Vike's Draft Little KOC, Me Likes

 The 2024 NFL Draft couldn't have worked out better for the Vikings, IMO. Kwesi played his hand as well as can be. JJ sounds just like KOC, extremely impressed with his first press conference. And the nice thing is he doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders from Day 1, thanks to the Darnold signing. I think the team could contend for a wild card next year with Darnold at the helm. The NFC North matchups will be must-watch for the next few years if all the QB's stay healthy.

I Predict My Whole Line Up Improves on Day 2

 

Fantasy Bass Fishing @ The St. John's River

 I will throw Harris Chain into the round file, not an angler in the cut. Terrible!

My Drain the Lake Team at Harris Chain was a success thanks to Mr. Garrett leading wire to wire and getting the W.

Here are my lineups for this week's tournament at the St. John's:

I ended up switching out J Pow with Lester.

Lake Place Dock In

Steve got the dock in today.

 Here is how things looked yesterday when I went down front. Steve must have felt some peer pressure with everybody else's docks going in.

Mr. & Mrs. Bass 2023

 Tonight was the Baxter Bass Snatcher Awards Banquet. It was a low-key night because Snatcher Ruff, the club comedian and normal event MC wasn't able to make it.

Ice Off Platte, Take 2

 

Today was the 2nd Ice Off on Platte Lake of 2024!

I shoveled out a path on the SW side of the GOMH and fished for 45 minutes, losing one gator bullhead. A lot of swans around tonight. I saw the beaver again. No loons yet.

GOMH On April Fools

 

Too much snow

There is quite a bit of open water in Channel Inn Bay

I saw two beavers tonight

Some open water in the NW Bay

I brought my fishing rods with me tonight, but no shovel. I didn't fish. I watched the beavers for a while then headed home.

GOMH & Platte Report

 It was in the low 40's today. I didn't head out tonight until around 7:30 when the front/clouds were moving in. Platte and the GOMH are still mostly iced up. It was getting pretty dark when I got to the Rock Access road, so I decided to turn around rather than see if anyone blazed a trail down to the lake. I'm guessing not. It is only supposed to be in the low 40s for the next couple of days, so I am guessing 2nd Ice Off won't be until Tuesday or Wednesday.

GOMH & P/S

 

Cool sunny day. Platte is ice-covered. Just a little open water at the GOMH. I'd say they got 13/14" at the lakes. Will be interesting to see how much the lake levels rise next week.

GOMH & Platte Iced Up Again

 

We got about a foot of snow from Sunday to Tuesday and much to my amazement, that combined with the cold on the back half of the storm was enough to refreeze the GOMH area and all of Platte Lake. Sullivan and Long still had open water. I didn't check Bulldog or Rock.  I'm thinking the lake will be open by Easter Sunday. 

Great Video For The Budget Angler From Tactical Bassin

 

My Fantasy Bass Teams For The Classic

I changed out Walters in A, Stetson in B, and Schlapper in D.

Final Results:

The bonus points Hamner got for winning just crushed me. It's kind of ridiculous how many points they award this year.

Silver Bullheads Moved In

13" Demon/Minnow

14" Cubby

 Silvers finally moved in. I got the first one over by the Beaver Dam. I was just about to leave when I missed a bite. I then stayed until I ran out of minnows. Catching 2 more silvers and missing 7 more bites. A Bow Fishing Boat came through and I shined two eyes on the Platte side before I left.

March 12th GOMH Odds

 66% Odds that nothing will be happening at the GOMH, so I will give Rock Lake a try.

The Plan: Hit the GOMH first and go to Rock if nothing is going on. Be back at the GOMH around 7PM.

Captain Kirk's Final Grade

 

F

I was not for acquiring Kirk. I thought we should have rolled with Case and Teddy. The fact that Kirk did not get us to an NFC Championship Game marks his tenure as a quarterback as a failure. I have hard feelings toward Kirk. He gave his all on the field, but his money-grubbing ways limited his effectiveness. Thanks for nothing, Captain! 

2024 Ice Out Platte Lake

 

It didn't get very warm today, so the ice was able to hang on in Inlet Bay, but beyond that, there isn't much out there. I would have had no problem launching a boat today, so I'm calling today the day. I'm guessing with the forecast that silvers move in by Wednesday.

BP's Fishing Goals for 2024

 

New Goals in Bold Italic Orange

Goals Accomplished in Bold

Fishing Buddies: I am doing away with the old Fishing Buddies goals list.

