Morning With Todd, Evening with Both Bro's

Steve with 16" Platte Lake Special

5:30-9:00AM Jenny's Reeds & Access Across With Todd
9:20-Noon Loon Sex Bay, Channel Inn Bay
Conditions: 64-76℉, Cloudy some light rain, Calm to 7MPH SE S SW W NW
Water Temp: 75℉

I decided to start on the outside slop edge East of Jenny's.  It was a productive area last year, but this year it hasn't given me much at all.  I wonder if certain parts of Platte Lake didn't have some winter kill this year.  For some reason I worked us onto Jenny's reeds and Todd snapped up two bass out of the slop there after a pike missed my frog.

Small bass to start the morning

15.75" Terminator Frog (Green)

I then took us to the money hole/17" Hole, except there weren't any bass there.  The green Terminator wasn't fishing through the rice really well, so I gave him a black/red one to use.  He had a big fish miss the frog twice then not come back for it on the big rice point.  It just blew me away that we weren't getting anything under the overcast calm conditions, but there was literally no surface activity going on.

15.5" Terminator (Black/Red)

I worked us around the pad edge and finally, Todd connected with a couple good fish and missed a big momma.

16.75" Bobby's Perfect

Finally, I got in on the action with this good fish and another Platte Lake Special.  Todd then got his big one of the day.

16.75" Terminator (Black/Red)

And I got the big one of the day.  I was bringing through some pads when the fish just sucked my frog in.  I thought I felt something so I set the hook and there she was.

3.50lbs/17.9" Bobby's Perfect (White/Green)

As Todd and I worked back on the productive area a fish gave it's position away up in the cane, so I headed that way.  We got in the area and a decent sized pike skied itself missing Todd's frog.  A few casts later I watched as a bass grabbed Todd's frog.  Todd thought it was a pike and didn't set the hook.  I then told Todd it was a bass that was pulling on his line.  He got the 15.5" in the boat.  It was 9am and starting to sprinkle so I took Todd in.

16.25"Bobby's Perfect

Other than the light rain conditions were good for the fish to be biting, even though the fish really weren't, so I went out by myself to Loon Sex Bay.  I got a good bass right away a the start of the slop on the North side of the bay.  I then worked my way around the slop edge of the whole bay.  I had one bassy hit up in some shallow slop and a couple of pike hits and that was it.  The wind came up out of the WNW when I was about halfway through and the sun poked out for a little bit as well.  Didn't even get a hit on Loon Sex Point.  I then went to Channel Inn Bay.  I had a few pike takes and got 16.5" bass sitting right where he should be on the rice edge.  The sun came out so I quit.

Mal and Dev came down and did some fishing as I packed up.

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8:30-9:20PM Jenny's Reeds
Conditions: 75-72℉, Partly Cloudy, 3-6 MPH NW
Water Temp: 78℉

Since we had success fishing Jenny's reeds in the morning I figured it would be a good bet to get some bites with the limited time we had to fish. I had a pike come out of the water and miss my Bobby's Perfect pretty quickly on the windblown side.  As we got around to the lee side Steve and Todd both missed good blowups within a couple minutes of each other.  Steve got the first fish in the boat while we weren't quite to where Todd got the fish this morning.  I took us down Jenny's neighbor's boat channel and didn't get a single fricken sigh of a fish.  I quickly worked us back out of there then worked the inner slop/reeds.  I got a 15.25" on the white Bobby's Perfect and that was it for the trip.  Todd drove us back.  I must have left my notepad sitting on the back of the seat and it got blown out of the boat while heading into the wind

16.35lbs Best 6 Bass for the Day

 

Fishing the Reeds in Platte/Sullivan

15.25" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow SF)

6:15-9:15PM Reeds Across, Reeds NE Sullivan
Conditions: 78-68℉, Mostly Sunny, 2-5 MPH NNE
Water Temp: 76℉ Water Level: High

I started in the shallow slop just North of the North reeds across the way.  I caught 12-incher in the slop.  A couple of blowups out on the flat had me giving that a try, but I couldn't raise a thing.  I went into the reeds which was my original plan.  I caught bass on the Sprinker (14.5,14.75,15) and Bobby's Perfect (15.25).  I left for Sullivan at 7:45. I missed a couple blowups, but nothing that left me shaking my head

I pulled into the reeds just North of the NE Sullivan Access.  The first hit was a pike on the Sprinker.  Then I got a couple of 15-inch bass on the Sprinker.  I got a dink on the Bobby' Perfect.  I got a 15.5" and 13" on the yellow Terminator as well as one pike.  I missed a couple blowups in Sullivan, but I don't think anything big.

