Sully Scouting with the Aqua-Vu

  

9:00-10:40 AM Sullivan Lake

24-36℉, Cloudy, 8-25mph

I went to the NW Access in Sullivan. It was about 36 degrees out. I had plenty of water in the Fish Trap, but no way to get it out. I wasted some time trying. I then went over to Jaimen's Corner and drilled holes from deeper to shallower.  I then started in the deepest hole with the Aqua-Vu. I didn't see any life, so I jigged the camera a couple of times on the bottom and that called in a decent-sized walleye. I then scoped the rest of the holes with Aqua Vu. I didn't have any confidence in a single walleye sighting, so I kept covering ground and checking holes with Aqua-Vu. I did that until I started getting cold and the wind came up. With the cold front and heavy winds moving in, I called it a day.  I never did open the rod case to fish. I'm amazed, I only saw one fish. I worked the break and weedline, also the break with rubble.

Erskine Ice and Snow

  

1st trip with Little Buddy Heater

2:45-6:30 PM Erskine Lake 12'

5-18℉, Cloudy/Snow, 6-16mph WNW

There were a couple of trucks at the Access. One had a snowmobile trailer, the other was a pike hunter. The guys with the snowmobile trailer helped me load up in the snow. I went out toward the area where the guy this Spring said he got into a school of bass, which was beyond where the guy with the snowmobile set up. I drilled four holes over about a seventy-yard stretch, then went back and looked with the camera for signs of life. There was only 3 to 4 feet of visibility with the camera, quite a bit of suspended sediment. I saw one small perch in the second hole and a couple of sunfish in the 4th hole, so I set up shop. The Little Buddy fired right up. It wasn't as warm as I expected it to be. I caught a bunch of small perch and saw a crappie or two on the camera, possibly a walleye as well. As it got dark, I caught some small crappies and missed a few as well. It started snowing. Thankfully, the guys with the snowmobile didn't take off, so I had their truck lights to guide me back to the access. They helped me get the smitty up the hill. We talked about the area lakes. They were not really familiar with this area.

4Crip

19YP  

Final Fish of 2024 Is A Walleye From the Jetty

 

11:00-12:00am Eddy's Jetty

Low 40's, a little ripple on the water

I got to the Jetty much later than I wanted. I started at the N Harbor Mouth and threw the Rippin Rap first, then this X-Rap Shad Shallow, and thought maybe I got a bite. The first cast with the Ultimate Jerk Shad was fish on. 24.75" fat eye. That was the only bite I got. It would have been nice if I would have had more time. This was my last bite of 2024.

Pre-Fishing Little Boy/Wabedo with Snatcher Chuck

28" Dark Sleeper (Haze)

 

Snatcher Chuck 

He gave me a tutorial on boat flipping a 4lber

58-78℉, Sunny, 2-10mph WNW

Water Temp: High 60's low 70's

Nate's report to Chuck had us pretty jazzed up to get on 'em, but fishing was tough for us. We started in Little Boy looking for smallies. Chuck caught one little keeper and a rock bass on a Ned. We then went to Wabedo. I had a small pike follow on the Dangerous Swimbait . Chuck got a good keeper largemouth in some pads and a small larry on a point on a Senko. We didn't see much life in Wabedo, so we went back to Little Boy. Chuck got a couple of Larry's in the reeds with cabbage. He then raised a couple of good ones and we saw another on docks.  We then fished on a weed flat in the wind as it was building and I got the big walleye as Chuck had just said I needed to catch something so we could get out of the wind. We went to the Western shore and I had a pretty good blow-up on a frog, no hooks; That was the only blow-up I got.  We tried a couple other places and didn't get anything, so we called it a day. It was a nice day to be on the water even if the fish were stingy.

Me: 1Eye

Chuck: 1SMB, 8LMB, 1Rocky

2024 MN Opener At Eddy's

Setting the scene

 

Northern Lights Looking towards Indian Point

Northern Lights Looking South from our place when I got home

1st Fish of the 24 Season

5th Eye of the night

12:00-2:45AM Eddy's Jetty Mille Lacs Lake

43℉, Clear Sky w/ Northern Lights, 1-3mph W light ripple

I arrived at the Jetty around 11:30PM. The Northern Lights had a lot of watchers on the frontage road, but nobody came to fish the Jetty. There was a light ripple on the water. I started with a Minnesota Rig for my first 5 casts. Not a solid plan. After a fishless first 10 minutes, I switched to a Grass Pig and had a fish pull it halfway off the jig on the first cast. I may have missed another bite about 10 minutes later. I spent 45 minutes in the North Corner before giving the Harbor Mouth a try. 

