Two Trips, 1 Silver & 1 Bull Bullhead

8.5" Wildeye Swim Shad

5:30-8:30AM GOMH NE SW SE
Conditions: 52℉, Cloudy, Very Light E Wind

I got out a little later than I wanted to.  I started out on the NE side and got a couple of bullheads before switching over to SW side.

18" Glow Demon & Minnow

On the SW side all I got was the wrong kind of bullheads again.

18" Panfish Chatterbait

 Only jumpers and toothys.  At least the toothys never broke me off.  I was the only person at the Old Man Hole this morning other than I boat.  I caught fish in every spot I fished, so there is that.

Evening Trip:
8:00-11:30PM GOMH NE SE
Conditions: 64-50℉. Mostly Sunny, Wind NE,

As I pulled up one of the two guys out of 3 guys fishing the SE side pulled in a dogfish which he released.  The S side was all covered up so I went to the NE side.  As I was getting set up a guy and his daughter set up on the NW side.  Nice Old Man George showed up.  I got a small toothy and the bull bullhead while he was there on the Swim Shad.  That bull was a true beast. George didn't want it so I threw it back. I got 1 more toothy and a couple of jumpers.

10.25" Glow Demon & Minnow

By 10PM everyone cleared out.  I switched to the SE side.  Right away I had something super small grab my minnow.  I almost landed it.  My minnow was still alive and kicking so I cast out to the same spot and got the one silver I caught.  I had a couple of other fish bite, but immediately spit the minnow before  could set the hook.  It was a nice night, but the fish just weren't going so I left at 11:30PM.

Frog Game Still Stinks, But At Least I Got 1 Today

I almost gave up on this particular frog

13" Snagproof Ish's Poppin Phattie

8:00-8:35 GOMH SW SE NE
8:40-9:10 HFA Access
9:15-9:40 Lake Place Dock
Conditions: 77-70 degrees, Mostly sunny, calm, the water level is low low and much of the rice is up to the point of being unfishable.

It was a frogs only night for me.

The 4th of July weekend may have started early as there was a family of young women fishing with Mom and Pop at the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  They were fishing off the bridge on the N and S sides.  I talked to the dad briefly as I went from the SW to SE side.  They had a couple small oranges in the pail.  He asked me if I was fishing for bass and if I'd had any success fishing there with big one's.  I told him the truth.  Yes I catch some nice sized fish, but this year with the low water there are fewer of them around.  There were no fish around at the GOMH for me tonight, not even a hit.  Nice old man George was there talking with the Dad when I came up from the NE side and left.

I then went to Bulldog and got nothing at Holy Family.  I decided to stop at the access as well.  A fish revealed it's location to me.  Not sure if it was the one I caught or not.  I cast over the area a couple of times and it hit outside of the pads and rice 10 feet from where the fish gave up it's location. I was glad not to be skunked.

At the Lake Place I had a good hookset on a fish to the West, but it didn't hook up.  I also had something pop the frog in front of Sherman's.  33% on fish striking the frogs is an improvement over 0%, but still not good at all.

Catch & Release Works

17" Whopper Plopper
I swear it's the same fish I caught yesterday morning

8:00-9:35PM GOMH NE
Conditions: 75-70 degrees, Windy WNW, Mostly sunny, water level up a bit, but not much

First I went to the Culvert, nothing there.  So then I went to the GOMH where Nice Old Man George was fishing a Scum Frog.  I told him about my luck over the rice so far this year.  We talked for about 15 minutes then I went down on the SW side.  Didn't get anything there.  Went to the NE side.  I got the 17"er just as I was coming by the near corner.  Same fish as yesterday, I'm sure of it.

I got this plate along the near wall on the Chigger Craw.

8.5" Chigger Craw

A fish hit something in the rice across the channel.  Eventually I got to throwing the Ish's Popper for it.  Something got hit just out from the rice right in line with my cast at the time.  I worked it off of the rice and got hit, but missed the hook set, doh.  So I went and practiced my hook sets for a little while.  I had a small jumper hit at the frog as I was bringing it back in.  I paused the frog and it came back and got it.  I set the hook and pulled the little out of the water on the hookset, but I didn't stick him.  I missed another fish farther to the East in the rice (Maybe I'll get this fish tomorrow).  I came back to the NE GOMH and had a very dogfish like fish nip at the frog a couple times but not get it.  I tried for it with the Poison but was unsuccessful;  I did however, pull this skinny bullhead from under the bridge on it..

17.25" Pure Poison w/Swim Fluke Jr

A noisy girl and her boy friend came over from the South side and started fishing on the NW side.  It was about time for the skeeters to come out, so I left.
 

GOMH in the Evening

15.25" Spro Frog white

8:35-9:30PM
Conditions: Cloudy, comfortable temps in the low 70's, light wind out of the SE

Well I finally got out again.  I can't believe how high the rice has gotten.  I was lucky to pull this guy through it.  Willard, George, the black lady and the guy with the wheelchair were all fishing when I got there.  The water level is down some more.  I tried on the South side first, didn't get a hit.  I think I had 2 hits on the NE side getting the one.

The Slop Slip Plan Half Worked

Slop Slip at the Grumpy Old Man Hole

7:35-9:30PM
Conditions: Hazy Sun, light wind out of the SW, 70's

For the 2nd time in history the Slop Slip was launched from the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  The first time was years ago when the old bridge was still there when CollegeOutdoorsGuy and I did it.  I put it in and took it out all by myself tonight.

