Final Bullhead of 2024

 

4:45-5:30 GOMH SW NE 

50℉, PC, 0-2mph NE

It was a beautiful November Day in the Northland. I got one quick small gator on the SW side. I was thinking about and praying for Mel the whole time until I got home.

 1Pike 

Snatcher's Farm Island Tournament

Tuma 3rd, DJ 2nd, Arnie 1st

Conditions: 50's to 80'S, Light wind and Sun

The Day:

Herman elected to take us down South to Ludenia's Reed Island. Unfortunately, Herman didn't shut down in time, and fish scattered everywhere on the surface as we arrived. I got one hit on a buzzbait casting out over the break, but it just swiped at it, so it was probably a pike. When we got over by the reeds, I got a pike on a spinnerbait and the skunk out of the boat with a small bass on the Frenzy Popper. On our way back South, I got a 2.5lber  and a pike on the buzzbait. And missed something that bit twice next to the reeds on a frog. I thought the first hit was a bass. The second time, I thought it was a pike. 

After we had circled the Island once, we went to the South Shoreline reeds working West. We passed DJ and Tuma, who were fishing the deep weedline. I didn't get a hit until we got to the cattail point of the Slop Bay, which I missed. Herman wanted to go somewhere else, but I insisted we fish a little farther, telling Herman giants live in this stuff in the Fall. Shortly after, I got a pound and a half fish in the boat. I lost a 2lb plus fish that got off in the slop. Herman didn't convert on a couple of bites. The Western side of the bay was dead. We then went back out to Ludenia's  Reed Island. I got a pike and a dink, and Herman made us sandwiches. 

Next, we headed up to the NW Corner of the lake. Tuma and DJ were there fishing the weedline. It started out dead, but then we got to a slop/reed point. I got a 2lber out of the coontail and 3lber, my lunker, in the reeds on the frog. I missed a good fish on the other side of the reeds on a coontail mat and got a little guy, which I culled.  We worked the shoreline reeds that are farther to the North. Herman got his first bass and I missed several bites. Herman got another keeper. We then returned to the slop/reed area where I first got bit when we came North. When we got to the back side of the reeds, I had a 3lber not get the frog. Bummer! Herman missed a blowup and had me throwback to the spot. I caught a slight upgrade. And I think Herman missed another fish. We tried working the outside reed islands but didn't get any bites. I  suggested we head East and work the slop bay with a steep drop next to the Catails. I missed a few hits. I caught one that didn't help and got a small cull. Herman got a 3lber. This was our final stop.  As we waited for people to get loaded up, Herman made me a giant sandwich with the remaining fixings. Man, it was good after a hard day of fishing. Thanks, Herman!

My Thoughts: Because of the sporadic slow frog bite this Fall, I just was not in top form and probably lost a couple that I probably would have gotten in the boat if I had more practice. It was a fun day, and I had opportunities to make the Top 5, maybe even the Top 3. But it just wasn't my day or my year.

Grade: B- 

My best finish of the year.

Results: 7th Place for me.

 

Snatcher's Crow Wing/Gull River Recap

 

The Winning Trio

 Weather: 50-70℉, Mostly Sunny w/some fog in the morning, 2-9mph SSE

My Thoughts Going In: My boater was quite confident that we would both be able to get a limit. I have never done that in a Snatcher Tournament on a river, so I was hopeful but not counting my chickens yet. This has not been my year.

The Day:

It was a beautiful slightly foggy morning take-off. I wish I would have taken a photo. We should have stopped at the bridge because nobody was fishing off of it. At our first stop up the Gull River Tyler was getting bites immediately on his frog but missed the first two or three; then he got a pike. He said he got a bunch of pike prefishing on the frog. He continued to get blowups but wasn't converting any of them into hookups. I had a couple of fish swirl on me in the cheese and duckweed, but not actually make an attempt to eat the frog. Tyler finally hooked into a bass and got the skunk out of the boat. Shortly after that, I had a fish blow up and take the frog, but I came up empty on the hookset. We ended up reworking the area at my suggestion and Tyler got his second fish in the boat. 

We then went back downriver to another slop area where Tyler had some big fish show themselves. It was dead for quite a while. I finally got my first bass in the boat. It was right in the middle of a cheese mat and it took four attempts for it to get my frog. I should have told Tyler to cast to the spot a few times to make sure there wasn't more than one fish there. By the time I was ready to fish again, we had moved on. About 15 minutes later I got a small keeper out of some pads. 

