My Complete 2025 Opener Day

  

8" Rippin Rap (Chrome Blue)

12:00-4:00am Eddy's Jetty Mille Lacs

44-49℉, Partly Cloudy, 7-12mph N

I elected to take the North Jetty Harbor Mouth due to the stiff wind blowing in. There was one guy who showed up at about twenty to midnight, and two boats headed out and came back a couple of times before heading out for about 3 hours. I got a cigar 40 minutes in, then lost a 20+" inch fish at the rocks about 5 minutes later. Both bites on the blue/chrome Rippin Rap. I lost the Rippin Rap.  

I thought it was going to be AWWWN. I didn't get another bite for almost two hours, a 21.5" fish. I got that one at the North Corner. About 20 minutes later, I lost what felt like a keeper at the Harbor Mouth when dialed into the retrieve. At 4 am, I decided to bag it and head to the GOMH. 

An OK Opener, but with conditions, I should have had more opportunities.

3 Eye 

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23" Stunna (Pearl/Org)

2lb Stunna (Pearl/Org)

2lb Big Bite BFE (Junebug)

10" Bear Trap Chicken Jig (Black/Yellow)

4:50-6:00AM GOMH

45-50℉, PC, 

Wheel House Guy was the only car when I arrived. I took the NE side and had a fish on briefly in the first five minutes. About twenty minutes in, I landed the 23" golden bullhead. I got three small jumpers. It was apparent that a bite was not happening. Only one boat from Sully to Platte. Panfish Guy was getting a few silvers on the South side.

1Gold 3Jump 

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5:45-6:45PM Lake Place Dock

I got a nice bass on the BFE, but didn't draw another bite. I had missed several bites leading up to catching the bass. I then got a crappie and 10 sunfish between two baits.  I was getting cool and hungry, so I headed home.

1Bass 1Crip 10Sun

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 4:20-5:40PM GOMH

I stopped to see what was shaken, and nobody was at the GOMH fishing, so I headed down to the SW side. A lot of boat traffic and weeds in the water. My bass tackle is not exactly dialed in yet. I got one small jumper on the BFE on the SW side. I then went to the NE side and missed some bites on a buzzbait that didn't hook up. I got a gator on the BFE and then got bit off. Peter W.  showed up and told me about his Opener highs and lows. He was at the GOMH at midnight and did well. Then went to Cross Lake after oversleeping and missed the bite.

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8:40-9:20PM GOMH

Brett, Lantern Man, and the Morrill Pair were the only people around. I talked with Brett and LM, then caught a few silvers fishing off the bridge and the SE side, then back to the bridge. The Morrill Chick broke her wrist in that fall I saw her take. Lantern Man got a keeper gold, and Brett had gotten a cigar before I left for Mille Lacs.

7Crips 

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10:00-Midnight Eddy's Jetty

Ran into Jamar and his dad. The North Jetty was covered. I went to the S  Jetty. I shined a huge muskie. I had one bite on a 4" Largo Shad, but it didn't hook up. Slight chop on the water.  A guy fishing the Center Jetty got a keeper as I went to pack up. I debated taking a nap and giving it a second go, but decided to head home. I stopped at the GOMH on the way back, and Peter W. was there, and a boat, Sneaky C., perhaps. (It wasn't Sneaky C, but people from Eagle Perch Point. Peter had gotten a silver; bullheads were slow. The wind came up as we were talking. Beautiful, clear night.

PM 1Ski 

Final Fish of 2024 Is A Walleye From the Jetty

 

11:00-12:00am Eddy's Jetty

Low 40's, a little ripple on the water

I got to the Jetty much later than I wanted. I started at the N Harbor Mouth and threw the Rippin Rap first, then this X-Rap Shad Shallow, and thought maybe I got a bite. The first cast with the Ultimate Jerk Shad was fish on. 24.75" fat eye. That was the only bite I got. It would have been nice if I would have had more time. This was my last bite of 2024.

2024 MN Opener At Eddy's

Setting the scene

 

Northern Lights Looking towards Indian Point

Northern Lights Looking South from our place when I got home

1st Fish of the 24 Season

5th Eye of the night

12:00-2:45AM Eddy's Jetty Mille Lacs Lake

43℉, Clear Sky w/ Northern Lights, 1-3mph W light ripple

I arrived at the Jetty around 11:30PM. The Northern Lights had a lot of watchers on the frontage road, but nobody came to fish the Jetty. There was a light ripple on the water. I started with a Minnesota Rig for my first 5 casts. Not a solid plan. After a fishless first 10 minutes, I switched to a Grass Pig and had a fish pull it halfway off the jig on the first cast. I may have missed another bite about 10 minutes later. I spent 45 minutes in the North Corner before giving the Harbor Mouth a try. 

