Snatcher's Tourney On Upper and Lower Mission

 

3rd Darrren, 2nd Larry, 1st Chuck

Conditions: 75-90℉, Mostly Sunny, 5-35mph S SW

My boater was Al Steinbauer, who was also my boater the last time we were on Mission Lakes in 2020.

The Day:

We started in the NE Corner of Upper in the wind, where it was blowing 5 to 10 for the first couple of hours. I lost my first two bites most of the way in; both bites felt like good bass, but I didn't see either. I caught a 6" sunfish on a Dark Sleeper. I then got a keeper or two on the Bunker Hawg. I got a good-sized dogfish to the boat on the Bunker Hawg where I played it until it got off. I could have had Al net it, but I could see by how it was hooked that it probably wasn't necessary. I got one last small keeper on the Bunker Hawg and caught a non-keeper and a pike. I threw the spinnerbait for a while in the morning and got bumps and hits, but they were not hooking up. I think Al had a limit by the time we finally moved.

I think we then went to the point by the Upper Mission Access; it was blowing pretty good by now.  Al upgraded a time or two there. I got a pike, got bit off a couple of times, and caught a short bass or two. We then moved across to a spot on the South Shore. Al culled, and I got my biggest and final keeper of the day here. I also got a pike and bit off again. 

We went back to our starting spot. I can't remember if we got anything or not. We then went to a couple of places on Upper and didn't get any bites. We then went to Lower. Bill Ludenia was where Al wanted to hit. I got to fish some pads/reeds here with a frog, but only for about 10 minutes. We hit a dock, I suggested, and Al lost a bass he said wouldn't help him. We went to another spot, at which time Al's front graph became nonfunctional for the rest of the day. I lost something here on the Big Blade Chatterbait. We then went back to Upper Mission and fished reeds at my suggestion. I really should have asked Al to take over the front of the boat because his boat control wasn't precise enough;  I ended up catching a dink and losing a 2lb plus fish in the reeds on a spinnerbait; Al also lost something shortly after I lost that 2lber. We re-fished everything on the East end of Upper, and all I got was a few more dinks, a pike or two, and a 9" pumpkinseed on a spinnerbait. I thought for sure I was going to get a keeper on that spinnerbait but somehow, it didn't happen.

My Thoughts: Mission fricken lake! Mission Lake just kicks my butt some days. It's like I was fishing on a different lake from everybody else. The wind was something else, and I was just too far out of touch, having been bedridden for most of the month.  Had the wind been more reasonable I would have caught a limit.

Grade: D+

The day is saved from a F by the wind and my legs and back being at about 80%.

Results: I finished in last place 14th out of 14 Anglers

Oct. 25th P/S & Eddy's Jetty

Possible Last Bass of 2023
Big Blade/Billy Goat (Gill/Hot Snakes)

Big Blade Chatter/Billy GOAT

Skunk Out Of The Boat

4:40-6:30PM Funnel, Pt./Flat, Jaimen's Corner, F Flat 

50-54℉, Cloudy some light rain, 2-5mph NE

I didn't get a bite for the first half hour plus at the Funnel and on Pt/Flat. I went to Jaimen's and caught 2 pike and 2 bass. It rained for a minute then quit thankfully. I decided to run to F Flat.  My sunglasses flew off my head and into the lake in Platte. I got one pike at F Flat and missed one bite that hit when the Chatterbait landed. I should have just stuck things out in Sully, No surface activity in calm Platte.

Due to the weather turning cold at the end of October, this was my last trip in the Trophy while I had it docked at the Lake Place on Platte Lake. I pulled the Trophy out of Platte on Halloween. We are getting a warm-up in mid-November so hopefully this will not be my last trip in the Trophy for 2023.

2Bass 4Pike

10:00-Midnight Harbor Mouth, North Corner

50℉, Cloudy, 2-5mph ENE

Ideal conditions: Pre-frontal with light east winds (2-6mph). I got a skinny 23" fish quickly on the Rage Swimmer after I had a bite that didn't hook up on Agent E. I got the 25.5 pretty quickly. Then there was about a 30-minute lull where I lost one hooked fish and had a few bites that didn't hook up, I went to the North Corner and got an under on the first cast with the X Shad Shallow. Lots of weeds in the water. I got the final two bites and lost one other on the NC boulder. I got the final fish of the night on my announced last cast, a 23 incher. No keepers tonight. Had at least 5 hits that didn't hook up. Never did put on a stick bait.

