I reached My Goal of 1,500 Bass Caught For the Year

If the weather is good I have an outside shot at getting to 2,000 for the year. 

I don't think I'm going to make it to a 1,000 Pike which was my goal for them.

Vikings Outlook After Week One: Thumbs Up

There are no if's and's or but's about it the Vikes looked like a much-improved team in week one.  Dalvin looked like he is a force to be reconned with.  And the D,  love those turnovers.  Keep it up, boys.

Mille Lacs Closing For Walleye, I'm Not A Happy Camper Right Now

Just last week the word from the DNR was that a closure would not be necessary.  This is complete bullshit.  The lake is healthy and exceeding the quota by a little bit isn't going to change that fact.  This decision really has me steaming mad.

I have written the Governor and my state Rep. and Senator.

Goal Reached: Fishing With Thompson

Got out fishing with Cyb Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Aug. 17th Gull/Crow Wing River Snatcher Tournament Full Report

Checkbook Won the Co-angler Challenge with 15/4 

Conditions: 81-65℉, Mostly Sunny, 5-15mph South

The Day:
We started at the rice island at the confluence of the two rivers where Bruce got the two bites prefishing.  There was notably no activity going on here while there was plenty of it when we pre-fished.  We didn't get a bite.  There was some activity to the South of us just off of the rice.  When we got down there I had a fish hit my Piranha Chatterjig, but not hook up.  It jolted the rod like a pike.  That was the only bite we got along the rice.  We then headed across to the slop matt which wasn't nearly as well-formed as when we pre-fished; It shrunk significantly.  I saw a fish come out of the water.  I had bruce get me in casting range and I got a hit on the Spro Sprinker Frog but it didn't hook up.  It was a small fish.  Couldn't get a follow-up hit on a swim jig, Piranha, or craw tube.  We worked our way to the South end of the mat.  There was activity there and I was just about to say expect to get a bite when Bruce had a hit on his swim jig.  It got off.  Bruce is pretty sure it was a bass.  A couple of minutes later I had the grub tail get bit off the Piranha.  I replaced it with a Zoom Speed Craw.  We worked back over the point and I directed Bruce to take us into a cut slop.  I got my first bass there.  I was so relieved not to be skunked.  We worked up the East side of the slop mat without any luck.

Next, we went to re-work our starting spot coming up from the NW along the shoreline.  I got my second bass along the shoreline on the Piranha.  Didn't get anything on the second pass.  I think we then went a little way up the Crow Wing to where Bruce got a bass the first day he pre-fished. Bruce got a pike and I got a pike in the rice slop on a 1oz Jig/Craw.  I was so ticked it wasn't a bass.

We then tried a spot in the confluence we hadn't pre-fished and didn't get a bit.  We then ran up the Gull River to a narrow section.  I got my third bass there at the entrance to the narrow section on a white double willow white Strike King Spinnerbait.  We fished a few more spots without any luck in the Gull River.  We went back to the starting spot.  Nothing doing.

We then ran up the river.  Bruce thought he missed a bite.  I got an 11-inch short largemouth.  I thought I missed a bass, immediately threw back to the spot and got a pike that stole my spinnerbait when it came off the Power Clip.  Was not to happy about that.  We ended the day where I got my second fish.
  

Results: My fish officially weighed 6/01 which put me in 14th Place out of 18 anglers. Bruce got skunked and came in last.  The winner was Keith Tuma who set a new all-time record bag for the club with 24/8.  Lunker went to Ruff with a 6/03 mega pig.  Checkbook took the Co-Angler Challenge with 15/4.

My Thoughts:  I got a tough break when I drew Bruce for a boater.  He s an outstanding guy, but he is a novice when it comes to bass fishing.  I think Bruce probably would have preferred if I would have taken charge and run the boat.  If I ever get partnered with him again I'll see if he wants me to do that.  The thing is I enjoy the challenge of fishing from the back end of the boat without having to worry about controlling the boat.  I did do some boat control coaching, which I think Bruce found helpful.  If I would have taken control of the boat I would have thrown a frog a lot more than I did.  A frog was a key bait for Tuma and Ruff.

Thanks to the number of guys that elected not to fish this tournament I am basically guaranteed to reach my goal of being in the Top 10 at the end of the year.

Gull/Crow Wing River Tournament Tomorrow

There has been far too much trepidation about this tournament in my brain.  Maybe the fishing gods will smile on me tomorrow or maybe they won't and it will be a really tough day on the water.  I've just got to fish the best I can and not allow myself to get stressed out if I miss a fish or they aren't biting.  

