Big Golden, A Jumper, and Bass 'n Pike at S. Inlet

 

7.04lbs/28" KVD Shiner

8:15-8:55PM S, Sully Inlet
Nice night. I elected to mow the lawn instead of fish. It worked out for me

 (The first cast didn't have distance so I was unprepared for the strike I got on the buzzbait which came almost immediately after it landed. Then got a couple of pike and a couple of bass. Missed my last 4 or 5 bites, because I had a bent-up hook point.)

2Bass 

2Pike

9:05-9:40PM GOMH SW NW

(Nobody was around so I quickly unpacked and headed to the SW side. Got the one jumper on a chatter and missed a couple of bites on other stuff. Stuff was getting smoked in the tube. So I headed to the North side just as somebody else arrived. He was able to get to the NE side first. He lost a jumper then broke off on a lily pad. I missed something then hooked into the 7lb Golden. The other guy took a picture and measured it. I called it a night after releasing the fish. Mosquitos were annoying but not terrible.)

1Jump 

1Gold

Windy Cool Wet Night at the GOMH

18.25" Piranha/Swim Fluke Jr.

7:15-9:45PM GOMH NE SW SE
Conditions: 53-50℉, Cloudy some light rain, Windy ENE,
Water High but falling

17.5" Crawtube

When I arrived at the GOMH tonight the same guy who was there last night was there with an additional kid and his wife.  They had the S side all covered up.  That left me in the wind.  I didn't mind, although I wish I had some fishing gloves with.  I caught jumpers on the Piranha, Crawtube, and Storm Swim Shad I also missed quite a few bites.  The guy from the other side came over to talk.  I told him what I have been catching this year.  They left shortly after he went back to the south side.  I went down on the SW side shortly after that.  It must have been a little after 8:30.  It was pretty much the same story on the south side.  Jumpin' bullheads.

23" Storm Swim Shad

I did get the one golden on the 2" Storm Swim Shad and I think I lost a silver on it as well.  Shortly after I got the gold it started to sprinkle.  I missed one hit on the Glow Demon/stickleback on the SW side.  I eventually went over to the SE side and got a bite.  It was definitely no silver and unfortunately swam toward the bullrushes. It buried itself under the weed mat in front of the hole in the rushes. Somehow I was able to get my line past the rushes so I had a straight shot to the fish.  I went and got the Piranha rod and pulled away some of the mat.  I was then able to pull the jumper on top and land it.  Catching that fish and getting my whole rig back was a minor miracle.

The bobber was originally under the mat and I couldn't set where it was.

17.5" Glow Demon/stickleback

 

GOMH Morning, Afternoon, and Evening

5:30-8:00AM GOMH NE, SW, NE
Conditions: 50-64℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm to light SW wind

16" Piranha

Started out by getting a couple of jumpers and a toothy on the NE side on the Piranha.  Switched to the SW side.  Got a few more jumpers and toothy's on a variety of baits.  I had a really big fish hit on a white craw tube.  I got it into freespool then backed the drag off, but not far enough.  When I put the reel back in gear the fish kept right on going and snapped my line.  It looked like my knot might have pulled loose.  I did get one nice silver on a Storm Swim Shad.

11.75" Swim Shad

16.5" Swm Shad

 3:20-4:00PM GOMH NE
Conditions: 84℉, SW Wind, Mostly Sunny
I took a rake up to Kim then stopped at the GOMH on the way back.  There was a couple of old guys fishing on the SW and SE side.  I caught a couple of jumpers on the Swim Shad and Terminator Jig.  I missed some hits a well.

25" Terminator Jig/Chigger Craw

8:15-10:45PM GOMH NE, SW, NE
Conditions: 77-70℉ , Mostly Cloudy, Calm to light SW wind, water level is high but falling

16" Piranha

Bulldog was covered up so I went to the GOMH.  A guy and his kid were fishing the SW side with beetle spins.  Said they only had gotten a few small bass.  I went down on the NE side.  I got a couple of toothy and jumpers right away on the Piranha.  I got a couple of jumpers on the Terminator Jig and the golden.  I also got a couple of jumpers on a craw tube.  I missed several hits on all three baits (Piranha, Terminator, craw tube).  Who knows if any of those was a dogfish?

