Fishing with Todd in the Morning And with Both Bro's In the Evening

Quality first bite

Another Quality Buzzbait Fish

1st Double of the morning

 

Todd got a bass right away on the buzzbait. Took us a little while to figure out they were offshore a bit in pads. Caught them pretty good once we figured them out. Doubled up three times. 1st time on bass, then multi, then pike. The storm chased us in 5-minutes early It was a solid morning. Should have left maybe 15-minutes sooner this morning.

Todd: 5Bass 7Pike, 

Me: 6Bass 8Pike

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Only added a 3lber and 1 small cull in the evening trip

5:20-9:20PM East of GOMH, Sully GOMH to Intersection, SSPRO to River

65-72℉, Cloudy, 4-12mph ESE

Very High 

Only were able to make it to 10.7mph as we headed out with the wind at our back. Had a little bit of water in the boat from a morning thunderstorm.  We started East of GOMH. Todd got a 3lber right away on Herb's. Steve lost a fish right after that and I thought it would be AWWWWWN, but we struggled to get bit. We mostly drifted to the  SPRO where I was confident there was fish. We would get an occasional bite I should have thrown anchor but didn't think of it. We ended up in the river. We got a couple of bites in there, but not much for landed fish. Got a little over 10mph for top speed on our way back in. We got the wave runner lift and wave runner in the lake before we headed out. 

Todd: 3Bass 7Pike, 

Steve: 6Bass 3Pike 

Me: 4Bass 3Pike 

(Fish counts are sketchy for the evening trip) 

Evening at the GOMH

19" Jerk Shad (Crackle)

8:45-10:30PM GOMH NE SW
45-50℉, PC, 2-4 NW

Somebody was fishing on the S side when I arrived so I went to the NE side.  Loons were calling loudly back and forth on the both sides of the bridge.  The Loons in Platte swam through got into a donnybrook and swam back. (It may or may not have been a loon tussle)  I had a Strike King Spinnerbait get bit off.  I got a small jumper on the Vet Chatterjig.  After missing a couple of bites I hooked up on a golden.  As I was going to get the pail the people on the S side left, so I moved the car to the SE.  John W. showed up as I was getting out.  I gave him the golden bullhead.  We both missed a couple of bites. He went to the S side.  I then got a backlash that had a tricky tangle, do to me forgetting my headlamp. John headed to other locals. Eventually, I got the backlash figured out and lost one more bite.  I headed out at 10:30PM.

Quick Morning At the GOMH/Audibling to the Trophy/GOMH Again

Sun Angel or Man

11" Glow Demon/Minnow

16.25" Herb's Dilly

Sunset Across the North of Platte 

6:00-6:40AM GOMH NE SW

36-34℉, Partly Cloudy, Calm, High Water

After being exhausted last night I took a short nap then got myself up for a quick trip to the GOMH.  It was slow.  Got two toothy's on the NE side on the Crackle Jerk Shad and had a 14ish jumper come off.  Didn't get a hit on the SW side.  Had to leave to get to the dentist.

8:00-9:30PM Platte Inlet Bay

61-58℉, Partly Cloudy, 3-5mph SSW

The plan was to fish the GOMH tonight as Mom and Dad got back from dinner after 7PM.  However, the GOMH was all covered up and nobody seemed to be catching anything.  I made a quick call to go out in the Trophy and I made good time and was fishing by just after 8PM.  I went up along North Platte Lake Penninsula in Inlet Bay.  There was some baitfish activity.  First fish was the 16-incher which hit the Herb's Dilly. I then traded off pike and bass on the Vet Chatterjig.  I put on a Stanley Phantom.  Had multiple fish swipe at it, but just caught one bass.  At about 9:05PM the action just shut down.

10:00-11:30PM GOMH NE SW

58℉, Partly Cloudy, Calm, High Water

Nobody was at the GOMH, not a good sign. There were shiners all around, but very little activity.  I missed a bite on the Glow Demon on the NE side and caught the 1 silver on the SW side.  I was worn out, so I gave up at 11:30 even though it was nice out.  Also, I managed to free my Shad Shallow that got hung up thank goodness. 

Opener Trip 3: GOMH & Eddy's

26" Speed Shad 3.5"

22" X-Rap Shad Shallow

21.75" X-Rap Shad Shallow

By the stinger 19.5" Rage Swimmer

15.75" Shower Blows (1st Top OTY)

8:00-10:00PM GOMH SW NE
58℉, Partly Cloudy, 0-4mph SW, High Water

Surprisingly nobody was there when I arrived tonight.  I went down on the SW side and picked up a couple of quick jumpers on the Vet Chatterjig then nothing so I went to the NE side.  Nothing much was happening there until about 8:40 when there was some boiling, so I put on the Shower Blows and landed my first topwater fish of the year.  John W. showed up as I was bringing it in.  He went to the NW side.  I commenced to whacking them for about 20 minutes then the action quit.  John said he got a bunch of jumpers this afternoon including a few good ones.  Neither one of us got a golden.  As I was loading up Lantern Man showed up.  We talked for a minute then I was off for Mille Lacs. 