We went back to the starting spot and came up empty, but then just went across the river into a little cut and I frogged up my third fish. We then headed to the rice at the confluence. A guy on the bridge had a three-pound smallmouth as we passed under.  There was some activity at the confluence, but we were not getting bit. I finally had a good bass blow up on my frog after I saw some movement behind my frog; I laid the wood to her, but she buried me in the junk and got off. I couldn't believe it. That coontail/milfoil was like getting stuck in concrete. Eventually, we went back up the Gull and refished the areas in the morning from closest to farthest. Tyler got a couple of keepers inside of the cuts and I got my fourth and final bass on a spinerbait. We both missed at least a couple of blow-ups in the final hour. I should have been throwing a frog instead of that Snag Proof Popper with little hooks. No limit for me yet again on a river.

Results: 14th Place, Ugh! But I'm lucky it wasn't far worse as Ludenia, Tim, and Larry didn't catch 'em.

Sarah won her second Co-Angler Challenge this year.

My Thoughts: It just wasn't my day yet again.  Hearing that Tuma, Smitty, and Sarah crushed them on frogs is a heart smasher. I should have known those little hooks on that Snagproof Popper made hooking fish risky.  Frustrating year. 

Grade: D When they are biting on frogs I should have gotten a limit.

Snatcher's Tourney On Upper and Lower Mission

 

3rd Darrren, 2nd Larry, 1st Chuck

Conditions: 75-90℉, Mostly Sunny, 5-35mph S SW

My boater was Al Steinbauer, who was also my boater the last time we were on Mission Lakes in 2020.

The Day:

We started in the NE Corner of Upper in the wind, where it was blowing 5 to 10 for the first couple of hours. I lost my first two bites most of the way in; both bites felt like good bass, but I didn't see either. I caught a 6" sunfish on a Dark Sleeper. I then got a keeper or two on the Bunker Hawg. I got a good-sized dogfish to the boat on the Bunker Hawg where I played it until it got off. I could have had Al net it, but I could see by how it was hooked that it probably wasn't necessary. I got one last small keeper on the Bunker Hawg and caught a non-keeper and a pike. I threw the spinnerbait for a while in the morning and got bumps and hits, but they were not hooking up. I think Al had a limit by the time we finally moved.

I think we then went to the point by the Upper Mission Access; it was blowing pretty good by now.  Al upgraded a time or two there. I got a pike, got bit off a couple of times, and caught a short bass or two. We then moved across to a spot on the South Shore. Al culled, and I got my biggest and final keeper of the day here. I also got a pike and bit off again. 

We went back to our starting spot. I can't remember if we got anything or not. We then went to a couple of places on Upper and didn't get any bites. We then went to Lower. Bill Ludenia was where Al wanted to hit. I got to fish some pads/reeds here with a frog, but only for about 10 minutes. We hit a dock, I suggested, and Al lost a bass he said wouldn't help him. We went to another spot, at which time Al's front graph became nonfunctional for the rest of the day. I lost something here on the Big Blade Chatterbait. We then went back to Upper Mission and fished reeds at my suggestion. I really should have asked Al to take over the front of the boat because his boat control wasn't precise enough;  I ended up catching a dink and losing a 2lb plus fish in the reeds on a spinnerbait; Al also lost something shortly after I lost that 2lber. We re-fished everything on the East end of Upper, and all I got was a few more dinks, a pike or two, and a 9" pumpkinseed on a spinnerbait. I thought for sure I was going to get a keeper on that spinnerbait but somehow, it didn't happen.

My Thoughts: Mission fricken lake! Mission Lake just kicks my butt some days. It's like I was fishing on a different lake from everybody else. The wind was something else, and I was just too far out of touch, having been bedridden for most of the month.  Had the wind been more reasonable I would have caught a limit.

Grade: D+

The day is saved from a F by the wind and my legs and back being at about 80%.

Results: I finished in last place 14th out of 14 Anglers

Best Bite Bite Yet At the GOMH

 

11.75" BT Glow Demon/minnow

12.5" BT Glow Demon/Minnow

1..75lb THE jig/minnow

Doh, I forgot to take a picture of the 13 inch silver bullhead. I swore I took a picture of it.

6:50-11:40PM GOMH SW & Shining N.

