2024 Opener Evening Short Trophy Trip In Platte

  

4lber Dirty Jigs SC Buzzbait/ToadZ

8:15-9:15PM North Channel Inn Bay Platte Lake

66-70℉, PC, 0-3mph W

Water Temp: Low 60's

This trip would not have happened if Steve hadn't taken Mom home from the late hamburger feed. Thanks, Steve! I went to Channel Inn Bay with limited daylight. I got the 4lber at Dogfish Corner, as well as a pike in the hay. I got a quick pike throwing the Swim Jig and a small bass on the first cast with the SBKO. Conditions said I should have gotten plenty of bites. I didn't bring a headlamp or spotlight. I stuck the boat landing, and Todd helped me unload stuff, which was appreciated. I was tired, and it would have taken me quite a while longer without the help.

2Bass 

2Pike 

2024 MN Opener GOMH & Short Trophy Trip

 

 

4:35-5:40AM GOMH NE

43-52℉, MS, 0-2mph

Warer Level High and Rising, Temp: 58℉

I should have left 10 minutes earlier. The truck driving North in front of me was headed to the GOMH as well but, thankfully, didn't pull a U-turn at the bridge. I saw they were coming back, so I quickly grabbed two rods and the tackle bag and headed down to the untaken SE side. Wheel House Guy was already there on the SW. I got a bite on my second cast, but it got off quickly. That is what I get for leading with the swimbait instead of a jerkbait. I did switch to the UJShad and had a fish on briefly, but it felt very gator-like on the hit. I had a couple of bumps, and as it was getting light out, I had a jumper get off. I finally got two small jumpers on the Jerk Shad and headed for the Trophy as the first boat from Platte approached.

2 Jump

6:40-7:45AM Sullivan River Mouth, River & SW SPRO

54-59℉, M Sunny, 0-4mph W

With the pre-sets from last night so I was able to make a quick transition to the boat. I left the rods that were in the boat house in the boat house. 3 or 4 boats were fishing Platte. Only a couple on the North End of Sully. I started at the River Mouth. Nothing on the KO Shower Blows, so I went to an EVO Chatter. Lost a good feeling fish, then a good'n at the boat. I then caught a small pike. I got bit off. In the river, I had some good bites on the SBKO but only caught the small ones. I believe I was the first person to fish the river mouth. For the final 20 minutes, I ran the SWSPRO, getting the biggest fish of the morning, and missed a couple more good ones on the SBKO. It was a short trip because I needed to have the car back home.

7Bass 

3Pike 

 

2024 MN Fishing Opener at Eddy's Jetty

 

Setting the scene

 

Northern Lights Looking towards Indian Point

Northern Lights Looking South from our place when I got home

1st Fish of the 24 Season

5th Eye of the night

12:00-2:45AM Eddy's Jetty Mille Lacs Lake

43℉, Clear Sky w/ Northern Lights, 1-3mph W light ripple

I arrived at the Jetty around 11:30PM. The Northern Lights had a lot of watchers on the frontage road, but nobody came to fish the Jetty. There was a light ripple on the water. I started with a Minnesota Rig for my first 5 casts. Not a solid plan. After a fishless first 10 minutes, I switched to a Grass Pig and had a fish pull it halfway off the jig on the first cast. I may have missed another bite about 10 minutes later. I spent 45 minutes in the North Corner before giving the Harbor Mouth a try. 

At about 1 am, the Northern Lights got much brighter over the lake, and a baitfish got blasted just to the S of the Center Standing Rock. I quickly made my way to that spot. I turned on my headlamp and saw the fish, so I turned the headlamp off. I then cast about 20' past, where I saw the fish with the Jerk Shad, and it hit on the very first cast, bazinga! It was about 18." I caught 3 more at the Center Standing Rock in the next 20 minutes. I got my final bite of the night at the Old North Corner Standing Spot on the Jerk Shad. I foolishly decided 5 fish was enough and started trying other things. A couple other guys showed up with a boat at 2 am. The guy that went to Center Jetty got a fish quickly. His buddy showed up about 15 minutes later and caught a walleye as I was packing up. He was fishing off the N Harbor Mouth. The NL were really bright from W to E in the southern sky as I made my way home. I took a picture when I got home. Successful opening trip.

5Eyes 

MN Fishing Opener Outlook And Plan

 I think it has the potential to be a banga. We have rising water levels and very good water temps so the shallows should be full of hungry fish. 

My plan is to sleep in on Friday, so I am well rested. I plan to leave for Eddy's Jetty by 11PM, which hopefully will allow me choice of location on the North Jetty, Maybe no one will be there and I'll have it all to myself. Unlikely, but it has happened. 

Decision Time will be at 2:45AM. If the fishing is nonstop lights-out action  I'll stay longer,  if not I'll head home with the goal of being at the Grumpy Old Man Hole by 4:15AM, which should allow put me there after the midnight crew and before the early risers thus getting me the NE corner. This may be the end of my Opener morning if the Trophy is not available.

I'm not sure if the Trophy will be in the water. The Pontoon lift is where I traditionally beach it and I think the water level is probably too high now for me to beach it on the West side of the dock where I beached it last year when water levels were really low. I'm pretty sure Todd and Kristen are coming up  this weekend, which means I'll have to tone down my fishing ambitions and assist Todd with getting the pontoon and wave runner launched.

I hope to update this when I know more. I've still got three days to get things nailed down. 

Update: It's Thursday. I plan to put the Trophy in Platte Lake this morning. It looks like there is enough room for it to fit and if not I'll tie it off on the East side of the dock. I'll do my tackle prep for Opener after I wake up Friday afternoon. I really haven't given much thought to bass fishing yet at all for this year. I would say there is 75% chance I will fish for at least a couple of hours in the Trophy Opener morning. I'm not sure what time Mom will need the car.  The rest of the weekend is up in the air. I'm guessing Todd and I will go out Saturday night for bass if everything goes smoothly getting the pontoon in. A Sunday morning trip is a big ? at this point; I will just have to see how fishing goes on Saturday and consult with Todd.

Victory Achieved (sort of)

I finally stopped putting off getting the Trophy in the water, but not before sleeping in long enough to ensure I didn't have any time to fish; I just put it in and made sure the motor didn't have any issues then took it right back out, so I would be home before it got too dark. It rained while I was on the lake, which was a positive because it cleared out the guy fishing at the Rock Dock and the last trailer in the lot. The (sort of) is because I left fishing time on the table by sleeping into the afternoon. I would have been on the water about 3PM if I had gotten up on time.