Another Slabber Bullhead Night

14.75" BT Glow Demon/Minnow

 8:00-11:30 PM SW GOMH 

40-42℉, PC, 0-4mph WSW

Water Normal rising

I was amazed no one was at the Grumpy Old Man Hole tonight. 40m degrees isn't that cold and the winds were diminishing. I didn't get a bite for about an hour and about 10 minutes into fishing the lighted bobber. Missed my first two bites. There was an ultra-slow current into Sully tonight and all four of my fish came in the middle of the channel. They went 12.5",12.5",14.75",9" I thought the big one was only a 13-incher. I was amazed when it measured 14.75". I couldn't get the scale to read, but I'm pretty sure it weighed less than my PB. I think I probably got my last fish about 10PM. I didn't shine anything and did fish off the bridge and the SE side for about 15 minutes.

4 Crip 

12.5" Demon/minnow

Gator And Silver Bullheads

 

14" Cubby/minnow

Choked it

13" Demon/minnow

25.5 Swim Shad

Rock Dock Not In

6:30-7:45 AM GOMH SW

34℉, PC, 0-3mph NE

Water Low Falling

I got a bite in the current that got off. The very next cast was a small gator. I got one more 23" gator a while later. I think I had something pull down the bobber right before Dad called. Because of that, I ended up leaving a little later than planned. I did get the car back in time for Mom to get to her hair appointment in Pierz.

2 Gator

5:00-11:00PM SW NE GOMH, Rock & Bulldog, SW GOMH

48-53℉, PC, 0-3mph

First evening stop at the GOMH. Nobody came around. I got a 25.5" gator on my only bite on the SW side. I briefly fished the NE side and had a small gator swirl on me.

2 Gator

Rock & Bulldog

There was some really small baitfish shallow at Rock. Rock Dock is not in yet. A few swans flying around. I did briefly fish at Bulldog, before heading back to the GOMH. No life at Bulldog.

Back at the GOMH:

Nice pink sunset. I missed three hits on the dogfish tackle. I got out the lighted bobber and quickly caught a 14" Slabber Bullhead. A couple bullhead fishermen showed up and fished the N side. I was just about ready to head out at 9:45 pm when I finally got another bite. From that point on I got a bite every 5 to 10 minutes until I ran out of minnows. I got a 12.5" and a 13" going 3 for 8 on bites. I was a bit rusty.  Also, a bow fishing boat blinded me so I missed my final two hooksets. I could not get a bite on just a glow Cubby. When the Bow Fishing boat came around I put my sunglasses on. They headed back into Platte as I was packing up. I shined two golden bullheads on the Platte side and one bullhead in the rocks on the Sully side.

3 Slabber Bullheads

 

Two Trips, Got A Slabber Bully

1.49lbs/13.5" THE Jig/minnow

Loon during the late afternoon trip

Loon evening trip

4:30-6:00PM GOMH, Rock, Bulldog

I started at the GOMH. Nothing going on either side. Then I went to Rock, where I might have missed a bite. Rock Dock not in. Then to Bulldog, nothing.

7:40-9:45PM GOMH NW SW

36-38℉, Cloudy some sleet and light snow, 5-15mph W

I was not enthusiastic about my chances tonight, but ya never know. I started on the SW side and didn't get any bites. I took a few rods over to the NW side. I had a hit on the first cast with the rocket bobber. I ended up having a 15-inch jumper on a few casts later. It got off at the base of the rocks, which was good with me. I think I got a hit on the craw tube as well along the West side of the channel. It was starting to get dark, so I went back to the SW side. I had fished about half an hour and was about to hang it up for the night when I brought my bait in by the rocks, and sure enough, the bobber started moving off. I set the hook, and a long skinny ran me right into the cattails, and then my line broke, darn toothies. About ten minutes later, I was contemplating leaving again when the slabber bullhead hit. Then nothing for 15-minutes. I missed a bite. Cast back to the same spot and missed another bite. Cast back to the same spot, and I got an 11.75" silver.  I fished for another half hour or so and didn't get anything. I didn't see any fish with the spotlight.

