4/3 at Rock and GOMH

 

 

Me with My New Glasses at Rock

Woodpecker at Rock Lake

Immature Eagle at Bulldog Lake

E of GOMH

Muskrat at Rock

7:00-7:25 Rock Lake

7:50-8:20pm GOMH SW

40℉, MC, 0-3mph

If nobody had gone down to Rock and blazed a trail through the snow, I wasn't going to go down, but somebody did, so I did. I stopped at Bulldog first, and there was an immature eagle that flew into a tree just as I pulled up. Still quite a bit of ice on Bulldog. When I stopped at the Rock Access, I could hear a woodpecker pecking away close by. I took a video and a couple of pictures. When I got out of the car, there was a muskrat swimming by. I didn't get any bites. I'd say under 10% of Rock has ice now.

There was still ice in Our Bay and down by the GOMH the GOMH; I didn't even waste my time driving on North Platte. I shoveled the SW sidewalk so I wouldn't fall. Unusual light refraction tonight because of the clouds at sunset. There were these three swans that appeared pearlish, peach, pink. I didn't get any bites. I did five slow laps in boats and a full lap when I shined fish at the end. I thought I had dropped my headlamp at the GOMH, but it was really in my walking shoe; I just saw it sitting there at 2:30 in the morning.

Skunked 

.

4/1 Rock and GOMH Skunk

 

5:45-5:50pm Rock Lake

6:00-6:30PM GOMH SW

33℉, Cloudy w/snow, 8-10mph ENE

I fished for a few minutes in the wind and snow then said "Hell to dah nah.". Ice is still on Rock and Bulldog.

Ice was still on the North end of Platte and in our bay. Just a little bit of ice left E of GOMH. The SE Bay in Sullivan has ice in it as well. I fished for half an hour and called it quits biteless. I did one lap and checked the NE Access of Sully on the way home.

Skunked 

3/29 Skunked at Rock and the GOMH

 

Ice Jam at the GOMH Platte

Platte Lake Access

Rock Looking North

Rock Looking South, still plenty of ice

NW Access Sullivan

Sullivan Inlet

Sully Inlet Dirt Access

5:10-5:20pm Rock Access

5:50-6:25PM GOMH SW

33℉, Cloudy some sprinkles, 10-20mph NE

I checked out Bulldog first still 80% locked up. Then I went to Rock. Saw an Eagle. I fished for about 15 minutes. I'd say maybe 50% of Rock still has ice. I drove North Platte Lake Drive. Don's Bay is completely ice-free. Our bay was over 50% ice-free. The North Bay 80% still covered. Not much ice left in Big West, and I think that ice flow down by the GOMH is what is left on the southern end of the lake. I was not feeling it tonight, so I only fished until 6:30. I drove down the West side of Sullivan, which I would say was 50 to 60%  ice-free. 

Tomorrow or Monday at the latest for ice out.

Short GOMH Afternoon Trip & Bulldog Report

 

Picture Kim took

E of GOMH

Bulldog Access

12:30-1:00pm GOMH NE SW

43-44℉, MS turning cloudy, 4-6mph SW

I drove Kim up to Pine Center to get her car. I stopped at Bulldog, where open water was creeping North from the access next to shore. More open water E of GOMH and out from SPSI. I didn't get any hits in the half hour I fished both sides. Clouds moved in for the day as I was finishing up. We took mom into the cities after 3:30 pm, so we didn't get back until after 8 pm. Kim sent me a pick fro the lake place of where there is open water out front.

Skunked 

3/21 GOMH Trip

 

6:45-7:45pm GOMH SW

28-30℉, Sunny, 10-15mph WNW

Water Low

By the time I got to the GOMH, it was below freezing. There was a small open hole about the size of a couple of backyard swimming pools with ducks swimming in it when I arrived. Cold wind out of the WNW. I went through a bunch of lures and had my guides freezing up. A fair amount of geese were flying around tonight, as well as a few swans—a little more open water tonight, but nothing notable. One muskrat swam through. I decided it was too cold to do laps tonight; My iPhone battery was getting low from listening to the Classic weigh-in.

Skunked 

3/20 GOMH & Sully Inlet Trip

 

6:30-7:10pm GOMH SW NE & Sully Inlet

37℉, PC, 10-15mph SSE

Sunny Day but Cool and windy out of the South. Ice in Platte is a bit past the first dock. I didn't wear bibs, so the wind went right through me, making the conditions suck to fish in. Not as many birds around tonight. I went down to the inlet on the south end of Sully. Water is flowing and is getting close to being open on the marsh side. I was hungry, so I skipped doing laps and headed home early. Luca and Belle were in the field when I dropped by the lake place.

