Morning Trip Running Late/Evening Trip Running Lake

When I arrived at the lake.

7" Frenzy Popper (Bullfrog)

I got to Lake Place just after 5am, when I should have been leaving. So it cost me 20-25 minutes of pre-sunrise fishing. It was dead calm all morning. I went to F Flat first fishing with the Frenzy Popper, Stanley Phantom, eBay Chatterjig, and SBKO. On the way, there was a lot of activity on the surface along the reed edge. Instead of stopping and checking it out, I went straight to F Flat. Had a pike first on the Frenzy Popper. Got a keeper bass on the Stanley Phantom before I got to the dock along the rice line. At the juice, I got a dink, had a keeper throw me, and got the bluegill on the Frenzy Popper. I got a small keeper on the Fire Craw eBay Chatter before throwing the Frenzy Popper the second time. I spent way too long at F Flat because things weren't happening. Instead of running South, I went to Reeds across South Bed. Stuff was getting busted all over the place in both beds for about 15-minutes and then it stopped. I got a few pike on the Horny Toad and missed bites on the Maracker. Eventually, when it wasn't happening on top I switched to a Monsoor Swim Jig. I caught a small keeper on that and lost about 4 bass that buried me in the reeds. (I found a spot that had a pod of bass.)  When I came out on the South end I decided to throw topwater along the reed line. Had several pike swing at the Shower Blows Knock Off and caught a 16-incher just as I was about to quit. I then fished another hundred yards and half an hour longer missing one bite. Before I headed home I walked to the end of the dock and there were a few bass and sunfish swimming all over the place.

2.64lbs/16.?? Yum Dinger (BGum/Org)

11.06lbs for Best 6

I went to the Chiro in the afternoon. Dr. reported tough fishing at his place on Round Memorial Day and getting skunked on Platte this morning. I made the mistake of getting a sub for myself at Redds, mom was making pancakes for supper. Mom was not happy with me leaving to go fishing before the pancakes were ready. I wanted to be fishing tonight by 6PM because of the calm conditions. I was already running late, it was after 6PM and I hadn't left yet. I left for the lake at 6:25 and not happy. I briefly fished out front in the rice. I then headed across to "the dock." Didn't get anything there, but got a couple small keepers on the next dock. I was kind of a train wreck tonight with a bad attitude and lousy casting. I got Yum Dinger caught on a pontoon lift when the skip went through a small opening on the lift 6-inches above the waterline. Getting the Dinger back was a clown show. I aggravated my back in the process. I ended up missing multiple fish after that, frustrating. It was after 8 and I wanted to do some frog fishing in the Reeds Across, but then I thought I should hit the docks on the point, but didn't start with the first two. I got the big fish of the night on the dock I started on and one other fish as well, so I went and fished the first two getting nothing of course. I caught one small bass beyond the dock I started on. By the time I was chucking frogs in the reeds it was after 8:30. There was no activity in the South Bed, which I fished quickly heading toward the North Bed where I could see some activity. I pooched a hookset at the South Bed reed line. Should have been ready for that bite. I had a pike get off along the North Bed reed line. I got a dink along the inside edge and a two-pounder in the cane. I missed a couple of other bites in the cane and couple in the reeds to end the night. I took my time and relaxed getting unpacked after that frustrating trip. Mom's pancakes and the $50 I won from North Star Cash improved my mood as well.

Final Trip of May

3.06lbs Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

2.13lbs Spro Poppin Frog

Start/End Time

6:00pm to 9:30pm

-Water Temp: 64.0°F

Stained - 1' to 3' visibility

Water Level

Low falling

4 Bass 8 Pike (Not a lot of opportunities tonight. The plan to go back to the NW Corner didn't work out. It is just to shallow there.)