At about 1 am, the Northern Lights got much brighter over the lake, and a baitfish got blasted just to the S of the Center Standing Rock. I quickly made my way to that spot. I turned on my headlamp and saw the fish, so I turned the headlamp off. I then cast about 20' past, where I saw the fish with the Jerk Shad, and it hit on the very first cast, bazinga! It was about 18." I caught 3 more at the Center Standing Rock in the next 20 minutes. I got my final bite of the night at the Old North Corner Standing Spot on the Jerk Shad. I foolishly decided 5 fish was enough and started trying other things. A couple other guys showed up with a boat at 2 am. The guy that went to Center Jetty got a fish quickly. His buddy showed up about 15 minutes later and caught a walleye as I was packing up. He was fishing off the N Harbor Mouth. The NL were really bright from W to E in the southern sky as I made my way home. I took a picture when I got home. Successful opening trip.

5Eyes 

Skunked @ Eddy's Final Open Water Trip of 2023

Final cast of 2023 resulted in two Zeebs

10:50-11:30 PM Eddy's Jetty

30℉, Cloudy, 13-20mph NNW

I got out late. It was quite windy and 30 degrees. I didn't get a bite and the guides were freezing up so I didn't stay long. I'm kind of surprised I didn't get a bite given the conditions. Should have gotten there at sunset when it was warmer and less windy. Zeebs on the last cast of 2023.

Skunked 

 

Skunked Again At Eddy's

 

8:40-9:00PM Eddy's Jetty

40℉, Cloudy some light rain, 0-5mph SW

Skunked 

No wind, no good! I didn't get out yesterday because I spent too much time on the computer and watching football. Plus, Mom went out for chicken. I wanted some snacks, which I got at Dollar General, so it wasn't a wasted trip. No sign's of life in the water.

Eagles beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead as I was putting the cover on the Trophy.

Skunked @ Mille Lacs, But I Did See Eyeballs

 

10:20-11:20 PM Eddy's Jetty North

No wind, no good. Saw 4 or 5 sets of eyeballs. They were little dudes. They spooked when I brought a lure near them. It was a beautiful day. If I didn't have to take Mom to Brainerd I might have used the Trophy.

Skunked

Last Open Water Fish of 2023

 9:30-11:40PM Eddy's Jetty 

41-56℉, Clear, 1-3mph SW

4' of visibility

Slight ripple on the water, but no wave action to speak of. Eyeballs would follow my lure, but not hit. Only got the one-biter and two bumps; one at Pete's and one at the N Corner on my first cast with a Jerk Shad There was a boat or two at Indian Point. Spotted at least 6 different sets of eyeballs either at the North Corner or N Harbor Mouth.

1Eye 

3 Eyes Laned on 7 Bites.

1st Eye of the Night

Was a keeper 21.33"

It was not as windy as I thought it was going to be. It was still pretty cold though. No action at the Harbor Mouth. There was a couple walking on the North Jetty when I arrived and a boater heading out with his kid as well. I didn't get a bite until 10 to 11 PM at the North Corner. It was a keeper way out on the cast. I then got a 16" on the Old Standing Rock. Only got one of my final bites. Only got bites on the Jerk Shad. None of the bites I missed hooked up. I ended up giving the keeper to the boater who was staying at Eddy's. He was trolling too fast and he didn't catch a thing. Fish wanted a slow pump and pause retrieve with the rod moving the bait rather than the reel.

3Eyes 

 

Fish #3

Fish #2

An Eye And A Pike Tonight

 8:20-10:30 PM North Corner and Harbor Mouth 

38-40℉, Cloudy turning PC, 8-18mph NW

I had something on big Agent E for a few seconds about 5 minutes into fishing at the Harbor Mouth. I think a little over an hour in as the skies were starting to clear I got the eye at the N Corner Standing Boulder. Unfortunately, the headlamp battery was low. I didn't realize I had one in the tackle bag.  I had something hit the Jerk shad and not hook up at Pete's Rock. The wind picked up and I was just about ready to quit when I had the pike hit the X-Rap Shad at the Harbor Mouth. As I was pulling it up on the rocks it pulled off, so I didn't get a picture. It was decent sized, maybe 27, but not a giant. I decided to call it a night.

1Eye 1Pike 

An Hour In, Skunk Avoided

 

Eye 2

Eye 2

Eye 1

10:15-11:45PM North Corner Standing Rock Eddy's Jetty, also fished  N Harbor Mouth

38℉, Cloudy, 3-5mph SE

I thought I was going to get skunked after an hour with no bites. I was contemplating my next lure change when I stumbled upon the retrieve they wanted with the Jerk Shad and quickly caught two. Mom called shortly after I got the second chunkier fish. So I called it a night 15 minutes early. The wind was perfect, so I was perplexed about why I wasn't getting bit.

