1st Silver Bullhead of the Year

12.75" Cubby Mini-Mite/maggots

Worked on the Trophy Today

7:00-7:25PM GOMH NE
7:30-8:10PM  Bulldog
8:15-10:00PM GOMH SE SW

67-53℉, Partly Cloudy 0-7mph,
Water Level High and rising

Dad didn't want to get up so I headed up to the lake place on my own.  The first job was to move the lawn tractor.  I couldn't get it started, so I called Dad and he came up.  While I was waiting for him to get there I tested out the new auto-bilge pump. Dad got the tractor started.  I didn't push the throttle up high enough to get it in the choke position.  We pushed the Trophy out of the garage.  I got it vacuumed out.  At first, it wasn't sucking very hard.  I took off the hose and it was filled up with sand.  Once I got it cleared it worked a whole lot better.  I couldn't get the bow light to work.  I've still got to switch out the bilges and get some other things done.  I hope to have it in the water by Friday at the latest.

I started out at the GOMH.  The guy with the orange/brown truck was there again.  This time on the SW side.  It was fairly windy out of the South, so I went down on the NE side.  I think a fish rolled across the way along the cattails.  I think I got a bite in the general area on the Cubby but I missed it.  This guy named Dave who has a place on Sullivan showed up and was going to fish off the bridge so I packed up.  I talked to him on the way back to the car.

I then went to Bulldog.  I had what was probably a bass eat the Rocket Bobber. That was the only bite I got.  I went back to the GOMH and the guy with o/b truck was still there fishing the SW side.  He didn't get anything and left at about a quarter to 9PM.  He said he got about 10 jumpers.  I missed what I think was a small toothy.  I then went to the SW and got the one silver bullhead on the Cubby Mini-Mite.  I may have missed one more bite. Sure would have been nice to have some minnows.  I wrapped it up just before 10PM.

Toothy Bullhead And Ice Off Rock and Bulldog

27" Pure Poison/Swim Fluke Jr

Ice off Rock

Bulldog Lake

6:50-7:10PM GOMH SW
7:20-7:45PM Rock
7:50-8:00PM Bulldog
8:15-9:00PM GOMH SW NE

49-44℉, Partly Cloudy, 8-2mph NE

We got at least an inch of rain this morning and it was windy, cold and cloudy until about 4PM when the clouds finally broke.  I knew the winds were supposed to diminish so I started at the GOMH.  There was a guy fishing on the SE side.  He said he hadn't gotten a bite.  I didn't either and soon left for Rock.  There were loons calling on Rock and the ice was out.  No signs of fish activity.  Bulldog was also a bust and I didn't stay long.  At the GOMH I discovered the quickest way to get to the iPhone's camera is to use Siri.  That way I don't have to unlock the phone and mess with pushing buttons.  That discovery would soon come in handy when I got the fish.  I went down on the SW side first after 10 minutes and no bites I went to the NE side just as a truck pulled up and it looked like a guy and girl got out.  On my third cast, I got the toothy bullhead.  I was able to quickly get the iPhone on the selfie stick to take a few pictures and get her back in the water.  The guy came over to talk briefly.  They left about 10 minutes later.  I didn't get any more bites and I didn't go back t the SW side.

Platte Ice Free, A Couple Bites at Bulldog, Nothing at Rock

14.25" Panfish Chatterbait 

15.5" T.H.E. Jig/Maggot

Platte Lake Ice Out Today

Rock 80% Ice Free

Bulldog 77% Open

5:30-6:45 Rock Lake
6:50-8:15 Bulldog
8:30-8:40 GOMH SW
75℉, Partly Cloudy, 0-4mph SW

I wanted to get some minnows today but Bear Trax, Redd's, and Reeds are all out of them.  First stop was at the GOMH.  There were people fishing off both sides of the bridge not catching anything.  I talked to the guy and lady on the North side who were fishing with minnows. I then went and checked the situation at the Platte Public Access. Yep, ice-free.  Today is the day.

I then drove to Rock.  There were two trailers in the lot. I fished there while listening to the Twins win the 1st game of the doubleheader in Baltimore. There were some loons calling.  I didn't get a bite.

At Bulldog there seemed to be occasional baitfish activity especially to the South where I can't cast due to that tree.  I put on the Panfish Chatterbait on a lark and amazingly caught a bass.  I then went back to T.H.E. Jig.  I had something very dogfish like move water close to the Rocket Bobber. I threw a few casts with the white craw tube and didn't get any hits, so I went back to THE Jig.  I had what looked like a slight nibble, then another one, then the bobber started moving off.  I figured it was going to be a tiny sunfish, but it was actually the 15-inch bass.

As it was getting dark I headed to the GOMH.  Nobody was there.  I fished for maybe 10 minutes when mom called about Kaylee being stuck in the woods somewhere.  I packed up, but my rain bibs on and left.  When I got home Mom was coming back through the woods in the dark with Kaylee without a flashlight.  I wasn't pleased with Mom not calling me sooner and just waiting for me to go into the woods to get her.

I would imagine the panfish will be moving in pretty quick.

Skunked Again Tonight

Got a later start tonight than I wanted because the Expeditions battery was dead and I was already running late. Checked Bulldog and threw a few casts. Don't think the ice goes off there or Rock until Sunday not as much open water as I thought there would be. Somebody arrived at the Grumpy Old Man Hole right when I did. They took the SW and I took the NE. Think I missed one bite right away. He left. On the SW side I had a visit from an otter, a beaver, and a muskrat. Think I spotted two swimming eyeballs as I was leaving. Will ice go off Platte tomorrow?