7" Glow Demon/stickleback

At about 9:30PM I went over to the SW side.  I missed a fish on my first cast with the Piranha.  It was a slow slog after that.  Some teenagers with a big truck showed up at about 9:35.  They got one bullhead on the N side.  They offered me a crappie they had gotten at another lake;  I declined the offer.  I got the one little silver and missed a couple of other bites.  They left at about 10PM. I tried the SE side and missed one hit.  I went back to the NE side and got the last silver of the night, this nice one.  I left at 10:45PM.

11" Glow Demon/stickleback

 

Found Some On F Flat

15.75" Mils Fleet Farm Spinnerbait/Swim Fluke/Gifted Grub (B/W/R)

3:35-3:50PM GOMH
4:30-7:00PM Out Front, F Flat
7:40-8:00PM GOMH
Conditions: 72-67℉, Partly Cloudy, S Wind
Water Temp: 53-51℉

I didn't get a hit at the GOMH.

I started at West POint and worked my way East.  I got two small pike in front of Jim's.  I had a Sprinker Tail and Hack Jig get bit off in the reeds.  At about 6PM I headed to F Flat.  I should have gone there sooner.  I missed the first bite I had.  I then got into a school of bass out front of the white thing catching 5 of them (15.75x2, 15, 13, 9.66) on the Fleet Farm Spinnerbait.  I also got a small pike.  MY last bass (13.25) of the night came on the Piranha.

I tried the GOMH again and didn't get a hit.

9.30lbs Best 6 Bass

6 Bass
3 Pike

I Tried The River, It Came Up Pike (Mostly)

16.25" Piranha/Craw Fatty (June/O Craw)

4:40-8:00PM West Point, River, Intersection NE, GOMHIT NE
Conditions: 70-66℉. Partly Cloudy, SW Wind, Water level falling
Water Temp: 54-51℉

I started at West Point and I think I missed a hit on the Real Deal Craw.  Couldn't get it to hit again, so maybe it wasn't a bite. Who knows.  I then went straight to the River.  Didn't have a bite at the mouth.  Not a good sign.  I was maybe about 50 feet into the river when the bass bit on the Piranha.  That was the only bass I caught tonight.  I got 5 pike in the river and missed a couple hits as well.  The wind died down some and I headed out of the river to the NE of the intersection.  Didn't get a hit outside and just one inside the reeds that I missed.  I then went and parked at the GOMH.  I had what I think was a small pike get off when I went to life it in the boat.  It was to dark for me to see and I didn't have my headlamp on at the time.  It bit on the Grass Pig.  It might have been golden, who knows.  Was fairly disappointed I didn't get at least one golden.  It looks like no rain this week until Sat, when we might get a thunder storm.  I would really like to see the water level drop by about a foot from where it is at presently.

Post Vikings Victory Fishing

3.88lbs/18.75" Piranha/Craw Fatty (June/O-Craw)

4:10-4:30PM GOMH
5:00-7:00PM Loon Sex Point, Loon Flat
7:40-8:10PM GOMH
Conditions: 48-46℉, Partly Cloudy, W Wind
Water Temp: 51℉

Barr knocked Rodgers out of the game and the Vikes went on to win 23-10.  Looks like #12 is out for the season.  I listened to Vent Line for a little while before heading out.  I quickly fished the GOMH and didn't get a hit.

I had to drain maybe 3/4 of an inch out of the boat.  I started at West Point and had one hit that I missed.  I then went to Loon Sex Point and got a couple pike there on the black Mills Fleet Farm Spinnerbait.  With the wind not backing off I headed to Loon Flat.  I got 4 pike and the 1 bass (3.88) there on the Piranha/Craw Fatty.  It was semi-protected on Loon Flat.  There was no surface activity at all.  Might be because of the cool temps.

19.5" Grass Pig (Swamp Gas)

I got the one golden bullhead at the GOMH on the Grass Pig.

1 Bass
1 Gold
6 Pike

The River & The Intersection

2.53"/16.95" Terminator Frog

5:00-7:30PM Platte River, Intersection SW
Conditions: 55-50℉, Sunny, WSW Windy diminishing some by the time I left the river.  Water Level up another 4 or so inches and rising.
Water Temp: 56-58℉

15" Piranha/Chigger Craw (June/Sapphire)

I decided with the wind being what it was and the water level being up to hit the river and see if anything might be going on there.  I planned to hit the GOMH on the way there, but there was a car so I nixed that plan.  I'm pretty sure it was the guy and his kid from the other night.  He was bringing in a toothy on the SW side when I passed him.  I got to the river mouth and the wind was barreling straight down it.  I got a 14.5" bass right away on the Piranha.  I decided to put the anchor down rather than fight the wind.  I moved in closer to the river and re-anchored.  I got the 15" in the picture and a couple of small pike on the Piranha and a couple of 20" pike on the Hack Jig.  I then had the Hack Jig get bit off.  Bummer!