May ended cool and windy and me nursing an aching back 

Back In The Trophy For Bass Opener

2.53lbs/16.75" Spro Poppin' Frog

Should have had an easy limit, darn back

8:00-9:30PM East of Jenny's, Reeds Across South Bed

62-67℉, PC, 0-4mph SSE

I didn't get to the Chiropractor in the morning; I slept in instead. However, my back was feeling the best it has in quite a while, so I decided to do some fishing in the Trophy. I started East of Jenny's at the rice line. I had a good blow-up on the Maracker Frog in the second cast, but I was unable to really lay the wood because of feedback my back was giving me, so it got off. That was the only bite I got in the area, and after 20 minutes, I headed for the Reeds Across the Way.  I missed my first 3 or 4 bites or so in the reeds—a couple on the Maracker and a couple on the Spro Poppin' Frog. The 16.75" clocked the Spro, and I got the skunk out of the boat. I then caught my next two bites. Then I missed 3 or 4 bites in a row. Got the 1.56lber. Had another one about the same size jump off 3/4 of the way in. And missed my last bite of the night at the edge between reed beds. My back held up ok.

4 Bass

1 Pike 

Two Trips Today, Hawg @ F Flat Juice/Evening South Inlet

4.69lbs/19" eBay Chatterjig/DSJr. (Fire Craw)

3.10lbs Spro Poppin Frog

 5:30-9:30AM F Flat and S. Inlet 

67-75℉, MS to Cloudy, 3-8mph S

68℉

Started at F Flat. Wonder if this was the morning with all the surface activity. Got the pig at F Flat juice. Missed a bunch of bites. Think S Inlet was a dud for the most part.

7 Bass

16 Pike

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7:00-9:00PM Reeds Across, NW Juice

70-83℉, PC, 0-8mph S

73℉

Don't remember this trip. Got a lot of Big West mapped at least the drops, not the Melon Patch

4 Bass

11 Pike

Morning Trip GOMH, Reeds, F Flat/Evening Random Bites In the Reeds

16.5" Pure Poison/Craw Fatty

5:45-6:00AM GOMH (Nothing)
6:30-9:30AM Reeds Across, F Flat
70-56℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-12mph E SE

GOMH was a bust.  So were the reeds other than a couple of pike.  I went on to F Flat and got 3 bass (16.5,15.5,11) there on the Pure Poison/Craw Fatty. The last one came on a boat lift after I got hung up on it.  My boat control wasn't very good once the wind picked up and the Poison kept malfunctioning and I was missing bites.   I decided to head back in after about 100 yards of progress the troller slowed way down.  I had to use the starting battery to get back.

3 Bass
5 Pike
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2.99lbs/17" Teckel Sprinker (Watermelon)

Totally Calm

6:30-9:30PM Reeds Across the Way
73-68℉, Cloudy, 0-3mph SE

The weather changed my plans.  I was going to go to Mille Lacs tonight, but the wind stopped blowing and it didn't look like a thunderstorm was going to show up so I headed to the reeds across the way hoping it would be a smashfest.  It wasn't.  I would catch one here and one there with no rhyme or reason to where I got a bite.  They preferred the Sprinker, but I kept losing the bites on that when they would bury me in the reeds.  Finally, I got some fish on the Sprinker, including the biggest of the night, on my way back in the middle of the bed.  I caught four bass on the yellow Terminator and one on the green Terminator and on the Sparrow Bobby's Perfect.  I missed more than I caught.

9 Bass
6 Pike

For the Day
12 Bass
11 Pike 

Fishing With Pete Again, Morning and Evening

19? Spro Poppin' Frog

3.67lbs

7:20-11:40AM Out from 17" Hole, Access Across to Big Rice Point
56-60℉, Coudy, 4-9mph NE
68-66℉

16.25" Spro Poppin Frog

Was hooked by the speed clip when the frog came off

Pete was screwing around on my Chromebook, so we got started out about a half hour later than I wanted to.  I skipped the GOMH.  We started out on the flat in Big West throwing buzzbaits and getting pike for about an hour or so.  I then took us the bulrshes inside of the cane.  Pete was cold and tired so he took a nap for 45 minutes or so.  I worked the area very methodically getting a couple small bass and several pike.  Pete eventually woke up and started getting bass right away casting out.  He got the 16-incher first that was hooked by the Norman Speed Clip.  He threw the bass back before I had a chance to weigh it.  We recovered his frog.  He then got this 17.5-incher.