At about 1 am, the Northern Lights got much brighter over the lake, and a baitfish got blasted just to the S of the Center Standing Rock. I quickly made my way to that spot. I turned on my headlamp and saw the fish, so I turned the headlamp off. I then cast about 20' past, where I saw the fish with the Jerk Shad, and it hit on the very first cast, bazinga! It was about 18." I caught 3 more at the Center Standing Rock in the next 20 minutes. I got my final bite of the night at the Old North Corner Standing Spot on the Jerk Shad. I foolishly decided 5 fish was enough and started trying other things. A couple other guys showed up with a boat at 2 am. The guy that went to Center Jetty got a fish quickly. His buddy showed up about 15 minutes later and caught a walleye as I was packing up. He was fishing off the N Harbor Mouth. The NL were really bright from W to E in the southern sky as I made my way home. I took a picture when I got home. Successful opening trip.

5Eyes 

Last Open Water Fish of 2023

 9:30-11:40PM Eddy's Jetty 

41-56℉, Clear, 1-3mph SW

4' of visibility

Slight ripple on the water, but no wave action to speak of. Eyeballs would follow my lure, but not hit. Only got the one-biter and two bumps; one at Pete's and one at the N Corner on my first cast with a Jerk Shad There was a boat or two at Indian Point. Spotted at least 6 different sets of eyeballs either at the North Corner or N Harbor Mouth.

1Eye 

An Eye And A Pike Tonight

 8:20-10:30 PM North Corner and Harbor Mouth 

38-40℉, Cloudy turning PC, 8-18mph NW

I had something on big Agent E for a few seconds about 5 minutes into fishing at the Harbor Mouth. I think a little over an hour in as the skies were starting to clear I got the eye at the N Corner Standing Boulder. Unfortunately, the headlamp battery was low. I didn't realize I had one in the tackle bag.  I had something hit the Jerk shad and not hook up at Pete's Rock. The wind picked up and I was just about ready to quit when I had the pike hit the X-Rap Shad at the Harbor Mouth. As I was pulling it up on the rocks it pulled off, so I didn't get a picture. It was decent sized, maybe 27, but not a giant. I decided to call it a night.

1Eye 1Pike 

4lber Tonight/17lb Bag

 

4:00-7:00 PM SPSI, PT/Flat, SE Reeds, Jaimen's Inside Turn

48-55℉, PC, 2-4mph S

Water Temp: 52℉ moderate visibility

After helping Todd get the pontoon lift to shore I went out. Stopped at SPSI first and had the Misson Spinnerbait get bit off. Then I went to Pt/Flat and got one 2lb bass. Then I went to SE Reeds getting a couple of pike and a 3lber on the back side when I switched to the Big Blade Chatter. Then I went directly to Jaimen's and got a 4lber along the reed edge and good pike at the Inside Turn. I decided to back to the Pt/Flat. Finished with a 4lber (3.75) at the Reed Pt in the dark. Shined one eye and pike at the bridge. Chatter was the deal. 

8Bass 

6Pike 

One Eye At Eddy's Tonight

Lucky to pull the line snag free

20" X-Rap Shad Shallow (Chart/Org Belly)

9:45-11:50 PM N Jetty Harbor Mouth and S. Jetty

46-55℉, PC, 3-5mph NNW

Not much visibility it was a windy day, but had calmed down considerably by the time I arrived

Lost a bite on the Firetiger X-Rap Shad Shallow at the Harbor Mouth, immediately switched to Hot Steel, and was rewarded with a keeper. I got careless when landing the fish and got really lucky the X-Rap glanced off my jacket rather than stuck me. Lost a fish about 15 minutes later on a Clown X-Rap 10 while standing at Pete's. That was my last bite. Basically, the wind went from 5-10 to 2-5mph and I  think it killed the bite.  I ended at the South Jetty. Sketchy getting to my spot there because it drops so far and my legs down work great.

1 Eye 

 

Skunked At Eddy's

 8:00-10:00 PM North Jetty

43-46℉, Cloudy to PC, 3-8mph SSW

Skunked (Shined a good fish at the North Corner on my way out. Also, I later shined quality fish at the Harbor Mouth and Standing rock. Had a few fish follow and even get right up on me, but I didn't feel a hit except right away on the Dark Sleeper, and that was just a tail bite. There were quite a few little guys swimming around at the harbor mouth and in the shallow north. Was pretty still. Something got busted beyond casting range at the Harbor mouth and maybe something as well at the North Corner, but it may have been a muskrat or otter. I was up toward the harbor mouth. I decided not to try the South Jetty because a SUV pulled up and parked over there and was shining the water in by shore.)