48-60℉, PC until 11 or so, 0-3mph NW

Bear Trax got bought out of minnows today and R Skiba got out a pole saw and took it to the cattails and beaver dam. No one was there when I arrived so I quickly got my stuff down on the SW side. A guy showed up before I had all my stuff down. I got a gator in my first few casts, then not much. The other guy got a gator and a jumper eventually. Somebody showed up and took the N side. Kyle (No Brett) showed up and came down by me. He offered me the use of his minnows. The sunset happened and I got a jumper on THE Jig/minnow. Kyle picked up a couple of jumpers and got bit off. Skiba showed up and took LM spot in the puddle. I got the first silver of the night. A guy named Landon who is a hardcore guy that knows Kyle showed up and fished West of the Beaver Dam. Kyle got bit off again and decided not to retire. An older guy from Little Falls fished from the bridge.  Skiba got a couple of jumpers and we both started getting silvers after 9 PM. Kyle left and Landon went on the SE side when the guy who showed up when I did left and it was AWWWWWWWN, with everyone getting bit from about 9:15 to 9:45. Skiba left about 9:30 and gave me a bunch of minnows. The guy from Little Falls had joined Landon on the SE side around 9:20 or so. The Little Falls guy left around 10PM when there was a lull in the action. Landon fished Long Lake today and a dock owner gave him the tip about fishing the GOMH.  The fishing picked up again. I saw three shooting stars. Landon left around 10:30. The action was consistent until some clouds moved in around 11PM and the bite shut down. It didn't help that I couldn't keep a minnow hooked also missing a couple of opportunities. I gave up at 11:40 PM. I shined a couple of jumpers and 3 or 4 silvers on the N side and one big silver on the S side. The biggest silver of the night went 13.25. 

31Crip 

2Jump 

1Pike   

Leech Lake Snatcher Tournament

 

Conditions: 47-74℉, Mostly Sunny, clouded up in the final hour, 8-25mph S

My Day: We started on the South End of Bear Island, where Bruce caught a couple while pre-fishing. I had a pike steal my Dinger about 20-minutes into the day. We then went around Partridge Point. From there, we went to the North end of Bear Island in the reeds. I thought we might get a bite there with the wind blowing on it, but we didn't. We then went to the East end of Center Rice. We started by drifting along the edge.  Thought for sure I would get a bite there as it looked great, but nope. Then we went on the lee side, and I frogged it, trying to make a perfect cast to get a reaction bite. When we met Snatcher Ludenia and Al, they confirmed that it was a tough bite. We then made the run back west to Uram Bay and finished the day there. Bruce missed a bite, and I got the muskie in the final 15-minutes. So we both ended the day skunked for bass.

Results: Goose egg buys a goose egg as good as DNF or DQ'ed. Snatcher Nate came in first with 21-8. Snatcher Chuck got 2nd with 17-8, and Smitty came in 3rd with 15-1. Snatcher Chuck and Bacon tied with a 4-9 Lunkers.  Only 4 limits were caught, and we had 6 guys skunk. So half the Co-Anglers blanked and one boater (My boater).

My Thoughts:  The bite was off, and wind conditions were not favorable. We fished too fast most of the time. I'm not going to beat myself up over this one. Dennis only put two keepers in the boat, and Hammer, who was fishing with Chuck, only caught 3 keepers. Nate's non-boater got skunked as well. I am just glad it warmed up, and I was able to listen to tunes while we were making our long runs through the waves.

 

Another Windy Night

3.72lbs Outkast Swim Jig Mogambo Grub

 

3:45-7:30PM Access Across, Green Cabin, NPBI, F Flat

63-67℉, Sunny, 3-20mph WNW

51-53℉ Water Low and falling

I headed to Access Across Cane. I thought the wind was more out of the North coming across, but it was WNW and really blowing. I worked my way through the rice with the Outkast Swim JIg and the Sparrow. Didn't get a bite. I then started working on the edge of the openings and missed the first bite. I eventually caught a 16-incher and lost a similar sized fish on the outside edge. I was headed to Big Rice when I got a bite on the Northland Spin, but the fish buried me in the weeds and got off. I didn't get a bite on outer 6lb Flat, so I headed to Green Cabin where I could get out of the wind.  I missed my first bite there but then got a 15.5" and 18-incher after I switched to a green pumpkin Outkast Swim Jig. I got a couple of pike. I didn't get a bite at Chuck's Point. I got one 14-incher at NPBI and one at F Flat on the Jackhammer. 

