Skunked (Blogged 7/14/16)

Water across the drive way

These pictures are from tomorrow

Don't remember that exact time or length of this trip; It was in the morning.  This was the day the basement flooded, plus the Philando stuff was going on and my mind was on that.  I think I missed a bite on the SW side.

Forgot My Tackle Bag, But Got A Bullhead

Plastic's only in that bag

5:30-6:00AM GOMH NE
Conditions: 58 degrees, Mostly Sunny,

I had to tear myself away from the computer this morning (Philando Castile was killed on Wed July 6th).  I did but forgot the bag with my lures in it.  The guy who has been there the last few weekends was there again.  I only fished for half an hour and got one bite, but it was a good one.  The sun was awfully bright.

16" Chigger Craw

Not According To Plan This Morning

With the flash on

Flash On

5:30-6:00AM GOMH NE
6:00-6:30AM Driving to the Hospital in Onamia
6:30-7:45AM Mostly waiting for things to get done
8:00-10:15AM Mille Lacs Eddy's Jetty
Conditions: 60's, Cloudy, some sprinkles, light to very light E wind

I wanted to arrive at the Grumpy Old Man Hole at 5:15, but spent to long putzing around.  The sky was still cool looking when I got there but not quite as pink.  After taking pictures I went down on the NE side.  I got hit immediately on the Loon Whopper Plopper.

13" Whopper Plopper

 That was it for topwater.  I tried a few other baits then tied on the Jerk Shad and brought in this small toothy on it.

19" Jerk Shad Crackle

It was hooked by one hook on the middle treble.  I made the mistake of trying to take it off the hook.  As I went to grab it started fighting.  In a instant the treble was out of the fish and in-bedded in my thumb.

 There is a first time for everything and this was the first time a fish stuck me beyond the barb.  It was in deep and not pulling out at all.  I didn't think the line trick would work with how deep the hook was so I headed to the Hospital in Onamia.  I was right about the line trick.  The P.A. numbed up my thumb then cut the hook as far up as he could.  He was able to push the point through than pull it out.  It took 5 minutes.  They gave me some antibiotics and a prescription and I was out of there.

I decided to head up to Eddy's and try for some smallies.  Having the numb thumb didn't effect my ability to cast or hold the rod.  I fished for about 45 minutes without so much as a sign of a fish when a fish gave itself away well within casting distance.  I put on this Lucky Craft Kelly J.

 Sure enough a 17-18" smallie hit it.  I maneuvered it into the harbor mouth where it jumped a couple of times and got off.  That was it for action for about half an hour until I got this pike on the Jerk Shad.

22" Jerk Shad

I think I had one other bite on the Jerk Shad that didn't hook up.  The sun was starting to break through the clouds and I had flogged the water enough so I headed home.

A Couple Things Made this Trip Worth It

#1

16.5" Big Sexy

#2

7:50-9:45PM
Conditions: Mid 70's, calm, partly cloudy

Thanks to going out for pizza at the Loony Bend with the parents I got a little later start than I wanted.  I got the first fish of the night straight off the dock while walking the frog just before the rice.

12.5" on Big Sexy

I got the boat in the water at about 8:05 and was fishing again by 8:10.  Small fish were under the pads all over the place, but seemingly no bass with them.  I did get a small pike in open water on about my third cast with the Whopper Plopper.

20.5" Whopper Plopper

I tried that for about 10 more minutes without any more hits, then it was back into the reed bed.  Not much was going on tonight in terms of visible fish activity other than when I was paddling around.  The 16 incher missed the frog on the first cast coming all the way out of the water, so I knew it was a bass.  I cast back to the spot, let it sit and it came back an got it.  My mood quickly improved even though my back was starting to give me issues.  I went to the general area of the two pike bite off's yesterday and sure enough got a bite from a pike.  I almost had it to the boat when it got off and I got my Big Sexy back.  I wanted to catch the fish to see if maybe it had another Mad Maxx in it's mouth.  I had two more hits from small pike.  I tried the Plopper again to without any more hits.

I turned the boat around took the picture and started my paddling way back to the dock.