17.5" Spro Poppin Frog

He then got a dink and then the 19-incher.  Not sure it was a 19-inch fish.  It only weighed 3.6 something and it seemed to be a well-built fish.  My guess is it was 18.5 or so and Pete measured it with an open mouth.  Pete also missed a couple of bites.  We went out to the end of the cane.  I missed a good bite there.  I then took us back toward the pads.  We got a few pike.

16.75" Terminator Poppin' Frog

I finally got a good bass to stick on the front side of Big Rice Point.  I then took us back to the bulrushes and re-fished through the area.  I missed a couple good bites.  I gave up at 11:40AM.
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3.68lbs/19.25" Sprinker (Bone)

6:00-7:30PM Melon Patch, Access Shore West, Double Cane Point
59℉, Cloudy, 2-7mph NE
67℉

I should have woken up Pete the second I got up at 4:30.  Not doing that cost us a good half hour of fishing time.  I started us on the Melon Patch where Pete and I both had a case of the drops on our better bites.  We were getting a few small pike.  The action wasn't fast enough for Pete.  There was a boat fishing where we were this morning so I took us to where Pete pointed. Pete lost what was probably a good bass out from the first dock on a buzzbait.  We got a few pike as I worked to the East.  Eventually, I had enough of it and moved us to Double Cane Point.  I had the big girl smoke the Sprinker.  She was hooked under the gills in the tongue and got hung up on the reeds.  When I got the hook out she was bleeding like crazy as the picture shows.  Pete missed one bite and that was pretty much it for the night.

Pete Day #3, Just An Evening Trip

14.5" Spinnerbait

7:30-9:30PM
Conditions: 78-74℉, Overcast, Wind 3-8 MPH SE
Water Temp: 74℉

Pete was in a better mood tonight, so things went off relatively smoothly.  I was heading us to NPBI, but Pete cut that off so we could fish the weed flat in front of Don's.  Not sure there is much of a weed flat in front of Don's, but whatever.  I had a pike hit me pretty quick.  Pete got the pike in the photo then lost a bass boat side.  Then caught the bass in the picture. I got a pike around the point. Then had a good size pike come off.  We then got into the slop in LSB where we spent the last hour or so.  I had a couple of pike hits.  Pete had a couple of pike hits.  Pete also missed a couple of good blow-ups and lost a bass that he almost had to the boat out of "the hole."  After Pete's first good blow up miss, I told him about the wait 3-second video.  He had obviously to me set the hook way to quick.  He totally questioned everything about what I told him about it.  He thought 3 seconds was way too long to wait.  What was the guy making the video's qualifications? On "the hole" bass as he was struggling to bring it in through the rice he commented that we should go get it.  I just rolled my eyes at that suggestion. 

Pete Day #2 Morning and Evening Trips

1st Bass For Pistol

6:00-7:00AM GOMH, Culvert, Inlet
7:30-10:10AM 3 Loon, F Flat
Conditions: 60-78℉, Mostly Sunny, 3-7 MPH SSW
Water Temp: 72℉

14" Crawtube (Junebug)

Pete at the Inlet

So we started at the GOMH.  Nobody was there.  Pete decided to go with a topwater frog.  I didn't get a hit on the NE side.  I got the 14-incher and then immediately got another bite.  Wanting to get Pete a bullhead I made him fish a Dinger.  He didn't get a bite and I didn't get another one either.  Nothing at the Culvert.  Pete missed a pike at the Inlet as I brought one up on the marsh side.  A little while later Pete got his fish on a Spro Popper.

Pete released his fish before I could get a picture

I got the boat drained and headed for 3 Loon Flat.  Pete thought we should give the reed line off the point a try.  He only got the Hula Popper hung up once so there is that.  We started working the flat in b the docks.  I think I got one pike.  There was a family fishing off a dock so I started moving us out and we got a double.  Pete got a couple more pike.  I moved us back in by the docks over by the pads.  Nothing there.  I then headed as back out on 3-Loon.  I had my black/blue/grey Vet Chatterjig get bit off.  Pete got himself that small bass And I got a 13-incher on the junebug Vet Chatter.  I had a good-sized dogfish get off at the boat.  We got several pike as we drifted across to F-Flat.  Missed a bunch of hits as well.  We stopped just after 10AM.
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3.90lbs/19" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