I got the almost 17 incher in the river along the bulrushes on the Terminator Frog.  I also got a 14" out of the slop on the first turns outside bend.

With Flash

Without Flash

The wind died down some and I got out of there and headed to the SW of the Intersection.   Wasn't any sign of activity.

16.5" Hack Jig/Craw Fatty

I got my last fish of the night along the small bulrush point on the Hack Jig.  The fish obviously didn't want the Terminator as I had thrown it right over where I caught the fish.  On the way back there were two cars parked at the GOMH.  A guy throwing a crankbait said he had gotten 9 bass and 2 pike, "but no size". I stopped at SPSI and lost a hit there.

5 Bass
4 Pike
 

South Long Pre-fishing

2.68lb Craw Tube (Brown/GP)

1:50-5:30PM South Long Lake
Conditions: 56-58℉, Partly Cloudy, NW Wind (Rained heavy last night)

So Chuck Steinbauer called me in the morning to see if I wanted to go pre-fishing with him today.  Of coarse I was up for it.  The plan was to meet him at the landing at 1PM,  but he might be running a bit late.  I arrived at the Merrifield access on North Long, where we are fishing the Snatchers "Mini-Bucks" tournament on Saturday.  It was raining and 52 degrees.  I was wishing I had brought some warmer foot ware along.  It was a little after 1PM when it occurred to me that there is also the 371 access on North Long and that might be where Chuck was launching.  I called his house first and fortunately, Lois was home.  She told me he was going to be out on South Long Lake today.  I could have sworn that I read North Long was where the tournament was gonna be in the Mini-Bucks email.  As it turns out I did read the email right.  South Long is where the Challenge Cup is being held on Sunday.  The Challenge Cup is a tournament between the Bass Snatchers and other Brainerd area bass clubs.

So I skedaddled down to South Long.  Chuck was fishing a spot where he could keep an eye on the public access and he saw me right away.  I got loaded up and he straightened me out on how we got crossed up.

We headed to a break line out from the slop area n the North Shore toward the middle of the lake.  I pretty quickly put a 2lber, then a 3lber, and then a 1lber in the boat on a Piranha Swim Jig with Craw Fatty. I think Chuck got a 2lber on a jig'n pig.  We then moved farther East.  Didn't get anything there.  Then we went to a point that comes out on the East end of the lake.  I caught a 2lber there and had a pike follow the Piranha to the boat.  Then we went to the large reed island in the South middle of the lake.  It was quite breezy there.  I then Chuck got 1 bass maybe.  We went into the reeds and didn't get anything.  We then went to a weedline spot near some reeds along the protected North Shore.  Chuck got a couple fish there.  I had some bites that didn't hook up.

The wind backed off a little bit, so we went back to the large reed bed area.  I started throwing a 3/4oz Red Eye Shad.  I got a dink and a small slimer.

We then moved to a weedline spot on the West end of the lake out from the reeds.  Apparently, one time years ago in October Chuck was helping Babe Winkleman with some guiding and the mother lode was in this spot.  Chuck got 3 quick good ones and I got the chub in the picture on a craw tube.  We then went into the reeds where there was some baitfish activity, but we didn't have a hit.

We then quickly tried the narrows and called it a day.

6 Bass
3 Pike

I debated going back to Baxter to run some errands or heading to Platte to do some fishing because conditions on South Long were telling me a topwater bite.  I decided to head to Baxter.  I arrived at the lake place to empty the boat just as the Twins game started.  Had about 2" worth in the boat and the dock is almost totally underwater.  Should have pulled it in some this weekend.  Oh well.

Slow Morning In the Trophy

Sunrise from SPBI

5:45-9:00AM SPBI, SPSI, GOMHIT
Conditions: 59-70℉, Mostly Sunny, Wind SSE SSW
Water Temp: 73℉

10.5" Whopper Plopper 90 (Yellow Head)

I arrived at the South point of the big island just as the sun was over the horizon.  A bald eagle flew out of a tree on the point, circled around a couple of times, and then dove picking up a sunfish.  Cool way to start the morning.  The only bite on SPBI was that dink.

