Mostly Slow, But Productive Long Day

4.12lb/18.5" Bobby's Perfect

7:00AM-3:00PM 3 Loon Flat, Green Cabin Bay, Chuck's Point, NW Bay & Juice
Conditions: 58-72℉, Foggy Cloudy eventually turning Sunny by about Noon, Wind NW to NE, Water levels high and rising.
Water Temp:64-68℉

Foggy this morning

I was in no hurry to get out this morning as the 7AM start time indicates.  I started at West Point and missed one bite.  I diverted to give 3 Loon Flat a try with the Whopper Plopper where baitfish were flopping around.  I got up close to shore and got a 15.25" bass on the Plopper in between some docks right up by shore.

16.75" Whopper Plopper 130 (Rat Ta Tat)

I got the 16.75" on the very next cast and thought I might be on to something.  I wasn't.  Other than a couple hits by some pike I didn't get another bass and stayed with that Plopper far to long.  I worked my way all the way across F Flat.  The sun started poking through the clouds  when I finally gave up and headed West to Green Cabin Bay.

18.5" Bobby's Perfect

It was shockingly dead in Green Cabin Bay; I did get the one big one there that was built like a linebacker. I missed a couple of hits as well on the Spro Sprinker knock off, but that was about it.  I had the tail get bit off on my yellow Spro Sprinker knock off, so I put on a real Teckel Tail;  Over towards Chuck's point I had the Teckel Tail get bit off without even having caught a fish.  That Teckel Tail does make the most Whopper Plopper like sound of all the tails I have tried.  I will save my 3 remaining tails for tournament day.  I then put the Helicopter Lure on the back of the Spro.  I missed the first fish that blew up on it in the reeds on Chuck's Point.  A little farther down I had a big fish boil behind it.  I threw back with the craw tube and got a 12.5" bass.  Definitely not the fish that boiled on me.  I went back to throwing the Spro and BAM!

6.25lb/29.5" Helicoper Spro Sprinker

For such a big and healthy fish it sure didn't have a lot of fight to it.  It got caught up in a clump of northern milfoil and pretty much gave up.  I worked Chuck's Point pretty good coming up empty.  I worked my way into the NW Bay.  It was patently apparent by now the fish were not aggressive, but I persisted throwing that Helicopter concoction.  I had a good bass grab the Helicopter, but not get the frog right in front of me.  I threw back with the craw tube and missed it the first to times and finally connected with the 16" bass the third time.

I started throwing the white Spro Sprinker knock off with pink tail and had that get bit off pretty quick.  I switched the Helicopter Lure to the white SSKO and put an eBay Teckel knock off tail on the back of the yellow one.  I missed a really good bass in the juice on that.  Over in the rice I got a 15.5" bass on the Bobby's Perfect.  As I made my way out I got a 16" bass on the yellow SSKO in the reeds.

15.71lbs for my 6 Best

7 Bass
4 Pike
  
  

Dang Rain

Light rain when I was getting my stuff in the boat.

4 Otters came swimming across the front before I headed out

What it was like when I got back in.

A dark cloud just hung over the lake and kept raining.

A floating bog at the GOMH from who knows where

6:30-6:45PM Small Island SW Flat
Conditions: 65℉, Cloudy with heavy rain, Very Light SW wind
Water Temp: 64℉

So it had rained pretty much for most of the morning, but not quite enough for me to use the pumps at the house.  Dad took the Kia so I couldn't go fishing when there was a break in the rain in the morning.  He got home around 1 or so but it was lightly drizzling out.  It stopped again and around 4PM I finally went and drained water out of the boat.  I would say 2" worth at least.  It was so nice out I decided to go home and get my fishing tackle, but I putz around and didn't get back to the lake until after 6PM when it started raining again.  I stupidly didn't look at the radar before heading out.  But I'm not sure that the way this squall came up things would have ended up much different.  I decided to make the run to the small island.  About 5 minutes in it really started coming down.  I got one hit on the Plopper and 3 hammer handles on the Salmo Bass Bug.  After 10 minutes in that downpour with no signs of slowing down I decided to head back in.  As I was coming in I could barely see Don's Point through the rain from the South end of the small island.  The bilge wasn't keeping up, so I pulled the plug as I was running in.  I got back, put my tackle in the boat house and sat there and waited for it to let up.  I called dad and he told me it was barely raining at the house.  It eventually the rain lightened up.  I decided to take the craw tube rod, Sprinker KO rod, Pure Poison rod  and the red bag without any Plano's in it and head to the GOMH.  It wasn't raining there and in the current I missed one bite on the Poison.  It started raining again so I left.