2 Eyes

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 

 

 

One Eye At Eddy's Tonight

Lucky to pull the line snag free

20" X-Rap Shad Shallow (Chart/Org Belly)

9:45-11:50 PM N Jetty Harbor Mouth and S. Jetty

46-55℉, PC, 3-5mph NNW

Not much visibility it was a windy day, but had calmed down considerably by the time I arrived

Lost a bite on the Firetiger X-Rap Shad Shallow at the Harbor Mouth, immediately switched to Hot Steel, and was rewarded with a keeper. I got careless when landing the fish and got really lucky the X-Rap glanced off my jacket rather than stuck me. Lost a fish about 15 minutes later on a Clown X-Rap 10 while standing at Pete's. That was my last bite. Basically, the wind went from 5-10 to 2-5mph and I  think it killed the bite.  I ended at the South Jetty. Sketchy getting to my spot there because it drops so far and my legs down work great.

1 Eye 

 

A Fun Night In The Trophy with Pete, But Skunked At Mille Lacs

 

Pete's first fish

3lber

Another 3

3.30lbs Piranha/Billy Goat (June/Blk/Blue)

3.54lbs Jackhammer/Goat (June/Blk/Blue)

5:15-7:00PM F Flat

52-60℉, PC,  3-8mph S

46-47.5℉

Had a hit on the dock on the Fleet Spin as I was waiting for Pete.  Took us right to F Flat West Reeds. The wind wasn't too bad, and temps were warm enough to keep us from getting cold. I got two bass lickety-split on the Piranha, so I gave it to Pete, and he pretty much crushed them. I put on the Junebug Jackhammer and caught them as well. Even after the skirt came off. I missed more bites than Pete. I'd say I caught 60% of my bites, and Pete got 75% of his. We had three potential doubles but only managed to get it once. One time I lost the fish, and the other time we both lost the fish. Actually a fun time with Pete. Pete wanted a picture with almost every fish.

18.98lbs

Pete: 14Bass 1Pike 

Me: 7Bass 3Pike

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9:00-10:30PM Eddys Jetty North

Skunked (Fishing with Pete. Walleyes of various sizes were out there, just not biting. Not a surprise. Pete saved my Shadow Rap by wading in to get it. He snagged it on a big rock about 8 feet out at the center of North Jetty.)

 

Skunked At Eddy's

 8:00-10:00 PM North Jetty

43-46℉, Cloudy to PC, 3-8mph SSW

Skunked (Shined a good fish at the North Corner on my way out. Also, I later shined quality fish at the Harbor Mouth and Standing rock. Had a few fish follow and even get right up on me, but I didn't feel a hit except right away on the Dark Sleeper, and that was just a tail bite. There were quite a few little guys swimming around at the harbor mouth and in the shallow north. Was pretty still. Something got busted beyond casting range at the Harbor mouth and maybe something as well at the North Corner, but it may have been a muskrat or otter. I was up toward the harbor mouth. I decided not to try the South Jetty because a SUV pulled up and parked over there and was shining the water in by shore.)

Oct 10 & 12 Skunked at the Jetty

 A slight ripple on the 10th. a lot of little eyes swimming around fished from 9:30 to midnight.

On the 12th, I fished from 10:30 to midnight. Some wave action and wind out of the NNW. I got fowled on weeds quite often. The wind came back when I fished the N Corner with jerks, so I went to the S Jetty, where there was a sleet storm. No bites either night

Final Open Water Fish of 2021

16.5" Jerk Shad (Tomato)

7:00-8:50PM South Jetty, North Corner

35℉, Cloudy, 1-3mph SE 

Started on the South Jetty, no action. On the North Jetty spotted one fish and caught it.  MY heart wasn't in so I packed up shortly after letting it go. This was my final trip of the 2021 Open Water Season.

 

Got Calm With Steve

The activity lasted a bit longer than usual tonight

Chunky 15-incher

5:30-7PM LSB, NPBI, F Flat

Water Temp: 45-47℉
 

5lber Landed, Dock In, Eye Caught One at Eddy's

5.02lbs Jackhammer/Devil Jr (FC)

Last Trip Todd Got a Bass

I think this was the eve of the Deer Opener.  Steve, Todd, and I pulled the dock out then Todd and I went fishing. I got the 5lber in LSB Northside where I has been getting fish. Todd got a couple of bass on the Jackhammer at SPSI and NPBI. We ended on F Flat chasing activity. I think we got a couple of pike.

22.25" Rage Swimmer

 I fished at Eddy's from 10:00 to midnight. Got one bite at the South Jetty it choked the Rage Swimmer. Shined only 1 fish.