Slow Morning Under Good Conditions

16.25" Hack Attack Jig/Craw Fatty

7:30AM-1:30PM GOMH, Pad Point, SPSI, East of GOMH, Channel Inn Bay
Conditions: 53-71℉, Cloudy to Partly Cloudy, Calm to Light ESE ENE Wind
Water Temp: 69-71℉

17" SBKO (Black/herring bone)

Due to it raining this morning I got a later start than normal.  I stopped at the Grumpy Old Man Hole first.  I got the toothy bullhead on the Shower Blows knock off and had 15/16" class jumper jump me off on the Mad Maxx frog.

I then went and got water pumped out of the Trophy and headed to "Pad Point".  I got an 18" pike on the Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil.  There was some fish activity in the shallow slop, but I couldn't get anything.  I went to West Point and didn't get anything there.

8.5" Whopper Plopper 130

Next stop was the South point of the small island.  I got that dink on the Plopper.  As you can see conditions were ideal for a topwater bite to be going on.  There was ever baitfish activity all over the place, but bigger fish just weren't active probably due to the drop in water temp. Even though I wasn't catching anything I liked the weather I was fishing in, so I persisted.  Finally towards the back of a pocket East of GOMH I got a 16" bass on an Outkast Swim Jig with Swim Shad.  I also had a 17" jump me off at the boat on Maxx and a fish of similar size missed the Horny Toad; Couldn't get that sucker to hit anything else.

 I then moved into Channel Inn Bay and had a 15.75" bass annihilate the Horny Toad on my very first cast.  I quickly caught 3 more on the Toad and got the one on the Hack Jig/Craw Fatty combo.  I missed a couple off hits on the Hack Jig and eventually had the Craw Fatty get pulled off.  A fish that I thought was a bass missed the Horny Toad in a clump of rice.  I threw back with Max Maxx the fish bit and I promptly got bit off.  On my way out I had a small pike take a shot at the Whopper Plopper.  When I got back to the lake place there was a pontoon at our dock who's motor had quit.  Sherman was almost ready to leave to tow the people back, so I didn't have too.

Best 6 Bass

7 Bass
3 Pike

Frustrating Trip From Start To Finish

13.9" Gunfish 117 (bluegill)

6:15-8:45PM Pad Point, Reeds Across the Way, F Flat
Conditions: 64℉, Cloudy some light Rain, East Wind
Water Temp: 70℉

I was pretty worn out from the tournament yesterday.  I didn't go fishing with Todd in the morning.  He caught a 19 incher.  Coming up on 6PM it looked like some significant rain was heading for the area.  I wanted to get the rain out of the boat before the rain hit and fish at the GOMH if it wasn't raining by the time I was done.  On the way there I decided if the battery was in the boat I would take the boat out instead.  The battery was in the boat and there was barely any water in it.

I took off for pad point and a gust of wind blew off my Cabela's Cap.  Just fricken great.  I quickly turned around and pulled it out of the water.  At pad point they didn't want the Plopper or Gunfish 117.  I missed a hit in the pads on Maxx and had a pike bite off the red shad craw tube and steal the tungsten sinker that I stupidly didn't take off.

It looked like the rain was quickly approaching, but I decided to head to the reed split across the way.  I got a dink bass of a dock as I was telling the cabin owner about my trip so far.  He thought they should really be snapping and I totally agreed.  I didn't get anything on the South reeds NE corner.  It looked now as if the rain was going to go to the South and North of me so I kept fishing.

It started to sprinkle lightly.  I made a cast with the Plopper and broke the line at the spool, but I only lost about 15 feet of line.  My frustration level was pretty high at this point with my poor day fishing yesterday and the fish not going on topwater today like I thought they should.  I did have one fish hit Maxx in the reeds and not get it.  It didn't come back for seconds.  I got out on F Flat and it was clear to me they weren't wanting the Plopper, so I switched to the Gunfish 117.  I was just about ready to head in, so I could fish the GOMH from shore when I got the fish in the picture.  I then caught a small pike and 12.9" bass.  It was getting dark and I had a pike steal the Gunfish.  It never resurfaced at least as far as I could see.  I looked for a while then packed up and left.