3 Pike  

GOMH Tonight, One Fish & Forgot the Memory Card

7:30-8:15PM GOMH SW NE
Conditions: 64℉, Mostly Cloudy, E Wind

Got held up today thanks to a more difficult than expected water filter change, which put off my cleaning the bathroom by a couple of hours.   As it was I only had time to hit the GOMH.  I missed a hit on the SW side on the bluegill Pure Poison.  I caught a 14.9" jumper on a craw tube on the NE side. Somebody left their glasses down on the NE side.  A guy showed up with a kid and a teenager.  The teenager had something bury him on a pad on the NW side. I went to the Lake place to see if any water needed drained from the rain we got this morning.  It really didn't.  The wind pretty much dimmed any topwater hopes I might have had off the dock.  No skeeters at all.

Morning & Evening Trips Today

3.65lbs/18" Craw Tube (Brown/GP)

6:20-9:15AM Green Cabin & NW Bays
Conditions: 54-62℉. Partly Cloudy, ESE Wind
Water Temp: 67℉

I arrived in Green Cabin Bay about 5 minutes before the sunrise.  It was windier then expected.  I didn't get a hit on the flat with the Plopper and nothing in the pads and reeds on the Sprinker.  Finally when I was into the rice this 17 incher crush my Bobby's Perfect Frog.

3.19/17" Bobby's Perfect (Brown/Sunfish)

I then missed my next 2 or 3 hits, before I caught a 15" in the same spot I had hooked and lost a fish earlier.  I think I missed a couple more hits.  Then had a couple of small pike mess with me in the pads and open water.  As it was coming up on 8AM I moved to the NW Bay.  There I got two bass (16.6,14.5) on the white/pink Spro Sprinker knock off as I came into the convergence of rice, reeds, and pads. Then there was pretty much nothing until I got to the small bulrush area.  There I had both Sprinker tails get bit off in short order and caught this 27" pike, which I forgot to weigh.

27" Bobby's Perfect (Brown/Sunfish)

I missed a few hits when I got to the juice.  I would have liked to fish longer, but Dad needed the car back by 10.
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15" Craw Tube (Brown/GP)

7:45-8:45PM West Point
Conditions: 65℉, Partly Cloudy, E Wind
Water Temp: 71℉

I think Dad finally got home a little after 6PM and I wasn't ready to leave.  Totally my fault because I had an hour's advance notice when he would be home.  I decided to hit West Point first.  I had a fish hit, but not get the Rat ta tat Plopper at the juice dock on my first pass.  I got the 15 incher under the pontoon of the juice dock as I worked my way back into the wind.  I missed a couple of hits over by the tree dock.  I then got a 11 inch dink in the same spot the 15" came from.  I got the 18 incher from the picture at the top of the blog right smack dab in the juice just to the east of the pontoon.  I missed a couple more bites.  Didn't get anything off of the next dock to the East.  It was starting to get dark so I ran to the pad point area where I had one hit at the SSKO, but not get it.  The skeeters weren't bad at all with the bit of wind and the cool weather we have been having.

15.49 for my Best 6 today

7 Bass
3 Pike

It Irked Me Pretty Good Losing That Fish

14.75" Spro Sprinker Knock Off

7:25-8:40PM Across from the Public Access
Conditions: 67℉, Mostly Cloudy, Light NE Wind
Water Temp: 72-69℉

I got kind of a late start tonight. I decided to make the run to across from the public access.  I stopped at the shoreward side of the big cane patch.  On about my 3rd cast I had a 14/15 bass miss the yellow Sprinker knock off in the cane.  I cast back to the spot with a brown/chart Bobby's Perfect and a big bass came all the way out of the water and nailed it.  I set the hook and was fighting it when my line broke.  Losing that fish just ticked me off.  Must have had a nick in the line.  I put on another Bobby's Perfect Frog and managed to catch 4 small bass (13,12,11,11) and two pike (24,17) on that.  I got the one bass in the picture and a small pike on the Spro Sprinker knockoff.  I stayed mad almost the whole time I was out there.

