One Jumpin' Bullhead In Two Trips(3/24/26)

 

4:30-5:00 PM GOMH SW 

6:30-8:30 PM GOMH NE SW

50-54℉, PC Cloudy, 0-6mph ENE

First Trip:

Mom ate a late lunch, so she didn't want pizza until after 5:30, so I took an early trip. Quite a few black and white ducks when I arrived, and some Canadian Geese as well.  Most of the ducks flew away when I opened the tailgate. I didn't get any bites and lost the Mepps Spinner when I got hung up.

Second Trip:

I started on the NE side. Ashley's mom was out playing with Stella. No bites, so I quickly headed to the SW side. After about 25 minutes, I got my only bite of the evening. A 2.5lb jumpin bullhead on the Chatterbait. A couple of Canadians eventually showed up. A few Canadians, swans, and ducks flew around tonight. A couple of ducks stopped briefly. I fished until after dark. I didn't spot anything shining. Stella was out barking at me when I was loading the car and shining. Temps and wind were not bad for how I was dressed. If it had been more windy, I would not have stayed as long as I did.

1 Jump

4/10 Silver Season Begins, Rock Dock Not In

 

10.5" BT Demon/Minnow

Not Today

6:30-7:00 PM Rock Lake

7:30-11:30 PM GOMH NE, SE, SW

35-40℉, Cloudy/PC, Calm

Water Low

It was a cooler-than-forecast day with some drizzle.

I got to the Rock access and realised I had forgotten to put the minnows in the car, buzzkill; I was not a happy camper. I fished until 7PM, then headed home to get the minnows. Rock Dock not in.

I got the minnows, then immediately headed back North. A guy and gal were fishing on the SW side and bridge when I got there. He said he hadn't caught anything. I fished on the NE side for maybe 15 minutes, then switched to the SE side. He caught a nice jumpin bullhead. I was going to switch to my lighted bobber rod when the first silver bullhead of 2025 showed up (10.75). I did switch to the lighted bobber rod. They left at maybe 8:30. I texted Peter W a little after 9 PM after I missed a bite. Shortly after that, I caught fish number 2, just as I was going to switch to the SW sides. Peter showed up by 9:30. I caught my last fish of the night about a half hour after Peter arrived. I struggled to detect bites between my wonky bobber and the light bites.  At about 10:45, I switched to the SW side with Peter. He left a little after 11. I planned to call it quits at 11:30 PM if I didn't get any more bites. Right before 11:30, I put a cast to close to the Beaver Dam and got hung up. I got my lighted bobber back but broke off the Glow Demon. I did 6 laps and didn't get out of there until 1 AM. It was getting foggy. I didn't shine anything. When I was fishing on the SW side after Peter left, I had a muskrat beelining for my lighted bobber from the south. I could see it coming because of the bright moonlight.  I reeled up, and it just kept the same coarse after lighted bobber until. I reeled up all the way, and only then did it give up on its quest to get that glowing red thing.

3Crip 

MN Opener Morning GOMH & Short Trophy Trip

 

4:35-5:40AM GOMH NE

43-52℉, MS, 0-2mph

Water Level: High and Rising, Temp: 58℉

I should have left 10 minutes earlier. The truck driving North in front of me was headed to the GOMH as well but, thankfully, didn't pull a U-turn at the bridge. I saw they were coming back, so I quickly grabbed two rods and the tackle bag and headed down to the untaken SE side. Wheel House Guy was already there on the SW. I got a bite on my second cast, but it got off quickly. That is what I get for leading with the swimbait instead of a jerkbait. I did switch to the UJShad and had a fish on briefly, but it felt very gator-like on the hit. I had a couple of bumps, and as it was getting light out, I had a jumper get off. I finally got two small jumpers on the Jerk Shad and headed for the Trophy as the first boat from Platte approached.