11.06lbs Best 6 Bass

10 Bass
3 Pike

Big Dog, Good Bass

7.14lbs/28.5" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

6:00AM-1:00PM 17" Hole, Access Across, Chuck's Point, Green Cabin Bay
Conditions: 63-73℉, Cloudy, 3-7mph NNE
Water Temp: 73℉

17" Terminator Frog (Yellow)

The morning started out great with 3 good bass in the boat in the first 20 minutes;  The 17" on the Terminator Frog and the other two (15.25,16.25) on Bobby's Perfect.  I got a few pike on the Bobby's Perfect and the black Spro Sprinker knockoff.  It was at least an hour before I got my next bass, a 15.75" on a black/red Terminator Frog way up in the rice.  I worked my out along the cane and got two 3lbers within 15 minutes off the end of the cane.

17" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

17.25" Bobby's Perfect

 As I started back toward the 17" Hole I got the big dog off of the long rice point.  I had something big miss the Spro Sprinker off the tip of the point.  I got a few pike as I worked my way west to the 17" Hole on the Spro Sprinker knockoff.  I also lost either a big doggy or big bass on my way to the 17" Hole on SSKO.  I worked west of the 17" Hole but was only getting pike, so I headed to Chuck's Point.

15.5" Bobby's Perfect

 I got several bass off of Chuck's Point (15.66,15.5,15,13,10.5) on Bobby's Perfect, including this one that looked like it's fins had been dipped in orange dye.  I had a pike steal my Bobby's Perfect in the slop in Green Cabin Bay.  Green Cabin was a disappointment and I pulled the plug at 1PM.  My upper back was barking at me by then and the sun was beginning to come out as well.  I would have thought the bass topwater bite would have been better than it was with the overcast.

16.07lbs for my Best 6 Bass

11 Bass
13 Pike
1 Dog

Short GOMH Skunking

I stopped at the GOMH on my way back to Steve's at about 2PM.  I had a small jumper hit the weedless chatterjig, but it got off before I could get a read on its size, so the trip goes down as a skunk

Short GOMH Trip Tonight

No camera along tonight
8:45-9:15PM GOMH NE SW
Conditions: 66℉, Cloudy, 5 mph ENE Wind
Water Level: Half way up the NE standing rock

Today was windy with on and off rain.  I stayed inside and slept most of the day while housesitting with Mac.  I went home for dinner and took a short nap there in my own bed a well.  When driving back to the lake place it was too late for me to go and get my normal GOMH setups, so I just used what was in the KIA.  I put a weedless chatterjig on my 7'4" Heavy Avid-X.  I caught a small jumper on both sides of the bridge.  The paddletail got bit off and the skeeters were on me big time, so I got out of there.

2 Jumpers 

Big Bass In the Morning, OK Night As Well

4.45lbs/19.25" Bobby' Perfect (Sparrow)

6:00-10:30AM 17" Hole, Across Public, Green Cabin
Conditions: 56-73℉, Sunny, 2 to8mph SSE
Water Temp: 76℉

2.95lbs/17" Terminator Frog (Yellow)

Since I left the house at 5:30 I skipped the GOMH.  I headed West of the 17" Hole.  I had a small pike miss the Horny Toad right away.  I got up to the 17" Hole and I had a big fish just crush the Terminator Frog, but not hook up.  Missed a smaller fish on the very next cast.  About 5 minutes later I got on the board with the 17-incher.  I missed another hit right after that.  I kept working my way East.  I was just thinking I hadn't had a bite in about 45 minutes and should to Green Cabin Bay when the 4 pounder crushed Bobby's Perfect when the cast landed.  The wind made the cast land in a spot I wasn't looking, but I did see the splash, so I reeled up and set the hook.