Here a the Rods I'm Bringing

7'6" MH LTB (Tokyo Rig Craw Tube)

7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog)

7'4" H Zillion (Jig)

7'2" H Tatula (Jig)

7'1" MH Tatula (Swim Jig)

7' MHM Mojo (Chatter Jig)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube)

7' M Avid (Neko Rig)

6'8" Avid M (Topwater)

Why I Am Not Drunk The On Purple Kool Aid This Year

Simply put, Kirk Cousins showed he wasn't up to the task when the competition was good and the lights were bright.  That was knock on him coming into last season and he played true to form.  Hopefully, things will go better for Captain Kirk this year.  Maybe our O-Line play and running game improve and things finally click for Kirk against the top of the line competition.  I don't have any faith in Kirk becoming what we need. 

Our defense needs to improve as well.  More turnovers men, more turnovers! 

July 27th Snatcher Tournament @Rabbit Lake

Typical Rabbit 2lber caught Pre-fishing in the Pads

Conditions: 83-65℉, Partly Cloudy, 3-12mph WNW
WT: High 70's

The Day:
We blasted off 4th right behind Chuck Fields and wouldn't you know it he went right to our starting spot as well which was off of the big point on the North of the pit side of the lake.  Darren set us down to the West of Fields and we started working towards him.  I had a 1.91lb bass jump on my 3/8 black/blue jig pretty much immediately.  I got it in the box and it was a repeat performance with a slightly smaller fish.  The fished seemed to shut down on the jig after that. I threw out a Neko rigged Yum Dinger and got a 1.30lber on that immediately.  I think Darren got his first fish shortly after that and I got a short.  We worked back over where I got the fish to start and didn't get anything, Fields worked to the East so we went to where he started and I got 1.70lb fish that hit my jig on the fall.  After maybe an hour and a half we went to our second spot which was in the NE section of the pit lake.  I made the mistake of checking our fish while we were running and I shut the livewell on one of my rod tips breaking it, doh!  I got a 1.19  and my 2/8 lunker to fill out my limit on the jig.  I then culled up with 1.71lb fish on the jig.  Darrin was getting a little better quality of fish on a blue/black craw tube, so I started throwing that and I got a  1.63lb fish on that;  I thought the fish was a weed at first.  We were just about to leave to go fish the pads when I got a 2.05lb fish on the jig next to a dock.

The pads didn't even yield a blow-up for me, but Darren got a couple of fish there and missed some solid blow-ups.  Next, we went out and worked the roadbed.  I think I got a 2.13lb out there along with a couple that didn't help.  We went back to our second spot and I got my last fish of the day there on the craw tube (2.20).

Results: My fish weighed 13/02 with 2/8 big fish which beat Hammers 2/06 big thus putting me in 12th Place.  Darren's fish weighed 14lbs with 3/04 big which put him in 10th Place.  The tournament was won by Jim "Smitty" Smith 17/03.  Lunker weighed 3/14 and was caught by Mick Ziebell.

My thoughts: I don't think I lost any fish that hurt me.  I just didn't have a shot at a kicker that would have put me in the top half of the field.

  

Rabbit Lake Quick Recap

3 out of 4 for Beau Bacon

Had a fun good day on the water with plenty of fish caught. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get a kicker bite. A limit of 2lbers just doesn't get the job done at this lake.  I think everyone that is in my tier of people in the AOY race beat me.  Making the Top 10 this year is going to be a challenge because as it appears there are 15 anglers with a legitimate shot of making the Top 10 this year.  Who I draw for our next tournament at Gull River is probably make or break for my Top 10  hopes.  Reputation is that it is a really tough fishery and not getting skunked should be my number 1 goal for that tournament right now.   

Snatcher Tournament On Rabbit Lake Tomorrow

Rabbit Lake 2lber from Pre-fish

Since 2007, a year before I joined the Bass Snatchers, the Snatchers have fished Rabbit Lake very three years.  So this will be my fourth tournament there with the club.  I've fished a "Mini-Bucks" and an old Excel Bass Circuit Tournament that I finished 3rd in when I first moved up here.  I have a lot of experience on the lake and have fished it with some of the clubs best fishermen.  My boater Darren usually brings in an over 2lb per fish average here.   We had a productive pre-fish.  Hopefully, the weather will be a little cooler and cloudier than forecast.  Feeling good about this one, but know I can't take anything for granted in a tournament.