5Eyes 

 

 

Short Sully Trip/Vikes Beat 49ers

 

2lb Big Blade Chatter/Billy Goat (Gill/?)

4:40-6:55 PM Sullivan Pt/Flat and Jaimen's Inside Turn

53-60℉, PC, 2-4mph S

52℉, 2.5' of visibility tanic

I could have gotten out an hour sooner, but I made a bad bet on waiting for the FedEx guy to bring my fishing rods. I started at Steve's Reed Edge, not a bite. Next, I headed to the End of PT/Flat and drifted in with the wind. I got a few pike and missed more than half of my bites. Went to Jaimen's. I lost a 2-3lber at the boat. I got distracted by a phone call from Mom. I lost the Big Blade Bluegill when the leader broke on a backlash cast. I got two bass. Went back to PT/Flat and got a few pike only catching 1/3rd of my bites. Snatcher Chuck called about fishing tomorrow. I unsuccessfully threw a jerkbait for about 5 minutes. Vikes beat the 49ers. I didn't make it home to watch until the 2nd Half started.

3Bass 

6Pike 

4lber Tonight/17lb Bag

 

4:00-7:00 PM SPSI, PT/Flat, SE Reeds, Jaimen's Inside Turn

48-55℉, PC, 2-4mph S

Water Temp: 52℉ moderate visibility

After helping Todd get the pontoon lift to shore I went out. Stopped at SPSI first and had the Misson Spinnerbait get bit off. Then I went to Pt/Flat and got one 2lb bass. Then I went to SE Reeds getting a couple of pike and a 3lber on the back side when I switched to the Big Blade Chatter. Then I went directly to Jaimen's and got a 4lber along the reed edge and good pike at the Inside Turn. I decided to back to the Pt/Flat. Finished with a 4lber (3.75) at the Reed Pt in the dark. Shined one eye and pike at the bridge. Chatter was the deal. 

8Bass 

6Pike 

2023 Bass Club Clash at Mission Lakes

2023 Snatcher's Team, Victory Achieved!

 

The Brainerd Area Bass Club Clash is an annual tournament for bragging rights among the three Brainerd Area bass clubs; The Baxter Bass Snatchers, The Range Bassmasters, and Brainerd Lakes Bassmasters.

Bass Snatchers Won With 83-8 

Brainerd Lakes 70-12 

Range  63-13.  

Snatcher Dennis with the Challenge Cup

3-13lbs Bunker Hawg (blk/blue)

My Boater Ranger Smude

Conditions: Low 40's to mid 50's, Sunny to Cloudy, 0-5mph NE the wind couldn't make up its mind

My Day:

I drew Brian Smude who I fished with two years ago at the Bass Club Clash at Serpent Lake. I was determined to fish better than that poor performance and did. Brian has a history of success on the lake, but this hasn't been his year, and he wasn't able to pre-fish. He also hadn't been sleeping well due to sciatica. We were boat 2 and headed to the NE. I got a small keeper pretty quickly on a Texas rigged black/blue Powerbait Bunker Hawg and added two more small ones to the well in short order. I then got my big bass of the day, which weighed in at 3-13 which had me flabbergasted because my scale had the fish at under 3lbs. I've never had such a mismatch in weights. I had my 5 and culled once before we left for Smude's Juice.

He got two fish there and I didn't get a bite until we were making our second pass. I think it was a pike and then shortly after that I got a 2lber. They both bit on a Powerbait Craw Fatty.  We then worked our way West along the South reeds. I missed two bites on the Poppin Frog before I stuck a good 2lber. I thought it was going to be AWWWWWN, but that was the last bite in the reeds. We then went back to the starting spot and Brian put on a jigworm and filled his limit. I hit a mid-day wall with my energy levels when the fish just weren't biting on anything I tried. We went and worked the cabbage flat behind the reeds as it clouded up and I finally started getting some action again on a spinnerbait, but they were either pike or bass that didn't help. I was bending my spinnerbait wire and it broke. I put on a bluegill Big Blade Chatterbait as we made our way back toward the starting spot. After fishing fruitlessly for about 5 minutes I made the change to blue/black with a FireCraw Big Blade Chatter. It wasn't long and I caught a couple of pike. I culled 2 or 3 times with the Big Blade, but never got that kicker bite I needed.

