Bass Snatchers Gull/Crow Wing River Tournament

Chuck Fields wins 2nd Consecutive Tournament.

 

Sara & Herman with "Lunker Wood"

Sara with her 6lb Lunker & a 3/03

4/02 on Big Bite BFE

Pike on the Berkley Fusion19 Jig/KVD Shiner

What I caught fish on

Conditions: Periods of clouds and sun, 70's to upper 80's, a bit humid, light winds

The Day:
I was so disappointed that my Tackle Warehouse order did not arrive on Friday, but such is life. We blasted off as boat #4 and headed West, getting passed by Snatcher Dennis as we headed up river. Our first and second spots were slop areas on adjacent sides of the river, and we didn't get a bite at either place in about an hour of fishing. So we headed up river farther, and Bill got a quality smallmouth right away on a popper. He then got a rock bass and a couple of non-keeper smallmouths. I got a pike on a lipless Frenzy and a rock bass on a Jackhammer. I also had something that felt quality on for a few seconds on our second pass down by where Bill got the smallie.

From there, we headed up in sight of the bridge, and Bill popped a nice large on his first pitch. I think I got a pike and rock bass, and Bill got a couple of non-keeper smallies and rockies. I think we moved down the river just a little way. Bill got a nice smallie throwing a Senko by the shore and a fourth nice keeper smallmouth in the middle of the river. We pulled in behind Snatcher Al, where Bill got his first keeper; Bill got a non-keeper smallmouth.  We went down river a little way, and I got the big pike which put up a good battle. I took my time with it, and Bill eventually netted it and took pictures. I wasn't too pleased because the day was more than half over, and I didn't have a bass in the boat yet. We worked a shaded bank and didn't get anything. So next, we headed back to where the river narrows to the East of the public access. And started working our way West fishing wood. Bill got his 5th keeper pretty quickly. We continued working wood. Finally, I got a keeper in the boat out of some weeds and wood, and it was a good one, 4lbs.

There was a slop area just upriver from where I got my fish, and in the next 10-minutes, I had my bag for the day, catching two quick fish on a frog. We then went back up river to our second stop working that slop bay better than we did the first time. I got one 11-inch largemouth on a frog. Then we crossed the river expanding on our first area of the morning. Bill had to miss 5 or 6 bites on his frog before he finally got his limit fish in the boat, which was a quality largemouth. I think he then caught one that didn't help him. For the final 20-minutes, we worked the slop area by the access. I had a fish boil on my frog but did not get it and didn't try again. And then the day was done.

Results: My 3 fish weighed 7/13, which put me in 13th Place out of 17 Anglers, two of which blanked. Chuck Fields made it back-to-back wins with a 17/01 bag, and my boater Snatcher Ludenia made it back-to-back as runner-up with a 16/12. Lunker went to Snatcher Sara with a 6lb Pig.

Thoughts: I should have thought more about what it would take to catch some smallmouth. I should have thrown a football jig and brought some swing heads and square bills. I really think my lack of forethought cost me a limit. At a minimum, I should have been able to catch at least one smallmouth.  

 

Big Golden, A Jumper, and Bass 'n Pike at S. Inlet

 

7.04lbs/28" KVD Shiner

8:15-8:55PM S, Sully Inlet
Nice night. I elected to mow the lawn instead of fish. It worked out for me

 (The first cast didn't have distance so I was unprepared for the strike I got on the buzzbait which came almost immediately after it landed. Then got a couple of pike and a couple of bass. Missed my last 4 or 5 bites, because I had a bent-up hook point.)

2Bass 

2Pike

9:05-9:40PM GOMH SW NW

(Nobody was around so I quickly unpacked and headed to the SW side. Got the one jumper on a chatter and missed a couple of bites on other stuff. Stuff was getting smoked in the tube. So I headed to the North side just as somebody else arrived. He was able to get to the NE side first. He lost a jumper then broke off on a lily pad. I missed something then hooked into the 7lb Golden. The other guy took a picture and measured it. I called it a night after releasing the fish. Mosquitos were annoying but not terrible.)

