Snatcher Tournament At Birch Lake

 

Conditions: 65-78℉, PC to Cloudy, 0-7mph SE

The Day:

I met up with Snatcher Herman at Fleet Farm, and we headed North. As Herman predicted, nobody went to our starting area. The area seemed to be a lot less alive, maybe due to it being early in the day. I noticed there was a channel cut into the shore that I didn't know was there. Where the cut meets the bay is a high percentage spot. Unfortunately, we moved in to close and spooked what was there. I did catch a small pike on a buzzbait. About 5 minutes later, Herman had a fish blow up on his swimbait, but miss in a group of pads. A few minutes later, Herman got the skunk out of the boat with a little bass. A couple of minutes later, I did the same thing with a spinnerbait fish (1.56). I switched to Zoom Super Fluke because the area was sloppy. I think I got a bass in the boat (1.58) pretty quickly after going to the fluke. I got more bites, but couldn't get them in the boat. I broke off on a fish that buried me in a pad root and discovered that most of the flukes I brought were torn up and basically unusable. I had four good ones left. We worked our way out of the slop bay, and I took the helm while Herman worked with his tackle. 

I worked a weedline and then some docks that had sunfish on them, but no sign of bass. We bailed on the area and went just West of where the inlet from Ten Mile Lake is. Herman and I quickly put fish in the boat, but mine was barely over 12 inches. Herman got another keeper, and we watched Smitty and Tim pull a couple out of the pads. We worked that northern shoreline, hoping to bump into something, but it just wasn't happening. A little before noon, Herman made us sandwiches. 

We then went to the southern end of the West Basin to a small slop bay, and Herman got his limit fish in front of a tree at the entrance to the bay. I got a keeper and a non-keeper off the tree on a fluke. I then had a pike wreck my second-to-last remaining fluke. I switched to a Z-Man Popping Shad and got a line burner that was hooked in an inopportune way through the eye, so I threw it back.  I lost all three bites I got on a frog in this bay, two of which I had hooked, and they were both 2-lb-class fish, minimum. We then went around the point to work more pads. Herman got a good cull quickly. I got a line burner and pike on my last fluke, which the pike did in. I put on a bubblegum Yum Dinger, but never got a hit on it.  I got my big bass with about 45 minutes left on a frog. We worked pads for 35 minutes. I had a couple of fish boil on the frog, but not take it. With 10 minutes left and still being one fish short of my limit, I pulled the plug on the slop, and we went to the channel between the basins. I fished a tree just to the SW of the channel, nothing. I ended the day getting my limit with a very small keeper on my last cast of the day, just to the SE of the channel.

Results:  I came in second to last. Tuma won and got Lunker (4/03),President Benson got 2nd Place, and Dennis got 3rd Place.

My Thoughts: I had the bites to be in the top half of the field. I didn't bring any Trick Worms, and my packing the wrong Fluke bag was just dumb as well. Lost fish on a frog when you get a good enough hookset to bring them in, most of the time, is tough luck. 

Tournament Grade: C 

I fished hard and got a limit

One Small Bass, Tonight

Belle took the pic

 

One bass tonight, ouch!

6:40-9:45PM Reeds Across S & N, Loon Bay

72-80℉, MS, 3-8mph ENE

78℉ water High

Went to Reeds Across South while Todd had dinner. Got two pike and one bass on a chatterbait along the reed edge. I went back to pick up Todd. He tweaked his back, so I went back out alone. I went to Loon Bay. I got a pike off of a dock on Grapes of Wrath. It was dead in there, so I bounced to Reeds Across North. Had a couple of fish slap at my frogs in the reeds, pike probably. I left the reeds for F-Flat cabbage. I didn't get a bite at my waypoint, so I turned around and worked the reed line getting two pike and missing a couple of bites. Rough trip.