 

4 Bass

3 Pike

GOMH & West Point This Morning

6:00-6:50AM GOMH NE
7:30-9:15AM West Point
Conditions: 54-64℉, Mostly Sunny, West Wind, Water Level High
Water Temp: 68℉

At the GOMH I caught a 14.25" on the bluegill Pure Poison and I lost another one about the same size.  I didn't think to take a picture of the fish.  I don't know how it was I wasted so much time at the GOMH this morning, but I sure did that.

15" Craw Tube (Brown/GP)

The original plan in the Trophy was for me to head across from the public access on Platte. But I decided to stop at West Point first.  The wind really picked up and it was bright sun so I elected to stay close. I got two dinks off of the juice dock (craw tube, Hack Jig) and the 15 incher off of the tree dock on the craw tube.  I had a good size fish blow up on the yellow Spro Sprinker KO and miss it completely.  It could have been a dogfish as I saw one or a few surface a few times.  I had a small pike take a swing a the Hack Jig in the rice.

15.75" Hack Jig/Craw Fatty (Okeechobee Craw/Pumpkin)

Got the last fish of the morning pitching to the complex dock.  I had the fish over a crossbar.  Fortunately, it stayed hook until I was in a position to boat flip it in over the dock.  I ended up fishing through Paul Allen's first segment. Ohh Well.

7.29lbs

5 Bass
1 Pike

GOMH And Out In The Trophy Tonight

3.39lbs/17.5" Craw Tube (Brown/GP)

4:30-5:00PMGOMH
5:30-8:45PM Out Front to Jenny's Reeds, Green Cabin Bay
Conditions: 65℉, Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy, SW Wind
Water Temp: 69℉

Was in the 17.5's mouth.

I decided to hit the GOMH first.  Water level is such that half the rock I like to stand on on the NW side is under water.  They didn't want topwater, but the craw tube did work.

16.9" Craw Tube (Brown/GP)

I also had a nice bass blow up on the yellow Sprinker knock off in pretty much the same spot I missed a fish the other day.

So I went and tried going East in the Trophy.  I missed one hit from a small fish.  As you can see from the picture the rice grew up thick and tall this year.  Just doesn't seem to be anything going on in this area this year.  I finally left for the West side of the lake at 6:15PM

2.73lbs/17" Spro Sprinker Knock Off (Yellow)

I missed the first hit I got in the reeds and pads in Green Cabin Bay on the yellow SSKO.  I then had one at least 17 inches jump off right in front of me in the reeds.  Then I caught the 17 incher.  I then had a 16 incher not get the SSKO twice, but I caught it on the craw tube.  I missed a hit from something small up by shore.  I got a 15.5" on the SSKO over by the sparse cattails.  I had a small pike steal the tail off of the SSKO.  I got one last 15" bass on the SSKO and a 15.5 on the craw tube. I also missed 3 or 4 more hits.  One of the hits was a good one that waked to the Sprinker in open water.  I got a good hook set but came up empty.  My last bass of the night (13) missed the SSKO and stole the tail, but I caught it on the Bluegrass Mad Maxx.  The skeeters really weren't bad tonight so I fished until 8:45 or so.

15.01lbs for Best 6

9 Bass
1 Pike

Two Productive Trips Today

3.43lbs/18" Bobby's Perfect (Brown/Cream)

6:00-9:30PM West Point, F Flat, Green Cabin Bay, Chuck's Point
Conditions: 61-70℉, Sunny to Cloudy, Light SSW Wind
Water Temp: 69℉

I was on the water by 6AM this morning.  Didn't get anything at "Pad Point".  I then went to West Point and got a couple of small bass (11.5,10) on a brown/grn pumpkin craw tube.  I then went to F Flat and got a small pike on both the Spro Sprinker knock off and bluegill Whopper Plopper.

17.5 Spro Sprinker K.O. (White/Pink)

I then headed to Green Cabin Bay.  I got a 15" and a couple of pike out on the flat on the Rat Ta Tat Whopper Plopper.  I lost a really good bass that missed and instantly came back and smashed the w/p Sprinker.  I had a couple pike hit the Sprinker and I got the 17.5" in the slop.  I came out on the flat and got a 16.25" on the Plopper there and a 15" that got off in the reed edge on Chuck's Point.