3 Bass
1 Pike

Snatchers Gull Lake Tournament

Conditions: 52-76℉, Sunny to partly cloudy, Calm or very light E wind
Water Temp: 72-76℉

The Day:  
Not sure exactly what time we blasted off at.  We didn't run very far.  I started off throwing the Whopper Plopper.  After about 15 minutes my boater Mick got himself a decent bass on a craw tube.  I immediately put down the Plopper because there hadn't been a hint of activity on the surface and picked up the Legend Xtreme with a blue/black Chigger Craw on it.  About 5 minutes later I had my first bass in the boat, a 13.3 incher.  Mick then got another decent one and I got a 13.5".  Mick then caught 17 incher and a couple more good one's in pretty short order.  I got a dink next to a dock as we worked our way back over where we had fished.  My blue/black Chigger Craw was trashed so I put on a breen one.  There started to be some surface activity so I started  throwing the Plopper again.  Mick caught his limit fish about an hour and 20 minutes in.  I put the Plopper back down pretty quickly.  I think Mick culled once and I got my big fish of the day, a 15.25"on the Chigger Craw.  I was throwing both the Chigger Craw and a craw tube as well.  I had several fish pick them up and drop it immediately.  Also plenty of bites from sunfish.  The area seemed to go dead, so we headed North to his big fish area.

There were lots of sunfish swimming around, so tried the LiveTarget Sunfish Wake bait.  I saw some boils on the surface so I also tried a bluegill Shower Blows 105 for a while.  Mick started catching some bass but they didn't help him, maybe he culled once or twice.

Mick gave me a red shad craw tube.  I threw it for about 10 minutes without a hit and went to a black/red fleck Chigger Craw.  Mick caught another bass and asked me why I wasn't throwing the craw tube.  He had a good point.  I switched from a 3/8 to 3/16 weight with the craw tube.  While I was fishing the Chigger Craw and the craw tube once again I was having fish pick it up and drop it.  I tried letting it sit or giggling it in place, but they wouldn't come back for it.

It was now a little after 11AM and we headed South.  I don't know which bay we were in but Bill Bailey and Alan Steinbauer were both fishing really close to where we pulled in.  Mick had a small keeper on before I even had my line in the water.  Alan's boat left pretty quickly and we headed that way.  Mick caught another bass that didn't help him.  We went right into the thick coontail and Mick was showing me how he fishes for them in the Fall.  He pulled in a small keeper on his first or second drop.  He then caught another one pretty quickly.  I think I then missed a hit and Mick caught another one.  I missed a couple more bites, but finally hooked up on won just over 13 inches.  Mick sat down and ate a sandwich.  I think I missed one more hit, before me left for the next spot.

The next spot was reed island.  I had a fish just hammer the craw tube after it landed, but when I set the hook there was nothing there.  Might have been a pike.  We fished the area for about half an hour and didn't get anything, so off we headed to what must be eastern most southern bay and fished off of a point.  I got my last fish of the day (13.75) there and missed a couple of hits as well.

We went in and tried some docks.  Didn't get anything.  With about 40 minutes left we headed back to our starting spot and didn't get anything.

Results:  My 5 fish weighed 7lbs 6ozs, which put me in 18th Place out of 22 anglers. Mick's fished weighed 14/1 and put him in 7th Place.  Keith Tuma won his second in a row with 18/11.  Chuck Steinbauer had a 4/5 big bass.

My Thoughts:  Mick probably caught 4 fish to my one.  He had me around fish all day and even gave me the color that was working.  By the time I figured out I needed to grind with craw tube it was too late.  My mental focus was good all day.  Disappointing to not get a limit, but I had a good time.

  

Pad Point Pays Off Again

17.25" Craw Tube (Huckleberry)

6:00-8:30AM GOMH, Pad Point, Reeds Across the Way
Conditions: 58-66℉, Partly Cloudy some light rain, Light S Wind
Water Temp: 73℉

Started at the GOMH, didn't get a bite and didn't get to fish the SW side because the panfish guy showed up.

16.5" Shower Blows (Bone)

In the Trophy I got 5 bass at the "Pad Point": 2 (16.3, 16) on the Bluegill Whopper Plopper 130, a 16.5" on the Bone Evergreen Shower Blows 105, 2 (17.5, 16.5) on a Huckleberry craw tube. I also had a decent pike miss a Bluegrass Mad Maxx and caught an 18" pike on the craw tube.  The craw tube also got bit off once.  I went over to the reeds across the way.  I had a couple of bites on the craw tube, but never hooked up.  It looked like it was going to storm so I quit fishing.  Dad was having surgery this morning and no one was at the house in case there was a water war.  It turns out I could have kept fishing. Ohh Well.