Good Fish On A Rainy Morning

3.46lbs/18" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

2.95lbs/17.25" Maxx

5:20-8:20AM SPSI, Channel Inn Bay Rice, East of GOMH Pad Pts, Intersection, SPRO 

60-65℉, Cloudy light rain, 0-4mph SSW

Todd wanted to sleep in, so he didn't go out this morning. Started at SPSI. On the second to last cast with the Bubble Walker 128, I got a 14.75" bass, so I threw the 128 for 10 more minutes, not getting a bite. I then started flinging the Pompadour for the first time this year. Got 13.75" on that. I missed a bite and got a 14" on a red shad craw tube. All the bites came out by the buoy. Spend 15 to 20 minutes too long here again.  I then went to the first boat channel in Channel Inn Bay and worked my way South. Got the 17-incher there. I then hopped across to the rice and pads East of GOMH. I lost a good hit on a pad point.  So I tried the next few and got the 18" off of one of them. Then I headed to Rice Point of the Intersection. I got two Platte Lake Specials there and missed a couple bites as well. I also got a Platte Special at the final boat channel. I did quickly try the Intersection SW & NE but only had a swirl. 

 

Caught "Big Momma" Tonight

5.46lbs Mad (Bluegrass) 

7:15-9:45PM Inlet Bay South to Double Cane 

75-88℉, PC, 3-6mph SE

When I pulled out, I noticed a boat coming around West Point. The guy in the back had a bass jump and come off. I wondered to myself if there was a league on the lake tonight.  My plan was to hit a couple of the docks across and then go to South Inlet Bay. I had to clear the prop of rice. In the time it took to do that, a boat came flying into the bay. I headed off to hit the docks, except a boat already at the dock I wanted to hit. Yep, league night. So off to South Inlet I went. There was baitfish activity there, but I couldn't buy a bite. I was using the new Traxxis Trolling Motor, which is a weed magnet, frustrating. I've never had a 55lb thrust Minn Kota have trouble with anything except super thick rice. All different kinds of weeds bogged this thing down. I beat feet across the inlet area heading North. I stopped when I saw some activity in front of the inlet. I was now casting a light Mad Maxx frog into the wind and started running into overrun issues. I ended up having to pick out two backlashes and then had to cut off 25' of the line because my line got in a knot. I was not a happy camper a half hour in and no bites. I then ran into more trolling motor/weed issues as I got up by the North Inlet Pads. I started throwing the heavier Teckel Whacker. I did finally get a bite that didn't hook up on what I think was a 15-inch class bass as I got over by the reeds in the rice. Nothing going on in the reeds. I worked my way quickly out to the rice line and finally put a 16-incher in the boat in front of the starting spot about an hour into the trip. I then missed a couple smallish bass and got a pike. I caught a couple of small bass on Bluegrass Maxx. I made my way over to the solid rice line reed bed transition to the west of the starting spot. I threw a long cast with Mad Maxx to some open water between the reeds and the rice, and the big girl just smoked it. I saw it was a giant right away. I didn't get the greatest hookset, but it didn't matter. She engulfed it and got buried in the rice pretty quickly. I got her boat side, and I was like, look at the mouth on this thing. It's a giant with big shoulders. The good Platte/Sullivan genetics that some of the lakes fish possess. The only problem with her was that she was post-spawn and hadn't eaten in a while. With a full belly, this was 7lb fish. Such a beautiful fish. I weighed her (5.46lbs) and then went to get a measurement, but she had other ideas and started thrashing, which made me drop her. I was not happy about that. Fortunately, she didn't do much flopping around. I grabbed her and thought I better get her back in the water, forgetting to measure the fish. I'm guessing it was a little over 21" maybe 21.5". I worked the area hard and got a couple of small. I ended the night in the reeds, getting a couple of small culls to my best 6. Can't believe I only had one bite over 3lbs from this area. Usually, if I get one big girl in this area, I have a shot at several others.basses The fish also completely shut down by 9:15. There had to be more fish around.  I know it.

9 Bass 

3 Pike

Dinks on Docks with Dingers And 1 Toad On Mad Maxx Tonight

 

3.46lbs/18.25" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

11.39 for Best 6 

6:30-9:30PM Docks Across, East Of GOMH, Intersection, River Mouth, SPSI

70-80℉, PC, 0-2mph SW

Water low, and so is visibility. The weed-killing killed visibility.

