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.

 

Snatchers Pelican Lake Tournament

Smitty's Bigs

Smitty's Fin

DJ's Bigs

DJ, Arnie, Smitty

2/9

Conditions: 62-82℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-2mph Wind

The Day:

We headed NW to a bay up there with a bunch of slop. Smitty had a bass in the boat in about 5 casts out of the pads. I had something follow my frog but not hit it. Smitty got another bass. I think I had something hit my jig back where the fish followed my frog too. We then came across some docks and Smitty would get a bite or two of off each one it would seem like. His 3rd or 4th fish in the boat was a 4lber. I got the skunk out of the boat with my biggest bass of the day (2.53) on a Livetartget Frog next to some cattails. We fished more slop and docks, with Smitty getting fish off of both. We ended up returning to where we started and I missed a bit in the pads and think Smitty culled with a 2lber. He had 3 quality fish off of the docks I think. Next. we headed NE to another slop bay where there was a lot of activity. I got a 24-inch dogfish on a Mag Fluke. Smitty had a big bass miss his frog. I think He caught one as well. I'm not sure if he culled. I got my second bass on Bobby's Perfect Frog. We fished farther East into another slop bay then fished our way back to the area where there was activity. I got my smallest keeper (1.36) that I was never able to cull on the LiveTarget frog. Smitty got a big dogfish. Next, we fished Smitty's favorite docks and they were productive for him. Smitty had mercy on me and offered me the craw tube he was getting them. I think he added two culls while I was getting my rod rigged with the proper weight while I was getting heckled by a guy on shore for not having my act together while my partner caught fish left and right.. Unfortunately, the best dock was occupied. I got a 1.82lb bass on the craw tube out of some reeds. Smitty got a few that didn't help. We ran South to one of Smitty's favorite holes, but there were not really fish around except on the last dock, where Smitty bird dogged me one (1.69) that I got on the craw tube. We then went North again to more reeds and Smitty pulled a 5lber out of the Cane. I missed a bite in the Cane because I set the hook too quick. Smitty wasn't going to fish until I got my limit. I got a short out of some reeds/pads. Finally, I got a keeper in the boat off of a dock (2.11). We went back to the dogfish bay. I had three bites on my frog, but didn't land any of them; Two never got the frog and I rolled the one that did get it on the pads on the hookset.  I ran out of energy shortly after my last bite on the frog. As we headed out Smitty had motor issues, so we went to the bay where we had the weigh-in and fished the final hour there, not getting any bites.

Results: 

My results, meh! But at least I got a limit. Congrats to Smitty for putting himself in the Snatcher record books with that outstanding bag of fish. Also congrats to Arnie and DJ. Dj was top Co-Angler. 

My Thoughts:  With that 2.50lber in the boat on a frog about 20 minutes in I thought it might be my day. But then Smitty put on a clinic above average size fish in the boat with a craw tube on docks. I tried switching to a popper after some activity in open water. Then we got to more docks and Smitty got more above average size fish and my jig wasn't getting bit. We got to an area with pads and I couldn't get bit on a frog or Jig, but Smitty continued to catch fish. It just seemed like all my choices were wrong in the first spot. I got two keepers in the boat at the second spot, but I don't think it held the numbers and size of bass to produce a great frog bite. When we got back to docks. It became clear the crawtube was the deal. So when Smitty offered what he was using I rigged up my dock fishing rod with a light Texas Rig. I was way too anxious fishing that crawtube. I needed to let it sit and give the fish a chance to eat it instead of immediately pulling the trigger. It was unfortunate our run South wasn't really holding a good school of fish or had already been hit by somebody else. Not getting any of those final frog fish in the boat sucked, but that is frog fishing. Catching one of them would have probably moved me up at least a couple of places.

Watching Smitty wreck 'em is the highlight of my year so far.

Grade: C+

Snatchers Win Challenge Cup! I Got Skunked

Tuma Get The Win

4/1 Pig for Beau

8:00AM-3:50PM NPBI, Green Cabin Bay, Chuck's Point, Reeds outside of Chuck's, West Access Flat to Melon Patch to Deep Melon Patch, NPBI, F Flat, North Reeds Across, GOMH, River, SW Intersection, NW Sullivan Reeds, NPSI, NW Juice all the way to the Starting Spot.

Conditions: 42-32℉, Cloudy to Partly Cloudy periods of sleet light snow, 4-10mph WNW
Water Very High

The Day: We blasted off at 8AM with Alan Steinbauer waiting at the dock for his boater who had overslept.  My boater Arnie Farber is a member of both the Range and Brainer Lakes Bassmaster Clubs and was fishing this one for the Range Club.  He only had found fish in one spot and we were boat 6.  Two boats headed in the direction of his stuff, so we went to the North of the Big Island at my suggestion starting at the NW Point.  When we got to the juice I made a couple of casts with the Poison.  I went to switch to the craw tube rod managing to get the craw tube and Poison tangled.  It didn't matter cause fish weren't there, but what a cluster.

Next, we went to the reeds in Green Cabin Bay.  I had something pick up my craw tube and quickly drop it.  Couldn't get it to hit again.  Then I had a small feeling fish on for about 10 feet, but it got off in the reeds before I saw what it was.  We worked our way around to Chuck's Point where Arnie caught the big pike.  We talked to Emmitt and his partner who both had a bass apiece.  We worked out to the reed bed off of Chuck's Point, I think I got a pike there.  Then we went to Arnie's spot starting at West Access Flat Reeds.  I got 3 pike on a spinnerbait.  We worked our way down to the Melon Patch.  This where Arnie's juice was in the sporadic rice.  He figured the cold weather drove the fish out.  We ended up taking a second unproductive trip to NPBI to CPBI.  From there went to F Flat and couldn't even get a pike.  We tried the inside edge of North Reeds Across, nothing.  Then we headed to the GOMH, nothing again.  So then we went to the river.  A boat came out of the SPRO while we were fishing the GOMH.  Not sure if they fished the river or not.  Arnie lost two fish in the river but he thought they were pike.  We fished for a little bit in the NSPRO rice line.  Then we went to the SW Intersection.  Somebody caught a bass that didn't help him in front of us along the reed edge of a boat lane.  We control drifted through the deep reeds not getting anything.  We went back to Platte stopping briefly at NPSI.  Next, we went to NW Juice and fished our way all the way across to the Starting Spot where we ended the day.  I did get a pike on a spinnerbait over by double cane point.  I was just dumbfounded that one of us didn't come across a single bass.

Results:
Bass Snatchers: 53lbs 9.5ozs 21 Bass
Brainerd Lakes: 42lbs 8.5ozs 17 Bass
Range: 23lbs 4.5ozs 9 Bass

Snatcher Keith Tuma: 14lbs 8ozs
Brainerd Lakes Jason Schmitt 13lbs 9ozs
Snatcher Beau Bacon 11lbs 13.5ozs

Only three five-fish limits were brought to the scales.

My thoughts:  Due to me not being able to get out and pre-fish by myself because of the weather and then having Pete up meant I was fishing this one pretty much blind. Basically, lake levels had come up a foot plus and the temp had dropped at least 10 degrees since I had last fished the lake by myself.  Unfortunately, we just were not able to get a bite to clue us in.  I think I was a little too keyed up which resulted in me reeling to fast when I was throwing a spinnerbait, chatterbait, and swimbait.  I caught the same amount of weight as my boater, so there is that.