Trophy In the Lake, Skunked

7:00-8:15PM River Mouth, Intersection, GOMH
48-53, PC, 2-7 S

The Plan was to be at Steve's by 4PM.  Be done with the bat prep by 5PM and be fishing by 6PM.  I didn't get to the lake place until about 4:15.  It took me until about 5:30 to have the boat ready.  Then I had to wait for Steve to finish work.  We left for the access at about 6:15PM. A boat had already launched over the ice/snow from when the ice went out a couple of days ago.  The motor started right up.  I got my clothes on and headed to Sullivan Lake.  Lantern Man and his son were fishing at the GOMH.  We talked for a minute then I headed to the river mouth.  Nothing there.  I went to the intersection and drifted all the way to the GOMH without a bite.  LM was having the same luck as me.  I was hungry so I headed for the Lake Place while it was still light out.

Here is what I wrote about the day at Bass Pundit:

It took me about an hour to get her dug out of the garage and water ready. A little mix up over what I did with the boat key was resolved when I called Dad and had him look for it in my room. When I didn't find the key attached or in my life jacket I just assumed I left it in the boat as I was packing stuff to go to the lake place. I had actually placed it on a shelf in my room, which is where I directed dad to look. He delivered it to me just as I finished up. I had to wait for about 20-minutes for Steve to get done with work. The dock wasn't in yet at the public access which was kind of expected. I had Steve drop her in the water. The motor started no issues. I unhooked and went fishing. Didn't get a bite.

Just Me Morning and Evening

15.5" Sweet Revenge Max

16.5" Sweet Revenge

5:50-9:00AM SPSI, Intersection NE, River, Intersection SW
70-64℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-5mph NE
WT: 76℉

Dealing with the gas mix took some extra time this morning.  I headed for the SPSI.  I had a 15-incher jump me off on a Texas Rig Chigger Craw next to the reed point. I also missed a good bite in the reeds.  Got a couple of probably pike bites over the flat with the Whopper Plopper.  I then headed to the Intersection NE Point.  I had a strike in the reeds that didn't hook up.  There was nothing at the river mouth and I was pretty discouraged as I worked my way into the river, but then something got blown up in the rice on the North shore about two casts lengths in front of the boat.  There was a feeding school of bass there.  The first one missed the frog, but then I caught 4 fish (13.5,15.5,14,14.5) in about 8 casts. I worked my way to the dam getting two pike along the way and a small bass by the dam.  I got out of the river and headed to the SW side of the Intersection. I got a 16.5 out of the rice. My energy level dropped. I got one last pike and headed in
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17.25" Grapes of Wrath Maxx

7:00-9:45PM NE INlet, The Juice Reeds NW Corner
66-68℉, Cloudy some light rain, 0-5mph N
WT: 75℉

Steve decided not to come with so I went out alone.  On the way, I decided to go to the North corner of Inlet Bay.  Got a few pike bites and my Sweet Revenge got bit off.  Supper looking stuff just no bass.  I bailed on the areas and went to the NW Corner.  Didn't get anything along the outside of the rice point.  Went I went into the reeds the fish were there.  I got 3 bass (13,13,17.25) and 6 Pike and missed about 10 bites as well a couple of which were good fish.  I also spooked some good fish and there was good activity.  Looks like I found an area.

For the Day
10 Bass
11 Pike

I Tried The River, It Came Up Pike (Mostly)

16.25" Piranha/Craw Fatty (June/O Craw)

4:40-8:00PM West Point, River, Intersection NE, GOMHIT NE
Conditions: 70-66℉. Partly Cloudy, SW Wind, Water level falling
Water Temp: 54-51℉

I started at West Point and I think I missed a hit on the Real Deal Craw.  Couldn't get it to hit again, so maybe it wasn't a bite. Who knows.  I then went straight to the River.  Didn't have a bite at the mouth.  Not a good sign.  I was maybe about 50 feet into the river when the bass bit on the Piranha.  That was the only bass I caught tonight.  I got 5 pike in the river and missed a couple hits as well.  The wind died down some and I headed out of the river to the NE of the intersection.  Didn't get a hit outside and just one inside the reeds that I missed.  I then went and parked at the GOMH.  I had what I think was a small pike get off when I went to life it in the boat.  It was to dark for me to see and I didn't have my headlamp on at the time.  It bit on the Grass Pig.  It might have been golden, who knows.  Was fairly disappointed I didn't get at least one golden.  It looks like no rain this week until Sat, when we might get a thunder storm.  I would really like to see the water level drop by about a foot from where it is at presently.

