Good Morning In the Boat with Todd

4.58lbs/19" Hexa Chinooki (Cotton Candy)

17.5" and 16.25" Mad Maxx (SR/BS)

17" Teckel Sprinker (Bone)

16" Big Sexy

6:00-10:00AM SPSI, Intersection SW, SSPRO
70-67℉, Cloudy/MC was a pretty good thunderstorm that let up just before 5AM, 3-6mph SSE
WT: 76℉ got an inch or more of rain

I started us at the SPSI and the hawg just crushed the Hexa Chinooki.  Todd got the 17-incher on the bone Sprinker.  We tried the GOMH.  I don't think we got anything, but Todd may have gotten a fish.  We then worked the intersection.  Didn't get anything there until I went in deep into the junk on the SW side.  Todd and I got a double.  My fish was the 2.99lber.  I then worked us out and fish were on the rice line and we cleaned up on decent, but not big fish.  We missed several bites as well.

Me:
7 Bass
4 Pike

Todd:
9 Bass
3 Pike

17.50lbs for the Morning

GOMH, By Myself In The Trophy, With Todd Evening

2.97lb/17.25" Terminator (Yellow)

18" Rippin Rap (Helsinki Shad)

5:00-6:30AM GOMH NE SW
Conditions: 58-63℉, Cloudy, ESE light wind

Surprisingly I was the only person at the GOMH this morning.  The golden choked the Rippin Rap on the second cast.  I also caught  21-inch toothy on the RR, lost a couple quickly after hooking up, and had a couple of bites that didn't hook up.  I got an 11" and 15.5" jumper casting out on a BPS Speed Shad/Outcast Swim Jig Head.  I also got a dink and a couple that didn't hook up on the black Shower Blows knockoff.  On the SW side, I got another dink on the SBKO, a couple on the Poison, and one dink on black/blue craw tube.  I also got a 22.25 toothy on the FishingSir Vixen knockoff.  Both of the fish I got on the Rippin Rap were hooked in the gills, so I took a trip home to get the fish refrigerated.  I also had to switch vehicles so I wasn't on the water again until 7:30.
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15.75" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

7:30AM-Noon: West Point, SPSI, Rice East of GOMH
Conditions: 65-70℉, Mostly Cloudy, ESE Wind 3-10MPH
Water Temp: 68-69

I hit up West Point to start and got a dink on the Dinger.  I then went to SPSI.  Nothing was off the tip, but on the weed flat to the west there was baitfish activity.  I got a 14.75" on the Hexa Chinooki which the fish blasted.  That was the only fish I got to rise for a topwater until I got to the rice.  On about my 5th cast to the inside weed edge, 15.5" bass blasted Mad Maxx.  I thought it was going to be AWWWWWWWN, but it was more like slow and steady.  I'd pick have a blow up every 10-15 minutes catching about a third of them.  The one in the picture was a fish that blew up about two good cast lengths away.  I quickly raced towards it on the troller and it blasted Maxx straightaway.  I got 8 bass and 3 pike in the rice East of GOMH.

Tragedy Averted 

I had a pike blow up on Maxx and instantly cut the line.  I didn't have the trolling motor in the water at the time.  I was extremely lucky to get the bluegrass Maxx back.  I'm not sure if I have any left or not.  Shortly after that, I went to try Channel Inn Bay, but as I started my drift Todd called me to come help with the pontoon boat lift, which they were putting in the water.  I had a picture, but the file was fubar.
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16" Terminator Frog

8:00-10:00PM Starting Spot to Double Cane Point
Conditions: 70's, Partly Cloudy, ENE Wind 5-10MPH
Water Temp: 69℉

Steve had other stuff to do so it was just Todd and me tonight.  I decided to head North rather than South.  Todd made that decision seem ingenious when he quickly landed the 3lber.  The biggest bass f the day.  But it was a struggle for a while as the fish didn't seem to be in the rice like I thought they would be.  We picked off a fish here and there and ended up with it being a pretty good night, just no big fish.  Todd got 6 Bass and 1 Pike and I got 5 Bass 2 Pike, we also missed some fish of coarse.

