Wasting Warm Weather Hardly Fishing

17" Terminator Jig w/Pig (Blk/red/blue)

1:30-2:30PM GOMH SW NE
Conditions: 58 degrees, Mostly Sunny, Light S wind, water still rising.  A lot of algae and junk in the water but visibility over all was up.

Although I was up at sunrise I didn't go out because it was about 30 degrees out.  I did string up a new to me Tatula Rod and Reel with some chart J-Braidx4 that I put a black with red fleck Terminator Jig on.  I went and took a trip to see if I might catch a doggy on it.  No dogs, but I did get the one bullhead on the set up.  I also got a toothy.  After another toothy made an appearance I was out of there.  I started off on the SW side and didn't have a hit on that side.

I then came home and got caught up in the Twins game and the BASS weigh in.  Unfortunately I didn't think about the weigh in until after Josh Douglas weighted his fish.  He managed to squeeze into the Top 12 despite only getting 4 fish.  Because I did those things I didn't take the Trophy out to Rock.  When I took the dogs out to do there business after their dinner I think Mike B. was driving his Tuffy South on 8.  I didn't think to wave.

At 7:30 I was still awake, so I decided to check out the GOMH.  I didn't bring minnows because I thought people would have the place covered up and didn't intend to fish.  Much to my surprise only Matt W and a friend was there.  They had seen a couple dogfish on the SW side.  I decided to go down on the NE side.  Just after I started fishing Lantern Man's son and friend arrived.  He asked me what I was doing on that side.  I kind of wondered that myself.  By the time I got to the S side LM sons buddy was down on the SE side and Matt W and his friend were fishing on the SW side.  I fished for a little while off the bridge.  LM friend got a jumper and Matt's friend got a toothy.  I went back to the NE side.  I got a toothy on the Wildeye.  Baitfish were occasionally getting busted.  At about 8:30 I left.  There was a lot of algae and junk in the water.  

Tough Night at the GOMH

14" Storm Wildeye Swim Shad

7:00-9:00PM GOMH SW
Conditions: 62-56℉, Partly Cloudy, Windy out of the SE, water flowing into Sullivan

I arrived and no one was at the GOMH.  There were two boats, both out a ways on the Sullivan side.  I had a couple of bites I missed on the white Piranha.  I put on a new trailer and proceeded to lose the lure on my next cast when the Fireline broke at the spool.  I was not happy about that.  About 10 minutes later I managed to catch the line and got the Piranha back.  The boat that was closest to me left going into Platte.  They said they got a bunch of pike.  A guy showed up and went down on the SW side.  Someone showed up and fished on the North side.  Heard them get several fish.  I missed a couple bites on the Swim Shad.  A guy and lady showed up and went down on the SW side.  The one guy left.  I landed the one jumper.

Matt W. came over and updated me on what was going on on the North side. Some more friends of Matt showed up.  The guy and lady left.  I missed one bite on the Glow Demon and had to switch to a new lighted bobber.  After half and hour and no more bites.  I decided to go home and catch the end of the Wild game. They lost 2-1.  Only 1 jumper.  Pretty pathetic. I may take the Trophy out tomorrow.

3 Hours, 3 Bullheads

Moon In The Shot
20" Glow Demon w/minnow

8:40-8:55PM Bulldog
9-Midnight GOMH SE SW NE
Conditions: Low 50's, Light S wind, Mostly cloudy turning cloudy, some fog

Missed a couple of bites at Bulldog

Nobody was at the GOMH.  I set up on the SE side and got the toothy right away.  I missed a hit in the middle of the channel twice, losing my minnow the second time.  It didn't bite again.  Peter and Matt W showed up with their light bar.  They spotted a dogfish on the North side.  It got foggy.  They came over and shined on the South side.  I went up to watch with them.  I saw a toothy, some jumpers, spottail shiners, and maybe some gold and silver.  Those guys left.  I went over to the SW side and got a small silver.

In the fog

8.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

  I eventually went to the NE side.  After fishing there for about 45 minutes I got a bite from this golden.

18.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

That was the last bite I got.  I left a little after midnight.

Just One Pike Today

A lot of nothing on the Vex tonight

2:00-6:15PM
Conditions: Cloudy, light winds out of the W turning windy out of the NW at about 3PM, 34 degrees

Matt and Peter were out there again today.  I brought Peter some of my MidWest Outdoors Magazines, most of them unread.  The plan today was to work the weeds looking for fish on my Aqua View and then switch out to where I fished last night at 4PM.  First open hole I came to I thought maybe I saw a sunfish;  It was hard to tell because it was almost out of my viewing range.  I might have had a bite or I might have hooked a weed.  I then put a tip up in the hole and had Matt drill me 6 holes.  In the 2nd one I spotted a pike.  I put the Swamp Gas Grass Pig down and it hit it right away.  I landed it and it was about 17".  I figured I might catch more so I didn't take a picture.  In the next hole I called in a little bigger pike on the Jiggin Rap, but it didn't bite.  That was the last fish I saw on the Aqua View.  At 4PM I moved out to where I got the crappies last night.  I did have one fish come in and hit the Go-Devil Spoon but it didn't hook up.  I checked to see my waxie was still attached, but before I could get it back down it was gone.  That was it.  Matt got 1 walleye, the crappies were a no show.  I think the front might have messed them up.