2.95lbs/16.9" Bobby's Perfect

I kept working my way East.  The whole area from the 17 Hole East looks as fishable as it ever has.  I got the 16.9" off of a rice point.  I missed a good size pike on the back side of the cane.  As I made my way to Green Cabin I spilled my frog box.  Good move to not lock and secure it Claude.  I had one small attempt at a take in the pads.  That was it for my 45 minutes in the juice.
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3.72lbs/17.9" Terminator Frog

7:00-9:30PM Across & SPSI, Channel Inn Bay
Conditions: 78-72℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-5MPH SE
Water Temp: 78℉

2.91lb/17.25" Terminator Frog.

I started in the reeds across from SPSI.  Nothing going on there except a couple small pike.  I then went in and had a bit of a clown show on the docks missing a couple of bites.  I missed a couple of bites in the reeds on SPSI.  At 7:50 I pulled the plug and went to the South side of Channel Inn Bay.  I missed a good hit right away in the mouth of the first boat channel on the yellow Spro Sprinker.  I then missed a hit farther in the rice.  I had a fish wake at the Terminator and finally blow up on it.  I expected it to be a doggy, but was pleasantly surprised it was the 17.9-incher.  I then had a pike mess with me, before having the 17.25 blow up the Terminator.  I missed a good blow up and then got a 15-incher on the Terminator.  I then went to throwing the Spro Sprinker and lost a 16/17 on about my third cast when the fish jumped and threw the lure back at me.  Shortly after that, I got a 15.75-incher which was my last weigh fish for the day.  I had a small pike steal the yellow Spro Sprinker. 

slice

The skeeters got bad and I got out of there.  The area I was fishing doesn't look as good as last year but is still holding fish obviously.

19.33lbs for my best 6 Bass today

Fishing With Steve Tonight

5.51lbs/25.5 Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

5:00-5:15PM GOMH NE
6:00-9:30PM South Inlet, Double Cane, Green Cabin Bay
Conditions: 70's, Mostly Sunny, 2-5mph East Wind
Water Temp: 79℉

4.03lbs/18.5" Terminator Frog

I made a quick stop at the GOMH.  I wanted to see what the water level was.  About half way up my standing rock on the NE side.  I did catch a dink bullhead on the weedless chatterjig.

15.75" Terminator Jig

I headed out in the Trophy for Inlet Bay just before 6PM. Steve called me about 10 minutes into my fishing, so I went and got him. We were fishing by 6:30 back in Inlet.  Nothing was going on in the reeds with pads I started us in.  I missed a good fish way up in the slop with reeds.  Steve had a what I believe was a big pike miss his frog twice in an open area with some pads.  To the NE of this open area is a nice pad field.  I got the first bass (15.75) casting along the pad edge.  I got the 4lber in an open hole quite a ways back in the pads/slop.  That was it for inlet bay.

We next went to Double Cane Point.  I caught a 14-incher there and we missed a couple of hits out toward the starting spot.  At 8:35 it wasn't happening, so I took us to Green Cabin Bay and drifted us in to the juice.  It wasn't long and Steve was hooked up.

16.5" Bobby's Perfect (Sparrow)

Steve and I would have had a double, but Steve didn't hook up.  My bass was a 13-incher.  I played with what I think was a dogfish, but couldn't get it to hit a jig.  Steve and I both missed a couple of blowups.  I took us a little to the South, but when we didn't get a hit in 5 minutes I took us back North.  Steve had a good bass most of the way in that got off.  Then he got the Doggy.

Without Flash

With flash, no smile

Before I could tell Steve to let the bowfin play itself out he grabbed the line and pulled the fish in the boat.  The line snapped and fortunately the fish didn't go crazy and quickly settled down.  By the time I got it off and took pictures the skeeters were out so we called it a night.

