Fishing Frogs with Mal and Todd

 

 It was a warm July night and the fish were snapping in Inlet Bay. The goal was to get Mallory her first-ever topwater frog caught bass. She got quite a few opportunities and even had a fish hooked, but it hung her up in the reeds and pads. Todd got big fish of the night with the 3.46lber.

Neices Swimmin' and Belle fished for a bit.

2:30-4:30PM Went to the far side of the north end of the big island.  It was windy out of the East.  The three nieces swam and played the lily pad most of the time.  Belle came up and fished when she got out of the water catching a couple of perch. Devin drew pictures and Mal swam until we left.  Getting the pontoon on the lift was easier than Todd thought it would be.

Fishing With the Nieces

Todd and the girls came up tonight.  Dad and I went up to check the fuel line on the pontoon. Todd had already dealt with it.  I ended up staying and fishing with Mal and Belle off the dock. Dad went home and came back with mom. We had cheese brats and smores. When we got back dad and I went into the pole barn and found the 10-horse Johnson.  Hopefully, we can get it to run.  I don't remember ever using a 10-horse Johnson before.

Pontoon Trip With Todd & The Girls

I got to the lake place just as Todd was about to start cooking around 6:15PM.  I still had room after eating at the Snatcher's post-tournament picnic to eat a burger.  Belle made me a smore.  Eventually, we (Todd,K,Belle,Mal,Dev,Sophia) got loaded in the pontoon boat and headed for the backside of the big island where the girls like to swim.  While the girls were debating who was going to jump in first I caught a pike.  Devin was first in the water and was quickly joined by Mal and Sophia.  Belle stayed in the boat with us and fished.  At first, we got fooled by acorns falling out of a tree thinking they were fish.  Todd caught a small bass and Belle caught a few weeds.  I had a few fish pull on the ned rig.  Todd took us in getting us in "colder, bit faster" much to Devin's chagrin.   

Fishin' and Swimin' With the Fam and Grace

Belle faux kissing the fish

Another Devin photo bomb

Grace

4 bumps on a log

I went out for a pontoon ride with Todd, Steve, and the girls (Devin, Belle, Mal, and Belle's friend Grace).   I got a slimmer on the twister tail that jig head was too big for sunnies.  Belle showed us all how it is done on Mallory's little rod.  Todd got the one pike as well.  I wish I had a swimsuit with as it was hot.

4th of July With Todd

3.48lbs/17.75" Terminator Frog

8:30-9:50PM Chuck's Point, Green Cabin Bay
Conditions: 79-74℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-6 mph SSE
Water /temp: 74℉

15" Bobby' Perfect (Sparrow)

After a full day of swimming and pontoon rides Todd and I headed out for some fishing.  Not much was going on at Chuck's point tonight.  I got one dink on Bobby's and Todd missed a blowup or two.  I then moved us across the way into the pads and reeds in Green Cabin.  I didn't put the trolling motor down right away.  I made a couple of casts.  I made a cast and decided right in the middle of it would be a good time to put the trolling motor in the water.  I put my rod down and started reaching for the trolling motor when a big bass blasted my frog.  I picked up my rod and set the hook, but I missed the fish, AAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!  I think I missed my next hit as well.  I then got a 13 and 14 incher.  I lost that Bobby's Perfect off of the Power Clip when a fish hit.  My fault for not closing the eye on the frog, which had been getting more and more open.  Todd got the last bass of the night.  The skeeters stayed off of us until about 9:40PM.

Morning With Mal & Todd/Evening Slow With Just Me

6:00-9:00AM East of Jenny's, Across from the public access
Conditions: 58-76℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm to light SW Wind
Water Temp: 78℉

18"/3.57lbs Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

Todd's alarm didn't go off.  I got my stuff in the boat then went and woke them up.  We headed to the rice patch I heard that blow up in yesterday.  Somewhat unbelievably we didn't have a single blow up in the area.  I worked us out toward the pad point.

15.6"/2.46lbs Mad Maxx

I got this fish, a 15 incher, and a 16.75" there.  Todd missed a bite or two and I had a similar sized good bass get off.  We didn't get anything as we worked to the rice on the tip of Jenny's reeds.  I then took us to the area across from the public access.  I caught the below chow monkey along the cane.

16.75"/2.93lbs Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

I think Todd missed a fish out in the pads as I fished down the cane.  I got a 15.75" in the reeds and pads.  Todd switched to a different color Terminator Frog.  I was amazed there was nothing on the isolated rice patch.  I did drill the 18 incher off of the rice point with cabbage that is just to the west of the isolated patch.

18" Mad Maxx

I then got a 17.75" that didn't quite make 3lbs.  I had a bass miss Maxx.  I cast to the area to show Todd where to cast.  I then started reeling as fast as I could so the bass wouldn't come after my frog except it did and the darn thing got the lure.  It got off.  Todd then had a big fish blow up on his frog, but his line broke when he set the hook. Probably a pike.  We were unable to locate the frog.  I had a small pike go after Maxx and miss.  On Todd's last cast he had a fish blow up his frog, but it got off.  We ended up fishing 10 more minutes.  We stopped at the pad point on the way in and Todd again missed a blow up, so he didn't catch a fish.  I should of had Mallory net my fish, oh well.