Rods I'm Bringing:
7'4" H Tatula (Frog)
7'4" H Mod Zillion (Tokyo Rig/Jig)
7'1" MH Tatula (Jig)
7' H Avid (Craw Tube)
7'MH Mod Mojo (Bladed Jig)
6'8" M Avid (Topwater)
6'6" MH GLX 783 (Jig/Texas Rig)

Spin:
6'6" M GLX 782 (Dinger, Neko, Ned)

Snatcher July 13th Tournament at Farm Island Lake

Co-Angler Champion for the Day

What my scale says I had.

Thoughts Coming In:  We had a very good pre-fish.  I was a little concerned because it was a deep jig bite.  While I can catch fish that way I know it is an area of weakness as I miss a lot of bites.  My boater Bill Lundenia is a jig master.  I figured I would see if they would hit a craw tube, which I'm much more comfortable with and switch if Bill was catching them on a jig.

Conditions: 83-66℉, Some clouds in the morning turning sunny, 0-4mph WSW
WT: High 70s

The Day: We went South to start where the fish were bigger on average in pre-fish.  I started by throwing a River2Sea Bubble Walker over the calm lake.  A pike jumped about 5-feet in the air and was my first fish in the boat.  After about 10-minutes it was clear that any area fish didn't want it on top, so I switched to the craw tube and pretty quickly got a 2lber.  I got one other 2lber, but it was not happening so we went to the "Smallmouth Hole".  I picked up a quick keeper as did Bill.  Then Bill had a 3lber throw his jig. I got a couple more 2-pounders on the craw tube.  We then went to a hump and I got 2.66lber on the craw tube.  The sun came out.  We tried one more spot in Farm Island then headed for Little Pine.

Bill got a bass in Little Pine on the jig, so I switched to the jig immediately.  I missed 3 or 4 bites.  Bill was missing bites and getting bit off.  It was dead calm and minnows were skittering around above the milfoil, so I thought I would throw a few casts with the Bubble Walker.  On the second cast, a 3lber took it but immediately jumped and threw the bait.  Bill then had a good fish break off at the rod.  He was looking for his line; The fish he lost jumped and immediately my lunker of the day (3lbs) struck the topwater.  I got a bass that didn't keep on my very next cast.  That all happened in the span of about 6 casts for me.

We went back into Farm Island and fished some docks.  I tried out the Neko Rig like I said I was going to do.  I got one that almost helped me breaking my Techna AV rod in the process. I got a couple of dinks as well.  We went back to everywhere we fished in the morning and I had a few fish pick up a brown/green pumpkin craw tube.  We ended the day watching Checkbook snatch a good one.  Bill only got 5 keepers in the boat.

Results: My fish went 14/8 which put me in 4th Place and allowed me to be the Co-Angler Champion.  The tournament was won by Tim Benson with 16/2 and Tim got "Lunker" with a 3/08 fish.

My Thoughts: A good day for me, some though luck kept it from being a good day for Bill as well.  I may not switch a thing up for the next tournament at Rabbit Lake.

Bass Snatcher Tournament On Farm Island Tomorrow

Will Bill Put Stock In The Smallmouth Pattern He Discovered?

Bill Ludenia and I are Boat #1 out tomorrow.  It will be interesting to see where Bill chooses to take us because he caught nice fish everywhere we went pretty much when we pre-fished on Wednesday. I only caught 2 fish, but they were good ones.  If they bite tomorrow like they did on Wed. I should be in good shape.  It's going to be sunny with very little wind, so it might be a grind.  I'm breaking out the Zoom Speed Craws which I haven't used in years and trying something I've never thrown before ever, a neko rig.

Rods I'm Bringing:
7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)
7'4" HMod Zillion (Heavy Jig)
7'1" MH Tatula (Jig)
7' H Avid (Texas Rig, Tokyo Rig)
7' MHM Mojo (Chatterjig)
6'8" Avid (Topwater)
6'6" 783 GLX(Jig/Light Texas Rig)

Spinning:
6' MH Techa AV (Fluke/Dinger/Ned)

The Tale Of My Other 25hp Johnson

"The Other Johnson" 

I had mounted my new to me 1993 Johnson 25hp motor back in May of 2010, but there was something about that motor I didn't trust.  Electric start, but it didn't have a pull start as back up in case the battery died or something like that.  There was an eBay auction, I think in June 2010, with a 2001 25 HP Johnson that had an electric start/pull start, so I bid on it.  I didn't win the bid, but the winning bidder backed out and I was given the chance to buy it for my bid amount.  I decided to take him up on the offer as had I won the original bid I was going to get the motor.  So Dad and I drove up north of Bemidji to go and get it.