Bass Snatchers South Long

  

Beau Won (16/14) and Got Lunker (3/15)

Mr. Bass 2022, Snatcher Fields

Conditions: Overcast temps 61-50℉, Wind 3-8mph ESE

The Day: We were the last boat out, and the first boat out went right to where my boater, Snatcher Fields, wanted to start. It seemed like 75% of the field went to the same general area to the NE of the narrows. We joined the scrum on the Eastern edge of the line of boats. Nothing on starting spot, so we headed up the lake to an area where we found a school during pre-fish. Chuck got a keeper in the boat. I think I got a pike, then lost a keeper and one that looked like it wouldn't go 12-inches. I got a walleye down the way a little bit. Ran some docks, but nothing. It was an extremely slow morning for us. We \went back to the starting spot and got an 11-incher. Ran back up the lake to a calm weedline. Finally got a keeper in the boat on the big Bubble Walker. Ran down to Bill Bongs Challenge Cup Starting Spot and got another keeper that took the LiveTarget Wake Gill. Chuck put several fish in the boat in short order, then culled with a couple of good 3lber in the cane. Game Over for Mr. Bass 2022. I got my 3lber out along the weed line out from the cane. We ended up back where I got my first keeper. I got my 4th keeper right before we were going to move on a spinnerbait. We went back to the starting area. I caught a short and a small keeper on the spinner bait. Went back up to Bongs Starting Spot. Got bit off twice with jigs and caught several pike on the spinnerbait. Had the craw tube get a bit off. Chuck caught a couple that didn't help and culled once or twice with minor upgrades, and then the day was over.

Results:  My fish weighed 10/09, which put me in 14th Place (2nd to Last Place). Beau Bacon won it with 16/14 and got Lunker with a 3/15. 2nd went to Snatcher Czech (14/11), who showed his face for the first time this season. And 3rd Place went, and Co-Angler Cash went to Snatcher Sarah.

My Thoughts: At long last, I finally got paired with Chuck Fields, and it was cool to do it when he clinched his second  Baxter Bass Snatcher Mr. Bass title. He accomplished the feat back in 1994. This was the first complete season he has fished with the club since winning it in '94. As for the fishing, I figured there was no way, under those conditions, I wouldn't be able to get a limit of keepers in the boat. Besides a half-hour window when Chuck caught most of his weight, it was really slow for us. Unfortunately, I didn't get any bites fishing on the bottom during that window, and when we returned to the spot, the pike had moved in. Whatcha gonna do? It just wasn't my year.  

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

Golden Bullhead On Windy Cool Evening

Chaha oaked it!

21.5" Swim Shad/Minnow

7:30-8:40PM GOMH SW

40℉, Cloudy light rain when I left, 10-15mph NNE 

Water Level Normal High rising

Pete decided not to show up. Smart choice. I got the one bite and bullhead at about 8PM on the 2" Swim Shad with a dead crappie minnow. Totally choked it. I had long johns on, but my feet still got cold. When it started to sprinkle I bounced.

 

Final Open Water Fish of 2021

16.5" Jerk Shad (Tomato)

7:00-8:50PM South Jetty, North Corner

35℉, Cloudy, 1-3mph SE 

Started on the South Jetty, no action. On the North Jetty spotted one fish and caught it.  MY heart wasn't in so I packed up shortly after letting it go. This was my final trip of the 2021 Open Water Season.

 

Got Calm With Steve

The activity lasted a bit longer than usual tonight

Chunky 15-incher

5:30-7PM LSB, NPBI, F Flat

Water Temp: 45-47℉
 

5lber Landed, Dock In, Eye Caught One at Eddy's

5.02lbs Jackhammer/Devil Jr (FC)

Last Trip Todd Got a Bass

I think this was the eve of the Deer Opener.  Steve, Todd, and I pulled the dock out then Todd and I went fishing. I got the 5lber in LSB Northside where I has been getting fish. Todd got a couple of bass on the Jackhammer at SPSI and NPBI. We ended on F Flat chasing activity. I think we got a couple of pike.

22.25" Rage Swimmer

 I fished at Eddy's from 10:00 to midnight. Got one bite at the South Jetty it choked the Rage Swimmer. Shined only 1 fish.
 

Bassin' and Ballin'

3.26lbs Jackhammer/Devil Spear Jr. (Orange)

5:20-6:50PM F Flat, NPBI, SPSI 

50-60℉, Sunny, 3-12mph WNW
Water: 51-53 Very Low Falling

I headed to F-Flat to start. Didn't get a bite, so I headed to the North Point of the big Island. I got 3 bass there, the last of which was the 3lber. I headed to the South Point of the Small Island with that success, where I got one bass and a pike. A  duck hunter hit bottom with his motor cutting across the point up by the reeds. There were several boats out fishing tonight. It was windy to start but calmed down significantly by the time I ran South.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

26" Rippin Rap (Chrome/Blue)

19" Grass Pig (Swamp Gas)

10:00-12:00AM Eddy Jetty North North Corner and Pete's Spot

53-55℉, Clear, 2-4mph WNW

Saw more eyeballs tonight than last night. Sight fished at the North Corner to start. Had a fish hit the clown X-Rap but did not hook up. Caught the pike throwing off of the big standing rock on a Rippin Rap around 10:30. Had a fish in briefly at Pete's Spot around 11:20 or so. Finally had a walleye engulf the Grass Pig on a Outkast Goldeye Jig at 11:35 or so. That was my last bite. Had three boats take out tonight. They said the eye's were biting light.