Snatchers Pelican Lake Tournament

Smitty's Bigs

Smitty's Fin

DJ's Bigs

DJ, Arnie, Smitty

2/9

Conditions: 62-82℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-2mph Wind

The Day:

We headed NW to a bay up there with a bunch of slop. Smitty had a bass in the boat in about 5 casts out of the pads. I had something follow my frog but not hit it. Smitty got another bass. I think I had something hit my jig back where the fish followed my frog too. We then came across some docks and Smitty would get a bite or two of off each one it would seem like. His 3rd or 4th fish in the boat was a 4lber. I got the skunk out of the boat with my biggest bass of the day (2.53) on a Livetartget Frog next to some cattails. We fished more slop and docks, with Smitty getting fish off of both. We ended up returning to where we started and I missed a bit in the pads and think Smitty culled with a 2lber. He had 3 quality fish off of the docks I think. Next. we headed NE to another slop bay where there was a lot of activity. I got a 24-inch dogfish on a Mag Fluke. Smitty had a big bass miss his frog. I think He caught one as well. I'm not sure if he culled. I got my second bass on Bobby's Perfect Frog. We fished farther East into another slop bay then fished our way back to the area where there was activity. I got my smallest keeper (1.36) that I was never able to cull on the LiveTarget frog. Smitty got a big dogfish. Next, we fished Smitty's favorite docks and they were productive for him. Smitty had mercy on me and offered me the craw tube he was getting them. I think he added two culls while I was getting my rod rigged with the proper weight while I was getting heckled by a guy on shore for not having my act together while my partner caught fish left and right.. Unfortunately, the best dock was occupied. I got a 1.82lb bass on the craw tube out of some reeds. Smitty got a few that didn't help. We ran South to one of Smitty's favorite holes, but there were not really fish around except on the last dock, where Smitty bird dogged me one (1.69) that I got on the craw tube. We then went North again to more reeds and Smitty pulled a 5lber out of the Cane. I missed a bite in the Cane because I set the hook too quick. Smitty wasn't going to fish until I got my limit. I got a short out of some reeds/pads. Finally, I got a keeper in the boat off of a dock (2.11). We went back to the dogfish bay. I had three bites on my frog, but didn't land any of them; Two never got the frog and I rolled the one that did get it on the pads on the hookset.  I ran out of energy shortly after my last bite on the frog. As we headed out Smitty had motor issues, so we went to the bay where we had the weigh-in and fished the final hour there, not getting any bites.

Results: 

My results, meh! But at least I got a limit. Congrats to Smitty for putting himself in the Snatcher record books with that outstanding bag of fish. Also congrats to Arnie and DJ. Dj was top Co-Angler. 

My Thoughts:  With that 2.50lber in the boat on a frog about 20 minutes in I thought it might be my day. But then Smitty put on a clinic above average size fish in the boat with a craw tube on docks. I tried switching to a popper after some activity in open water. Then we got to more docks and Smitty got more above average size fish and my jig wasn't getting bit. We got to an area with pads and I couldn't get bit on a frog or Jig, but Smitty continued to catch fish. It just seemed like all my choices were wrong in the first spot. I got two keepers in the boat at the second spot, but I don't think it held the numbers and size of bass to produce a great frog bite. When we got back to docks. It became clear the crawtube was the deal. So when Smitty offered what he was using I rigged up my dock fishing rod with a light Texas Rig. I was way too anxious fishing that crawtube. I needed to let it sit and give the fish a chance to eat it instead of immediately pulling the trigger. It was unfortunate our run South wasn't really holding a good school of fish or had already been hit by somebody else. Not getting any of those final frog fish in the boat sucked, but that is frog fishing. Catching one of them would have probably moved me up at least a couple of places.

Watching Smitty wreck 'em is the highlight of my year so far.

Grade: C+

OK Trip In THe AM/Pulled the Trophy in the Evening

3.61lbs Buzz/ToadZ (Coppertruse)

Fall Colors

I was discombobulated from the start. The headlamp went out almost immediately. Arrived at the Lake Place about 20 minutes later than I should have. There was water in the boat. I drained it with the deep cycle. Didn't have the boat ready to head out until "I Predict A Riot" so the boat loading was a cluster. I stopped at SPSI. I had a fish dog me on the first cast and not hit the Loon Bubble Walker. Immediately switched to bluegill and banged my first fish of the morning. Had one more miss and spent too long at the PT. Next, I went to the INT. I picked up one pike and had a couple of fish not hook up including a pretty good swirl at the Backstop. Something showed me where it was along the INT Channel. Lost a couple of bites. Caught a pike as I worked to the SW INT. Missed some bites at August Juice. Headed to N INT Rice Point and discovered they wanted the buzzbait. Went up N SPRO and came back S SPRO. I got a couple nice bass as I came back down Rice Point and one over by NE INT. Went to July Juice and saw a blow up out that way but it was dead. I got a couple of bass working my way to Steve's Fall Juice. Had a golden miss the buzz right at the boat there. Pitched a jig and missed the fish when it bit. I lost the power to go against the wind. I motored back to INT and lost two gooden's at INT Rice PT. I hit SPSI and didn't get a bite on my way back.