I got my new Okeechobee Fats Tackle Bag Today. 

Slabber Bullhead And A Visit By CO Vang

1.56lbs/13" THE Jig/minnow(G/Pink)

2.50lbs/16" Rocket Shad

Loon where the Swans Were Yesterday

 7:00-10:00PM GOMH SW SE 

42℉, Cloudy sprinkles, 3-14mph NW

I checked to see if Rock Dock was in. It wasn't. Briefly fished at Bulldog, nothing. Then I emptied the water from the boat. The neighbor to the West dock is in but not the boat lift. I then arrived at the GOMH around 7PM. Caught the jumper right off the bat on a Strike King Rocket Shad, which is basically a heavy mettle Beatle Spin. I then had a fish pick up the white craw tube, but I pooched the hookset. Around 7:30PM CO Vang showed up to check my license. I told him what I had been catching and what I was fishing for. After he left, when I thought the crappies would start biting, I switched to the SE side and threw out THE Jig/minnow under a lighted bobber. On the second cast, the Slabber Bullhead choked THE Jig. A couple casts later, I got a 10-incher that I put in the bucket. There was a long lull, and Lantern Man showed up for the first time this year. I got a 12.75" shortly after he arrived, and he got a couple of good ones right away as well. The 12.75" was my final bite of the night. LM had 6 or 7 when I left, and he had released a couple of dinks. I gave him the 10-incher. His son should be coming up tomorrow.

Some Bullheads Were Caught Tonight

Lantern Man's Slabber Bullhead

8:30-10:30PM  GOMH SW
Conditions: 58-48℉, Partly Cloudy, Light NW turning calm, Water level is up another 6" and rising

12.25" Glow Demon & Minnow

After my early trip I didn't expect much.  In fact I almost didn't even go.  There were two guys fishing on the NW side when I arrived.  I went down on the SW side.  About the time I started fishing the guys switched to the SE side.  Never seen them before.  We didn't speak to each other.  I should have asked them if the had gotten anything. I had a couple bites on the Wildeye Swim Shad that didn't hook up.  The guys went back on the N side and it sounded like they might have caught a couple.  I switched to the Glow Demon and minnow with the lighted bobber.  I missed a bite, then got bit off.  Those guys left as Lantern Man arrived.  He went down on the SE side.  I caught a 10" silver, which LM didn't want.  I then got a small (20") toothy.  Then Lantern Man caught the slabber bullhead. It was 14.25" with the mouth open.  I caught the 12.25" and an 11.75" pretty quickly and thought it was going to be AWWWN, but that was it for me other than one missed hit.  Lantern Man missed one and caught one.  I called it a night at 10:30PM

Early Trip:

17"  Minnow on the Cubby Rod

4:30-5:00PM Rock Dock
5:15-5:30PM Bulldog
5:45-6:30PM GOMH NE SW

After being out only once in the previous five days I wanted to get a feel for what is going on at my shore spots.  First stop was the Rock Dock, where I got that block and lost one other bass.  Water was at normal level and still on the murky side  Then I went to Bulldog where the water is up more than the other lakes and also clearer.  No fish were around.  At the GOMH the water is almost getting to my standing spot on the NW side and almost to the base of the stairs on the SW side.  I don't know why I didn't take a picture.  I didn't have a bite at the GOMH on either side.  Nothing!  That's why I almost didn't go out.

I'm glad I did go out Lantern Man was out several of the nights I didn't go out, so I got to hear about how he did.  Also the moon was out, it will be full in a week.  It got calm and the loons were calling and owls were hooting. It also sounded like a deer fell in the lake or maybe it was that beaver making all that racket, who knows.

The fishing should get good again here pretty quick.