2 Jump

6:40-7:45AM Sullivan River Mouth, River & SW SPRO

54-59℉, M Sunny, 0-4mph W

With the pre-sets from last night so I was able to make a quick transition to the boat. I left the rods that were in the boat house in the boat house. 3 or 4 boats were fishing Platte. Only a couple on the North End of Sully. I started at the River Mouth. Nothing on the KO Shower Blows, so I went to an EVO Chatter. Lost a good feeling fish, then a good'n at the boat. I then caught a small pike. I got bit off. In the river, I had some good bites on the SBKO but only caught the small ones. I believe I was the first person to fish the river mouth. For the final 20 minutes, I ran the SWSPRO, getting the biggest fish of the morning, and missed a couple more good ones on the SBKO. It was a short trip because I needed to have the car back home.

7Bass 

3Pike 

 

Skunked In the Morning/Some Bullheads In The Evening

 

6:45-8:30 AM GOMH SW

33-34℉, PC, 0-3mph W

Water Low and falling

I got minnows at Bear Trax then headed to the GOMH. I only got one bite that didn't hook up later in the morning. Nice sunrise and the red wings were singing away. Some swan and eagle flybys. Disappointing trip.

6:45-9:15 PM GOMH SW & NE

48℉, Cloudy, 10-15mph SW

I had just arrived when Lantern Man's son and two buddies showed up. The wind was hellacious but fishable. I missed one jumper on a jig. Brett moved over to the SW side with me. His buddy on the SE side got a gator. A couple of minutes after that I got a jumper and then Brett lost a 3 to 4lb jumper. Then a long lull. Lighted bobbers came out. Brett missed one bite. I headed to the NE side just as Lantern Man arrived. I didn't get anything. I put my stuff in the car, then went to talk with the crew. Kyle on the SE side got the first silver. Lantern Man got two and Brett missed a bite or two. I had enough of the wind and left at about 9:40. Those were the only three silvers they got.

2Jump 

Fishing With Pops and Peter At The GOMH

 

Dad took me to the bridge as I had the ICD replaced today. Peter W was there along with a dead dear on the NE side. We started on the North, but the wind was too much. I got a jumper. Dad had two small jumpers jump him off. Peter got a few oranges and small jumpers. Peter left. Dad went to the car. I tried the NE side again and had a couple of gator hits and had a jumper jump off in the tube. On the way home Dad just missed a small deer. It may just be that the pain medication wore off, but I regretted my decision to go as the pain level increased a bit after I got home. I will now be taking it easy for a couple of days and heal.

Papa: 2Jump 

Me: 2Jump 1Pike 

Double Extended Trip At The GOMH

 

19.5" Rocket Shad

3:00-7:45PM GOMH SW

48-51℉, Cloudy some drizzle, 5-10mph NE

Water is very high falling

Todd dropped off the pontoon today. I went to the lake place and got a rake and a landing net. I cleared some dead fish and slop before fishing. Somebody had a minnow trap hanging from the SW corner of the culvert. I got a couple of 4lb jumpin' bullheads to start. A mom and gram showed up with two boys to teach them magnet fishing. They each caught something. After they left, some teens showed up. I broke off the Wing It Bobber rig about a yard above the bobber when I was fighting a fish that felt like a panfish. I saw the bobber and caught the rig on my first cast; it was out there quite a way. The teens applauded me when I landed a 3lb jumper. They left. Federal Ammo Dave showed up with his posse and started on the N bridge. I got a couple of Gator Bullheads and lost a big Orange Bullhead that I thought was a bass by the way it pulled; the big gill dove under a small dead dogfish and into the cattails and got off. Dave's posse came to the S side of the bridge as it started to rumble in the distance. One of Dave's guys got a silver as I was packing up. I was gone before it began to rain. I shot my report video when I got home from the car in the rain. It was a short storm. The power went off at the lake place. I noticed on the radar that the heavy stuff missed us but bullseyed on P/S.