The plan was to get off shore to get more bites and more fish.  I got more bites, still only caught two fish.  I had a bite on my very first cast, missed it.  I wasn't ready.  I had the 2nd bite on and it was a good size fish, but it got off right next to the boat.  I'm pretty sure it was a dogfish that hit the yellow Horny Toad.  I got the 3rd bite.

15.25" Horny Toad

I missed the at least 6-8 bites, none of which I hooked, before I caught a 12.75" on a white Spro Frog on my last bite of the night.  Willard left as I was getting the boat up on shore.  I went and talked with George and Peter before I left.

I parked the SUV and boat in the garage seeing as how Mom and Dad won't be home tonight due to mom's fall at Renee's birthday party.  I'm going to give it another shot tomorrow morning.

Slower Night At the GOMH

15.??" Spro Frog

8:35-9:35PM
Conditions: 70's, no wind, partly cloudy

I got out a little later tonight.  People were fishing for oranges on the NE side of the bridge and George was there too.  Here is what a guy named Matt and his girlfriend caught.

I started on the SE side.  I had what I'm pretty sure was a small toothy get off about half way back.  I was fishing the NE side in the weeds by 8:45.  Peter arrived about that time.  My first bite porpoised on the frog and somehow didn't get it.  I couldn't get it to hit again.  The next bite I had was a fish that missed the frog in the thick slop.  I couldn't get this fish to hit again.  I learned my lesson on the third hit which also missed the frog on the first try.  I didn't set the hook.  The fish came back and hit it again and I felt that it had the frog when I set the hook.  Fish in the first picture.  I maybe had one more really weak bite.  I went up to talk with George and Peter on the bridge and ended up talking with Matt.  I left at about 9:45PM

Yet Another Good Night Frogging At the GOMH

Pig 17.?? Spro Frog (Hope she survives)

7:00-9:40PM
Conditions: Temps in the low 70's, moderate wind out of the SSW, mostly cloudy

The black lady was fishing off the bridge when I arrived.  She had only got a couple of oranges.  I started on the SW side, but didn't have a bite on the S side.  By 7:30 I was on the NE side in the weeds.  My first hit was a toothy that didn't hook up at about 7:45.  Next bite was this fish about 5 minutes later.

?15" Spro Frog

My next two fish were smaller.   The one I estimated at no bigger than 14" I gave to Nice Old Man Farmer George.  I also lost a good one in between the two smaller fish. I talked to George for a little while, then went back to fishing.

I was now back to fishing water I had already covered earlier without a bite.   That is when the bleeding fish jumped on the Spro.  It was hooked in the tongue.  I didn't realize it was bleeding like that until after I took the picture.  I threw it back immediately hoping getting it back in the water would stop the bleeding.  I really really hope that fish makes it, because obviously it was a tank.

I quickly got two more 16" class fish.

16.?? Spro Frog

I missed my last 4 bites or so.  The last one I missed because I was putting my hood up when it hit and I didn't get a good hookset.  It felt like a good fish.

I caught 6, missed about 5 or so and had a few that didn't get the frog at all.

Good Night at the GOMH

Nice Old Man George with 17.5" on a Sexy Shad Ultimate Jerk Shad

7:30-9:45PM
Conditions: Temps in the 70's, mostly sunny, little wind

I arrived when Willard did.  I started on the SE side and I got a 16.75" jumpin' bullhead on this Spro Bronzeye Frog.

16.?? Spro Frog

I didn't get a picture of that fish because my camera went on the fritz.

I missed one other bite on the SE side.

I went to the NE side and got a 15.75" on the Spro and a 16.25" on the H20 Xpress Ultimate Jerk Shad in Sexy Shad color under the bridge.  I missed what was probably a toothy on a Fluke.  There also was a dogfish swimming around.  I went down the shoreline.  Willard had just left when I got this jumper and my camera started working again.

16.?? Spro Frog

I heard another car arrive, so I threw the fish back and walked up the hill to see who it was.  It was George.  I walked back to the bridge and talked with George.  I caught the toothy and gave it to George.  I had a good eater sized golden get off as I tried bringing it up on the rocks.  I was kind of bummed I didn't get it for him.  The mosquito's started getting bad so I called "last cast" and I got a 15.25" jumpin' bullhead.  That wasn't my last cast as I heard baitfish getting hit.  The skeeters were so bad though I only lasted another couple of casts.

Not a bad night at all.

Oh and I nearly forgot.  I had two frogs "get it on" with the Spro on the SE side.

Catching Dinner For Nice Old Man George

13.5" Bubblegum Zoom Super Fluke 

7:30-8:10PM Bulldog
8:15-8:25PM Culvert
8:30-9:30PM GOMH
Conditions: Temps in the mid 70's, no wind, mostly sunny, water level is falling

Nothing at Bulldog or the Culvert

When I arrived at the GOMH George was fishing on the N side and Willard was talking.  There were people fishing the S side and a woman in a Kayak fishing there too.  Her boy friend or maybe father was fishing on the bridge NW side. I went and talked to George and Willard for a couple minutes than got my stuff.

I caught a toothy immediately on the Fluke which I gave to George.  I then caught and missed a number of bites on the Fluke, getting George 4 jumpers and the one toothy.  By the fourth fish George was to tired from bringing fish to his car, so he had Willard take it to his car.  The girl in the Kayak came over on our side.  She didn't get anything and pulled up to shore and pulled the yak up to her car.  George left.  I got a really small skinny toothy on the Mad Maxx.  I left before the skeeters got to bad and before it got to dark.