13lbs for the 6 Bass tonight.  Bowfin weighed 5.51

Me
5 Bass
Steve
1 Bowfin
2 Bass

Slow Morning, Better Evening Trip

2.97lbs/17" Hack Jig/Chigger Craw

6:00-9:00AM Green Cabin Bay
Conditions: 55-72℉, Sunny, 3-12MPH SW W NW
Water Temp: 75℉

15.25" Terminator Frog

Because I got a late start I skipped the GOMH and went right for the Trophy.  I headed right for Green Cabin Bay.  I stopped in the rice with pads on the southern end.  I got the 15-incher on about my 5th cast.  That was it for bass this morning.  I had a pike steal a Sprinker Tail on Chuck's point.  Lost a little pike on a swimbait in the pads and outside of the reeds on Chuck's Point on the weedless chatterjig.  I just couldn't get the fish that I know are there to go.
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Evening Trip

Lucky to get this fish in

Straight back to the right of the motor is where it came out of

 7:00-9:30PM Double Cane Point
Conditions: 79-72℉, Mostly Sunny, 18-Calm NW
Water Temp: 80℉

It was really windy when I went out, but the forecast was for winds to be diminishing. I started in the windblown rice/slop on the North side of Double Cane Point. I had a fish reveal itself, but couldn't get it to go. In the money area, I had a fish on the Grass Pig and Chigger Craw.  Finally, on the South side of the point, I had a good bass (2.24) hit the Bobby's Perfect like it hadn't had a meal in days.  The 17-incher gave its position away and I got it on the Hack Jig.  I then got a dink on the Bobby's Perfect and two quality keepers (1.89,2.46) to close out the night.

12.65 for my bass today

Doggy, Dinks, Misses, and a Big Gal

20" Yum Dinger

7:45-9:30PM Green Cabin Bay & Chuck's Point
Conditions: Low 70's, Partly Cloudy, 3-7 MPH WNW,
Water Temp: 72-68℉, Water Level High

4.05lbs Terminator Frog (Yellow)

The caffeine finally kicked in around 6:30 tonight, so I felt like going fishing.  I would have been out by 7:30, but I spent 15 fruitless minutes looking for my white fishing gloves.  Once out I headed right to Green Cabin Bay.  I started to the West of Chuck's Point in the pads. I missed the first fish despite getting two chances at it, both blow ups on the Terminator Frog. I then got the dogfish on the Dinger after it played with the frog.  I missed a good blow up in the reeds and rice of Chuck's Point. I then had small blowup miss that turned out to be a dink on the dinger.  I then missed a fish in the pads as I worked down Chuck's Point.  At 8:40PM I motored over toward 'the juice'.  I cast to a likely looking point in the slop and was rewarded with the big girl.  I then caught another dink on the Dinger.  I missed a couple more blowups.  Then I got a 16-incher on the Terminator.  I missed one last good blow up before the skeeters drove me away.

1 Dog
4 Bass
6 Misses

Fishin' and Swimin' With the Fam and Grace

Belle faux kissing the fish

Another Devin photo bomb

Grace

4 bumps on a log

I went out for a pontoon ride with Todd, Steve, and the girls (Devin, Belle, Mal, and Belle's friend Grace).   I got a slimmer on the twister tail that jig head was too big for sunnies.  Belle showed us all how it is done on Mallory's little rod.  Todd got the one pike as well.  I wish I had a swimsuit with as it was hot.

Snatcher Lake Edward Tournament

3/1 Chigger Craw (Sapphire Blue)

Conditions: 67-87℉, Sunny turning partly cloudy, Calm for most of the day.

My Day:
We were the 2nd to the last boat to blast off in a 14-boat field.  Unfortunately, Dennis Lothspeich had found the same school of fish and was landing a fish as we arrived.  Dennis was sitting right on the juice, but there were fish all over the place in this weed bed.  I'm not actually totally sure what we were fishing.  It was quite a ways offshore and had cabbage and some coontail.  Dennis continued to catch fish as did his Co-Beau and my boater, Nate, over the first 20 minutes or so.  I missed one hit on the craw tube.  I switched to a much smaller sinker.  Still no fish.  Then Dennis clued me in when he said he switched from his jig and stopped getting bit.  He went back to the jig and got bit right away.  I picked up my rod with a 1/2oz Hack Attack Jig and had my first fish on within a couple of minutes (2.64lber). Unfortunately, the hook got caught in the net, and it took me a while to get it free. The fish ended up dying with about 2 hours left in the day, oh well.  I caught a couple more 2-lbers pretty quick.  Beau had a really good fish come off right beside the boat before Dennis could get a net under it.  Then the action seemed to slow for everyone.  I put on a sapphire blue Chigger Craw and missed a fish on my first cast.  I threw right back to the spot and got my big fish of the day.  I got another fish on the Chigger Craw.  Nate had a really good one just come off.  Dennis and Beau left.  I switched back to the Hack Jig and got my limit fish.  After having fished the spot for a good hour and a half, we left.