Only Caught 5 Bass This Morning

 5 Bass
2 Pike

Fishing Was Pretty Poor

Pike were all I caught

7:15-9:00PM Big Bass Point North
Conditions: 75-68℉, Mostly Sunny, Light SSW Wind turning calm
Water Temp: 74℉

Time flew bye tonight.  I was on the water fishing at 7:15PM on a spot that used to be really good when I first moved up here.  Then for some reason the fishing got inconsistent to poor. The area still pretty much looks the same.  I don't understand it.  I think I lost one bass in the pads and maybe a small bass or two in the reeds.  The reed fish might have been pike.  I thought this pike was a bass the way it hit and missed the frog.  I caught it with the hack jig.  I caught a smaller pike on the Big Sexy Frog.  I should have switched to Double Maidencaine Point sooner as by the time I got over there the mosquito's were terrible and I had to call it a night.

2 Pike

Good Morning Trip

4.10lbs/18.75" Hack Attack Jig/Craw Fatty (OCraw/bb)

5:45-11:45AM GOMH, East Of Jenny's, Reeds Across the Way, Back to East of Jenny's
Conditions: 52-75℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm
Water Temp: 73℉

16.75" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

Because the full moon was still up I decided to head to the GOMH to get some pictures and of coarse I did some fishing.  I got the 16.75" jumper on Big Sexy on the NE side casting into the tunnel.  And I got a 15.5" jumper on the SW side casting under the tunnel on a green pumpkin craw tube.  I then had the craw tube get bit off.  I decided to throw big Sexy, caught a scrub weed on my back cast and overran the hell out of my Tatula SV when I didn't put my thumb on the spool.  With that rod out of comission I headed to the Trophy.

16.75" Whopper Plopper 130 (Sexy Shad)

16+" Ever Green Shower Blows 105 (Bluegill)

17.25" Shower Blows 105

So I headed over to the pad point East of Jenny's and got an 11" and 16.75" on the Sexy Shad Whopper Plopper 130.  A fish busted off of the rice point East of Jenny's so I went over there and got nothing per usual.  I went back to the pad point and busted three 16 inchers (16.75, 16.5, 16.25) and  the 17.25" on the bluegill Shower Blows.  I had a couple of fish blow up on it and not get hooked as well.  I then picked up the Hack Attack Jig and got a 15.25" bass on it and a couple of pike.

25.75" Hack Attack Jig/Craw Fatty

I then went across the way and got nothing on the flat, along the reeds, or docks until I got to the opening separating the reed bed.  I lost an 18/19ish fish when I didn't get a good hookset.  I really should have been expecting a hit because that back corner has been good in the past.  It's got reeds and cabbage mixed together there.  About 5 minutes later I got my big one for the morning there pitching into the reeds.

4.10lbs Hack Attack/Craw Fatty

I got a small pike in the reeds on the on the Bluegrass Mad Maxx Frog and Hack Jig.  I also lost a respectable bass by the cane on the Hack Jig when the fish hung me on a reed.  I also missed a couple of hooksets on who knows what on the North end of the reed bed.  The tornado siren inexplicably went off three different times in about a half hour.

3.30lbs/18" Hack Jig/Craw Fatty

I went back to the reed point and lost a fish in the pads on a frog.  I got the 18 incher on the Hack Jig and got a 13 incher on Bluegrass Maxx and called it a morning.

Best 6 of the Morning

12 Bass

5 Pike

Got A Big One And A Beautiful Sunset

19.25"/4.23lbs Whopper Plopper 130 (Sexy Shad)

6:45-9:00PM Across the Way, SW Flat Small Island
Conditions: 71℉, Mostly Cloudy, Calm
Water Temp: 75-73℉

 I thought the fish would really be chomping tonight, but it was pretty dead.  I tried working out across the way where I saw some fish bust the other morning heading towards the reeds.  I was about to put the Plopper down with one last cast along the reeds when the big one blasted it.  Had one fish slash at the frog in the reeds, probably a pike.  I went back out of the reeds.  On the way to the small island I briefly stopped at the tip of the reeds East of the small island.  Nothing there.  I went on the back side of the small island working towards the SP.  I got one 15.75" bass on the Plopper and 3 pike.  A West wind came up around 8:40.  Didn't get a hit after that.