55℉, Mostly Sunny, Calm

Skunked At the GOMH

Loons calling back and forth tonight gave me goosebumps it was so cool. The loon that started it was super loud it was just dark enough out that could see where it was. Also had a great blue heron do a fly by and had a beaver swimming around. Platte lake was clear all the way to the south of the big island. I think the ice comes off the lakes on Saturday. Got skunked.

Skunked Twice

50% Open Channel Inn Bay

2:00-2:30PM GOMH, Sullivan Inlet
7:00-8:30PM Bulldog/GOMH

Saw a frog at the Sullivan Inlet.  I might have met the guy from the rents church that just bought a place on the lake.  In the evening there was a loon on the Sullivan side.  I didn't put a headlamp in the Cabela's jacket and my upper back was giving me grief even though I didn't do much fishing.  Off to the Chiro tomorrow.  The fish should be back soon.  Gonna be warm tonight.

Skunked and 3 Loons

Darn camera

A little progress on a windy Platte

4:00-4:30PM GOMH SW SE
35℉, Cloudy, 12mph NE

I thought I was beating the snow.  Turns out the snow didn't start showing up until after 10PM.  It was windy and cold.  Had the two loons swim by.  I went down on the SE side and a third loon briefly joined them.  Conditions sucked so I gave up quickly.

Two Trips One Jumper

17" Storm Swim Shad

Bulldog pulling away from shore

4:30-5:30PM GOMH SW NE
7:30-8:30PM GOMH SW NE
42-32℉, Partly Cloudy, 5-8mph NE

I was bored and took an early trip.  I got the one jumper on the 2" Swim Shad right away.  That was it.  I went home and had dinner then went back out checking on Bulldog and Rock.  If the weather would have just stayed like it is I think ice would be off my Sunday the 14th, but we are getting a few cold days and a snowstorm on Thursday.  Ice is beginning to pull away from shore on Platte.  It cooled down quite a bit for the evening trip.  I think I missed a bite on the NE side and that was it.  Also, the Loon was there when I arrived.  Rods started icing up so I left.

A Loon And Two Jumpers

After catching the first one this loon swam through

17.5" Panfish Chatterbait

17.75" Cubby Mini-Mite

7:15-8:30PM GOMH SW NE
57-50℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-6mph NW

Finally, a day that lived up to the forecast.  I decided to give the Panfish Chatterbait a shot to start things out fishing on the SW side.  I was just about to take it off when the first bullhead of the night hit.  It was 17.5-inch jumper.  Just after I released the fish the loon swam in from Platte.  As the sun went down I went and fished on the NE side for a little while.  I went back to the SW side as it got dark hoping to get some silver.  Got another jumper, this time on the Cubby.  And that was it. 

Cubby Cut Off????

What Happened Here?

The Sun came out

After getting the garbage set out at the cabin I went and checked Bulldog, basically no change.  Then I went to Rock Lake where the ice has begun pulling away from shore at the access.  Then I went to the Sullivan Inlet.  The sounds of Spring and the sun came out.  Didn't get a bite.  No activity at the Culvert.  Nothing on the SW side of the GOMH.  I went to the NE side and had the Cubby get bit off maybe.  I cast across the way.   The bobber didn't stand up, so I pulled and the Cubby was gone, weird.  I assume it was a toothy bullhead, but I felt and saw nothing. I think I missed a bite on the Panfish Chatterbait possibly.  That was it for action.  It actually got above 50-degrees today and the sun came out after 6PM.  It was a pleasant night to be out

1st Bullhead of the Year

20.5" Cubby Mini-Mite (Glow)

About the same as yesterday

7:35-8:20PM GOMH SW NE
45℉, Cloudy fog, 5mph NE

I stayed to watch Auburn go down to Virginia at the Final Four then headed out expecting to get another skunk, but that was not to be.  I started on the SW side and didn't get anything.  I switched to the NE side.  Sure enough, a bullhead pulled my bobber under and I landed my first fish of 2019.

The weather was once again running at least 5 degrees below the forecast.  It was foggy as well.  The one positive is that it didn't get under 40-degrees last night.  Maybe it will be warmer tomorrow.

Invisible Warm Up, Invisible Melt, Invisible Bullheads

7:30-8:00PM GOMH SW NE
45-42℉, Cloudy, Calm

Was disappointed with the non-warm up today.  Didn't gain much open water.  Didn't get a bite.

Refreshing Trip to the GOMH

Cloudy Cool Night with some light snow to start

7:15-8:10PM GOMH SW NE
38-36℉, Cloudy, 10-5MPH East Wind

A gloomy night cool night, but I was into it.  Casting out and listening to my 2019 Playlist.  Very relaxing. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow.

Skunked Again

Not much progress at Bulldog

5:40-6:20PM GOMH NE SW
45℉, Mostly sunny, 5mph NW

Dang light snow we got this morning didn't melt off the lakes today keeping the surface white so instead of absorbing heat under the ice we got practically nothing out of this sunny day.  No activity detected.  A couple guys briefly fished the NE side as well.

Skunk and a Eagle

Looking East from GOMH NE

7:30-8:00PM GOMH
34℉, partly cloudy, 20mph West

So I went to the GOMH despite the coolness and wind.  I started out by shoveling snow into the water from the NE side rocks.  There was a pair of swans honking away (the dark spot on the water in the pic)  I then went and fished on the SW side.  Had an eagle fly right over me coming from the East to West paralleling the road about 50-feet up. Pretty Cool.  No bites.

Dreary Skunk

It's my belief that over the next week I'm going to witness quite a bit of progress towards ice getting off the lakes.  Today was a bit of a disappointment in that regard because it only got to about 40 degrees due to the thick cloud cover.  I didn't get a hit at the GOMH and the water has clouded up quite a bit.  It's still rising.  I also went to Bulldog and the Sullivan Inet.  Didn't get any bites.