16.93 Best 6 Fish for the morning

Not a bad morning for me.  I went and got more gas while Todd and Mal had breakfast.  I took Mal out tubing for a couple of hours and caught a small perch off the dock.
7 Bass
1 Pike
1 Perch
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Evening Trip

17.5"/3.26lbs Mad Maxx(Big Sexy)

7:15-9:15PM Inlet Bay
Conditions: 78-74℉, Sunny, Light SW Wind

16.25" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

 So I decided to hit the area along North Platte Lake Road that I don't think I fished once in the month of July.  I got one 12" bass on the Bluegrass Maxx and then I lost it to some reeds when I tried to pull it free.  I couldn't find the thing, bummer.  I tied on a Big Sexy.  I got the 16.25" just as I was about to bounce. The wind was coming into the rice perfectly and the stuff looked phenomenal.

3.26lbs Mad Maxx

Got her where the open water meets the rice wall and scrub weeds 

 I kept fishing this stuff getting one more bass bite and also had a pike hit.

16.5" Mad Maxx

Unbelievably I didn't get a hit in the final 45 minutes I fished.  I expected a monster to blast me at any moment, but it didn't happen.

18.25lbs Best 6 for the Day

4 Bass
1 Pike

Evening Trip With Todd and Mal

6.75" Puddle Jumper (Pink)

8:15-9:15PM Double Ditch or LSB
Conditions: 76℉, Partly Cloudy, Calm, as ideal fishing conditions as I'll ever see.  Man it was nice out.
Water Temp: 80℉

I took little miss sweet thing out for a couple of trips around the big island after dinner.  She decided to stand up on the tube after telling us a dinner that she would never do that, "too scary" she said.  Glad I had the camera in the boat to capture it even if the pics aren't ideal.

7" Puddle Jumper/worm

I took them to Loon Sex Bay.  I lost something small on my first cast.  Todd also missed a hit on his first cast into the slop.  Next cast I got the bluegill in the first pic.  Then Mallory got one (2nd Pic).  I got another small sunny and then this crappie.

7" Puddle Jumper (Pink)

Todd missed another hit in the slop.  I asked Mallory if I should start throwing the frog and she said yes because she wanted to see a big fish get caught.  I had a pike bite on Maxx on about my third cast.  I didn't set the hook and it let go.

17.25"/2.91lbs Mad Maxx Frog (Bluegrass)

I managed to grant Mallory's request. I thought the fish was a a half inch shorter than it turned out to be because there was no body to it.  Todd lost a good one.  I then caught a 12.5".

Mal wanted a picture of it, so we took a selfie.  I think that was the last bass hit of the evening.  Mallory caught one more small sunny.

Mal and Todd ready to head in

2 Bass

1 Pike

1 Crappie

5 or 6 Sunfish

Topwater With Todd/Slow Evening With the Crew

Early Start This Morning

18.75" Hexa Chinooki (Cotton Candy)

Another Shower Blows Knock Off the Hexa Chinooki

18" SBKO (Black Herring Bone)

16.75" Chinooki

10.5" SBKO 

Todd and I took off just before sunrise and the fish were on the South Point of the Small Island.  The 18.75" was the first fish landed.  I saw it was barely hooked so I boat flipped it, rather than wait for the net. Todd and I then doubled up.  Me with a 16.5" and Todd with a 13.75". Todd then got the 18".  Then I got the 16.75" and we were lucky Todd didn't get a face full of hooks as the Chinooki came unhooked in the net and flew up at him. Todd got 1 last 14.25" on the SP.  He also lost one or two good one's.

We then headed to the South Point of the Big Island.  I caught 15" bass there and Todd missed one that boiled on the Terminator Frog.  Then we went to F Flat and I got a couple of small pike on the Chinooki.  Todd got a small pike on the Shower Blows knock off.  We went to North end of the reeds across the way and Todd got the crappie there on the SBKO.  We fished the reeds a little bit.  I left the Shower Blows box open and it dumped over completely.  Our fishing time was up, so we headed in.  I got the lures untangled and back in the box as Todd got the girls ready to go to the pancake breakfast at mom and Dad's church.

I got home from the pancake breakfast and took a short nap.  Todd called letting me know they got out the big inflatable island, so i could rest a couple of hours longer, which I foolishly didn't do.  Isabelle called for me to come up at about 12:15PM.  I took the girls tubing for a couple of hours.  Then they went and played on the inflatable island and I took a nap on the Trophy.  Mom brought dinner and I took Kaylee back in her car and got gas.  We had brats and hamburgers.  I then took out Belle and Mallory on the inflatable that Dad bought.  Belle didn't care for it.  Mallory liked it. And Sophia didn't try it.

7.5" Puddle Jumper

7" Panfish Tube

17" Terminator Frog

Fishing was slower tonight and we were all pretty exhausted.  Mallory and Belle were bickering with one another.  The hook on the panfish tube broke on a good fish.  Belle didn't catch anything tonight.

Best 6 Bass for Todd and I for the Day, 18.87lbs Stout