GOMH Skunk w/Otters and Swans

 

 

Skunked (Warm day. There was an otter on the N side when I arrived, and I think a bigger otter moving all over the place on the S side. I arrived a little before sunset and started on the N side; no bites. I also fished the SW side. More swans were flying around tonight. Not much for other birds yet. I then basically did my walking until the wind with the front hit. Maybe 3' to 4' more open on the S side tonight.)

Two Trips Today, Ice Getting Close, Trophy Ready

Ice went off our bay when I was vacuuming out the Trophy.

Red-Wing Blackbird

Did Not turn into a thunderboomer, thankfully

Ice-free to South Big Island

Open to LSB

Ice at the access tonight, so ice out will be tomorrow.

Platte Lake Access

 

North Platte Lake Drive Looking SE towards our bay

Where I park the Trophy, looking OK for now

The rain this morning lit a fire on Bulldog in the access area, and I could see with significant open water on the Eastern side that Bulldog wouldn't have ice for much longer.

Rock dark, but I thought it would still have ice tomorrow.
I was wrong about that.

This morning at 8AM, we got a call from the Chiropractor that he wouldn't be in today, so I headed to the GOMH. Got skunked and left when it started to rain. Got a short downpour at our place and .25" of water. Platte and Mille Lacs got more significant downpours in duration and intensity. I took a nap. Got up around 3:30PM and headed over to the lake place to get the Trophy ready in the 70-degree weather. No thunderstorms, so I got her done. When I was headed over, our bay was 2/3 covered, and there was a kayaker and canoe out along the ice edge. By the time I went down front, our bay was wide open. I took the N. Platte Lake Drive loop, and there was still plenty of ice N and W of the Big Island. Rock was iced up. Bulldog was looking ready to go, as was the ice at the Platte Lake Access.

I fished for about half an hour at the GOMH. Otters were chasing one another in the cattails, and two of them made trips up to the road a couple of times. Red-wing blackbird was in that small tree to the West. Loons were out front. Got skunked again. I started seeing lightning about dark, so I bounced when I heard thunder. The storms never made it this far east. 

Caught 3 Missed 4 to 6 More And Saw Huge Otter

 

5lbs/25" Husky Jerk 12 (Gold)

18" Husky (Gold)

3.06lbs/21" Rage Swimmer Jr. (GP)

Forgot to weigh the 18-incher

8:00-10:00PM North Corner

31-32℉, Cloudy, 0-4mph NNW

I spotted a fish as I was walking out in shallow near the base of the Jetty. Didn't see anything else. Good visibility as well. I saw a couple other eyes eventually and got bumped a few times, but I didn't get a bite that hooked up until 20 to 10 when I spotted two eyes starring up at me on the Big North Coner Standing Rock. The fish was about a yard to my right in maybe 6-inches of water. I cast the gold Husky Jerk over that direction and it swam out to it but didn't hit. I cast over again. It did a loop and grabbed it. After I released the fish I decided on a whim to put down the Husky Jerk and to pick up the GLX and throw some casts at the Harbor Mouth with the small Rage Swimmer. I was immediately hooked up, but the fish got off about halfway in. Then a huge otter showed up and told me he was stealing my spot. So I went to the BNCSR and immediately hooked into the 21-inch chunk. After a few more casts with the Swimmmer, I switched back to the gold Husky Jerk and got my last bite of the night.

I spotted a small buck by the public access on Shakopee Lake on my way up   

                                      

Skunked On A Nice Night With Otters and Muskrats

44℉ Partly Cloudy, Calm

Saw a couple of eagles, otters, and the first muskrats of the year,  The first one spooked me.  Didn't get any bites. Depending on how much rain we get and if there is any current which is currently non-existent if we get temps in the '50s on Sunday and Monday I could see me getting a bullhead early next week.

Skunked Again Tonight

Got a later start tonight than I wanted because the Expeditions battery was dead and I was already running late. Checked Bulldog and threw a few casts. Don't think the ice goes off there or Rock until Sunday not as much open water as I thought there would be. Somebody arrived at the Grumpy Old Man Hole right when I did. They took the SW and I took the NE. Think I missed one bite right away. He left. On the SW side I had a visit from an otter, a beaver, and a muskrat. Think I spotted two swimming eyeballs as I was leaving. Will ice go off Platte tomorrow?

55℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm

Where Things Stand Today

I didn't leave the house until right about 8PM tonight.  When I arrived at the GOMH there was a four-wheeler parked where I needed to be to recreate a shot I took on 4/23/13.  So I headed on to the Platte Lake Public Access which is now trashed.  I then went to the culvert where the water is up at least 10" from a couple of days ago.  When I arrived back at the GOMH the people had left.  There was an otter out on the ice on Sullivan that eventually paid me a visit.  A few ducks around, but not as many as I would expect.  Didn't catch anything in the 15 minutes I fished.  Today was the warmest it has been.  The water level is above normal now and rising.  It was flowing into Platte again tonight.  The weather is supposed to stay at or above normal.  I'm thinking ice out in around 12 days or so. 