Windy Night, OK Results

 

2.99lbs Jackhammer (PB&J)

5.68lbs LiveTarget Wake Gill

3:30-7:00PM SPSI. SPRO, NW Reeds, Intersection, SPSI, NPBI, F Flat

67-72℉, Cloudy, 6-17mph WSW

53-56℉ LOw Falling

I started at SPSI and didn't get hit, so I headed to the SPRO. I broke off the Strike King Buzz Toad buzzbait on a cast and fortunately was able to find it. I then caught pike on it. Down towards the rice point, I connected with a 16-inch bass on the Northland Spinnerbait. I got a 14-inch bass along the shoreline rice in NW reeds on lime Teckel Sprinker. That was my last action in Sullivan. I went back to SPSI to the same result. I broke off the Northland Spin on NPBI, but fortunately, it landed in the shallow water so I was able to retrieve it. Much to my surprise when I threw LiveTarget Wake Gill across the point the big toothy hit it. I ended on F Flat getting the 3lber on the Jackhammer. It wasn't that bad out tonight as I was comfortable in shorts and two hoodies and my Vikings top.

Pre-Fishing Gull/ Finishing In the Trophy

Fish With Steve and Brett

Tough Night, But Plopper Fish Made It All Worth It

3.70lbs/18" Whopper Plopper (RTT)

9" Fluke (Albino)

 4:30-7:45PM SPSI, NW Reeds, Intersection, SPRO, F Flat

68-73℉, PC, 0-8mph SSW

61-63℉ Low falling

When I was putting my gear in the boat a loon was making a racket because an osprey was flying around. I also ran by an immature loon on my way to SPSI. It seems all the adults have headed South at this point. I didn't get a hit at SPSI. I then headed to Sullivan to the reeds by the NW public access. The wind was blowing out of the SSW and there was way more wave action than I wanted. On the Northside of the first dock, I got a dink and small slimer on Zoom Super Fluke. I actually had what was probably the pike hit the Sparrow first and I got the fish when I peppered the area with the Fluke. I got one bass (15) in the reeds and missed a couple of bites. Spent way to much time working my through. I got a couple of pike at the boat channel and NE point of the Intersection. I got only one bite along the NSPRO. It was the 18-incher that absolutely crushed the Rat Ta Tat Whopper Plopper. The wind died shortly after I got the fish and so did the action. I tried SPSI again and F Flat not getting a bite at either place.

3 Bass

4 Pike

Slow Night IN the Trophy/Nothing Biting at Mille Lacs

2.99lbs Repo Man (Bone)

2.79lbs Northland Spinnerbait (Chuck's)

2.40lbs Chuck's

27" Chuck's

4:00-7:30PM Loon Sex Point, Sullivan Docks, SPRO, SPSI

8:30-9:15PM North Jetty Mouth

67-72℉, MS, 2-10mph SSE

61℉ Low falling

Started on Loon Sex Point. Missed a couple of bites. I then headed to the NW Reeds in Sullivan. Had a SE wind so I quickly left to fish some docks along the South shore. I got one 13-inch fish doing that. I then went and fished the SPRO rice lines getting a few bass (17,16.5,14) and pike on the Northland Spinnerbait. Nothing at the Intersection, but one small pike. I ended the night at South Point Small Island and got 3 bass (17.25,15,13.5) including a 3lber on the bone Repo Man.

Mille Lacs:

There was a large group leaving when I arrived. Not a good sign for biting fish. There was a guy bobber fishing the North Corner. I did see some small eyeballs swimming around in the North Harbor Mouth. I didn't get a bite and didn't feel like grinding out a bite, so I gave up at 9:15PM. Weeds were annoying and there was no wave action as the wind was blowing out of the SSW.  

OK Morning Trip

Tough Night

2.31lbs/16" Sparrow

6:00-8:30PM SPSI, E of GOMH, SPRO, Intersection
60-70℉, MS, 0-7mph SW
64℉

Started at SPSI and had something eat the tails off of my Speed Craw on my Northland Spinnerbait. I then went East of GOMH. There was baitfish here, but the carpetweed is everywhere and 6-inches under the surface. Didn't even get a bite. I then went into Sullivan heading for the last boat lane. Something got busted between the last and second boat lane on the Southside of the channel so I started there. I put a cast to some open stuff behind the rice wall and the bass just crushed it. I thought maybe that put me on to something, but that was the only bite I had except for a small pike. In the final 20 minutes, I missed a bite along the cattails on the NW reeds. And also missed a couple of bites in the reeds by the boat channel at the Intersection. Tough Trip.

