Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Steve And I Hit the Jetty Tonight


22" Jerk Shad

21" Jerk Shad

21.5" Jerk Shad

18.5" Jerk Shad (Crackle)

I thought with the SE wind today things would be good at the Jetty. Steve was into it so off we went. Arrive at the Jetty, no wind no waves. I predicted it probably wouldn't be good until after 9PM and I was right. Steve got the first fish around 9:20PM and it was a 21.5" keeper. He would get two more, both in the keeper slot. I put on a crackle Jerk Shad with 3 minutes to go in the night and hooked into my only fish of the night on the first cast. I had Steve throwing the Ghost Shad Jerk Shad the whole time. Steve was fishing off of the Center Standing Rock. A native guy to the North of me at the North Corner got 4 fish as well. Steve lost a good one right before 10PM.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

The Dock IS IN!


 Putting her in was a breeze with no decking reported Todd. Steve got the decking completed when Todd and I were out fishing. 

2021 Opener Recap: Tough/Disappointing

 


No Company at Midnight
I was pleasantly surprised nobody else was at the Jetty at Midnight, and there were plenty of eyeballs in the Harbor Mouth area, so that is where I started. It was basically calm. I ditched the plan to go with a Rippin Rap first to see if I could sight fish 'em first. Fish weren't interested. So I started blind casting and had a couple of bumps not hook up. I switched to a swimbait and had one on briefly. Then a couple guys showed up around 12:15 and started fishing off the Center Jetty. He was hooked up on his second cast. I decided to throw a Rippin Rap. The guy hooked up again, and I got a 20-inch eye on my first cast with the Rippin Rap. It was 20.5", so not quite a keeper. I forgot to bring a bucket and to take a picture. No big deal, the fish were going, and I would catch another, right? Wrong. I had a few more bites and lost two that were hooked up. One that I sight fished with a hair jig at the North Corner and one in the final 10-minutes that took the Frenzy Minnow that I fought all the way to the rocks. Probably a 23/24-inch fish. I did get my perch X-Rap back that I lost when I backlashed at about 12:30AM. It had drifted down to the North Corner when I caught the line and brought it in. When I left at 3:30, The other guys had caught 13 between them. I got a little spun out trying to catch the X-Rap rather than fish, and by the time I got back to fishing, they had shut off for the most part. So I left somewhat disappointed, but I got my X-Rap back, so I was a little lucky. 
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15.5" R2S Bubble Walker (Pearl)

2.75lbs/17" SK 3/16 Spin 

2.91lbs/17.5" Bully Wa 2

The first trip out in the Trophy was a mixed bag. I got started about 15-20 minutes later than I should have. Missed a hit on the Frenzy Popper on the second cast at the River Mouth, and the line and hook got fouled up on the hook set.  I did get my first bass on topwater on the Bubble Walker just as another guy entered the River Mouth. That was the only bite I got in the area. I started working my way down the western shoreline. Got a few bass and pike on a spinnerbait and chatterjig. Caught my first 17-incher and realized I hadn't prepared the scale like I had planned. So I stuck the fish in the livewell and got that situation straightened out. There were anglers out in front of me, so I started working toward the northern shoreline of the SPRO.  I had a big pike take that little spinnerbait. I had her all played out and in the net lifted halfway into the boat. The fish flopped out of the net into the lake and got off in an instant. That trainwreck turned what would have been a successful Opener into a disappointment. The pike had to be at least 37-inches long and the biggest I have ever had on at Platte Lake. I really wanted a picture with it. I could have had her in the boat but might have broken a rod had I let her flop out in the boat rather than over the water like I chose. Well, no crying over it. went back to fishing. Caught a few pike and bass on the flat. Came up to the curly left pondweed at the Intersection.  Got three 17-inchers there, including my first two frog bites. Lost the first one, got the second. Also lost a good fish on the LiveTarget Baitball Popper. Conditions were good, but I had to get home to take care of Kaylee, so I headed in at noon.
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16" Jackhammer

The DNR heading off in the distance


Todd and Steve had the dock in the water but didn't have most of the decking done. I got the boat ready and Todd and I headed out around 7PM. South Inlet Bay was a bust as was Access Across. We each got a bass in the SPRO. Todd's on the Jackhammer and mine on the LiveTarget Baitball Popper. Disappointing trip. Thought the fish would be suicidal. CO Vang came and checked us toward the end of the evening. He said it was really slow for most anglers. I think the falling clear water has them skittish and reluctant to get on the shallow flats. I missed far too many bites today. I didn't suggest Mille Lacs to Todd as I was tired and not happy with the evening's results. Steve had the dock finished when we returned.

 

Friday, May 14, 2021

2021 Opener Plan

My Plan:
I have decided to leave for Eddy's at 11PM. That should assure I can get the North Corner on the Jetty. With a SE wind, that is the spot to be, and being there a half hour early should mean I get it. Todd isn't coming up until sometime tomorrow, and fishing at midnight for walleyes isn't appealing to Steve, so it will just be me. Unless the bite is ridiculously on fire, I'll be out of there by 3:30AM. That will give me enough time to get home to get a bite to eat and get reloaded to launch the Trophy by 5AM. I am doing that rain or shine, minus thunderstorms, of course. I want to be first at the river mouth. The first lure for Larry Bass is going to be a Frenzy Popper. But I think the star of the show could turn out to be hollow-body frogs in the dead rice, which is everywhere. If fish are going in the Sulivan Platte River Outlet, that is where I will spend the morning, fingers crossed. If not, I'll go to Platte and fish my way north. How long I stay out is totally dependent on the bite. I'll need to be back to take Kaylee out by noon, so I can't stay out forever. I will be out in the evening with Todd in the Trophy. I don't anticipate Todd wanting to give eyes a shot after dark at the Jetty, but I'll ask if he wants to give it a shot. Unless he wants to go, I think I will get some shut-eye and go at sunrise again in the Trophy with Todd on Sunday morning.  

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

2021 Opener Outlook

It looks like we are getting stable weather with a slight warming trend for the 2021 Opener. This should make for phenomenal fishing.

My Plan:
Sleep in on Friday, so I am raring to go come midnight. I should arrive at Eddy's at 20 to midnight if not sooner. I'm going to invite both of my brothers don't know if they are up for it or not.  I'll bring the spotlight and see what I can. I'm guessing water levels are up slightly from last Fall. If the North Corner is open that is where I will start. My guess is that there will be other people there fishing, but you never know. I expect to catch a few walleyes, but I don't think it will be a smash fest. If fishing is really good I'll stay until 3:30AM. 

Developing...More Later.

Monday, May 10, 2021

Fishing In April Was Disappointing

Screen Shot Taken 4/11

Taken 5/1


 I fished every day in April except for the 1st.  The weather was just too inconsistent for the fish to get comfortable. My Fish Per Hour number dropped by three and a half per hour. As tough as the fishing was I was rarely skunked and I caught 200 plus fish for the month thanks to the fact fishing picked up in the final few days. Disappointing, but not a disaster by any means.

Thursday, May 06, 2021

My Neely Henry Elite Line Ups

 

Hoping Felix stays hot and Wendlandt bounces back strong.


Looking for home cooking for the Alabama Boys