7:15-9:30PM SPBI, SPSI, NPSI, Loon Sex Point
Conditions: 78-74℉, Partly Cloudy, 3-7 MPH SSE
Water Temp: 74℉
Pete went with the parents to get wings at Brothers.  Steve was down fishing off the pontoon not catching anything.  We were off fairly quickly.  I took us to a place Pete pointed out last night, the South side of the big island, but there was a pontoon fishing where I wanted to start.  So started fishing us down the reeds.  I caught a pike right away and  Pete wasn't happy with how I was controlling the boat and letting me know about it.  When we got down in the juice I swung the boat letting him cast to the prime area and he caught 2 bass in about 3 casts.

Pete's first bass with the Pontoon where I wanted to start in the background.

I started working us West.  Pete had a migraine giving him problems and wasn't happy with me taking us looking into the sun.  The pontoon left before we got there.  We got a few pikes running the South side of the island, Pete got one bass ass well.  I then ran us down to the SPSI.  On the way there Pete was pointing out the NPSI, which I thought we would hit after the SPSI.  Pete wasn't happy with how I chose to attack the point and no fish were there to change his attitude about it.  After giving it 20 minutes we were off to the NPSI.  Pete was having melted tackle issues.  I missed a couple hits off the point and got a couple pikes to the South.  Pete was finally up and running again so I took us back toward the point, Pete wasn't happy with how fast I was getting us there.  Then he was micromanaging my boat control, which unfortunately he no doubt feels vindicated by because he caught 2 more bass.

Pete off of NPSI

It was now getting close to 9PM and Pete had me down 5-0 on bass for the trip.  I headed us for the base of Loon Sex Point and had the big girl blast me on the second cast.  Pete put a frog on immediately.  Pete wanted to work the area quickly while I wanted to work the area more thoroughly.  So I did what Pete wanted and got us moving.  I got a 14.5-incher on the Bobby's.  Pete had to take a piss and instead of standing up and taking it off of the battery compartment he got pissed off that I had rods, the net, and the paddle in the way and he started banging stuff around.  That really pissed me off.  I ended up missing a hit because of it.  Upon completing his piss he immediately got into me about my boat control.  Now I was really pissed off.  I guy who had me down 5-0 in bass caught 15 minutes ago is being a whiny argumentative little brat because I caught a big one and a strung together a few bites.  I was furious and didn't engage in an argument with Pete because to do such is pointless.  I just moved us along and fished way to fast.  I took us into the whole where Pete got 3 bites but didn't hook up.  The skeeters came out and we were done.  As I was putting on my rain gear while we were slowly underway.  Pete decided to spray his Ultrathon Bug Spray all over my boat, tackle box, depth finder and GPS was a good idea.  Wasn't too happy with that choice of Pete's, but what was done was done in an instant and I don't know if he was aware of where he was spraying.  I hurried things up and didn't put any rod socks on.  We were out of there by 10 o'clock. 

Frogging With Pete Again

17" Spro Poppin' Frog (Black/Red)

6:30-9:30PM Loon Sex Bay Platte Lake
Conditions: 74-70℉, Most Sunny, Light NW Wind
Water Temp: 72℉

17.75" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

So apparently Pete prefers the light weight and castability of the supposedly under powered Tatula to the cork handles and power of the 7'3" MH Avid which is a broom stick by comparison.  I'll see what he thinks of the XH Zillion tomorrow.

I took him to Loon Sex Bay because that is where he talked about fishing yesterday.  The slop looks great in there and was alive with baitfish.  It's been a couple weeks since I was last there.  Some kids were fishing out of a small aluminum fishing boat and needed to borrow some pliers.  I let them keep them with the agreement that they would give them back when they were leaving.

Pete missed the first hit of the night as I was starting to move out to the kids.  We saw a lot of little bass swimming out on the slop edge.  I missed my first hit as well.  The kids came and gave back the pliers about a half hour later when we were in the NE corner.  Pete got the 17" shortly after that on the black/red Spro Popper.  It was hung up on some pads and we had to go get it with the net.   I think Pete lost his next two fish and I got a good sized bowfin most of the way back before it got off.  The bowfin gave it's position away to me.  Pete then got a 16.25" fish on the Spro Popper.

16" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

I got my first fish near the tip of Loon Sex Point where the pads and rice intermixed.  A pike bit off the Spro Popper Pete was throwing and we didn't find it.  We started working back over water we already covered and Pete got a 16".  I got a 15.5" and this skinny 17.75"

17.75" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

I got a 15.5" and Pete got the last fish of the night with this 16".

16" Terminator Popper

I missed a blow up about 15' feet from the boat.  Pete was not impressed when the frog went flying by him at mach 4.  Pete missed the last blow up of the night when he landed on top of one.

Pete fished as I was slowly driving us out of the bay

We got quite a fireworks show on the way back.

Didn't have the scale cleared from last night

As that I didn't have the scale cleared from last night when we went out tonight with a fish waiting to be weighed and my first three attempts to clear the scale not working I just added to last nights weight.  I didn't think at the time that I could remove the weights one at a time, Duh!  The 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th weights were from tonight's fish.

4 Bass Me
4 Bass Pete
4 Pike Me
4 Pike Pete
1 Bowfin Me

 

Got the Skunk Out at Mille Lacs! Good Night at the GOMH Too!

17" Mad Maxx Frog

3:30-5:15PM Mille Lacs
7:30-9:15PM GOMH

Conditions at Mille Lacs: Sunny turning mostly overcast, temps in the mid 70's, Wind out of the ENE, water was not very clear due to wave action

I had to get medications for my mom today.  That meant a trip to Reeds and Mille Lacs Lake.  I forgot my camera, so I didn't get a pic of either smallie I caught (10" and 17").  I got the 10" off the center jetty on a Red Eye Shad.  I then went to the dock off the North jetty corner.  I made a cast along the shoreline side of the dock with the Red Eye Shad and a good fish hit it and went under the dock.  I had it on for a good 30 seconds, but it got off.  Probably a smallie, but I don't know for sure because I didn't see it.  A guy came out and told me he saw a lot of smallies here yesterday.  I got a 17" on the Ultimate Jerk Shad.  I might have had a couple of bumps that didn't hook up.

Conditions at the GOMH: Mostly overcast, turning dead calm, temps in the mid 60's

Peter was there with a friend getting a couple silver bullheads and a couple of oranges.  I started on the SE side and had something boil at the Spro Poppin' Frog in the Channel.  Willard showed up and Peter left.  I went to the SW side and threw the Fluke.  I immediately got bit off.  I put on the Z-Man Chatterstick and caught a small toothy.

   Willard didn't have anything to put it in so I threw it back.   A couple of casts later I got a little nicer one and we found a bag and kept it.  I then caught a small 12" jumpin bullhead that I gave to Willard.  I had another jumper hit the Z-Man, but Willard was sure it was a toothy.  I had a 14" jumper follow then nip at the bait and not get hooked.  That was it for the Z-Man.  I threw the Spro Poppin Frog and missed a hit.  It got it the second time.

13.5" Spro Poppin Frog

I gave it to Willard and one more I got on the Spro.  We moved to the NE side trying to get another toothy, but that didn't happen.  Willard left.  I started throwing the Mad Max with kind of a copper colored bottom.  I forget the name of it.  I got a 15" that was pretty beat up.  I walked down the shoreline to the East and I had a fish make little effort to get Maxx twice.  Third time a 16" fish clocked it.

16?? Mad Maxx

I can't remember if I got one or two more in that 15-16" size besides the 17 incher.  The 17" was the last fish of the night because of the skeeters.

Skunked Again

Peter's 17.5" on worm under a bobber

7:40-8:30PM Bulldog
8:30-9:40PM Jenny's and Bulldog

I missed a couple of hits at Bulldog at Holy Family on the Lunkerhunt black and yellow.

Didn't get a hit at Jenny's

I arrived at the GOMH the same time as Peter and Matt Woitalla.  Matt caught a small jumper on some kind of a stick bait and Peter got an orange bullhead and the nice jumper on a live worm.  I had a fish not get Spro Poppin' Frog that I thought had it.  The skeeters got to be to much for me so I left.  I guess they did ok on bullhead bullheads after I left.