Should have had a 3lb average my catch was 14.63, with 3.63 big fish.

9Bass 13Pike 

I should have texted Steve to see when he was getting done with his route today because he got done early. I could have had the boat pulled, the motors switched, and the Trophy back in the lake had I known. Only was able to get the boat pulled out.

Hazy Morning With Todd

Todd glad to get a bass after getting shut out last night

Todd semi-glad to get a pike after getting skunked last night

Todd with one of his biggest ever pike

I got me a bass eventually, a good hour and half plus into the trip

Hazy Morning

5:30-8:15 AM: NW Rice to NW Juice, Chuck's Point through Green Cabin, NPBI

60-70℉, Hazy Sun, 0-5mph SSW

Low 70's Water Low Falling

Started at the NW Rice Bed, and Todd got a bass and pike quickly. I lost a good bass that hit the ToadZ out of the pads right at the boat. It was slow, with an occasional pike. We fished through the NW Juice, then made a move for Chuck's Point. I got my bass there after Todd missed a couple of bites. The bass may have been our last blow-up of the morning as the Point and Green Cabin Bay were dead. We stopped at NPBI on the way back and didn't get a bite. Platte Lake is back on my shit list.

Todd: 1Bass 4Pike, 

Me: 2Bass 4Pike 

 

Bad Plan Tonight, What Was I Thinking

I eventually put a few in the boat

Almost threw Camo to the sharks tonight

I was in Turtle mode tonight. Spent the first 40 minutes in Platte according to my plan. I should have just sent it to the South end of Sully rather than using docks in Platte for my "trigger" to go as was the plan for tonight. I had one pike hit the jig between docks, and slop in Channel Inn Bay was worthless. As I was done pulling weeds off the motor while preparing to leave Platte, the tree frog jumped on my hand, starting me, and I flipped him into the water. I assisted him in getting back in the boat, which is where he wanted to be. I ended up running to the NW access in Sully and missed my first five or six bites and hit a reed backlashing the reel so badly I had to cut it. I did eventually get my head in the game, putting 5 bass in the boat and losing two more close enough to count. My final two bass came at the NE INT Reed PT tip. 11.11 lbs for my best 6 bass, pretty amazin, seeing as how I only landed 5 bass.

5Bass 2Pike 

Victory Is Achieved At Platte/Sullivan

  

4 and a 5

Got Wood Again, Finally

What my scale said

Conditions: 54-72℉, Partly Cloudy to Cloudy, 0-4mph S

The Day:

Darren was kind enough to give me control of the boat for the day. I elected to start in Sullivan at the Intersection. I had Darren set us down a little short of the juice. A decision I almost regretted as Snatcher Ludenia and Nate set down in the general area but fortunately didn't get a bite to slow them down. Darren had something big boil on his frog on about his fifth cast. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get it to strike again. I got us up to the juice and had a fish suck under my frog in a spot where my vision was a bit obscured by reeds. I ended up getting a less than optimal hookset, and the fish quickly got off. A couple minutes later, I had a fish suck my frog under, but this time I was ready and got the day off to a good start with a fish close to 3lbs. I began to work to the East when a boat not in the tournament fished through where I was heading. They caught one small fish, and that was it. I ended up fishing the Intersection instead. It just wasn't happening, and the wind was staying still, so we fished the GOMH on the Sullivan side and then headed into Platte for the rest of the day. 