Skunked 

3/19 GOMH Skunk w/Sunset & Goal Idea

7:00-8:15pm GOMH NE SW

33℉, MC, 0-3 mph N

Water Low

It was cool and cloudy today, so there was little progress in the departing ice department. More birds were around tonight. I saw a muskrat. The sunset was quite nice. I didn't get any bites. I came up with a new goal or two for the 2025 Fishing Season. I want to catch a fish on at least 200 different lures this year; I will do that by being more intentional about what and how I pack, with a goal of carrying less or the same, but with greater diversity in my selections, hopefully allowing me to continually cycling through different baits in a given category. I plan to always have at least a couple of my extra rods rigged up with something I haven't caught them on yet. The Fish Swami "Other Patterns Tried" feature should help immensely with this goal. I'll just need to remember to stock that list after every trip with what I brought along but didn't catch anything with and replace what I did catch them on with new lures that I will need to get for the next trip. I did 11 laps tonight.

Skunked 

Skunked Again

 6:15-8:00pm    GOMH NE SW

37-39℉, Cloudy, 7-12mph NE

Breezy out of the North. Cloudy. Quite a bit less bird activity tonight. Not much more open water today. I didn't get a bite. Discovered I need to put more line on the Loomis GLX 783 Spinning rod. A few muskrats around. I haven't noticed any eagles flying around this year yet. I did 10 Laps.

Skunked 

Skunked Tonight

 

Birds were at the Intersection tonight

6:15-8:00pm GOMH NE SW

44-49℉, MS, 0-2mph

water Low with slight rise

It was sunny and 50 today, Most of the ice off progress was unseen. Lakes in the cities are getting close. Overnight, I discovered the Mojo Dock Skipper needed a new tip, and I put a reel on the 7'6" H Tatula Rod. I also brought Loomis Smallmouth Jerkbait Rod, which I never took a shine to, and the 5'6" Premium Spinning Rod. I need to put a line on that reel. I didn't get a bite tonight. I saw muskrats. Lots of swans and geese. I didn't hear any frogs with bird noise. I did six laps, and the skies were clear. A pair of C 130's flew in from the West to the North.

Skunked

Short Cold Trip Skunk

 

7:10-7:40pm NE SW GOMH

28℉, PC, 10-15mph NW

Water Low

I did not fish in the morning because I ran out of gas after I ate breakfast. It was cold and very windy. Road ditch ponds were open or opening up due to last night's rain. It was under 30 degrees and I didn't fish long on either side, no bites. Had a muskrat swim by. Red-wings and swans were around tonight. I did 5 short laps.

Skunked 

Skunked

 

6:50-7:50pm GOMH NE SW

42-47℉, MC, 0-3mph SW

Water Low

When I arrived, there were geese and two swans on the S side and six geese on the N side. I heard a red-wing blackbird on the N side, but couldn't spot it in the marsh grass. Didn't gain very much open water today. I didn't get any bites. I did 10 laps across the bridge. I didn't shine anything.

Skunked 

Skunked AT GOMH & Off the Dock

 

Mid 40's, M Sunny, 0-3mph N

Skunked! I arrived at the GOMH earlier than last night. I wish I would have not stopped at the GOMH and gone out on the Trophy instead. It got calm, and I would have gotten in about 45 minutes of fishing. Swans were flying all over tonight, especially at the lake place. One highly-flying large V, several small groups along the lake, and one pair of two and a single. Loons were calling as it got dark at the lake place. I did throw a few casts off the dock.

Skunked At GOMH & Off the Dock

 

Mid 40's, Partly Cloudy, 

Skunked (Beautiful night, no bites. I think I went to the Lake Place as well)

Skunked After Pre-OP Physcial

 I had my pre-op physical for the hip replacement at the Hillman Clinic. I threw a few cast at the GOMH and at the Lake Place. No bites, skunked!

Skunked On A Short Windy Trip GOMh/Rock

 

34℉, PC, 12-15mph SW

I dropped off the garbage then stopped at Rock. Rock Dock is not in. Fished for about 10 minutes then left. The wind at the GOMH was blowing out of the SW at about the same rate as a couple of days ago, but the temps were just above freezing this time. I fished for maybe 15 minutes on both sides of the bridge. No bites. Flying swans, red wings, and a beautiful sunset tonight. It is too bad the wind was blowing straight up the pipe again.

Skunked  

Not Even A Sunset Pic

Saturday March 16th

 7:25-8:10PM GOMH SW

31-33℉, Cloudy/Flurries, 10mph NW

Water Low and Falling

I thought maybe it would be a wackfest with the light snow flurries. There was nobody at the GOMH when I arrived. I didn't get a bite and when the guides started freezing up I was done. Not sure when I will get out again.

Skunked at the GOMH On A Beautiful Evening

 

Three of my Fantasy Bass Guys made the cut. Cobb and Walters got 30's. I bought my fishing license at Bear Trax.

Skunked! I toured the lakes before hitting the GOMH. Bulldog had more ice at the access than before the cold, but some of the shorelines are pulling away. The Rock Lake access area ice pulled away from shore right in front of the access. GOMH had ice on what was open water before the cold. It was plenty open for me to fish. Lots of swans flying around tonight, a few geese, and two chirpy eagles even. It was a beautiful day and got to 55.