The Moon Poked Through And The Slabbers Came Out

13.5" Glow Demon & Minnow

3:30-7:30AM GOMH SW
Conditions: 39-36℉, Mostly Cloudy until the sun came up, NW Wind, water flowing into Sullivan

So the moon wasn't set to rise until after 1:15AM this morning.  I putzed around until a little after 3AM.  When I took the dogs out at about 2:40 I could see the moon through the clouds. When I got to the GOMH, the clouds had thickened up.  I decided to try the NE side first.  I spent maybe 20 minutes there and didn't get a bite.  I then went to the SW side and fished for about half an hour getting nothing.  I was just about to leave when the moon poked through the clouds.  The lighted bobber went down about 7 seconds later.

11.9" Glow Demon & Minnow

It was nearly a 12" slabber bullhead.  I decided to put it in the bucket and see if I could get more.  I then landed a 9.5" on pretty much my next cast.  I threw that bullhead back.  I had trouble getting the hook out of the roof of it's mouth and I bent the hook some.  I had another bite, but missed it; I believe because of the way the hook was bent.  I got the forceps out and got the hook situation straightened out.  The moon had disappeared by now.  I cast out to the sweet spot and the bobber went down again.  The fish was a true pig. I thought it might even have a shot at being a new personal best, but it came up .75 of an inch short of that at 13.5".   Still a really nice slab that was just to big to keep, so I released it.  I thought if I get a fish on the next cast I might be on to something.  Sure enough the bobber went under again.

13" Demon & Minnow

But just like that they either moved or quit biting.  About an hour later I had a quick two fish flurry (10.75, 12.25").  I kept the 12.25" sb.

16" Demon & Minnow

    The clouds cleared off to the South where the moon sits.  I had to warm up in the car for 10 minutes.  I got a couple nice jumpin' bullheads and then the sun came up.  Everything quit biting by 6:30AM.  I stayed until 7:30AM.  I forgot my sunglasses at home, but at least I had the Strike King ball cap in the car.  The sun was also high enough in the sky that I wasn't totally blinded as I headed East.

4 Silver Slabbers
2 Silvers
2 jumpers

Slabber Bullhead & Pete Shows Up

13" Slabber Bullhead Cubby Mini-Mite w/minnow 

8:15PM-12:45AM
Conditions- Warm (74), clear turning partly to mostly cloudy with some sprinkles, no wind to kind of breezy out of the W, SW.  Full Moon

Pete called me and I thought maybe it was 5 o'clock or so.  It was 7PM.  He wanted to meet me at the GOMH at 8:30PM.  It took me a while to shake the sleep off and I arrived at the GOMH at 8:15.  I was surprised only one car was there and they weren't even fishing anymore.  They did tell me where they had gotten some orange bullheads though.  I elected to take up the SW side.  There were about 6-7 boats in the greater SPRO with two down by the GOMH.  I had been fishing for around 15 minutes when one of the guys fishing in the boat closest to me stripped down to his boxers, jumped in the lake and came ashore right next to me.  Right then my bobber went down and I caught the slabber bullhead.  The guy proceeded to walk home.  Somebody showed up and started fishing the SE side and the Meat Guy from 2012 showed up and started fishing next to me.  I got two more nice silvers, then they got smaller.  Meat Guy was having a rough time setting the hook on them.   Pete showed up at around 10PM and promptly caught himself a nice silver.  I caught a bullhead bullhead and gave it to a party of bullhead fishermen on the South side of the bridge.  I also caught a small toothy and missed something that felt good.  Pete got a couple more silvers.   Meat Guy left at about 11:45.  I think Pete and I both got 1 more bite a piece before we left.

2nd Trip of the Day to the GOMH (Slabber Bullhead)

Conditions: Cloudy with generally less wind than yesterday, but it did get quite breezy at times.  The weather stayed to the North and South of us on this night.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out I had it all to my self when I arrived at 5:20PM.  I naturally chose the SW side and  I started picking up bullheads right away.