Long Morning On the Lake That Almost Wasn't

5:15-6:00AM GOMH NE
6:10AM-1:15PM Slop Slip at the Lake Place
Conditions: 67-78degrees, Cloudiness was all over the map, Windy at the GOMH out of the SW,  Not so windy to calm in our bay

I arrived at the Grumpy Old Man Hole at about 5AM too dark equals too many mosquito's, so I listed to music until 5:15.  I started on the NE side.  The bullheads didn't want topwater this morning.  I got my first fish on the Jerk Shad,

14.25" Jerk Shad

I also got two small toothy's on the NE side.  I switched to the SW side and the wind really came up out of the SW.  I didn't catch anything.  With the way it was blowing I thought about just packing it in for the morning, but I decided to go and see what conditions were like at the Lake Place.  I could hardly tell there was any wind.  After fishing off the dock for 15 minutes and getting nothing I put the Slop Slip in the water.  I started off going West for some reason.  I caught this pike in front of the pontoon a couple of docks down on the River2Sea Rover.

  First ever fish on that lure.  Next I missed a couple of good hits in shallow on the next dock.  First miss was a fish that blasted Mad Maxx in extremely sparse rice and the second fish hit in the rice by the front of the Pontoon.  I did catch this fish from under the front side of the dock.

15.25" Sweet Revenge Mad Maxx

 I got a small pike out from under the last dock on the point on Maxx.  Interesting rice bed on the other side of the point.  I got a little pike out front of it on the way back on the Grass Pig.  I got a 13.5" bass off of the dock in-between the two I had already got fish off of and got a small pike out front of the 1st dock I got a fish off of both on the Grass Pig.

It was now totally calm out.  I started throwing the LiveTarget Bluegill Wake Bait and got this pike.

15.75" LiveTarget Wake Bait

I went back to throwing a frog and got bit off by what I'm pretty sure was a dogfish.  It was a dark colored fish of some size, it came out of the water as it hit, and broke my line when I set the hook.

I put on a "Bluegrass" color Mad Maxx.  I worked my way to where I got into some fish last night.  I was just about to switch off Bluegrass when a pike stole it.  I put on a Sweet Revenge Mad Max Frog and had a pike bite that off about 5 minutes later.  I tied on a Big Sexy Mad Maxx.  I worked my way out of the rice and got this bass on the LiveTarget Wakebait in the area of my waypoint.

16.5" LiveTarget Bluegill Wakebait

  I went back into the rice and got 15" bass on Big Sexy.  I then worked my way out of the rice and had the Wakebait get bit off.

Fortunately after about 15 seconds it floated back to the surface.  Needless to say, from now on I'm using a wire leader.  I found one in a box and put it on.  I then had 17-18" class bass hit the Bluegill but it got off.  I caught a couple of pike (22.5, 21) as I worked my way around the reed bed.  There were also a couple hits that didn't hook up and a couple of small pike follows.  I got a 13.5 bass on the Big Sexy.  That was my last fish of the day.

Not the most action in the world, but the weather was perfect and enough fish to keep me interested.

My Frog Game Is Improving.

17.66" Sweet Revenge Mad Maxx Frog

5:15-9:45PM Platte Lake out of the Slop Slip
Conditions: 74-67 degrees, Light SSE wind, Cloudy to mostly cloudy, a lot less boat traffic tonight.

13.5" Lunkerhunt Lunker Frog

I started out fishing off of the dock.  I missed the first bite on the Lunkerhunt, but I got the second one.  After messing around for more than half an hour I finally put the Slop Slip in the water.  I had a couple fish show themselves, but not hit the Spro's or go for the Slither Rig.  I finally got over by the reeds and had the black/red Spro Frog I got the fish on last night get bit off.

So I took the white top/black bottom Spro Bronzeye from the Tatula Rod and put it on the Zillion and put a "Sweet Revenge" Mad Maxx Frog on the Tatula.  I pretty much immediately had a pike miss Maxx. Then I had this fish slam Mad Maxx just inside the rice on the curve/inside turn.

17.5" Mad Maxx

 I ended up drifting out of the rice, so I threw the Whopper Plopper for about 5 minutes.  When I went back in the rice I quickly picked up a 14.25" bass and had another pike miss Maxx.  I went quite a while without getting anything.  I got a 16.5" bass where there was a little bit thicker rice with pads on Maxx.  There were also several pike in that area.

Caught by the clump of rice.

I moved out of that area towards Jenny's neighbors boat channel.  A fish gave up it's position to me and an accurate cast put a 14.25" bass in the boat.  About 5 minutes later the biggest bass of the night hit (See first picture).  I thought it was an 18" plus fish, but it only measured 17 and 2/3rds.

I went across the boat channel and got the last bass of the night, a 15.75" on Maxx.  I also got another couple of pike.