6 Best Bass for the day

For the Day
28 Bass
10 Pike
1 Gold   

Short Trip & Lost Gold at the GOMH

No Pics tonight
9:00-9:45PM 3 Loon Flat
Conditions: 70℉, Partly Cloudy, Protected from NW Wind which was dying

I showed Steve how to clean walleye and then stuck around until he was done.  I headed out to 3 Loon Flat hoping to get some topwater fish.  Not much was happening until it got pretty dark, then I picked up a couple of small pikes.  One on the black Shower Blows knock off and one on the Cotton Candy Hexa Chinooki.  Didn't get a hit on the 110 Plopper.


10:30-11:15PM GOMH NE
Conditions: Low 60's, Clear, Calm

Jerk Shad nothing
Shad Shallow Nothing
Pink Rippin Rap nothing
Sexy Shad Rippin Rap had a good gold most of the way in, but it got off.  I'd say it was 19-20 or so.   That was the only bite I got.

Bass Opener Day 1

5:15-6:00AM GOMH NE
When I arrived Wheel House Guy was there and he had gotten a couple of jumpers, toothy, and golden bullheads.  The shiners were getting beat up in the tube but I couldn't get hit.  A tournament fisherman came through and didn't stay in the boat channel, which sent a bunch of vegetation loose.  A did manage to miss a couple of topwater hits before more tourny guys came through.  By the time they blasted off 6AM, I was packing up to leave.  I did notice nobody started on SPSI

2.73lbs/17.25" Hexa Chinooki (Bubblegum)

6:30AM-12:45 PM SPSI, SPRO, Channel Inn Bay, Starting Spot
Conditions: 67-82℉, Partly Cloudy, Wind from calm to really blowing out of the West
Water Temp: 68-70℉
Seeing as how nobody stopped at the South point of the small island I did on my way to the river.  I was rewarded with my first keepable bass of the season throwing the Chinooki across the Point. Shame it was the only bite I could muster.  I then headed to the river mouth.  There was one non-tournament boat up by the first bend.  I elected not to go in and see if anything was still in the river mouth area.  It's a good thing I didn't try to go down to the damn as there were 3 other non-tournament boats that came out while I was fishing the SPRO.  I didn't get even a hit in the river mouth.  I decided to work down the West shoreline seeing as how I missed a good blow up doing that earlier in the week.

2.88lbs/18.25" Booyah Toad Runner

I was quickly rewarded when this skinny 18 incher crushed the Booyah Toad Runner.  Today was my first-day throwing this bait.  One blow up one hook up.  I thought maybe the Toad Runner might have the answer to my Sprinker hook up issues.  After I missed the next 6 to 10 solid blow ups that hope faded.  I almost picked up one of those missed blowups by a good fish on a Yum Dinger but pooched the hookset and lost that fish too.  I must have missed 5 or so fish before the action stopped on the West shore so I headed to the North shore where I missed 3 or 4 more good opportunities either not hooking up or losing the fish within a couple of seconds.  Very frustrating.  I caught a couple of small bass on the Dinger and Horny Toad.  At about 11AM I needed a change of scenery so I headed into Channel Inn Bay.  I went right to a spot I found last week and had a 17" class fish ht the Toad Runner and battle me nearly to the boat before getting off.  I got pretty down after missing that fish.

3.43lbs/18.5" Toad Runner

But that dejection was quickly turned to elation when this fish gobsmacked that Toad Runner Frog.  It was the kind of topwater smash that I live for, that frog got lit up.  The wind was making for difficult boat control.  Unfortunately, I ended up spooking some good fish and didn't get any more.  I wanted to head up to the "Juice" in the NW Corner, but there was a tournament boat in the area, so I went to try North Center Bay.  Nothing was going on in there.  I lost a pretty good (15/16ish) fish on Double Caine Point shortly after picking up the War Eagle Buzztoad buzzbait. Dang wind.  I caught a couple of dinks off the point.  I then drifted with the wind through the dead reedbed throwing the buzzbait. When I got just past the starting spot I had a 17/18 fish on for a few seconds before getting off.  There was a group of fish in the reedbed and I quickly caught 5 bass and missed a couple more before I had to leave so I could see the weigh-in.  I waved at Dennis and Ruff as I passed them.  Little did I know that a couple of minutes later when Dennis went to start his boat the battery was dead.  Too bad for them because they would have come in 2nd and had big bass as well.  Chuck & Billy Bongs caught a bunch of 16-inch fish, but couldn't find any 3lbers.  The tournament organizers team won with a stout 18lb plus 5-fish limit.