I finally got a reel put on my Abu Veritas 6'6" MH. I bought a rod to replace the Fenwick Techna AV that I busted a couple of years ago to use primarily as a dock skipper. This was also my inaugural trip with the Arsenal Neko Tool. I spent the first hour skipping Neko Rigged Yum Dingers. I lost the first one to a pike, then the next 3 to small bass when they jumped, sending the Dinger to the depths. I lost the fourth Neko Dinger to a snag way under "the dock."  With that, I had enough and didn't retire. I did catch 3 bass to the East of "the dock" on a Texas Rigged Dinger. When I got home, I watched Hellabass's video on the Neko Tool, something I should have done. Now I know, weighted Dingers are something I should probably leave to tournament day as they are notorious one-fish baits. At 7:30, I headed for the rice East Of GOMH. It wasn't happening there, and I quickly made the call to head to Sullivan. I made a cast to the rice line on my way out, and the 18-incher jumped all over Max. I managed to get a good hookset because of the angle of the cast even though I was moving on high in the direction of the fish. I didn't get the motor turned off until I was practically to the rice line. I ended up spending another 15 unproductive minutes in Platte probing the rice line. I then went to SW Intersection rice. I got a 15-incher there and missed a couple of other bites. I went into the reeds and missed a good bite because I just couldn't get enough on the hook set because I was moving straight at the fish, my hook setting form was perfect, and I was ready for the bite. I quickly made my way across to the NE Intersection Point and got a 14-incher in some thicker reeds on the far reed line. I then ran to the River Mouth as it was getting dark. I lost one bite in the river. Not sure what it was, but it felt good. It thrashed on the surface and got off. I hit SPSI on my way in and didn't get anything, too dark. Not a bad night, but not great either. I think fishing will be even more of a grind this year unless we get some rain.

12 Bass 

Final Trip of May

3.06lbs Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

2.13lbs Spro Poppin Frog

Start/End Time

6:00pm to 9:30pm

-Water Temp: 64.0°F

Stained - 1' to 3' visibility

Water Level

Low falling

4 Bass 8 Pike (Not a lot of opportunities tonight. The plan to go back to the NW Corner didn't work out. It is just to shallow there.)

May ended cool and windy and me nursing an aching back 

Morning Trip With Todd

16.75" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

15.75" Sparrow

6:00-9:30AM Big Rice Point to 6lb Flat
70-63℉, Sunny, 2-12mph NE

Started at Big Rice trying to recreate yesterday's magic. Didn't happen.  We both got 3 bass a piece in the scattered rice. Had a few fish not get the frogs. After I dropped Todd off I went to the Reeds Across for about an hour missing one fish in the pads reeds along the inside reed line.

Slow Morning and Evening With Todd, But Good Size

3.92lbs/18.5" Big Sexy

3.26lbs/16.5" Terminator (Yellow)

4.07lbs/20.25" Sparrow

17.25-inches and less weight than Todd's 16.5"

6:00-9:30AM Big Island Bust, Access Across Point to 6lb Flat
70-60℉, Cloudy to Mostly Sunny some light rain, 2-7mph SW W NW
74-76℉ Falling

We tried the East side of the Big Island to start. Total bust. Then I headed us to the Point across from the Platte Lake Access. Todd lost the first bite in the reeds, a fair bass. I got a small pike. Then nothing until Todd got a chub 16.5-incher that was over 3lbs. Then Todd got his big for the day casting back to the spot multiple times after it missed the first time. I finally got on the board with a 17.25" then the big girl struck in an open area on Big Rice Point. We worked our way to 6lb Flat both getting one more quality bass apiece. My 3 went 10.25 and Todd's 3 went 9.25. We worked for them, but when we got a bite it was a good one.
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17" on Big Sexy Just before it was stolen

We both filled our limits on our last cast

Todd's Bag 16.57lbs

My Bag 16.44lbs

7:00-9:30PM Deep Melon Patch to 6lb Flat
67-73℉, Mostly Sunny, 2-8mph NNE
76-77℉ Falling

Started off in the Melon Patch, nothing. I took us in behind the rice line and got a pike, then a bass. Todd then got a 17-incher on Big Sexy. I heard something get crunched but couldn't see where. Todd found the spot and got himself another 3lb 17-inch fish on the Big Sexy. Todd then caught a pike then had the Big Sexy get stolen. I got a bass n my first throw with the Sprinker. Todd had several fish, not get his frog and not return and get it. I closed out my limit on my last cast of the night as did Todd.  Todd ended up just edging me for the day and our combined limit was over 20lbs, not bad.