1st Bullhead of 2023

 

Bullhead

8:00-9:40PM GOMH SW

53-59℉ , MC,  0-4mph NE

I started by driving the lakes. Ice is still on Platte 25%, Rock 80%, and Bulldog 65%. Ice at the Platte Access. Arrived at the GOMH, a guy was looking at the fish kill. A bunch of floaters today. He told me about the kill in the 90s and how bad it stunk. I went down and fished the SW side. Somebody came by and told me the reason they didn't get the aerator in was no volunteers. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, didn't and now it's dead fish under the bridge; a bunch of sunfish, a few bass and pike. I fished for maybe half an hour and bounced to see what was going on at the Lake Place. Just saw a dead bass, pike, and sunny. No bites. I went back to the bridge. I got a bite, and it ran towards me and got off. 90% sure it was a Gator. About 10 minutes later, I snagged the jumper in the Pelvic fin. I stayed until after dark, hoping Silver might play, but all I saw was some baitfish.

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

MN Opener 2022

 Skunked (Some natives were fishing at the North Jetty when I arrived at 11:30PM and not getting anything. One small eye was swimming around and a boat was out bobber fishing and I think getting fish. I quickly bailed on the North Jetty for the South as some guys with a boat set up on Center Jetty. A little bit of activity on South, but nothing close in so I could track with the fish. I texted Brett and he told me they hammered 'em at the GOMH. I bailed at 2:15 am. I stopped at Kathio Bridge and listened to loons calling.) 

GOMH:

Skunked (Nobody was there when I arrived just after 4AM. Put on the rubbers and headed down on the NE side. WHG showed up as I was getting settled. There was a lot of baitfish activity, but I couldn't buy a bite. Made the executive decision to head to the Trophy at 4:30 AM)

First Legal Bass of 2022 Mini-Max (Fire Craw)

Big Bass of the Day at the GOMH

(Skies looked dark but I sent it anyway. Hit something as I was steaming toward the small Island. The motor sputtered but didn't lose much speed. Got to the River Mouth; first and only boat. Got a 10" on the Mini-Max. Started getting some fish on the SBKO. As the front approached I missed 7 or 8 bites. The front passed only raining for a couple of minutes. Got fish on jerks, chatters, craw tubes, paddletails. Seems like I would get a couple of fish then need to switch up. Wasn't real efficient with my business. The sun came out and wind came up out of the South. I made my way across the SPRO, but it was really blowing so I called it a morning.)

20Bass 3Pike 

 (Stopped at the GOMH on my way home. Nobody was there so I headed down with 3 rods. Craw tube got bit off before I could catch anything on it. Had multiple hits on the the craw, Grass Pig, and a couple of Chatters. Fish just not getting it good today. Had a lot of misses in the boat. Got my biggest of the morning in the Pirahana 2, but left the scale at the lake. Mother nature called so I bounced.)

3 Jump

(4 Rods with me, 5 casts per rod on the SW side with a few bonus casts resulted in 7 jumpers before I headed to the lake place as Todd was finishing up with the dock decking.)

7Jump 

Todd's first bass of 2022, 1st fish was a pike

 (Todd started off on fire at the River Mouth. I talked to Chuck Steinbauer who is coming down to fish P/S tomorrow. We worked our way East into Platte. Nothing was going on in CIB other than at the dock just beyond the Abrahamson's where Todd got a 3lber. So I jumped us back to the river mouth after nothing at the juice. We got a few more bass. Good trip. Todd was headed home before I was done loading the boat.)

Todd: 15Bass 1Pike, Me:12 Bass

Todd: 15Bass 1Pike

Me: 42 Bass 3 Pike

Total Fish: 57 Bass 4 Pike

Short Mid-Morning And Long Evening GOMH Trip

10:00-10:30AM GOMH 
53℉, Sunny, 3mph E

1 JUmp (Just a quick trip to see if anything was happening. It wasn't. Hopefully, I'll have the Trophy in Platte tonight.) 