10:30PM-3:00AM North Eddy's Jetty
42-34℉, Partly Cloudy, 0-4mph SW

Nobody was at Mille Lacs when I arrived, so I went to the North Harbor Mouth.  When I put my tackle bag down, my Vikings sweatshirt fell in the lake, doh!.  By the time I was ready to start casting a local had shown up and took the Center Jetty.  I started with the Rage Swimmer and quickly had a fish on by the stinger hook.  A sign that the fish weren't going to be as aggressive tonight.  I walked down the Jetty and had fish following me in, but not hitting.   I sight fished with the X-Rap and got a couple of 22" fish doing that.  The other guy got an over and keeper, so he left. I went to the Grass Pig and had fish nipping at it pulling the plastic down.  Lantern Man showed up as I was going to get some more swimbaits from the car.  He had some Storm Swimbaits with him. I put on a 3.5" Speed Shad and was pretty much immediately hooked up with a 26-incher.  Lantern Man was impressed.  I then got a 21.75" and Lantern Man got a keeper, so he left.  I got three more eyes on the Speed Shad and lost a couple before I just ran out of energy and had to go home.  I also lost a Speed Shad in the rocks off the NW corner.  I broke the selfie stick, doh!

8 eye's, not a bad night when they really weren't all that aggressive.

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.   

GOMH And Big Rice Point

10lbs for My best 6 this Morning

Started at the GOMH

5:45-6:15AM GOMH
7:00-8:30AM Big Rice Point
54-64℉, Mostly  Sunny, 2-5MPH SSW
72-70℉

I got a hit from a small golden bullhead on the first cast, but it went jumpin' bullhead on me and threw the X-Rap.  That was the only hit I got there.

I went straight to Big Rice Point and anchored.  There I got bass and pike on a Bobby's Perfect Frog and the Vet Chatterjig.  I lost the best bit of the morning on the Bobby's.  As my weight indicates the bass were on the small side.  The acton slowed, the wind came up and I headed in.

GOMH, Big Rice, Fog/Green Cabin, Melon Patch, Big Rice & Broken Rod

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

15.25" X-Rap Shad Shallow (Perch)

6:00-6:50AM GOMH
7:30-10:30AM Big Rice Point
60-66℉, Fog, Cloudy, Light Rain, Calm to 5MPH
73℉

17" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

I started at the GOMH when it was still pretty dark thanks to the fog and heavy overcast.  I got 4 jumpers there.  The 15.25" and 12-incher came on the perch Shad Shallow X-Rap.  I got a 15-incher on the chart/orange belly Rippin Rap and a 12.75" on the junebug chatterjig.  The Panfish guy showed up around 6:15, so I didn't fish the South side.

18.25" Picasso Jig/Craw Fatty (Sunfish/OkCraw)

The fog was still heavy when I left the GOMH.  It wasn't as bad on the East side of the lake, but once I was past the island I was down to maybe 30 feet of visibility.  Thanks to the GPS I found the reed edge and followed that around to Big Rice.  I didn't have any action until the fog had mostly lifted.  I missed the first blow up, which happened right next to the boat when I wasn't expecting it as I worked my way towards the tip along the front side.  I had a bass miss the frog in a hole in the rice, which I couldn't recoax into hitting.  I caught the 18-incher in a different hole in the rice.  I thought it was going to be a dogfish with the way it pushed water when it hit.  I got the 17-incher off the tip on the Sparrow Bobby's Perfect.  I had the Picasso Jig get bit off by a pike.  I also caught an aggressive 15-inch bass on the back side.  If it wasn't raining and cold I would have stayed out later.  I foolishly left my sweatshirt in the car, but rain wasn't in the forecast. How was I to know it might rain.
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17.25" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

6:30-9:05PM Chuck's Point, Melon Patch, Big Rice Point
70-60℉, Mostly Sunny, 6-2mph NW
73℉

17" Monsoor Swim Jig/Grass Pig Jr (GP/SG)