1. Keep a list of everyone I fish with in 2024.

The List:

GOMH Crew

Cody (Dock Guy)
Lantern Man: |||| ||

Lantern Man's Son (Brett): ||||
Kyle (Brett):|

Skibidibi (Rick Skiba): ||||

Kyle (No Brett): ||

LM Granddaughter (K):||

LM Daughter: ||

Little Falls Guy:||||

Logan:||

Trophy Crew:

Bass Snatchers:

Bass Snatcher Goals: 

1.  Win my 2nd club tournament. 
2. Get "Wood" in at least one tournament. (1st-3rd Place Finish or Lunker or Co-Angler Challenge) 

3. Get "Lunker" in a tournament.   (Preferably one over 5-8 to win the revolving big bass pot.)
4. Finish in the Top 10 at the end of the year. 
5. Catch a limit at every tournament of the year.  (I've done this twice, but in 2012 I only fished 4 out of the 6 tournaments due to a bad back.)
6. Pre-fish with at least 3 boaters.
7. List the Rods I'm bringing for each tournament before the tournament.
8.  Win the Co-Angler Challenge at least twice
9. Make the Challenge Cup Team

10. Finish higher than Tuma in a Tournament (He is the only long-term Snatcher I have not beaten on tournament day. He beat me on the tie-breaker on Whitefish Chain his rookie year in the club. That is the closest I have gotten)
11. Give each boater I fish a lure from my collection.

12. Catch a 20+ Bag and make the Club's list of Top 25 Biggest Bags 

13. Set Personal Bests on each lake for Bag Size, Big Bass, and Place of Finish

14. Grade my performance in each tournament and also do this for all my past Bass Snatcher tournament recaps.


Technique, Equipment, & Tackle Goals:
1. Win something in Fantasy Fishing or Facebook giveaways/contests.
2. Officially Open the Tackle Warehouse.
3. Give Away some of my tackle
4. Experiment with a Rocket Bobber and Wacky Rig
5. Catch 25 fish on a Stanley Phantom

6. Catch bass cranking deep in Sullivan Lake

7. Sell some of my tackle

8. Catch 30 fish on a prop bait and throw them during the post-spawn.

9. Catch 5 bass on a Jitterbug.
10.  Keep a Lures Lost List

Lures Lost In 2024:

Glow Demon: |||| |

T.H.E. Jig:||

Cubby Mini-Mite: ||

X-Rap 10: |

Rapala V-Blade: |

Blogging:

1. Blog about it when I achieve a goal most of the time
2. Record all fishing trips at Fish Swami
3. Fish at least 200 days and blog about them

4. Get unblogged trips from 2021,2022,2023 at Fish Swami blogged at the Log Blog.

5. Make at least 10, First 5 Cast's videos

6. Be more intentional about taking Sunrise/Sunset pictures

Fish Catching Goals:
1. Catch* 3,000 Fish 
2. Have a 100-fish day.

3. Catch Devin's Birthday Bullhead On May 20th

4. Catch A Fish Every Month

🗹January

🗹February

🗹March

🗹April

Crappie:

1. Catch a new personal best.(14.75/1.80lb on 5/9/22)
2. Catch* over 450 Crappies this year.

Dogfish:
1. Catch an MN State Record fish. (11-4  or over 31")
2. Catch a new personal best.

Pike:
1. Catch* over 1,000 this year. (Caught 1,130 in 2023)
2. Catch a 38" or over/personal best.

Bass: 
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Largemouth (6.5lbs/21" PB)
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth (20.5" PB)
3. Catch* over 1,500 bass this year. (Caught 1,218 in 2023)
4. Catch* at least 10 smallies.  (Caught 7in 2023)
5. Catch a 25lb 6 Fish Bag
6. Have a 50 bass day 

7. Catch over 500 bass on Frogs/Toads
8. Catch 5 bass over  5lbs/20-inches (0 in 2023)

9. Catch 25 bass over 4lbs/19-inches (30 in 2023)
10. Get Steve and Todd at least one 4lber

Walleye:
1. Catch at least 100. 
2. Catch 30"/10lber or new personal best. (28.5 is PB)

* Catch is anything I deem it to be, including follows by pike or smallmouth (while pre-fishing), a pike missing my lure, fish viewed on the Aqua View, and fish that get off before I have them in hand that I can positively identify.  And fish caught by people I am guiding or boater during pre-fish.

Ringing The Fire Dept.

 I need them to come over and dump some cold water on this week's dumpster fire, ridiculous!

Update: Fire Dept. Showed up and I got 3 guys in the 50 cut. Walter and Jay made a run for the Top 10 and came up a little short. Cobb gambled and busted.

GOMH & More Report

 

 

Three of my Fantasy Bass Guys made the cut. Cobb and Walters got 30's. I bought my fishing license at Bear Trax.

Skunked! I toured the lakes before hitting the GOMH. Bulldog had more ice at the access than before the cold, but some of the shorelines are pulling away. The Rock Lake access area ice pulled away from shore right in front of the access. GOMH had ice on what was open water before the cold. It was plenty open for me to fish. Lots of swans flying around tonight, a few geese, and two chirpy eagles even. It was a beautiful day and got to 55.