I then went to SPSI and got 16" pike on the black SBKO.  That was it for topwater fish there.  I got a 13.5 " bass on a craw tube and a 19" pike.  I missed a few hits as well on the craw tube.

15.5" SBKO (Black/hrng bone)

 I then went to the GOMH.  Panfish guy was fishing the SW side.  I got the one good jumper on the SBKO.  I got a 12" jumper on the craw tube and the proceeded to get my Texas rig stuck in the rocks.  I had to break the fricken thing off and it had a tungsten sinker on it. Ridiculous!

I then got a toothy bullhead on black/blue Piranha.  I then gave up on the bridge and started working m way East with a frog.  I had one toothy miss it and that was it. Sad!

On the way back I tried Fluke fishing some of the docks on Don's Point.  Didn't get a hit and called it quits.

Ridiculous!

4 Bass
4 Pike

GOMH Tonight Quick Trip

20" Chigger Craw

9:15-9:45PM GOMH SW NE
Conditions: 65℉, Cloudy, Very Windy ENE

I was so exhausted from yesterday's fishing and the weather was crappy today so I only got out because I had to get water pumped out of the boat from a thunderstorm this afternoon.  I hit the GOMH on the way home.  There was a league fishing the lakes tonight.  I got the one toothy on the Chigger Craw on the SW side and lost a mystery bullhead on the Piranha when I tried to lift it over the rocks on the NE side.  It was either a jumper or a golden.  It was to dark for me to tell what it was.  At first I thought it was a jumper, but as I was lifting it I thought it was a golden, then it came off.  The wind was really whipping on the NE side.

Pike In the Last Trophy Trip of 2016

Because the camera was being sketchy

25" D & M Baits Piranha w/Craw Fatty

3:00-5:00PM Loon Sex Bay and the Juice Flat/F Flat
Conditions: 55-50℉, Partly Cloudy, Windy out of the SE,
Water Temp: 44℉

Loon Sex Point

I headed to Loon Sex bay first.  I had a hit by a pike on the bluegill Poison that I put a Zoom Swim Fluke on that I just won on Ebay in front of the boat house.  I went across to Loon Sex Point and got the 25" pike there on the Piranha.  I then got a 23.5" pike on the Piranha.  I missed something that hit the Hack at Jig as I was pitching into the reed edge.

Where did the fish go? 

At 4PM I headed to the juice, starting on the eastern side where the wind wasn't as bad .  I had a small pike hit the Flat Shallow that jumped off as I went to take a picture of it.  I got two pike on the Pure Poison with Swim Fluke.  I missed the last hit of the night on the Piranha. I packed up shortly after 5PM when I discovered the Craw Fatty no longer had any claws.

And so ended the season in the Trophy

  I tried to take a picture with me standing on the front of the Trophy, but the camera was out of juice when I was in front of the flag pole as I got ready to leave.
 

Playing With House Money And Went Topwater Or Bust

18" D & M Baits Piranha w/Craw Fatty

3:30-6:00PM West Point and the Juice
Conditions: 57-50℉, Partly Cloudy, Mod WNW Wind, but fairly calm at the juice,
Water Temp: 44℉

I finally tore myself away from the Internet.  I could have been fishing by noon today if I wanted.  The reel I messed up yesterday wasn't water ready, so I ditched the 6' 8" Avid and grabbed the 6'6" Med Fig Rig in it's place because it was getting late and I didn't feel like swapping out rods.  I brought 3 topwater rods, 1 crank rod, and 2 jig rods out in the boat with me.

I decided to start on West Point with the Flat Crank.  Didn't get anything on that.  On the second cast with the Piranha I got the skunk out of the boat with the 18 incher.

Same 18"

  I then headed across to the juice which was protected.

Looking across the juice flat to the East

Because I was now playing with house money I elected to die with topwater baits and die I did.  Not even a hit. I threw the BaitBall, Pop Max, and Slush Daddy.  Fish were occasionally busting baitfish, several times within casting range.  I just couldn't find one that wanted to go.  The view tonight was spectacular again.

After it got pretty dark I finally put the topwater down and threw the Piranha for a while and then the A.T. Jig.  I think I had something hit the A.T. Jig, but all it did was pull down the Craw Fatty.  Mom called and asked me to get home in time to tape NCIS, so I packed up at 6PM.  The drive back wasn't that cold.  I got to watch the super moon come up over the lake.