There were hardly any fireworks tonight as it seemed most people had gone home.  The Loons made some noise tonight. I would say I connected on 70% of the bass that bit the frog tonight

GOMH & Slop Slip At The Cabin Again

Beat Up 17.5" Chigger Craw

6:00-6:40 GOMH NE
7:00-10:00AM Lake Place out of the Slop Slip
Conditions: 72-58 degrees, Sunny to Mostly Sunny, Calm or very light SSW wind

A little bit of a late start this morning thanks to my slow wake up.  I decided to hit the GOMH first.  The guy was fishing the SW side for sunnies again.  The 17.5" was the only bite I got. A couple of boats went through the channel.  More boats on the lake this morning.

16" Slush Minnow

Out of the Slop Slip I drifted West.  I missed a fish on the Poison  and pulled the fish on the Slush Minnow.  Had a pike come out of the water after the Slush Minnow.  Got a 14 pike on the Poison and had a pike go air borne after the Whopper Plopper.  I moved up into the reeds and slop missing my last 3 bites.  It's tough to get a good hookset in the Slop Slip.  I'm either out of position or the boat is moving towards the fish.  The second miss was a 17-18 bass that came leaping 2 feet out of the water.  0 for 3 on Frog bites, that stinks.

I will probably go back out tonight.

Yep I went out again
7:30-9:45PM Slop Slip in the reeds, pads, and rice
Condtions: Mid 70's to high 60's, Mostly Sunny, Light SE wind turning calm

Choked It!

I cast off the dock until most of the boat traffic cleared at about 8PM.  I didn't get a hit while on the dock.

I put in and headed East.  I had what I'm pretty sure was a small pike try for the frog in shallow between Sherman's and the next place down.  I wasn't seeing much signs of life so i started working for off the tip of the reed point, but then a pontoon came and anchored.  I put a cast in toward the middle of the weed bed and had a hit that I missed.  About 5 minutes later doing the same thing I got the one that choked it.

16" Spro Frog black/red

The XH Zillion Frog Rod hooked up no problem this time.  I had a couple pike try for the frog and not get it thankfully.  I missed something again.  I got a 15.5" on the Spro and missed the last couple of bites that didn't get the frog.  As I was paddling in they started a fireworks show that lasted for 45 minutes.  After  got everything packed up I sat in the Kia and watched the show.

GOMH & Slop Slip at the Lake Place

14.5" Chigger Craw

5:15-6:40AM GOMH NE
6:45-10:15AM Slop Slip at the Lake Place over to Jenny's
Conditions: 72-56 degrees, Mostly to partly cloudy then sunny, Calm to light SSE wind.

The Sunfish/Panfish guy was there when I arrived at the GOMH this morning. I had a hit on the Plopper not hook up first thing along the near wall.  I got 3 jumpers on the Chigger Craw.  I stayed longer than I should have.

Out of the Slop Slip.  I had a pike try for the black and red Spro in front of Sherman's.  I got this bass on my waypoint.

13.5"

While anchored I had a pike go after the Lunkerhunt Frog and got a 14.5" pike on the Chigger Craw.  I paddled over to Jenny's getting a couple pike on the Poison and lost a hit in the rice.  Another pike missed the Lunkerhunt.  A fish hit the Whopper Plopper but didn't hook up.  On my way back I missed a hit on the Spro and got this one.

16" Spro white top black bottom

Slop Slip Is At The Lake Place

Darn Boot Thieves  

8:15-9:45PM
Conditions: Temps in the 60's, Light NE wind turning calm, partly cloudy

I've moved the Slop Slip over to the Lake Place on Platte where it's more likely to be used by me now that I am also using the Trophy.  After quickly fishing the dock area not getting anything I paddled out off the reed point.  I forgot my GPS, doh!  Actually it's not that hard to figure out what's what and where I am out there.  My hope was to get some Plopper Fish tonight.

The tail on the Loon Whopper Plopper spun better today, so I decided to put the hooks back on it.  It worked again.  So glad I didn't mail it back to River2Sea today.  I couldn't get a hit on either Plopper and not wanting a skunk I went to the Pure Poison.  I noticed the boot get stolen of the Swim Fluke Jr. trailer.  A couple of casts later a pike grabbed the trailer as I was lifting the Poison out of the water.  I had it above the gunnel when the plastic ripped and the fish went back in the lake.  That is when I took the picture.  I put another Swim Fluke Jr. on.  About 15 casts later I had another pike hooked and well above the gunnel when it got off.  The sun was going down and the wind quit.  I started throwing topwater again.  I had 2 hits on the white/red Plopper not hook up.  I had one fish miss a Stanley Phantom a couple of times on the same retrieve and I had three separate fish not hook up on the Loon Plopper.  Bummer!