Results: My fish weighed 13/7, which put me in 8th out of 20 anglers. Smude only had 10/4. I thought he was much closer to me than that. I ended up beating all but two Rangers and two of the Brainerd Club. I think I may have been the top non-boater. The tournament was won by Ranger Arnie who beat out Snatcher Dennis on the tiebreaker but Arnie wasn't actually on the Rangers Clash Team, so Dennis won the Challenge Cup. Jim Eide of Brainerd Lakes took 3rd. 

Snatcher Hammer and Arnie tied for big bass with a 4/15 fish a piece. Arnie originally weighed the wrong bass and wasn't going to reweigh because he didn't think it was going to beat Dennis's fish, but was goaded into it by fellow Rangers. Arnie was also the Weigh Master for his own fish. Not sure how Snatcher Chuck and Dennis let him get away with that, but it's water under the bridge now.

The score sheet

What my scale said I had.

Snatcher Darren left me a selfie
or
two

Snatcher Goofball

Snatcher Lake Alex Tourny Recap

Snatcher Herman With The W

 

(2/04 Powerbait Bunker Hawg Texas Rigged)

Conditions: 60-73℉, Partly Cloudy to Cloudy, 4-18mph WNW

Water Temp: Mid 70's 5+ water clarity 

The Day:

We got to our spot, and no other anglers were around. About 10 minutes in, Herman had the first keeper in the boat on a spinnerbait. He then caught a dink, and I got my first keeper in the boat with the Turbo FattyZ. Herman got another keeper on the spinnerbait. I got a keeper on a Big Blade Chatterbait. Herman switched to a jig and got a couple of quality keepers pretty quickly, then filled out his limit with a couple of fish. Herman had his limit by 8:30 AM. We had a short lull, and I suggested we take a quick look in the nearby reeds. They were dead, so we just slid back out to the weedline. Herman got another quality bass and offered me the Powerbait Bunker Hawg he was using; I put it on a Texas rig instead of as a jig trailer like Herman was doing. It wasn't long, and I filled out my limit with keepers by 9:15 AM. My first cull was with the Bunker Hawg and was my big bass (2/04). That was also my last cull with the Bunker Hawg; I think I caught a few more fish on it that didn't help. I think Herman got another quality fish on the jig, so I threw out a jig and got a two-pounder on my first cast. I think I culled up one more time with the jig after lunch. 

We finally left our spot to drift in the wind so Herman could make sandwiches. I lost something on a spinnerbait and caught one that didn't help. We ate our food, and after fishing for another 15 or so minutes, unfruitfully went back to our area. I put my fleece hoodie back on because it clouded up, and I was getting chilled in the wind.  Herman got another quality cull on the first pass. At this point, I thought Herman was definitely in contention for some wood, 1st through 3rd Place finish. I thought one more quality bass would definitely have him in contention for the win. I think I got a couple of fish that didn't help. Maybe one on a jig that did.  We went and tried by an Island. I somehow backlashed my Tatula SV and busted my line, which Herman was able to retrieve. I caught a couple that didn't help on a Dinger. We then headed North, and I got a bass that didn't help on a buzzbait just out from a dock and on the Dinger on a weedline. We ended by fishing some docks just to the West of the Anchor North. It was a good day on the water, and I don't think I ever went longer than about 45 minutes without catching a bass.

24Bass 2Pike 

Results: My fish weighed 11/06 which put me in 7th Place out of 16 anglers. My boater Herman won the thing with 15/11. Second Place went to Snatcher Ludenia with 13/06 and 3rd went to Snatcher Dennis. Snatcher Notsch got Lunker with a 3/15 smallmouth. 

Big Jon Takes Lunker 3/15 SMB

My Thoughts: So cool to be in the boat for Herman's second-ever tournament win. He joined the club before I became a teenager, and this was his second victory in 149 Tournaments. Herman thought his best finish was 3rd Place. Herman just enjoys the fellowship and being on the water. Winning is not a priority. We found a school of the right ones in pre-fish, and Herman, with a swim jig, dredged them up. I don't know why I didn't get one of those better 2.5 to 3lbers in the boat. I should have thrown a jig sooner.