We spent the next few hours on the North end of Platte in Inlet Bay. I started by fishing the rice line from East to West. I got a small keeper on a Terminator Frog. I think Darren got his first keeper shortly after that. It just wasn't happening on top, so I started throwing a Magnum Super Fluke. We were at the Cookie Jar, and I was just about to pull us off of the rice line when the 4lber bit the Fluke. That kept us on the rice line longer, but we didn't get any more bites. The wind came up a bit, so I pulled us out onto the flat. I got a small keeper and a bunch of pike on the Jackhammer and a craw tube as I worked our way back to where we started. It got calm again. I got my feet set and threw the Terminator Frog way back in the rice line, and 5lber slammed a couple seconds after it landed. I could have sworn I locked the weight at 4.93lbs, but apparently not. I wasn't surprised that my scale weighed it light. We worked the rice corner, then turned around, went deeper into the junk, and I worked our way South. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the slop in Center Inlet. As we made our way into South Inlet, I cast to the coontail mat, and a 3lber took the Terminator Frog about 10 feet out from the mat. A couple minutes later, Darren had a good fish boil on his frog, but unfortunately, his line snapped on the hookset. Darren did get a keeper there in South Inlet. We ended up working our way back to the north with Darren missing several opportunities and me getting pike on a buzzbait. The sun came out, and we got back on the rice line. I got a quality cull, and Darren got his last fish of the day.

As we were coming to the end of the rice, I noticed the front flasher was flickering on and off. Turns out his starting battery was out of juice. I headed us in the direction of the public access, and Smitty came by to see what was up. Smitty has a lithium jumper pack, which got us back in the game for the final hour and a half.  We made a couple of more stops with me getting a few pike, no bass. Just couldn't get one more Platte Lake Special to put my weight for the day over 20lbs.

Results: I won my first Snatcher Tournament with a weight of 19/12, and I also got wood and $ for the 5/2 Lunker.  Smitty came in 2nd with 17/9, and Nate got 3rd with 16/13. 

The win also allowed me to reach my goal of finishing in the club's Top 10 for the year in 10th Place.

My Thoughts: I am so grateful to have drawn Snatcher Darren as a boater and that I fished clean for the most part. I thought I had screwed my chances catching a twenty-pound bag on Wednesday when I didn't know we would be fishing my home lake; Thankfully there were still some melon heads up North. Winning on a lake that has disappointed me so many times made my first win so much sweeter. With the way my season had gone, I seriously doubted I was ever going to reach my number one goal, but I did it. Victory Was Achieved on August 26th, 2021!

Great Morning On Unexpected Water

4.93lbs Boze Sumo Frog

Sumo the Magic Toad

 

3.52lbs Plopper 130 (MonkyButt)

3.63lbs Bobby's Perfect

19.46lbs Best 6

5:30-9:00AM NPBI, NPLD Pt. Reeds, Guy's Bay, B.B. Point

64-72℉, MS, 0-4mph SW

I started by dropping a 2lber on the Plopper when it jumped and got off at NPBI. I got a wild hair and decided to give the reeds across from there a try and was rewarded with the 3.53lber on the Plopper. I worked my way around the reeds missing a couple of blow-ups. Finally, I got back on plan and headed to Double Cane. There were some blow-ups in the bay, so I thought I would check it out. The rice and weeds looked excellent, and there was baitfish and some biggins. Got the 3.63lber out of the scrub weeds and the 4.93lber out of the rice. I picked up a few more fish off of both ending with a two and a half off BB PT Cane in the pads. I thought I was going to get back out in the evening but wasn't up for it. Not a bad morning on water; I normally don't pay any attention to at all.

Fish With Steve and Brett

Started Good, Then A Grind

(Ridiculous Google making publishing photo's more difficult. I had to upload them to Google Photos because it wouldn't except them from my computer per usual. Hopefully, it's just a glitch)

3:00-7:45PM NPBI, Access Across Cane, Big Rice Point, 6LB Flat, West of Access Rice, North Inlet to Cookie Jar, Green Cabin Bay, SPRO, Intersection, SPSI, SPBI

67-78℉, Hazy sun to cloudy some light rain, 0-7mph SE

66℉ LOw falling

  

It was totally calm with Hazy sun and warm when I got out. I briefly stopped at NPBI and didn't get a bite. Then it was on to Access Across Cane.  I didn't get a bite on the cane wall, but the second it turned to a rice wall I had a 17-incher nail the Sparrow. I was totally ready for it. After last night's debacle, I did a couple of practice hook sets. I then got a couple of 14-inchers and a pike. A fish told me where it was at right before I got the pike, so I worked that area throwing multiple casts and eventually got another 17-incher. I got a pike farther down the rice line. I then headed to Big Rice Point where I got several pike. The only possible bass blow up missed the frog and I couldn't get it to refire. Something got blown up over 6lb Flat so I gave that a try. I got a couple of pike there. It got cloudy and it looked like rain was approaching. I went back to the cane and had a fish blow up and miss. I worked the fish for about 5-minutes and it paid off with another 3lber. The wind came up, so I went to the South shoreline where the rice starts West of the access. It rained briefly. I got a couple of pike. I stopped back at the Cane, nothing. Then I went to Inlet Bay North. I got 14 ad 15 in the rice, reeds, and pads. I got a couple of 14-inchers on the way to the Cookie Jar. I then headed to Green Cabin which was dead. I made a long cast got hung on some rice went to snap it free and my line broke a couple feet up from the reel. It was the darndest thing. I then went to SPRO in Sullivan. It was dead. I got my River2Sea Bubble Walker stolen at the Intersection. I ended the night getting two bass on the bone Repo Man at SPSI and blanked at SPBI. It was probably to dark by the time I got to the Big Island.