2 Bass
3 Pike

Long Morning on the Water

18.25"/3.72lbs Zoom Horny Toad (Watermelon)

6:00AM-2:00PM East of Jenny's, West Point, SPSI, SWSI Flat, East of GOMH, Channel Inn Bay
Conditions: 53-72℉, Partly to mostly cloudy, Calm for the most part
Water Temp: 73℉

I got out to the lake about 15 to 20 minutes later than I should have.  Got everything loaded up and on the water just a bit before 6AM.  I headed over to the pad point.

15.25" Shower Blows 105 (Bluegill)

I got this fish and a 12.5" off of a a couple of lone strands of rice out from the pads. Spent to much time trying to make something happen to the West.  Went to West Point and got a 12" on a green pumpkin craw tube.  I then headed to SPSI.

16.25" Craw Tube (Green Pumpkin)

I got this 16.25" in the reeds on the tip of the point and an 11.75" out by the buoy.  I then decided to throw the Whopper Plopper  on the flat and they were on it.

17"/2.88lbs Whopper Plopper 130 (Rat Ta Tat)

The 17 incher was the biggest one I caught but maybe not the biggest one I had on.  I got 3 good one's on the flat (16, 17, 15.25) and a 14.25" then the action quit.  I went over by the slop way to the East of GOMH.  When I came to where a point comes out I got into a flurry where I had a really good fish get off when it buried me in the coontail.  I then missed two bites in short order before hooking up with a 16.25".  I got one last 14 incher on the Plopper either there or in Channel Inn Bay, I forget.  I got a 14" in the slop on a Bluegrass Mad Maxx.

18.25" Horny Toad (same as 1st Pic)

 I then moved to Channel Inn Bay, the rice got to thick for using the Plopper so I switched to the Horny Toad and the big one lit me up by where some pads met the thick rice line.  I got a 16.75" on my next cast.  I got 15.75" on a Bluegrass Sexy Mad Maxx and had a good fish bury me on a stalk of rice and get off on Big Sexy.  I also found some pike in Channel Inn Bay on the Horny Toad and Maxx.  The Sun came out at about 1PM.  Didn't get but one bite that I missed after that.  I quit at 2PM.  The longest trip I have spent in the Trophy in years. My leg/back was really feeling it when I was done.

My Best 6 Bass

17 Bass
4 Pike

Fish Were Hitting on Top All Over The Place

3.19lbs/17.5" Mad Maxx (Bluegrass)

6:30-9:15PM Green Cabin Bay, NW Juice
Conditions: 73-70℉, Partly Cloudy, NW Wind
Water Temp: 70℉

So I headed across the lake to Green Cabin Bay.  I stopped short of the lily pads.  A bass blew up on my very first cast.  I really wasn't ready for it, but I landed her anyway

2.91lbs/17" Mad Maxx (Big Sexy)

It took me a bit longer than normal to get the fish off, measured, weighed, and to get a pic. By the time I was back to fishing I had heard a few blow ups in the bay in random places.  I got back in the area where I think I got the bass and there was a massive blow up about two long casts to the SE of me in the reeds.  I had a cast out at the time.  I was planning on heading to the blow up when I had a fish boil on the frog but not get it.  I tried for maybe 5 minutes, but the fish didn't come back.  I  then went to where I thought that other blow up was.  As I was making my way there I had a fish follow thefrog to the boat and spook. I worked the area I thought the blow up happened and didn't get anything.  There were several more random blow ups in the bay during this time.  I had something check the frog out but not hit it.  Same thing when I threw a jig at it.  A couple of panfish fisherman had entered the bay and were coming towards me via Chuck's Point. The guy got a small pike.  Right after that I had a 21" pike hit Maxx.  I then yanked a 12" or so bass out of the pads, but it came off.  Shortly after that they left.  I worked my way to the little inlet.  I didn't get anything there.  On my way back out I had a fish blow up on me but it got me hung up on a pad and got off.  I had a couple small pike come after Maxx.  It was now 8PM and I needed to move.  Before I headed out of the bay I had a couple pike hit at the Whopper Plopper 130 Rat Ta Tat.