1Jump 

1Gold

OK Night in the Trophy On Platte/Sullivan

Nothing But Platte Lake Specials tonight

I think I culled 5 or 6 times

3:00-9:30 PM NW Corner to Big Bass Pt, Deep in Guy's to Double Cane Pt, Channel Inn Bay, SPRO North to River Mouth.

70-74℉, PC, 0-6mph SW SE

61-65℉, Very High Falling

 Started in the NW Corner of Platte, mostly pike but did get about 4 or 5 bass as well. Made my way to Big Bass PT only landing one of 4 or 5 bites. Jumped across the Bay. Got one bass deep in Guy's Bay. Nothing at Double Cane Pt. I bounced to Channel Inn Bay at 6:15 PM. It was calmer there. Couldn't keep them pinned to start with. The fish were aggressive. Settled on the buzzbait. Lost a big dog because I did hammer the hook home on the strike. After 8 PM I headed into Sully. working the NSPRO shoreline. Got a few more bass and pike. It was just an OK night considering conditions. Just couldn't find a group of fish other than in CIB and they were spread out there. Lots of beat-up tails tonight.

19 Bass 

17 Pike

1Fin 

Melon Patch Morning, Docks & Reeds Across Evening

17.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

6:00-10:00AM Melon Patch
56-72℉, Sunny, 0-3mph SE

I spent the morning at the Melon Patch.  I caught 3 bass (17.25,14.5,13.75) and two pike there.  I also missed a big fish on a poor hookset.
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16.25" Terminator Frog (Green)

7:30-8:50PM Docks & Reeds Across
79-74℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-4mph NW
78℉

It got to 84 degrees on this day. I started out by getting a couple of 9-inch dinks off docks on the Terminator Jig.  I then got the first of two 16.25-inch bass out of the pads.  With the sun going down I headed to the reeds.  I lost a big one when it buried me in the reeds.  I caught the 2nd 16.25" in the reeds.  There was a loud group fishing off of a dock.  Todd and girls came up and went out on the pontoon just after I left.  I came back and sat around the fire with them for a while.

I didn't weigh either of the dinks.

One Stinkin' Pike, That's It!

5:45-6:15AM GOMH
6:45-9:00AM Reeds Across. Todd's Pond
Low 70's, Cloudy, 3-18MPH N NNE

With a front approaching, I thought the fish would really be snapping this morning, but that wasn't the case.  Could it be the thunder when I first arrived at the GOMH.  The GOMH was a bust.  The reeds across the way produced a couple of bites that didn't hook up.  Next, I went to Todd's Pond.

Looking to the South

Looking to the North

Todd's Pond is an area of reeds, pads, and rice off of Big Bass Point.  It has thick rice to the West and North and cane to the East and North.  Shortly after taking the pics of the place I lost a big bass in the thicker reeds in the center of the pic looking North.  I also had a 16/17 bass miss the frog as I was bringing through some rice with reeds.  I got the one pike and that was it. Lighting forced me to leave before I wanted to,  Oh well.

Tough Morning, OK Evening

6:00-10:30AM Big Rice Point, West Point Dock
60-74℉, Sunny, 0-5mph NW

16.25" Terminator Jig/Craw Fatty (Black/Red)

I didn't stop at the GOMH this hazy morning for fear it would be a short topwater window, which it was.  I caught one dink on the Horny Toad on Big Rice Point and missed 3 or 4 other hits.   Then pretty much nothing.  I went into the bullrushes/reeds at Cane Access Across and got a dink on the KVD Shiner.  On my way in I was going to stop at "The Dock", but some kids in a paddle boat were fishing by it, so I went to West Point and caught the nice one there along with a dink.
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16.5" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

7:30-9:00PM NW Bay
77-70℉, Sunny, 0-4mph NW
77℉

3.10lbs/17.33lbs Bobby's Perfect

It was going to be a short trip, so I decided to see what was up in the NW Bay.  Within the first ten minutes, I caught the 16.5" out of the pads after having a fish, probably the same one, miss the frog on my first couple of casts.  I went inside the rice line and started working my way down and got the 17-incher.  I then lost a good one and had the Bobby's Perfect get bit off.  I caught a couple of dinks and got nothing in the juice.  The skeeters came out and I was done just after 9PM.  Todd and the girls arrived at about 9.

11.04lbs for my Best 6 Bass