GOMH, By Myself In The Trophy, With Todd Evening

2.97lb/17.25" Terminator (Yellow)

18" Rippin Rap (Helsinki Shad)

5:00-6:30AM GOMH NE SW
Conditions: 58-63℉, Cloudy, ESE light wind

Surprisingly I was the only person at the GOMH this morning.  The golden choked the Rippin Rap on the second cast.  I also caught  21-inch toothy on the RR, lost a couple quickly after hooking up, and had a couple of bites that didn't hook up.  I got an 11" and 15.5" jumper casting out on a BPS Speed Shad/Outcast Swim Jig Head.  I also got a dink and a couple that didn't hook up on the black Shower Blows knockoff.  On the SW side, I got another dink on the SBKO, a couple on the Poison, and one dink on black/blue craw tube.  I also got a 22.25 toothy on the FishingSir Vixen knockoff.  Both of the fish I got on the Rippin Rap were hooked in the gills, so I took a trip home to get the fish refrigerated.  I also had to switch vehicles so I wasn't on the water again until 7:30.
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15.75" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

7:30AM-Noon: West Point, SPSI, Rice East of GOMH
Conditions: 65-70℉, Mostly Cloudy, ESE Wind 3-10MPH
Water Temp: 68-69

I hit up West Point to start and got a dink on the Dinger.  I then went to SPSI.  Nothing was off the tip, but on the weed flat to the west there was baitfish activity.  I got a 14.75" on the Hexa Chinooki which the fish blasted.  That was the only fish I got to rise for a topwater until I got to the rice.  On about my 5th cast to the inside weed edge, 15.5" bass blasted Mad Maxx.  I thought it was going to be AWWWWWWWN, but it was more like slow and steady.  I'd pick have a blow up every 10-15 minutes catching about a third of them.  The one in the picture was a fish that blew up about two good cast lengths away.  I quickly raced towards it on the troller and it blasted Maxx straightaway.  I got 8 bass and 3 pike in the rice East of GOMH.

Tragedy Averted 

I had a pike blow up on Maxx and instantly cut the line.  I didn't have the trolling motor in the water at the time.  I was extremely lucky to get the bluegrass Maxx back.  I'm not sure if I have any left or not.  Shortly after that, I went to try Channel Inn Bay, but as I started my drift Todd called me to come help with the pontoon boat lift, which they were putting in the water.  I had a picture, but the file was fubar.
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16" Terminator Frog

8:00-10:00PM Starting Spot to Double Cane Point
Conditions: 70's, Partly Cloudy, ENE Wind 5-10MPH
Water Temp: 69℉

Steve had other stuff to do so it was just Todd and me tonight.  I decided to head North rather than South.  Todd made that decision seem ingenious when he quickly landed the 3lber.  The biggest bass f the day.  But it was a struggle for a while as the fish didn't seem to be in the rice like I thought they would be.  We picked off a fish here and there and ended up with it being a pretty good night, just no big fish.  Todd got 6 Bass and 1 Pike and I got 5 Bass 2 Pike, we also missed some fish of coarse.

6 Best Bass for the day

For the Day
28 Bass
10 Pike
1 Gold   

GOMH & Long Day On the Water

5:00-6:00AM GOMH NE SW
Conditions: 58℉, Mostly Cloudy, Light E wind when not calm
Water Temp: 64℉

11" Rippin Rap (Sexy shad)

Nothing but a very minor dinkfest at the GOMH this morning.  Got them on the Rippin Rap, Jerk Shad, and a couple on the FishingSir Vixen.

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3.04/17" Craw Tube (Black/Blue)

6:30AM-5:00PM SPSI, River, SPRO, Intersection, Starting Spot, Double Cane Point

Conditions: 63-73℉, Partly Cloudy, Wind light to  blowing pretty good SE E NE

Water Temp: 64-72℉

Longest day I have spent on the water in years, but I never got tired.   I had enough water to drink and temps were comfortable so I just kept at it.  First stop was the South Point of the Small Island.  I got one dink there on the Pompadour.  Then it was on to the river mouth.  I just got done telling myself to be ready for a hit.  When a fish did indeed hit and I wasn't ready for it.  Putz move for sure.  Nothing beyond that was going on in the river mouth until  I got a little way in.  I traded off small pike and 14-inch bass along the southern shoreline on the Sparrow Bobby's Perfect Frog.  I then got a couple bass and had some spectacular misses on the FishingSir Vixen knock off along the northern shoreline.  That was about it until I got to the bulrushes where I developed a case of the misses on the Bobby's Frog.  Finally, I got 15-incher, then got on to missing fish again.  When I got down by the dam I got a couple on the FishingSir.  I missed a couple fish coming back out on the Bobby's.  I got a 15-incher on the craw tube which I didn't stick with because I wanted those frog blow ups which came, but I missed again.  

It was now 11AM and I was finally out of the river into the SPRO.  I got a 16-incher on the Bobby's then lost an even bigger fish on the next cast.  That got me sucked into the rice where I caught a couple more on the Bobby's and a fish a piece on the black Mad Maxx, bluegrass Mad Maxx, LiveTarget Frog. At about 1:30 I had to get out of that rice.  I decided to hit the SW corner of the intersection and missed a couple of hits on a frog.  I got a dink over by the reeds and cattails and got 15.5" in the reeds over by the log in the rice on the Terminator Frog Jr.  Lucky to get that fish.  I backlashed the cast and was just about to start pulling it out when the fish blasted the frog. I immediately clicked the reel in gear and laid the wood to the fish.  The NE intersection is the most beautiful bassy looking water on the lake, but there was nothing in it that wanted my topwaters today.  Saw a lot of fry swimming around though.

15.5" Toadrunner (Sunburn)

It was now about 3PM and I was headed in when I decided to head to the North End.  There I beat my head against a wall with frogs from East of the Starting Spot all the way to Double Cane.  A lot of fry in the rice here as well.  I had a good fish bury me in the reeds off of Double Cane Point on the Toadrunner and I got a 15.5-incher on it there as well.  I finally put the topwater down and caught my biggest fish of the day out of the reeds and cabbage on the back side of Double Cane on a craw tube.  I missed one solid bite that I never set on and finished the day when pike destroyed the craw tube.  Amazingly, I wasn't totally fried yet and could have easily fish a couple more hours before I got to that point.  Must be that Mocha coffee Dad got at Rubies Pantry.

13.31lbs for my 6 Best

Not exactly a stellar day on the water, but I had fun.

For the Day

26 Bass

9 Pike    

    

GOMH, River, SPRO

Full Trip Details