics on his Suburban stopped and started fishing.  He got a bass and some sunfish.  He kept one of the sunfish.  Said it was the biggest one he's gotten.  He didn't know what a dogfish is.  He has gotten a couple small crappies there this year.  I think he might be someone new to the area.

11" Glow Demon

When I arrived at the GOMH the guy and his daughter were still there and one of the Rowdy Bullhead Fishermen.  The guy had gotten a couple small jumpers and toothy's, no silvers.  As I was getting my gear Lantern Man showed up.  I took up the SE side.  Lantern Man got the first silver, just as the guy and his daughter were leaving.   I got a bullhead bullhead.  Then I started getting some silvers, which I gave to LM.  Fishing was pretty slow.  The Rowdy Bullhead Fisherman who likes bass fishing showed up with his fiance. She was catching most of the bullheads off of the Northside.  I got 6 silvers total and missed about 4 bites.  I left just after midnight to make it home to see Fear The Walking Dead.

I'm now at 260 crappies for the year.

Hammers At Rock, Bullheads at GOMH

18" Panfish Chatterbait

8:00-9:00PM Rock Lake
9:15-10:15PM GOMH SE SW
Conditions: 56-51, Mostly sunny, light wind NE (Rock Lake really cleared up)

I was listening to the NFL Draft and got hit by the fish in the picture on the first cast.  A few casts later I got a 15.5" hammer handle.  I think I missed one more hit and then a pontoon set up for night bow fishing showed up.  I went and checked Bulldog and someone was there.  Holy Family had a bunch of bugs, so I went back to Rock.  I got two more small slimmers there.

I got to the GOMH and there were two family's fishing on the SW side.  I saw a silver landed and went and got my stuff.  Nobody was on the SE side.  I got a silver in close to the rocks.

11.75" Glow Demon w/minnow

The two family's left.  I wasn't getting anything so I gave the SW a try.  I got me a bullhead bullhead.

11.75" Glow Demon w/minnow

A bullhead fisherman showed up about a minute after I released it.  I packed up and left.