Grade: C

7th Place is better than a sharp stick in the eye, but not having a 2lb average cost me a Top 5 finish. I think the fish were there to do it, I just didn't trigger the bites.

What my scale said I had

Snatcher's North Long Tourny Recap

 

Caught Me A Good Speck on a Dark Sleeper

Tourny Champ Keith Tuma

Conditions: 60-78℉, Cloudy with occasional light rain, 3-15mph SE 

The Day:

We started on the South end of the Lake to the West of where Nate started fishing cabbage beds. We stayed in the same 150-yard or so stretch until about 11 AM. I had my limit in the first hour and forty minutes. Al put the first 3 bass in the boat. I'm pretty sure my first fish was a pike on the Big Blade Chatterbait. That Big Blade Chatter was my hot bite in the morning. I think I lost one quality bass after it buried me in the weeds. After I got my limit. I struggled to get bites from keeper bass, getting pike, and a couple of dinks. I should have thrown the Dark Sleeper as the fish Al was getting on the Craw Tube were better quality on average than my Chatterbait fish, with one or two exceptions.

We then went to 371 Bay when the wind was howling around 11AM. I got my big bass (2/15)  in 371 on the Dark Sleeper on our first pass in 371, I was a bite machine with that Dark Sleeper pulling in small pike, rock bass, dink bass, and I culled up a couple of times and one nice crappie on our second pass. We went back to the starting area. The wind calmed down considerably shortly after we arrived. Nate showed up shortly after and thought we had been there the whole time. Not much was going on until I put on a Neko Rigged Dinger, which caught me 5 bass in about 15 minutes. I culled with  3 of the fish putting all, but one fish over 2lbs on my scale. I could have sworn the second to last fish I got on the Dinger was three plus when it wallowed on the surface, but it buried me in the weeds, and when I got it in, it didn't even help me. Al got us out of there to head to Merrifield Bay. I got a dink on a buzzbait and on a Dark Sleeper, along with a couple of pike in Merrifield. We fished for about 15 minutes in 371 Bay to end things, and I got a pike or two, maybe a rock bass as well. I was hoping my fish would go 14 lbs, and indeed they did, right on the nose.

18Bass 16Pike 3Rock 1Crip 

Results: My fish weighed a respectable 14lbs, but on this day that was only good enough for 13th Place.  The winner was Snatcher Tuma with 18/05; Second Place went to Snatcher Dennis with 17/01 and Lunker (4/08), which edged out Snatcher Fields who also had 17/01. Everybody caught a limit today and the average bag was 14.94lbs.

My Thoughts: Should have gone to the Dark Sleeper at the first stop. A couple of lost fish cost me in this one I think.

Grade: B

Sure 13th Place out of 17 Anglers is C-/D+ territory, but I was just ounces behind my boater on a day when Co-anglers got stomped on and I was only one quality cull away from a Top 10.

  

GOMH Works/Trophy Really Didn't

 

5:00-5:30 AM GOMH NE SW

Water Low Faling

On the way to the lake decided to hedge my bet on the motor firing and head to the GOMH. The current was flowing into Platte, and I thought I had screwed up. I still went to the SW side to keep it honest and got the jumper; it rocked the Big Blade so hard I thought it was a gator.

1Jump 

6:15-8:15 AM Reeds Across to F Flat

60℉, Cloudy hazy, 5-7mph ESE

Was a turtle getting the boat ready. Then the motor didn't eat, so I went across to the reeds. Then the troller needed to be adjusted. I got a gator on my very first cast. I tried a couple of docks, but nothing. I went back to the reeds and had a blow-up that looked bassy, but the fish missed due to the frog being where a pad patch and reed patch met. I threw a jig in there and got bit off instantly; dumb decision. I think I got one more bite along the South bed. I got 3 fish working up the S side of the North bed. Nothing along the outside edge of the N bed. I got a few pike on F-Flat. The sun came out a little bit, so I had good visibility, and I discovered the weeds are trash right now. Very little living cabbage and tons of stringy wuss weed and curly crap. I just gave up and headed in.

6Pike 

Steve had to be in Isle today, and I took a long nap. I ended up doing years work instead of pulling the Trophy and fishing.