16.25" Biggest Jumper of the Night and my 1st one

19.75" Golden Bullhead

One of the regulars showed up and he started getting some bullheads as well.  He told me that he got a couple on the North end of Platte while fishing out of his boat this year.  So it's 100% now, if there was a winter kill it was only partial.  It wasn't long and the GOMH was filling up.  A guy with his daughter came and fished next to me.  I've seen them fish here before in years past.  Apparently they had come out a couple of different times this year and hadn't gotten anything.  When I told them they came in on Monday, she said "See dad I told you we should come." This girl could really fling her bobber out there on her Ugly Stick Ultra Light.  I had one of those once, but I either broke it or had it stolen, I forget which.  We all caught them for a while than it got slow for me.  Peter showed up and I gave him the Berkley Sunglasses I won in the Abu Garcia/ Berkley Rocket to the Top Contest.  He was quite appreciative as he needed a new pair of Polarized sunglasses.

A guy who lives by Wahkon Bay showed up.  He said pike were in the channels and  it was iced up pretty good still.  Must be that all the ice that was left was on the West side because ice out was declared today.  I gave most of fish tonight to him and the dad and daughter.  I took home 3 and released this "Slabber Bullhead" that was my last fish of the night.

13.25"

 I got most of my fish tonight on a Cubby Jig head, no body with the minnow hooked through the tail.

2 Slabber Bullheads & More Bullheads

13"

13"

 Tonight I got to the GOMH just before 5PM.  I was lucky that blog reader Mike B. was fishing down on the SE side and he called me over.  The bulheads were really going when I got there and apparently had been for a couple of hours.  I immediately started missing and sticking a few silver bullheads on a chartruese head with red and yellow T.H.E. Jig with a minnow on the Cubby Rod.  I got several on that, then I switched rods to the white head with red/white T.H.E. Jig. I started just slamming the silver bullheads.  I got my first Slabber Bullhead on that.  I caught more silver bullheads, a couple of jumpin bullheads, and I had a toothy bullhead up on the rocks when it broke my line and made it's way back into the lake.  That was my only one in that color.  I put on a white head with white and black feather T.H.E. Jig.  Things got considerably slower.  John W. showed up with his daughter and a little while after that Grumpy Old Man Bud showed up and started fishing.  Mike B. left.  I switched back to the Cubby Rod and got an occasional bullhead on that; One of which is the Slabber Bullhead on the right.  Lantern Man's son showed up and eventually John's daughter talked him in to going.  It seemed that the SW side had more action now.   I left around 9:15PM after Lantern Man showed up.

Click to Enlarge and See the Loon

I did stop at Rock and the Rock Dock was in.  I would imagine all area lakes with Docks have them in.

Limit of Bullheads Tonight at the GOMH

I went in to Little Falls today to get my eyes checked.  I should be getting new glasses in about 10 Days.  We didn't get back to Jenny's until around 5PM.  I went and checked Rock and it's 80% open.  I checked Bulldog and it's 90% open.  I then went to the Grumpy Old Man Hole and Peter had just gotten there.  He missed a really nice sized silver bullhead, then he caught one.  He threw it back because he wasn't going to keep fish tonight.  I had seen enough so I went home to get my rods.  But first I went to the NE access on Sullivan and it's wide open.  The NW access looked open as well.  I still think there is some ice on the SW shore line, but it should be gone by opener.

After getting my stuff together and some warmer clothes on I got out to the GOMH around 6:30PM.  Peter had a silver bullhead for me right when I got there.  I joined him on the SW side and  I caught a silver bullhead right away and in to the bucket it went.  I got another one about 10 minutes after that.  After a bit of a  lull I decided to try the SE side.  I wasn't there long and someone else showed up.  So I immediately went back to the SW side.  Not long after that I caught this 12.75" slabber bullhead.  I let it go.

Around that time some big floating weed mats started floating in giving us trouble.  We still caught an occasional fish.  Here are a couple jumpin bullheads that I got through that junk.

T.H.E. Jig in the bullheads mouth tipped  with a minnow is what I caught everything on tonight.  Peter also caught a 12.75"  slabber bullhead.  His also went back in the lake.

You can see the weeds we were fishing around behind him.  I ended up getting 3 jumpin bullheads and  I believe I caught 10 silver bullheads total two of which went back, one of them was to small.

All in all it was a good night of fishing.  Had it not been for the weeds we probably would have caught a lot more fish.