Platte Lake

Slow September Continues Apace

6:30-8:30AM GOMH, Jenny's, Lake Place Dock
Conditions: 64-54 degrees, Mostly Cloudy, Light to Medium ESE Wind, Water level falling but still very high

I was the first one at the GOMH this morning.  Didn't get a hit on the NE side, but two small otters came through the tunnel.

12" Piranha w/Chigger Craw

I got the one bite on the SW side.  Two other guys showed up.  I went to the culvert.  Didn't get anything. I then went to Jenny's, nothing and same at the Lake Place.  Pete is arriving sometime today.  I may have an update if we fish tonight.

Update:  I put some gas in the tank and took it to the lake.  I caught a small pike on the Pad Crasher casting to Sherman's and missed a good fish casting to the NW.

Pete arrived after 6PM and it doesn't look like we are getting out tonight. He cooking fish right now and it's 7:30.

Loch Ness Monster Sighted at the GOMH

One of two otters that were out there today

4:00-4:30PM
Conditions: 35 degrees, cloudy, wind out of the NE, water level up a bit after yesterday's rain

Managed to get a couple toothy's today on the STX fishing the NE side.

18.75" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

17.25" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

Nothing on the S side.

Yesterday's rain I think pretty much wrecked my ice fishing plans for this weekend.

Morning GOMH & Rock/Next Evening Ditto

One of two otters

6:25-8:15AM
Conditions: Low 50's, windy out of the WNW, Cloudy

Got nothing at the GOMH.  Saw the two otters, a flying loon, and eagle.  I went to Bulldog, worthless.  At Rock I had a small pike hit my Fluke and land on the Rock Dock.  It flopped a few times and went back in the lake.  That was the only bite I had.

8/25/15

Skunked, but the Twins won and the wind died down.

8/26/15
Beautiful calm night.  I decided to go at 8PM.  The GOMH was covered, so I headed to Rock.  Got skunked.  Only fished for 20 minutes before it was dark.

No Gold, But Toothies, Jumpers, And An Otter

14" H2O Ultimate Jerk Shad

5:05-7:45AM
Condition- Mostly cloudy, low 60's, moderate wind out of the East

Beautiful Morning at the Grumpy Old Man Hole

The day started out with what I assume was a toothy stealing my Grass Pig.  I believe that was the first time this year that happened to a Grass Pig.  I didn't want to go up to the car to retie, so I went with the identical rod, but with 17lb Sunline Defier Armilo line instead of 14lb Fireline.  I worked it under the bridge and wasn't getting anything.  So I cast out over the channel and found a school of jumpers.  I caught 7 of them from 10" to 17.25" on two different Jerk Shads and had a good one throw the green pumpkin Grass Pig back at me.  I also got a toothy on the gp Grass Pig which was on a weighted swimbait hook with Tyger Leader..  When I was throwing the Grass Pig I nearly hit an otter in the head as it surfaced about 3 feet from where the Grass Pig landed.

Here are the two biggest jumpin' bullheads of the morning:

17.5" Jerk Shad color Crackle wht/chart

16.75"

Jerk Shad color Chartreuse Shad 

I switched to the SW side and got a 12.5" jumper and a 17.5" toothy.

Hmmm (Day I Discovered the PRO River Mouth)

Friday April 15, 2005
Today was cloudy, but warm (mid to lower 60's) Wind out of the SW 3-8MPH.

Started the day around 3:30 trying to get some of my jerk baits to suspend and run right. Once that was figured out, I fished right out in front with a beetle spin, got nothing. Decided my best bet was to try the GOMH. On the Platte side saw a 5-7lb northern. Once under, around, and landed, not much for action (1 bass 18", 1 missed big something), and spent quite a bit of time there. Oh water temps were 48 or 49.

I decided to run to a spot I'd never tried early in the year. Lets call it PRO. I was surprised to see water temps up to 51 in this area. Lots of sparse weed growth and the Bull Sunfish were in there pretty good. Had a blast catching them on the Pink Panther, DR. Green Meanie, and SR. Bluestripe. Had at least 3x8"s 5x7"s, smallest was 4" got 17 total so most were 5"and6" and all were C&R. I think I got 3 pike, no crappies, no bullheads, no doggies, and a few Bass biggest 18."

Lots of beaver traffic and even got harassed by an otter, Fppht! (not really otters are just curious)

No pics as that it was raining a lot of the time.