11 Bass

10 Pike

Good Night That Should Have Been Great

3.88lbs/17.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

3.43lbs/17" (Sparrow)

Frog in the water as I shoved off

                       

Missed some giants at Big Rice. I was a little too amped up when they dogged me.
 

Tough Night, But Plopper Fish Made It All Worth It

3.70lbs/18" Whopper Plopper (RTT)

9" Fluke (Albino)

 4:30-7:45PM SPSI, NW Reeds, Intersection, SPRO, F Flat

68-73℉, PC, 0-8mph SSW

61-63℉ Low falling

When I was putting my gear in the boat a loon was making a racket because an osprey was flying around. I also ran by an immature loon on my way to SPSI. It seems all the adults have headed South at this point. I didn't get a hit at SPSI. I then headed to Sullivan to the reeds by the NW public access. The wind was blowing out of the SSW and there was way more wave action than I wanted. On the Northside of the first dock, I got a dink and small slimer on Zoom Super Fluke. I actually had what was probably the pike hit the Sparrow first and I got the fish when I peppered the area with the Fluke. I got one bass (15) in the reeds and missed a couple of bites. Spent way to much time working my through. I got a couple of pike at the boat channel and NE point of the Intersection. I got only one bite along the NSPRO. It was the 18-incher that absolutely crushed the Rat Ta Tat Whopper Plopper. The wind died shortly after I got the fish and so did the action. I tried SPSI again and F Flat not getting a bite at either place.

3 Bass

4 Pike

Slow Night A Lot of Moving

2.27lbs Ish's Phat (Green)

 3:00-8:00PM Dock, Jenny's Reeds to West Point, Docks & Reeds Across, Double Cane, Cookie Jar, Green Cabin Bay, SPSI

50-60℉, PC, 0-4mph S

61℉, Low Falling

Got some sunfish fishing off the dock.

I started off of Jenny's Reeds working my way to West Point. I got one bass (15) out front of our place a green Ish's frog. Missed several bites on the docks. Went across to the platform dock and got one bass. Nothing on my way to "The Dock." I then went to Reeds across and got a couple bass (15,15) and pike on the Ish's and Sprinker. I then went and fished Double Cane and Cookie Jar Area without a bite. I then went to Green Cabin Bay and got 3 bass (15,14,12) there on the Sparrow and a couple of pike. I ended on SPSI and didn't get a bite.

Finally Got Some 3lbers Today (3 of Them)

3.13lbs/17" Sparrow

3.32lbs/18.75 Plopper 130 (Rat Ta Tat)

3.24lbs/17.5" Plopper

2:30-8:30PM Docks Across, Reeds Across S & N, Intersection, SPSI
50-67℉, PC to C, 0-7mph N
60-62℉ LOw

I started at the platform dock across the way. I caught 4 bass (11,15,12,11) and missed a couple as well. I headed east toward "The Dock" and got back to back 15-inch bass on the Sparrow out of the pads. I got one bass (13) on "The Dock" and 14-incher under the pontoon on the next dock to the East. I then went to the dock to West of the platform dock and worked my way West. I missed a couple of bites and got a 12-incher when I was up by the reeds.

Next, I started fishing the reeds with the Sparrow and I got quite a few bites, but a number of them weren't getting the frog. It was Platte Lake Specials and pike. It got cloudy and the wind came up which I wasn't expecting while I was in the reeds. I was over by the cane when I got the first 3lber of the night.  That was my last bite in reeds across.

I then went to the Intersection in Sullivan. I got a pike on the NE Point. I then took two good fish (16.25,18.75) on the Whopper Plopper out of the entrance boat lane in the wind. I got my last frog bite of the night as the sun came out in the rice. I switched to NSPRO rice at the second boat channel. I got a 16-inch bass on a Northland Buzzbait with Rage Toad towards the tip of the rice point.

I then beat feet to South Point Small Island where I got the final 3lber of the night on the Whopper Plopper. That was also my last bite of the night. I tried the NPSI, SPBI, and 3 Loon Flat