5:30-11:30PM GOMH NE SW

63-71℉, Sunny, 0-6mph ESE

Another guy arrived a little before me and took the SW side. Amazingly no boats when I arrived. The other guy got one jumper about 45 minutes in. Shortly after that, Lantern Man Son and Kyle showed up. I gave them the SE and went to the NE side. Two dudes showed up and fished off the N bridge. I caught a small toothy. I had a bigger one follow me in. I started seeing baitfish activity. Got more toothys and a few jumpers as well. One of the Jumpers buried me in the shore weeds, but thankfully Dock Guy had rubber boots and a net and was able to net the 2.5lber. The bald dude finished the shore East of GOMH and got one silver. I got into three oranges, and then some wind came up. Got a couple more toothy and jumpers. I went to get my sweatshirt and hoodie, which were on the SE side, with Brett. And behold, Drinkin Dave was up on the bridge fishing, sober. So we talked for about 10 minutes. When I finally returned to the NE side, Dock Guy and his dad had left. I didn't get any bites, and the guy who was there when I arrived left, so I went and joined Kyle on the SW side. We both got a couple of silvers, and Brett got 3 or 4. We called it a night after 11 PM. Wild beat the Blues 3-0 and are now up 2-1 in the series.

GOMH Morning, GOMH & Rock Afternoon, Back @ GOMH To Close Night Out

5.04lbs/20.5" Terminator Jig/Craw Tube (White)
Evening @ GOMH

4.50lber THE Jig/minnow
Morning @ the GOMH

Silver for the family from Brainerd

I was at the GOMH prior to sunrise. Nothing going on to start. Got a few jumpers including the 4 and a toothy. 

In the afternoon I stopped at the GOMH first, no silvers only jumpers. Stopped at Bear Trax and got minnows. Got the Trophy hooked up and headed to Rock. There was some activity in the Platte River Outlet Bay, but I didn't catch anything. I saw one pike and missed a couple of bites. There were carp up super shallow making a fuss. Nothing at the Beaver Dam so I beelined for the access. A guy and his bud were test running the guy's small fishing boat. The guy held the Trophy while I got the truck and then cranked it up when I drove it on. I dropped the Trophy off at the Lake Place then headed to the GOMH.

Nobody was there when I arrived. Caught 2 jumpers immediately including the 5lber that was 20.5. Some friends or family of Skibidi showed up and took the SE side. A family with a teen daughter and young son showed up and fished the SW bridge. The daughter is on the Brainerd Fishing Team. Skibidi joined his group. A few jumpers were caught as were a few silvers once it got dark. Had a 3lb jumper take me to the catails but I got her out. LM showed up about 8:15. SE side did better than the SW. I caught 5 quick silvers when I switched to the Cubby. I gave them to the dad. Called it a night at 10 PM. LM was the last one standing as the Skibidi clan left when I did.

 

Good Night at The GOMH Catching Bullheads

 

Bullhead Bullhead

Lantern Man's 2nd 14-incher of the night

12" THE Jig (Glow/Pink)

17.5" Cubby/minnow (Glow)

Hunting Pack of Pelicans

5:00PM-Midnight GOMH SW SE

41-59℉, cloudy clearing late, 0-4mph 

Water high and rising

1st person there tonight took the SW corner. I got done stretching than an old-timer named Richard S. stopped, and we talked for 10 minutes. He didn't have any minnows, so he left. Think I got 3 small jumpers before a friend of LM showed up and took the SE side. I got a few more jumpers and a toothy on the Swim Shad after I caught a weed right away on the previous cast and spooked it. Some guys fished on the NE side for about 20 minutes. LM showed up around 7:30. His son was on his way. Skibidi showed up and joined the guy on the SE side.