We went to an offshore spot where Nate got a 4-lber pre-fishing.  He hooked up with a good one, but it jumped right away and threw the hook.  We then went to what I assume was a weedline spot, and Nate caught a pike.  We then moved in to try some reeds and cane.  There were several Snatcher boats fishing in this particular area.  Nate got his limit fish in the reeds, then got a cull on a dock.  We then went to another reed bed where Nate's dad, Snatcher Chuck, was just leaving.  Chuck came over to see how we were doing.  He said he had about 11 or 12lbs.  Nate got one fish in the reeds, and we didn't stay long.

We went back to the starting spot.  I think Chuck was there catching a fish as we arrived.  I switched up to a Yum Dinger and started culling up by ozs at a time.  Dave Branum and Al Steinbauer fished through the general area.  Dennis showed up again, caught a couple of fish, and then left.

We went back to the spot where the good one jumped Nate off earlier.  I got a small cull on the Dinger right after Nate said this is the spot.

We went back to the starting spot.  I think Nate got a small cull or two, and maybe I culled up once on the Dinger. Then Chuck showed up and both he and his Co-Bruce landed good ones right in front of us.  "That no good, low down, spot stealing son of a ...".  I did pick up a tip about a lure to throw at our next tournament at Pelican Lake from Chuck.  I started throwing a breen chigger Craw and made a couple of more small culls as well as getting a few that didn't help.

We gave the spot where the fish jumped Nate off one more quick try, but there was a boat pretty much sitting on it.  And the day was over.

Results:  My limit weighed 15lbs 2ozs minus a 2oz dead fish penalty, which put me in 7th Place.  However, I had the top weight among all non-boaters, so I won the first ever Co-Angler Challenge and $37.  Nate had 16lbs 2ozs, which put him in 4th Place 4ozs back of his dad who came in 3rd.  The tournament was won by Dennis Lothspeich with 17/15.  Lunker weighed 3/11 and was caught by Conrad Bye.

What my scale says I had for the day. 

 My Thoughts:  If I had any idea about how the day would play out my rod selection would have been quite different.  I also wish I had thought to throw out the 1oz Hack Jig I had tied up in the boat with me.  I also could have experimented with some swimbaits and football head jigs, which I had in the boat with me.  A big thank you to Dennis for letting the bit about how well they were biting on jigs out.  That spot truly did hold a super school.  Thanks to Nate for such a great day on the water.

Final Tournament Standings:

Next tournament is just up the road at Pelican Lake.


       

I Set Down Amongst Them Tonight (17" Hole)

3.46lbs/17.75" Terminator Frog (Yellow)

7:00-9:30PM The Hammer Zone/17 Hole
Conditions: 80℉, Partly Cloudy, 4-Calm NW
Water Temp: 79℉

2.79lbs/17.75" Terminator Frog (Yellow)

So tonight with the light NW wind I thought approaching the area across from the Platte Public Access from a little farther to the West than where I got my fish a few nights ago might pay off and boy did it.  I pulled into a little cut and got a 14.75" on the Terminator Frog to start things off of the rice edge. I then got a pair of 15-inchers and missed a blowup.  I had a fish reveal it's location out on the flat and it turned out to be a 16-incher.

16" Score

I then got a 14" and 15.75" off the flat when the 14-incher let me know where they were sitting.  I got a 23" pike next to the rice. Then I picked up the two 17's and a 14-incher in the rice.  The second 17 was a one-eyed Willy.  I named the waypoint the 17" Hole. I then got the bright idea to try the Sprinker and didn't hook up with about 4 fish before finally landing a 14-incher.  I went back to the Terminator Frog and got a 15-incher and the weight came off the frog.  I could see it was coming loose and had super glue in the boat, my bad for not repairing it.  I missed my next couple of bites.  My last fish of the night was a 13-incher.  Beautiful Sky as the Sunset.

14.72lbs for my Best 6 Tonight

12 Bass
6 Pike