3.61lbs/18" Terminator Frog

I went home ate some lunch watched Major League Fishing and took a nap waking up at 5PM.  I didn't get over to the Lake Place until after 7PM.  When I arrived Isabelle made me a s'more.  Steve, Todd and I headed out a little before 8:30PM to where I was getting them in the afternoon.  Steve jacked a 15 incher on his second cast while I was still in the back of the boat.  Didn't even get a picture of it.  The fish were there and active, but out hooking percentages all sucked, with me driving the suck truck.  Todd did land the one pig and 13" dink.

2.84lbs/17.25" Toad Runner

      I did add to the daily tally with this fish and a 16-incher.  Here is the best 6 for the Day

17.81lbs for 6 Bass 

For the Day:
18 Bass  (At least 25 missed fish)
10 Pike

Unlucky/Lucky

3.37lbs Ish's Phat (Brown)

6:15-6:45 GOMH NE SW
7:30-9:15PM Start Spot & Inlet Bay
Conditions: 63℉, Mostly Cloudy, Light NW Wind
Water Temp: 72℉

15" SBKO

16" SBKO

A good start to the night with two quality fish at the GOMH.  Then my luck ran out when I went down on the SW side and a toothy stole one of my black/herring bone Shower Blows knock offs.  If it surfaced I didn't see it. Bummer!

17.25" Ish's

I then went out in the Trophy heading up just East of the starting spot.  On my very first cast I scored the big one of the night.  It was in a rice pad transition.  The only fish I got out of the thick stuff.  I got a 15.5" in the reeds out front of the inlet on the Terminator Popper.  I lost a good fish on the Chinooki out by the reeds as well.  I wasn't prepared for it and didn't get a good hookset.  I had a good size pike come out of the water after the Terminator Poppin' Frog on a reed point.  I also caught a small pike on the  Terminator Popper.

Cool sunset

Only 4 Bass Tonight

4 Bass
4 Pike

Topwater With Todd/Slow Evening With the Crew

Early Start This Morning

18.75" Hexa Chinooki (Cotton Candy)

Another Shower Blows Knock Off the Hexa Chinooki

18" SBKO (Black Herring Bone)

16.75" Chinooki

10.5" SBKO 

Todd and I took off just before sunrise and the fish were on the South Point of the Small Island.  The 18.75" was the first fish landed.  I saw it was barely hooked so I boat flipped it, rather than wait for the net. Todd and I then doubled up.  Me with a 16.5" and Todd with a 13.75". Todd then got the 18".  Then I got the 16.75" and we were lucky Todd didn't get a face full of hooks as the Chinooki came unhooked in the net and flew up at him. Todd got 1 last 14.25" on the SP.  He also lost one or two good one's.

We then headed to the South Point of the Big Island.  I caught 15" bass there and Todd missed one that boiled on the Terminator Frog.  Then we went to F Flat and I got a couple of small pike on the Chinooki.  Todd got a small pike on the Shower Blows knock off.  We went to North end of the reeds across the way and Todd got the crappie there on the SBKO.  We fished the reeds a little bit.  I left the Shower Blows box open and it dumped over completely.  Our fishing time was up, so we headed in.  I got the lures untangled and back in the box as Todd got the girls ready to go to the pancake breakfast at mom and Dad's church.

I got home from the pancake breakfast and took a short nap.  Todd called letting me know they got out the big inflatable island, so i could rest a couple of hours longer, which I foolishly didn't do.  Isabelle called for me to come up at about 12:15PM.  I took the girls tubing for a couple of hours.  Then they went and played on the inflatable island and I took a nap on the Trophy.  Mom brought dinner and I took Kaylee back in her car and got gas.  We had brats and hamburgers.  I then took out Belle and Mallory on the inflatable that Dad bought.  Belle didn't care for it.  Mallory liked it. And Sophia didn't try it.

7.5" Puddle Jumper

7" Panfish Tube

17" Terminator Frog

Fishing was slower tonight and we were all pretty exhausted.  Mallory and Belle were bickering with one another.  The hook on the panfish tube broke on a good fish.  Belle didn't catch anything tonight.

Best 6 Bass for Todd and I for the Day, 18.87lbs Stout