Good Morning Topwater Bite/Slow Evening Finished Well

3.17lbs/17" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

3.19lbs/17" Sparrow

17" Sparrow

6:00AM-12:30PM SPBI, Intersection, N & S SPRO, Channel Inn Bay
70-57℉, Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy, 3-6mph NW N NE
71-74℉ Low rising

Started at three of the four points only getting a 9-inch bass on the Rat-Ta-Tat Plopper at SPBI. Nothing at the GOMH. I had a pike miss the frog off of the Intersection NE Point. I then motored toward the River Mouth Stopping at the last boat lane and proceeded with the Troller to the NW. The first bass of the morning was a 3lber on the Sparrow Bobby's Perfect. I proceeded to whack them until about 10AM when the bite slowed. I did pull a few fish out of the Intersection Juice on the craw tube. I worked my way back along the SW rice line getting a few more, but mostly missing the bites.  The troller was giving me issues, so I packed up and went to Channel Inn Bay where I got 1 good bass on the Sprinker, but it was mostly a clown show on my part.  I finally got out of there around 12:30 or so.

25 Bass
10 Pike
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3.52/17.5" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

6:30-9:30PM East Of Jenny's, Dock Across, Intersection
68-70℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-4MPH
72℉ Low

I started at the rice edge East of Jenny's. The rice there isn't nearly as thick as last year.  I had one fish take a swipe and miss. Couldn't get anything on the follow-up. I had something small attack the Horny Toad at the dock and not hook up.  It clearly wasn't happening so I went to "The Dock" across, nothing. I did get a small pike on a jig on the other dock. Nothing out of the slop. I then headed to Sullivan starting towards the River Mouth working towards the Intersection along the North rice.  I didn't get the first bass in the boat until 8:40PM, geez. I ended up landing 4 for the night catching the biggest of the day (17.5) out of the boat line reeds where I got the 18-incher the other night. I also had a good fish come up short of the frog a couple of times along the backside of the reeds on the NE point.

3 Pike
4 Bass

Good Trip With Jaimen In the Morning/So-So Short Trip in Evening

6/9, 25" 

2/9 Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

5:30-11:00AM SPSI, Intersection, Channel Inn Bay
74-70℉, Cloudy, 0-4mph SSW
83℉ Low

In sprinkled just for a second as I was backing the boat out. I went and picked up Jaimen and headed to South Point Small Island. Jaimen caught a pike I think. I missed a bite on the craw tube because I was moving towards the bite. We then headed to the intersection. Didn't get a bite on the point. So we headed to the SW R/R line. Jaimen got the first bass of the morning there on Grapes of Wrath. He lost a couple bass. We got to the juice and commenced to whack 'em on frogs, jigs, and craw tubes. Unfortunately, we didn't convert on the bigger bass. Jaimen caught the big fin in the sparse rice toward the back. When the fish were finally done we worked back around the Intersection. I was totally unprepared when a 17/18 smoked my frog on the backside of the point reeds.  My hand was nowhere near the reel handle. I worked us all the way into the thick reedline.  I don't remember if we caught anything or not. The rain stayed to the South of us.

We went back into Platte and worked the rice in Channel Inn Bay. I got the big bass of the morning before the 1st boat channel.  It was pretty much dead in CIB except for a few pike.  Dad called me and informed me it was Ruby's day, so I dropped Jaimen off and headed in.

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3/1, 17.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

8:00-9:45PM NPBI, Access Across
78-84℉, PC, 0-3mph NW
83℉ Low

Due to the rents going to Pierz I got a late start tonight. I missed a couple topwater hits and a couple hits on the craw tube catching one little bass on the Craw Tube. I then went across from the Access in Platte.  There was a net set out there beyond the reeds. I went to the shallow edge of the cane. There was baitfish activity, but I was disappointed in the bite.  I got one dink on the craw tube and a 14-incher and the 17.25" on Bobby's Perfect. I also had a good fish miss the BP where I got the 17-incher.  I threw back with craw tube and had something that felt smaller pick it up that I had on for a few seconds before it came off.  The skeeters get pretty fierce around 9:45PM or so.