We all got a few bass. Brett showed up and caught some jumpers. We watched several groups of pelicans fly in and land. We got to see them hunt and start a feeding frenzy. I missed my first two silvers. They started catching them on the other side. LM's wife showed up while I was missing those first two. As it got dark, the action picked up but not as fast as last night. Beautiful night. LM got two 14s, and Brett got a 14.25" as well. The SE vacated after 10PM. Brett started getting smaller ones. I went to the SE side. and they kept catching fish. I got a 9" and missed a couple of bites. They left at 11 PM. I didn't care for the current, practically to the cattails. I got a 14" bullhead and headed back to the SW side. I Got two more silvers, and my last bite was a 17.5" jumper with melanated spots. I stopped fishing a bit after midnight. The sky was clear when I left. A lot of loon chatter after 11PM, and I heard an owl as I was packing up

3 Trips to the GOMH On the 3rd

14" 

Egret on Eagle Perch Point

Morning Bullhead

 The first trip was an attempt to get the bobber light that fell off when I set the hook on my last silver last night. Had the light on the shovel and would have gotten it except for that dang tree I was bringing up with it. Didn't get any bites.

Took a sunrise trip: 

Slow, but I got bullheads, so I can't complain. They wanted meat, and I used up my last 3 minnows. Had a 3-pounda bury me in the cattails when John W. stopped. I Got visited by a guy who was out yesterday afternoon getting a few big jumpers. Left at 8 AM to get the car back

5:00-9:45PM GOMH SW

32-52℉, Sunny, 3-8mph NE

Dead for the first hour, Ruh-roh. Then I got a couple of quick jumpers. Nice, a sign of life. Dock Guy showed up. Had two C-130 roar in at just above treetop level. It was incredible. Started to see activity on the surface and caught a few more jumpers. Skibidi showed up. Lantern Man showed up and came down by me on the SW side. He had minnows from Prince's. He started getting silvers almost immediately and offered to let me use his minnows which I accepted. I got a 13 and then a 14-inch crappie on THE Jig. LM got a 14.25. LM caught the fire out of them. I texted LMS and diddled while the fish were AWWWWWWN!. They were getting a few on the SE side. LM had his limit by 8:45 PM. He gave me a scoop of minnows and left. I caught a couple more fish, and then they shut down at 9:15. I called it a night when my minnow came off at 9:45 PM.

Bullheads Moved In And So Did Others

 

12" Cubby/Minnow

7:30-11:45PM Rock, Bulldog, GOMH SW

42-47℉, PC, 2-5mph E
Water High rising

Nothing at Rock or Bulldog. 2 Cars at the GOMH when I arrived at sunset. The guy on the SE side, who I'll call Skibidi 3 jumpers. The guy on the SW side, who I'll call Dock Guy 3, jump 1 tooth. Dock Guy has a beautiful German shepherd that was interested in some swans that were hanging close. I went on the NE side in the wind, which was fairly light. Nothing. I heard some splashing. After putting on a lighted bobber, I decided to fish on the bridge. S. Dock Guy didn't have a headlamp and was ready to go. He had one silver, and Skibidi had 3 silvers. Dock Guy and I talked for a while while I fished. His car was stolen and driven into Redd's Gas Station in Pierz. Skibidi caught a couple while we spoke. Dock Guy left. Skibidi missed fish and caught a couple more. I caught my first silver around 9:45 PM. Skibidi left around 10:20 PM just as I was catching a 12.25". I went and fished the Se side and couldn't buy a bite. I went back to the SW side. I was just about to call it quits at 11:45 PM when I got a bite. Caught the silver but lost the light on my bobber. I could see it glowing just beyond the weed canopy. Decided to head home and get rubbers and a shovel.

3 Silvers

1st Jumpin Bullhead of 2022

 

3.47lbs Panfish Chatterbait

Fatso? Don't Think So

33% of the way to SPSI

Ever so slight improvement at Bulldog

Went to the Chiropractor today. It was sunny until about 4PM.  Headed out before 7PM. Bulldog and Rock were about the same. Got my first jumper of the year. That was the only bite I got. Nobody at the GOMH but me. Guessing we are about a week out from Platte being open Tons of ducks flew over as I was packing up to go shine the channel.

Windy Cool Night at the GOMH

 Got one jumper. Fished from 8:45 to 9:30 or so. 2 Guys showed up when I did and they got the SW side. Thought with the wind blowing in the NE would be fire, but I only got the one fish.