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

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