I put the red tackle bag on the center seat per usual.  Big mistake.  It got bounced off and broke my favorite frog rod, the 7'4" heavy Tatula.  I am very much now regretting not picking up more of them over the years as the rod is now discontinued and they have seemingly all been snapped up.  Just last week I did buy the same rod in a Tatula XT in a deal on eBay I couldn't pass up.  This was my inaugural trip with that rod in the boat; I put an old Team Daiwa X on the rod as well as a "Big Sexy" frog.  So not wanting to cry over spilled milk I picked up the XT and started casting in the reeds on Chuck's Point. I had a good blow up but discovered that the drag on the reel was totally backed off.  The fish got off. Not the ideal start to a trip.  I quickly decided I didn't like the way the TD-X felt on the rod, so I exchanged it for the Tatula that was on the broken rod.  Better, but not as good as feeling as the broken rod.  Nothing was taking the frog, so I switched to the Monsoor Swim Jig, different rod, and was into fish immediately.  I caught 5 bass (15.75, 13.75, 17, 12, 13.25) on the Monsoor Jig and lost 3 or 4 in the reeds as well.  I also got my first bass (15.5) on the new frog rod and a Sparrow Bobby's Perfect. The bite slowed down to a crawl around 7:15, so I headed to the Melon Patch, which was dead.  I caught one small pike on the Monsoor Jig and that was it.  I broke for Big Rice by 8:15PM. I was immediately rewarded with the biggest bass of the night, the 17.25" on "Big Sexy".  I caught 3 more bass (16.25,14,12) and a small pike on Big Sexy as well.  It stayed surprising light out and the skeeters weren't much of a bother, so I stayed out past 9.

18.25lbs (Fish 2 & 3 were from last night)

         

Fished at the Grumpy Old Man Hole Tonight

17" eBay Vet Chatterjig/Swim Fluke Jr (Junebug/GP)

8:00-8:35PM GOMH NE
71℉, Mostly Cloudy, 10-13mph WNW

16.75" Vet CJ

Tonight I got to the lake place at 7PM and drained water from the boat.  The wind was blowing pretty good so I decided not to take the Trophy out tonight.  I showed up at the GOMH just as a pontoon was passing underneath.  I started out throwing the bone Shower Blows 105.  I missed the first 3 bites and finally hooked up with a 12-inch jumper.  I then put on the Vet Chatterjig with Swim Fluke Jr.  I caught a small toothy.  Then I missed a couple of bites before hooking up with the 17 and 16.75.  I went to the SW side and missed a hit on the Mag Fluke.  The skeeters got annoying so I gave up. 

Pete Day #4 Morning Final Trip

Unmeasured/unweighed Pete Pure Poison Fish

6:30-8:30AM Platte Lake Big Island and Don's Point
Conditions: 74-68℉, Cloudy with a storm forcing us off, 6-20MPH SE SW W
Water Temp: 74℉
Today was my last day to fish with Pete.  I should have got him woken up sooner.  I was up all night watching the Nathan's hot dog eating marathon on ESPN.  I was going to take us around the point into the SE corner of Inlet Bay, but Pete pointed to the NE Point of the Big Island with the wind blowing on it.  A very fishy looking spot so I stopped.  I got a small bass right away then a pike.  Pete got a small bass then he got the big one.   Rather than go to my spot Pete just wanted to work around the Big Island. I learned some things about Pete.  He likes to see new water and constantly be on the move unless catching fish.  This in addition to his need to be the one to find and figure out the fish makes us two different fishing styles.

Anyway, the sky's got dark so we headed to Don's point.  I just thought we should go in before the rain hit.  We both got a pike I think.  Then the wind hit blowing hard out of the WSW, so we headed in fast.  Fortunately, we beat the really heavy rain, which didn't last nearly as long as we thought it would.  We packed up and left during what we thought was a lull, but there wasn't much more to it.

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. 

Calm Morning No GOMH, Docks in the Evening As Well

7:30-11:00AM Reeds Across, F Flat Docks
Conditions: 64-74℉, Sunny, Calm to 7mph SSW
Water Temp: 70-72℉

2.40lb Terminator Jig Craw Fatty (Black/Red)

So started in the reeds across the way.  I got a small pike on the War Eagle Buzz Toad.  I missed several blowups that buried me in the reeds as well as getting a couple of pike on the Sprinker.  Finally, I gave up in the reeds and headed to the docks.  I got 8 bass doing that, but no size to speak of.

15.75" Vet ChatterJig

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15.5" Terminator Jig/Fight'n Frog (B/R/WR)

  7:30-9:30PM Docks Across, Rice East of GOMH
Conditions: 80-74℉, Mostly Sunny, 3-15MPH
Water Temp: 74℉

It was blowing pretty good when I arrived out of the ENE.  I got a bass right away at the first dock on the Vet Chatterjig.  I then went on to catch a couple small bass and pike.  I dumped a couple ok size bass as well, before landing the 15.5" on "The Dock".  I had just dumped it's twin sister a few casts previous.  The wind calmed down and I headed for the rice East of GOMH to see if the warming water headed the fishing up.  Other than a few pike and one ? blow up the move was a bust.

11.19lbs Best 6 Bass for the Day

For the Day:
12 Bass
12 Pike