I headed to the NW juice, but I was a little confused because the area looked a lot different with a large patch of tall rice coming out to a point and obscuring where the reed line is at.  I started working my way down the rice point and I got the 17.5", a 15.75", and a 16" basically in the juice area.  It got dark and the skeeters came out. I didn't get any more hits.  I left at about 9:15PM

10.40lbs for my 4 Bass tonight

4 Bass
6 Pike

Caught A Thief

No Pictures
8:30-8:45PM Lake Place Dock
Conditions: 53℉, Cloudy with light rain,  Light NW Wind

I went to get water out of the boat tonight. There was quite a bit of water in the boat and I used both pumps.  While water was pumping out I cast out Ish's Frog toward Jim's dock and a pike stole it.  I didn't see it resurface.  I started fishing with the Bobby's Perfect and caught a 20" pike from the same area.  No sign of the Ish's.  I went and got the battery and took the Trophy out to see if I could find the Ish's. Didn't find it and didn't pull the trolling motor up when I drove the boat in.  Hopefully I didn't do any major damage to the trolling motor or the bracket.

Attention Deficit Dave/GOMH Evening

18.5" Shower Blows 105 (Bluegill)

12" Shower Blows 105 (Bluegill)

6:00-11:30AM GOMH, West Point, East of Jenny's, Dock's across the way
Conditions: 58-73℉, Partly Cloudy, NE Wind
Water Temp: 78℉

I decided to start at the GOMH this morning to try and get some hits on the Ever Green Shower Blows 105's I just got.  A toothy and a jumper obliged me on that score.  I also got 13.5" jumper on a green pumpkin craw tube.  After about 40 minutes at the GOMH I headed to the Trophy and went to West Point first.  I got a 14.25" and 11" bass on the craw tube there.  Then instead of heading to the NW like I planned I went to the pad point East of Jenny's.  I anchored as the wind was blowing in on it.   I got a couple of pike and missed a couple of hits as well.

18"/3.15lbs LiveTarget Bluegill Wake

I pulled the anchor and got this bass on the boat lane side of the point.  I then didn't go to the NW again, but went across the way to hit a couple of docks with the intent to hit the reeds and cabbage.  I got a 15.25" bass on a Fluke and broke off on what felt like a good fish on the dock that is on the point.  I then decided to hit "the dock" instead and headed East.  But then the trees and pads called my name so I went all the way to the NW corner instead.  I had a small pike take the Fluke along the pads. Didn't get anything else I fished to the docks and lost the plot while fishing the docks.

It was now coming up on 11AM and I went back across to fish the pad point East of Jenny's.

2.66/16.6 LiveTargetWake

I got this fish pretty much in the same spot I got the 18 earlier.  I fished my way home having one pike take a shot at the LiveTarget.
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I helped dad get the deck on the mower, so I didn't get out in the Trophy like I had planned.
8:30-9:00PM GOMH
Conditions: 70℉, Mostly Cloudy, Light NE Wind
No body was at the GOMH.  I caught the reeds along the shoreline on my first cast and backlashed pretty good.  Didn't get anything on the SW side.  Had a fish miss the SB105 on the NE side.  I switched to a craw tube and got a 12' and 14" on that as it was dark and the skeeters were out.

12.52lbs My Best 6 Bass for the Day

5 Bass
4 Jump
5 Pike
1 Tooth

I Didn't Get Skunked

11" Whopper Plopper

8:00-9:05PM Loon Flat
Conditions: 68℉, Mostly Cloudy, ENE
Water Temp: 79℉

During the 5 O' clock news the WCCO weather watcher was "white for no changes in sight".  That is for down in the cities.  Up here a cold front was approaching fast.  By the time I got to the lake place at 7:20 the temps had dropped into the low 70's and it was blowing to beat the band out of the NW.  I got the gas in the boat and it started to rain, so I sat in the car for about 20 minutes.  I was on the water by 8PM.

I headed over to Loon Flat and got the one hit on the Plopper.  I then ran over to F Flat and had a small fish miss the Custom SBKO.  I ended by going to the spot East of Jenny's.  Nothing there.

1 Bass