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16.5" Spro Sprinker K.O.

Evening Trip:
6:00-8:30PM NW Corner South of the Juice
Conditions: 75-70℉, Sunny to partly cloudy, Light NW Wind turning calm
Water Temp: 72℉

So I headed to the NW corner of the lake and started fishing at the rice bed.  I got the 16.5" in some sparse reeds on the yellow SSKO.  I had a really good blow up along the rice edge that I just didn't get a good enough hook set into to catch. I think it was a big bass.  In the pads and reeds there were some little bass.  I got a 12" on the yellow Sprinker and a 12.5" and 13.5" on the Bobby's Perfect and missed a few hits a well.  Then I got the 18", a 15", and a 14" on the Bobby's Perfect.  I got a 14" on the white/pink Sprinker.  The Bobby's Perfect got bit off by something big.  I missed a couple of hits on the Bobby's Perfect I put on.  Didn't even get a hit in the juice.

Best 6 For The Day

14 Bass
8 Pike

Spro Sprinker Knock Off Try Out

16" Spro Sprinker Knock Off 

Aug. 16th Report
Haven't fished the past couple of days.  I actually did get out for about an hour and a half on Wed's morning.  I got rained on in the Trophy and lost a small bass in the pads on Pad Point.  I came in because it started pouring and I wasn't getting anything.  I went to the GOMH and missed a good bass on the Bluegrass Maxx.  That was it for action.  We got a bunch of rain Wed into Thurs morning.  Thursday was cloudy cool and windy.  Friday was a nice day, but I didn't feel like fishing.  Had Vikings football on the brain as they played in Seattle.

Storm Tail (Pink)/Powerbait Tail (Shad)

Tonight's Report:
6:00-8:30PM East of GOMH, Channel Inn Bay
Conditions: 75-70℉, Mostly Sunny, Light S Wind, Water level is now high and rising
Water Temp: 70℉

16" Spro Sprinker KO

I have followed the Sprinker Frog phenomenon from the beginning.  I was to lazy to order some for myself.  Not long after the baits were released guys started making their own versions and posting videos of how they did it on Youtube.   I finally got around to putting a couple together on Friday.  I went with the split ring on the hook holding the tail version.  I need to get more swivels.  I like the action of the Storm Wildeye Swim Shad paddle tail best so far.

8.75" Zoom Horny Toad (Watermelon)

Fish weren't real active tonight.  I missed the first bite I had on the yellow knock off.  I had a pike take of one of my Toad legs and then I got this dink.  I went over to Channel Inn Bay and got the 16 incher that just crushed the SSKO.  I missed another one about the same size. That was it for action tonight.

2 Bass
1 Pike

OK Bite Tonight

3.35lbs/17.5 Mad Maxx (Grapes Of Wrath)

5:30-9:00PM SPSI, East Of GOMH, Channel Inn Bay
Conditions: 72℉, Cloudy, Light SE Wind
Water Temp: 72℉

Damn pike stole my last Grapes of Wrath Mad Maxx Frog

I started off fishing the south point of the small island. I ran into some 12" bass there getting 1 on Mad Maxx and 3 on a brown/grn pumpkin craw tube.  I also got a 8.5"on the craw tube.  There was a lot of baitfish activity on the flat, but not so much for bigger fish busting them.  I fished the Whopper Plopper for a good 25 minutes and didn't have one hit.  I then started fishing along the slop on the far edge East of GOMH.  I got the 3lber in a boat channel entrance.  Just beyond the boat channel entrance to the West is where the Maxx got bit off.  It swirled right next to the boat and Maxx was gone just like that.

17.33" Zoom Horny Toad (Watermelon)

 I got a 15.25" and the 17.33" on a Horny Toad in the same general area I had the 17 incher jump me off yesterday.  I worked my way farther West today, but the area was dead.  I left and went to Channel Inn Bay and started fishing the boat channels.  I got a 18" pike and had one that was 24 plus jump out of the water at the Toad. I got a 15.5" out front of a boat channel in the channel.  I had a 15.75" miss the Toad in some pads right by the boat; I pitched the Toad back and let it sink and it nailed it.  My last fish a 16" bass that hit the Toad as I was making my way out of the thicker stuff.

Best 6 Bass Tonight

11 Bass
1 Pike