Not Much Opportunity, But I Capitalized.

100% Bite to land ratio on frogs today

5:15-7:30AM GOMH NE SW Lake Place Dock
7:45-9:15AM Peavy Dock
Conditions: 64-58 degrees, Cloudy some light rain, Calm and light wind out of the NW going back to calm

I started fishing on the NW side of the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  A fish gave it's position away over by the closet buoy along the rice. It took me a couple minutes to pick up the frog.  Then it took about 10 minutes of throwing for it, but it sucked down the frog eventually and I put the hooks in him.  My reeling him in through the rice wasn't exactly a work of art, but I got it in.

15.5" Spro Bronze Eye black/red

I did also get a couple hits on the Chigger Craw on the SW side, but didn't hook up.

I went to the Lake Place Dock and didn't get a hit.

I then went to Peavy Lake's Dock.  I took out the Loon Plopper and it wasn't hardly Plopping, mostly just rolling the whole lure.  Don't know what the deal is.  I think I'm going to send it back to River2Sea.  I couldn't get a hit on topwater so I tried the Poison and a Chigger Craw.  I didn't get any hits on those.  It calmed back down and a fish showed itself.  In that same general area I caught this fish about 15 minutes later.

13" Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg

That was the only hit I got at Peavy.  4 hours for 2 fish may seem like pretty sucky fishing, but I was the only one out and it was quite peaceful. I have no complaints.

Frog Game Still Stinks, But At Least I Got 1 Today

I almost gave up on this particular frog

13" Snagproof Ish's Poppin Phattie

8:00-8:35 GOMH SW SE NE
8:40-9:10 HFA Access
9:15-9:40 Lake Place Dock
Conditions: 77-70 degrees, Mostly sunny, calm, the water level is low low and much of the rice is up to the point of being unfishable.

It was a frogs only night for me.

The 4th of July weekend may have started early as there was a family of young women fishing with Mom and Pop at the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  They were fishing off the bridge on the N and S sides.  I talked to the dad briefly as I went from the SW to SE side.  They had a couple small oranges in the pail.  He asked me if I was fishing for bass and if I'd had any success fishing there with big one's.  I told him the truth.  Yes I catch some nice sized fish, but this year with the low water there are fewer of them around.  There were no fish around at the GOMH for me tonight, not even a hit.  Nice old man George was there talking with the Dad when I came up from the NE side and left.

I then went to Bulldog and got nothing at Holy Family.  I decided to stop at the access as well.  A fish revealed it's location to me.  Not sure if it was the one I caught or not.  I cast over the area a couple of times and it hit outside of the pads and rice 10 feet from where the fish gave up it's location. I was glad not to be skunked.

At the Lake Place I had a good hookset on a fish to the West, but it didn't hook up.  I also had something pop the frog in front of Sherman's.  33% on fish striking the frogs is an improvement over 0%, but still not good at all.

GOMH, Mille Lacs, & Rock With Mal & Todd

5:15-6:45 GOMH SW
7:00-8:30 Mille Lacs
Conditions: Temps Low 60-high 50's, Calm or very light breeze, Partly to mostly cloudy

14" Chigger Craw

Not the the best sunrise ever, but solid pink/purple in the clouds.  I got the one jumper and an orange bullhead on a Cubby.

(Click on picture to see larger)

Came across this pheasant with about 6 chicks on the way over to Mille Lacs.  They didn't jump into the ditch right away, so I grabbed the camera to take their picture.  Of coarse the chicks jumped in the ditch then. I can still see a couple of them just to the right of the rooster (They are grey).

I didn't even have a sniff at Mille Lacs.

Rock with Todd and Mallory
10-11:30Am or so
Conditions:  Temps in the 60's, Clouds and warm sun, calm or a very light S wind

I figured my best shot at getting Mallory some fish was to take her out in the Trophy at Rock Lake. Todd got the first fish, a Platte/Sullivan Special on a spinnerbait.

Then Mallory got a sunfish thanks to a little help from me.

Todd got another small pike and Mallory got 3 more sunfish.

Well fishing wasn't great, but we got some

After I took them back in.  I missed yet another fish on the white Poppin' Phattie.  It hit about 5 feet out from the rice.  It was at least a 17" bass.  I got a descent hook set.  That was the only hit I had.  Then I went out and ran the motor.  Not working correctly, but it it runs.  Dad and I got it back on the trailer.

I then stopped by the cabin.  Mallory was out with Kristen on the paddle board.  I should have taken a picture of them, but didn't think of it.  I missed a couple more hits on the Phattie.