Change of Plans = A Little Better Fishing

6" Glow Demon w/minnow

3:15-6:35PM
Conditions: Cloudy, Windy out of the SE, 32 degrees,

I was going to go to Bulldog, but I called Peter Woitalla before I left and he was out fishing, so I went and joined him and Matt Williams on Platte Lake instead.  Matt drilled two sets of holes for me.  It was a bit slow at first.  I missed a fish, then caught the sunfish.  At prime time I got a good crappie up to the hole, but it got off the Go-Devil Spoon.  The next fish I landed on the Glow Demon w/Minnow.  I got 2 on T.H.E. Jig w/ a waxie and lost one at the hole on it as well.  The fish got super finicky after Matt and Peter left.  I gave Matt my 3.  I only caught 1 more.   Though I had several come in and sniff at me.

10?? I busted my (Hawg Trough Ruler) on THE Jig w/waxie

4 Crappies
1 Sunfish

Morning And Evening Trips to the GOMH

4:50-6:30AM
Conditions: Hazy sun, very light wind, temps mid 50's

I arrived at the skeeters were out, the golden bullheads weren't.  Eventually I put on a KVD Sexy Dawg and on my first cast right after it landed a bullhead hit it, but didn't hook up.  I went over to the SW side and had a bullhead hit and miss a Berkley Frenzy Popper.  I then got a 13" jumpin' bullhead on a bluegill color Pure Poison and I missed a couple of hits on it too.  The Grass Pig Jr. trailer got bit off.

I went back to the NE side just as the Sun was coming up.  I got this 12" jumper.

12" Spro Frog

 The way it hit I thought I had a 16 incher on, not a peanut.  I also caught a small toothy on the Spro.    That was it for the morning.   I noticed that I had lost a screw out of my Tatula's side plate and it was getting loose.  So when I got home I tightened it up and took a screw from a Fuego I'm not using that needs serviced.

Evening Trip:
8:00-9:35PM
Conditions: Hazy Sun and clouds, temp in the 70's, No wind

Willard and the black lady were fishing on the N side of the bridge and Matt W and some guys were fishing on the S side when I arrived.  I started on the SE side and BAM! First cast.

15.5" Horny Toad

I saw the fish wake 4 feet and nail it.  After trying the SW side slop and talking with Willard at the bridge I headed down into the weeds on the NE side.  I tried fishing the Horny Toad, but I couldn't get enough distance.  I had fish boil on the Spro and not get it.  Then I had a fish boil on it and get hooked only to come off as I got it into the thicker rice, same as last night.  I had what I assume was a toothy swing and miss the
Spro.  About half way to the channel I had a jumper suck the Spro down.

17+" Spro Frog

It was a good one.  That was the last surface hit.  I got a small toothy under the bridge on a Sexy Shad Ultimate Jerk Shad.  Peter and his brother were fishing bullheads when I left.

Mostly Swatters, But I Still Got a Couple

14.?? Same Color Mad Maxx as Last Night

8:00-8:30PM Bulldog
8:45-9:30PM GOMH

Conditions: Mid 60's, mostly sunny, light wind out of the SE diminishing

At Bulldog I missed a couple of hits on the Lunkerhunt Frog a HFA.  Haven't stuck anything on the black and yellow one yet.

Peter and Matt were at the GOMH, along with a guy and a kid.  Peter had caught three jumpers and kept a 16" and a couple of nice Oranges.  I started down where I caught them yesterday.  I had a few fish swat at the copper color Mad Maxx before I caught the 14".  I had a couple more swat at it and missed one on a poor hookset that took it pretty good right after the frog landed.  I might have caught that same fish about 5 minutes later.

16.?? Mad Maxx

I had a couple more swat at it and not get it before the skeeters got to be enough for me.

Skunked with My Brother Todd

Today my brother Todd came over to check out some stuff over here after being at the hospital for Mom.  His introduction to Kaylee didn't go so well.  He wanted to do some fishing, so we went out even though it was during the hottest part of the day when it got to 87 degrees.  We tried a Bulldog, Rock, and the GOMH.  It's a good thing we stopped at Bear Trax to get something to drink.  Our best shot at fish was a small bass at Bulldog.  We got to Rock at about 5PM and it was shaded with a breeze out of the SE.  A turtle was laying eggs there by the dock and the beaver swam bye and Todd sat on the dock with his feet in the water and we talked for a while.  We did try fishing as well.  Then we went to the GOMH.  Peter and Matt were there fishing.  Matt had gotten one toothy and Peter a few small oranges on worms.  We tried the SW side and didn't get anything.  Todd left and I tried the NE side, nothing.  I put the Rod Gloves on my rods, then decided to give the SE side one last shot with my Tatula Rod and Reel with the white Spro Poppin' Frog on it.  I had something boil on it on two consecutive cast but didn't hook up.  I was getting ready to pull away in the Expedition when I noticed "Red" in my side mirror.  I had to get out and talk to Willard for a couple of minutes then I left.

Skunked Again

Peter's 17.5" on worm under a bobber

7:40-8:30PM Bulldog
8:30-9:40PM Jenny's and Bulldog

I missed a couple of hits at Bulldog at Holy Family on the Lunkerhunt black and yellow.

Didn't get a hit at Jenny's

I arrived at the GOMH the same time as Peter and Matt Woitalla.  Matt caught a small jumper on some kind of a stick bait and Peter got an orange bullhead and the nice jumper on a live worm.  I had a fish not get Spro Poppin' Frog that I thought had it.  The skeeters got to be to much for me so I left.  I guess they did ok on bullhead bullheads after I left.