The River & The Intersection

2.53"/16.95" Terminator Frog

5:00-7:30PM Platte River, Intersection SW
Conditions: 55-50℉, Sunny, WSW Windy diminishing some by the time I left the river.  Water Level up another 4 or so inches and rising.
Water Temp: 56-58℉

15" Piranha/Chigger Craw (June/Sapphire)

I decided with the wind being what it was and the water level being up to hit the river and see if anything might be going on there.  I planned to hit the GOMH on the way there, but there was a car so I nixed that plan.  I'm pretty sure it was the guy and his kid from the other night.  He was bringing in a toothy on the SW side when I passed him.  I got to the river mouth and the wind was barreling straight down it.  I got a 14.5" bass right away on the Piranha.  I decided to put the anchor down rather than fight the wind.  I moved in closer to the river and re-anchored.  I got the 15" in the picture and a couple of small pike on the Piranha and a couple of 20" pike on the Hack Jig.  I then had the Hack Jig get bit off.  Bummer!

I got the almost 17 incher in the river along the bulrushes on the Terminator Frog.  I also got a 14" out of the slop on the first turns outside bend.

With Flash

Without Flash

The wind died down some and I got out of there and headed to the SW of the Intersection.   Wasn't any sign of activity.

16.5" Hack Jig/Craw Fatty

I got my last fish of the night along the small bulrush point on the Hack Jig.  The fish obviously didn't want the Terminator as I had thrown it right over where I caught the fish.  On the way back there were two cars parked at the GOMH.  A guy throwing a crankbait said he had gotten 9 bass and 2 pike, "but no size". I stopped at SPSI and lost a hit there.

5 Bass
4 Pike
 

Morning on Platte/Evening in the River

6.50lbs Whopper Plopper

31" Whopper Plopper 130 (Rat Ta Tat)

7:00-11:30AM Double Cane Point, NW Bay
Conditions: 48-61℉, Cloudy, Light SSW Wind
Water Temp: 60℉

16" Spro Sprinker KO

16.75" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

I started at Double Cane Point.  Got a couple of bass there but it mostly wasn't happening and the wind was annoying, so I went to the NW Juice.  I got the 16.75" on Maxx and missed a couple.  I threw the Salmo Bass Bug over the flat and got some hammer handles.  As I made my way back to the Juice I got the big pike on the Rat Ta Tat Whopper Plopper 130.  I would have liked to continue fishing as conditions were nice out, but I didn't know when Pete was coming up, so I went in.
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15" Mad Max (Bluegrass)

3:30-6:30PM Platte River, NE Intersecton
Conditons: 73-41degrees, Partly to Mostly Cloudy, ESE Wind
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Mad Maxx 15.75x3, 14.5x3
Maxx 22, 18x3
SSKO 18x2

So I decided to check out the river.  There were some fish there and I dropped the biggest one at the mouth.

I luckily got Maxx back while fishing the SPRO when a pike bit it off.  I got one bass and 1 Pike at the intersection.  I had to get home to get my hair shaved for the wedding.  Pete was there when I got home.

20.32lbs Best 6 Bass with Pike

13.82lbs Best 6 Bass

10 Bass
13 Pike

A Pretty Good Morning

18" Shower Blows Knock Off

5:30AM-12:45PM GOMH NE, Platte River, SPRO
Conditions: 54-66℉, Partly to Mostly Cloudy, Very Windy WNW
Water Temp: 69℉

I started off the morning at the Grumpy Old Man Hole with the Shower Blows knock off.  Wasn't surprised when it got hit.  Was surprised when it was a golden bullhead.  It even jumped like a jumper.  I didn't have anything to keep the fish in, so I released it.  I then got a 14.75" and 11.75" jumpers on the SBKO and I had a good one miss the lure as well.

14.75" Mad Maxx (Sweet Revenge)

I got this bullhead in the tube on Mad Maxx.  I missed a few hits on a Chigger Craw then got it snagged and had to break off.  I had one dink get off on the SW side on a craw tube.  Also was lucky a toothy didn't break my line with the way it was frayed. I stayed way to long, leaving at about 10 to 7AM.

I took the Trophy straight to the dam area in the river and caught a skinny 17.5" bass on my very first cast. I think I might have missed one more bite before I started moving towards the lake.

17.5" Mad Maxx

21.5" Mad Maxx

16.5" Mad Maxx

17.5" Mad Maxx

I caught some good fish in the river, but no giants.  It was really windy, so I did a lot of anchoring.  Then I would move with the "ice cream truck approach" to help keep the rice off the trolling motor.  I did get one bass on the Hack Attack Jig after missing a few.  I had to tighten the side screws which had come loose.

I told the fish this noise was the ice cream truck

Once I got out of the Platte River I drifted for a while in the Sullivan Platte River Outlet area and missed a few blow ups and caught a couple of 14 inchers.

16.73lbs for my biggest 6 Bass this morning

It was a pretty good good morning of fishing considering conditions.
19 Bass with 16.73lbs for my best 6
1 Bowfin
1 Golden Bullhead
1 Pike