OK Evening On Both Lakes

1st Fish and the only picture I took tonight

6:15-9:15PM "THe dock", Rice E of GOMH, Intersection, NW Reeds
78-86℉, Mostly Cloudy, 2-5mph SW
80℉ Low

Tried out front to Jenny's Reeds missing one hit (Pike???) Then East of Jenny's down the lane getting nothing. I went across to the dock and got a dink and a 14-incher there. Not impressed I headed East of GOMH. Had one pike strike on the Sprinker and left for the Intersection. Had some bites where the school was and further down on the R/R line. I then went and tried the NW reeds and didn't get a hit, so I went back to the Intersection. I got a couple pike and bass on the NE R/R Line.  I just ran out of energy after the bites stopped at 9PM and headed in early.

OK Morning/Ok to Trainwreck In the Evening

6:00-10:30AM NPBI, SPSI, Intersection, Channel Inn Bay
80-65℉, PC, 0-2mph S variable
84℉ Low

I started at NPBI, and nothing.  Then I went to the reeds East of SPSI, but nothing.  I went to SPSI and got one small bass there on the craw tube.  With it not happening in Platte I headed to the point at the Intersection. I think I got a pike there. Then I ran the R/R line on the Westside. I got a couple bass in the boat then ran into a small school of 2lbers at the log. I lost a Big Sexy to a small pike in the sparse rice pocket. I doubled back and got a couple more bass over by the log. I then headed to Channel Inn Bay and talked with Jaimen. Shortly after talking with him, I got a dink.  A fish hit me so hard it shocked me up by the boat channel so I didn't get a good hookset, which cost me the best bite of the morning. I did get a couple more fish as I worked the rice to the North. The fish had pretty much shut off by the time I quit.  A good morning trip.


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7:30-9:30PM Channel Inn Bay
80-87℉, PC, Calm
83℉ Low

Started off good with a fish missing the Sprinker on the first cast. A few casts later and I had a bass in the boat on the Sprinker. I switched to the Craw Tube and got another bass and a pike.  Then I missed my next 6 or 7 bites.  Finally, I righted the ship when I hooked the 18-incher the third time it hit.  Then I was back to a train wreck losing my last three bites as I worked the rice to the South culminating in a backlash that cut my line at the spool, but got caught in it somehow.  I didn't get it loose until I brought it home.  The fireworks display was pretty good this year. It freaked me out a little bit as one of the West Point Cabin's was shooting their stuff off over the lake when I drove by. 

Morning And Evening With Todd

8" Craw Tube (Junebug)

18.5" Craw Tube (JUnebug)

5:30-9:00AM SPSI, Intersection
80-74℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm
76℉ Low

The Loons were fishing in front of the dock this morning

Started at the NPBI didn't get a thing. Then we went to SPBI and we missed some bites. I lost a decent fish that blew up something over the flat letting me know it was there. It took the SBKO, but I didn't get a good hookset. I rolled the fish and it got off, bummer.  Finally, I got us on the board with a 13-incher at the SPSI on the orange SBKO. I then caught that dinner plate pumpkinseed; I could not believe it was only 8-inches. Then I got the 18-incher on the craw tube as well.  That was it for the SPSI. I tried my honey hole East of GOMH and wouldn't you know the fish had abandoned it.  With that, I made the call to go to Sullivan to the Intersection. I think Todd got a pike and a bass off of the Point and I got a bass in the reeds. Then we worked down the SW side reed/rice line then went in shallow working South. Todd missed a couple of good bites when we were on the R/R line and missed a couple bites in the shallow rice as well. I think I got a couple of bass in the reeds as we worked South.  I got the final bite of the morning as we entered the boat line along the reed line.
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7:00-9:30PM Melon Patch (Dud), West Access Flat, Intersection
78-87℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm

Tried the Melon Patch and it was a dud. No activity. At the west Access Flat Todd jumped off a small bass and got a pike on the Sprinker. I had a pike hit the Horny Toad and the SBKO.  We decided to head to the Intersection. I couldn't go where I wanted because there was a pontoon with people swimming there.  So we went to the point. Todd got a pike there. The pontoon left so we went to where I wanted to start. I had a bass miss my frog.  It missed Todd's several times, but finally got it. I think I got two bass running that rice line and two in the reeds off of the East Point of the Intersection.