1 Bass
1 Pike

Long Slow Morning/One Fish Short Evening

Morning and Evening Small Fish

25.5" Northland (Chuck's)

6:00AM-Noon NPBI, SPBI, CIB, GWBC, N & S SPRO, I Juice
72-65℉, MC, 3-10mph SE
69-70℉ Low Falling

Started at North Point Big Island. Got two small bass, a crappie, and two pike there. I was lucky the bigger pike (25.5) didn't break my line when it ran under the boat. I then went to MPBI, nothing. Then SPBI where I got a small bass. Nothing at SPSI. Then I went to CIB and missed some bites and got a pike or two. Nothing at the GOMH into Sullivan. I got a bass on the Sprinker along the GOMH Wall Boat Channel opening. Nothing on the I Point. I worked all the way into shore missing the only blow up I had. I spent the rest of the morning in the N&S SPRO and I Juice catching a few and missing a few. Unfortunately, all of the bigger bites evaded me.
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8:10-8:50PM East of Jenny's
80℉, PC, Humid, 2-4mph SW

Found out what was up with Snatcher Chuck not fishing to the BASS Nation State Tournament. Went East of Jenny's. Caught the first blow up on about my 4th cast, a 13-incher. I then missed my next 5 bites. With no bites in the final 20 minutes of fishing. I should have hauled for better water the second I was aware fish were biting. OH well.

Good Morning Trip, but A Lot of Misses And 3 Frogs Down

3.06lbs/17.75" Sparrow

13.31lbs

5:50AM-11:30AM NPBI, MPBI, SPBI, GOMH, Intersection, NSPRO
70-68℉, MC, 4-14mph SE
70-74℉

The plan was to go to Access Across before the wind came up. I stopped at the North Point of the Big Island and got a bass (14.75) and a pike on the Northland Spinnerbait, so I amended the plan and ran points. I got a 13.5" and lost a fish at the Middle Point Big Island and got nothing, but pike at SPBI. Nothing at SPSI.  The wind was up by 6:30, so I went to the GOMH instead. I got a 13.5" on both sides of the bridge off of pads. I had a 17/18 miss the frog on the East side of the Channel. I lost a fish back in a rice pocket. I had the legs taken off of a Sparrow at the Intersection Point. I got a pike there on the Northland Spinnerbait. I then worked the NSPRO getting bites along the rice edge getting the fish about 50% of time. I worked my way although down to the neckdown spot.  I got three smaller bass there. The wind was really ripping now. I went up and worked the SSPRO and didn't get a bite. Boat control was an issue. I then went back for one more pass on the NSPRO. I missed a couple of bites and really worked to get my last fish, which bit in the boat Channel. In addition to losing legs on a Sparrow, I lost 2 weights on the frogs. Bummer Man. I missed way too many bites.

11 Bass
10 Pike

Tough Morning, Better Evening

6:00-9:00AM Access Across to 6lb Flat
70-60℉, Sunny, 0-3mph SW
69-71℉

Started behind the cane, didn't get a bite until I got into Todd's Opening where I got my only bass bite of the morning. I proceeded to get two Sparrow's bit off a few minutes later in TO.  Those were my last frog bites of the morning. There was some fish activity, but not where I put my casts. I did get a pike on the Northland Spinnerbait as I was approaching the Cane from Big Rice. I drifted through the rice bed across and didn't get a bite. Bummer of a trip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.41lbs/18" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

2.31lbs/16" Sparrow

Rice drift Looking Toward Chanel Inn By

13.20lbs

6:00-9:00 PM Loon Sex Bay, East of GOMH
68-74℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-8MPH WSW
72-74℉

I started in Loon Bay. First bite was a pike. I worked my way North along Center Junk and lost a good bass that buried me in the coontail. I did get a 14" and a 16" and another pike. I then played the wind going East of GOMH starting just outside the GOMH. I got 3 bass (15,15,18) there and missed 2 or 3 more. Unfortunately, the bite just quit at about 8:35PM. I did try SPSI and didn't get any bites.