Nice Day, Tough Bite

 

2:30-6:50 PM Reeds Across, F Flat, SPSI, SPBI, NPBI, F Flat

48-64℉, PC, 0-4mph SSE

47-50℉, Low Falling

Got a later start than I wanted due to not waking up before noon. I started at South Reeds Across on the inside weedline. There was a lot of activity, but I didn't get a single bite. I missed a couple of bites working the outside reed edge. I then went to F Flat and got some pike and one bass on the Bubble Walker. I then went to SPSI. Got a pike and good bass on the Bubble Walker there; the bass was 3lb plus and had a piece of weed stuck to the lure, so I couldn't see how well it was hooked. I tried lifting it out of the water, and it came off before I was able to get its full weight lifted. If I had known it was skin hooked, I would have netted the fish. Then I went to SPBI, getting the bass that had the BW wedged in its mouth. Then I  went to NPBI getting my last bass of the night on the Piranha after I didn't get bit on the BW and Dark Sleeper. I missed a bite or two as I made my way to CPBI. I then beet feet to shallow F Flat, which was dead. Stuff was getting busted over toward Reeds Across. I finally bounced to the active area and had swirls I could cast to, but I didn't get a single bite. I started throwing Chatters and worked my way back to the juice; not a single hit on the return trip to F Flat, huh???. I did an hour of hunting for crappies in the deep hole. Didn't find much and gave up when I started getting cold.

4Bass 

6Pike 

Halloween On Platte Lake

 

3.21lbs Piranha/Billy Goat (June/BLk/Blue)

4:00-7:00PM SPSI, SPSI Reeds Across, Pontoon Reeds, CPBI to NPBI, F Flat

50-62℉, PC, 3-10mph SSW

46-49℉ Low Falling

I got out late due to oversleeping and getting sucked in Online. I graded myself with an F for Boat Control and Possistioning at SPSI. The buoy has been removed. I missed bites on my first 4 casts. The wind was tricky, and I ended up running over the top. I missed a couple more bites before I finally got a pike. Spent way too much time at SPSI. Lost a bass on the E side of the point. Got a pike at Reed's Across SPSI. Went to Pontoon Reeds. Got a pike there and missed a bite or two. Then it was up to CPBI to NPBI. Landed my first bass between the two points and missed a couple of other bites. Got 3 bass off the NPBI, including the night's big bass, which was over 3lbs. Ended up not getting to F Flat until 5:45 PM, and the fish weren't going. Got # 5 and 6 on the Big Blade Chatter and one pike. The last bass was after dark. I stayed out a bit longer, but it just wasn't happening. I shouldn't complain about a 15.21lb bag, but I had higher hopes than that for today.

8Bass 

5Pike 

Another 19lb Bag On F Flat

 

4.21lbs Big Blade Chatter/Billy Goat (Gill)

3.85lbs Terminator Jig/RD Craw

3.13lbs Terminator Jig/RD Craw

4:20-7:00PM F Flat

54-63℉, PC, 0-10mph SW

46-47.5 Low Falling

Was breezy with whitecaps on F Flat when I arrived by the W Reeds. Started the trip with a pike. Got quite a few of those tonight. Fishing wasn't as good as it's been, but I still did excellently. Not as many bites and not as many misses. Big bass (4.21lbs) was on the Big Blade Chatter. The second biggest came on the Terminator Jig, which did work tonight. It slicked off around sunset, and the fish quit. I also had a tackle clown show when I got the Jig and Chatter tied up in one another. Never recovered from that. 

19.66lbs for my best 6. Third straight 19lb bag on F flat

13Bass 10Pike 

Pike On The Bubble Walker

5:15-6:30PM 3-Loon, F Flat, NPBI
35-41℉, Cloudy to PC, Sleet downpour, 3-9mph WNW N

Darn popcorn sleet storm. Had one follow on 3-Loon Flat, where I stared and where the sleet storm took place. The wind switched more out of the North, and I moved to F-Flat, where it was calm, passing a loon on the way. Saw baitfish get busted as I was setting down. I switched to a Bone BW and, sure enough, got a pike in the midst of a bunch of baitfish. At 6:15 PM, it looked like NPBI was calm, but by the time I got there, an NW wind was blowing on it. Didn't get a bite and the sky to the NW looked dark, so I headed in rather than back to F-Flat, which was my plan when I left. At least I didn't get skunked.