I had been using the 93 Johnson for a couple of months by then and was pleased as punch with it.  So the newer motor just sat in our garage, then in the pole barn.  I didn't give much thought too it.  So this year on Sunday, June 2nd the older Johnson broke down.  My hope was that it would be a quick fix and I would be up and running in no time.  Pete was coming up the next weekend and he would be able to fix it if that was the case.  That wasn't the case. A part had to be ordered and Pete lives in Lake City in SE Minnesota. I was so depressed out about it not being a quick fix I just shrugged off Pete's suggestion that we get the other Johnson and put it on. Pete went back home and I was catching eyes at Mille Lacs at Eddy's Jetty, so things were OK my world.  My brother Todd got back from his two-week long family trip to Alaska the last week of June. It became clear during that week that trolling motor only fishing wasn't cutting it.

With Todd and Steve both up here over 4th of July week.  We got the motors switched out on the 3rd.  The maiden voyage was a success and now hopefully we are good to go on "My Other 25hp Johnson."   

My Sorry Lake Alexander Full Results

Conditions: 84-65℉, Sunny to start then partly cloudy to cloudy, 3-6mph SE
Water Temp: Low to mid 70's (just a guess)

The Day:
My boater Tim was confident we would crush them.  The fish had other ideas.

We started outside a small cove along the South shoreline.  Nothing there.  I started topwater, then went to spinnerbait, then to a jerkbait, then back to a smaller topwater.  As we got to a rocky shoal at the cove entrance Tim got his first keeper a small smallmouth.  I'm not even sure what he was fishing with.  We started approaching some docks.  I think Tim caught a fish and needed to re-tie so I went to the front of the boat.  I had a fish hit my Shower Blows when I wasn't paying attention and lost it half way to the boat.  It was just a small keeper, no big deal right?  A little way down the shoreline I got my big bass of the day on the Shower Blows.  It was a smallmouth that went about a pound and 2/3rds.  That was it for me for quite a while.  We jumped to a couple of reefs.  Tim had a good smallie break him off because he had his drag set too tight.

Tim was drop shotting and hardly getting a bite.  That really played with me mentally because I just was not prepared for the day to go down like that.  Finally, about 3 hours in we headed for some bullrushes.  Tim got a good largemouth on his second cast and then quickly missed one.  I missed hit on my frog in some small pads.  I then got a small keeper off the back side of the rushes.  Tim started culling and I got one that barely went over 12-inches.  I missed a couple more bites in the rushes.

We went and tried some other spots.  I got a couple shorts off of a small point.  We went back to the start spot and Tim got his big bass, a 3lb smallmouth.  It just wasn't happing there so we jumped a couple of offshore spots.  Tim had a smallie get snatched by a muskie when he was bringing it in.  He fought it for a couple of minutes before the muskie let go. Then the smallie got off Tim's line just like that.  It wasn't a very big one and when it got off the muskie was in hot pursuit. We went back to the bullrushes to end the day.  I missed one bite on a frog and I think I missed a couple that hit the craw tube but could have been rock bass.  Who knows.

Three small fish, what a disappointment!

The Results:
My three fish weighed 3/12 and put me in 18th Place out of 20 anglers.  Tim's fish weighed 12/04 and put him in 7th Place.  He was only 9oz out of 3rd Place so breaking off that fish really hurt.  The winner was non-boater Beau Bacon with 16/7.   Lunker went to Chuck Fields with a 3/14.

My Thoughts:  I didn't fish well.  For some reason, I was checked out mentally for most of the day and just couldn't get comfortable with what I was throwing.  I just think I was so unprepared for fishing to be so difficult.  For at least the last two weeks of June catching bass for me became a difficult proposition.  Not sure what it's gonna take for me to get out of this rut.  I better find my mojo quick because the next tournament is less than two weeks out. 

Bass Snatchers On Lake Alex Tomorrow

I've only been on Lake Alexander twice in my life.   One day fun fishing in the Fall and a Snatcher Tournament in early June 2014.  My boater Club President Tim Benson said he caught them doing everything he tried when he pre-fished, but that was a week and a half ago.  I've never fished with Tim before so I'm looking forward to it.  If I'm really lucky the big Alexander smallmouth will be on topwater.   It's going to be a hot one tomorrow   

The Rods I'm Bringing:
7'4" H Tatula (Frog Rod)
7'4" H Zillion (Jig/Tokyo Rig)
7' H Avid (Texas Rig)
7' MH Tatula Elite (Big Topwater, Trap)
7' MH Mojo (Chatterjig, Plopper, Trap)
7' M Avid (Senko/Tube/Light Tex Rig)
6'8" M Avid (Topwater, Jerkbait, Spinnerbait)

6' MH Techna AV (Fluke)