Castles Resort Of Isle Facebook Flyer

 

I was really impressed with this graphic by Castles Resort. Simple layout, easy-to-follow information. I may very well head over to Isle sometime next week and give Mille Lacs a shot. 

Mad Max Time in Seattle

 

I had zero expectation coming into this season because when real bullets start flying, nobody knows how a young QB will react. JJ McCarthy's introduction to the NFL has been nothing but bad. Bad luck, bad health, bad throws, bad numbers, bad news.

Now we have an undrafted Golden Gopher being thrown to the wolves in Seattle, where the defense is stout, and the 12's can taste a Super Bowl. If our #12 goes into Lumen and is somewhat competent at running the offense, doesn't throw more than one pick, completes 60% plus of his passes, and leaves the game with a passer rating above 60, then I think he should be the QB for the rest of the year. JJ McCarthy is not competent right now. His numbers tell the story. His throws have left our receivers in vulnerable positions too many times.

So, Mad Max, the team is yours if you can keep it.

The Sun Has Set On Open Water For 2025

 

11/14/25 GOMH

I didn't make it to Eddy's Jetty until a quarter of ten last night. I had to get in one last open-water trip. I had one very small walleye on the gold Husky Jerk (10) on briefly. I fished at the Grumpy Old Man Hole on my way home just after midnight for a few casts and then called it on my Open Water Season.

This is why.

I am assuming that with the snow today and temps not getting out of the mid-twenties and lows in the single digits, that Platte Lake will have walkable ice by the weekend. I'll be getting my stuff together in the next couple of days. After not getting out last winter because of the hip replacement, I am actually looking forward to ice fishing this year. I will probably resume making ice fishing reports on YouTube. 

Sunrise Platte Lake 12/2/2022

Back to Inferno Mode

 Young MN Vikings QB self-immolates in the second half. In his first game at Lambert Field, Oh My.

The first half was some progress; the second half was pure regression.

The kid looks like Christian Ponder, but less mobile. He can't buy a break, his left-side protection both got injured in the second half. He and Ryan Kelly had some issues. Power for the course in this cursed season.

21 Years A Blogger, Bass Pundit

 My career as a blogger has now reached twenty-one years. If I blogged for profit and engagement, chances are slim that Bass Pundit would still be around. I am not quite sure how the Google AI defines being successful as a blogger, but sticking with something for more than two decades, which most people don't last for two years doing, is something to be proud of, I think. 

I am grateful to Google for providing this platform for me to use. It is a win-win because I subscribe to YouTube Premium in no small part because of Blogger. Bass Pundit Blogs serves as a digital scrapbook for me and my interests. I find value in keeping a blog, and that is the secret to my longevity.

Long live, Blogger! Long live, Bass Pundit!

Vikes Lose Again, Time to Exhale and Breathe Again

 JJ McCarthy is an accomplished winner who doesn't have a lot of history as a passing quarterback. He was projected to be a work in progress on that front when drafted, and that has turned out to be the case.  The kid is young and raw. Being Kevin O'Connell's quarterback is not an easy job description. At this point, I don't think anybody knows if McCarthy is up to the task or not. It is just too much to expect a second -year player starting for his first time in the NFL to have anywhere near a mastery of KOC's PHD-level offense. It looks like the kid is drowning most of the time, with a few glimmers of good play. KOC asked for too much too soon in my opinion. KOC's reliance upon passing is borderline pathological, but that has served KOC very well. With the loss to the Bears this week, it is time for the team and JJ McCarthy to breathe. They have almost no shot at making the playoffs. That isn't even worth giving an ounce of effort in pursuit of at this point. Without the pressure of making the playoffs, the team is now free to build McCarthy's confidence level for next year. If they win games great, but that shouldn't be the focus. Getting McCarthy to play as well as possible and limiting mistakes should be the new focus. KOC will have his hands full harnessing the kid.  Let Flores cook on the Defence and have fun as a team. It's a game; get better at it.  

Vikes Back Below .500

 

The Vikes Offense was out of sync, committing penalties and turnovers. The D was close on several occasions but never forced a turnover. The Ravens' Special Teams came up with a fumble recovery, and the Ravens came away with the win.  Vikes are back in must-win mode next week versus the Da Bears at home. The Offense should come into next week with a lot more urgency. I think the Offense had a Lions hangover in the Ravens game. Da Bears are beatable, but the Offense will really need to play clean. 

Trophy Out Of Platte Lake for 2025

 

My plan was to be at the Lake Place by 2:30 pm. The parents were not in on that plan and didn't arrive back from their Saturday adventuring until a little before 3 pm. I didn't get to the lake place until a little after 3:30 pm. Steve was ready to go, and I had things prepped to go last night, so I was off to the Platte Lake Public Access quickly. We got it loaded on the trailer and had almost completed running gas out of the system when I couldn't get the motor to turn over. I figured the starting battery was out of juice. I tried the pull cord, but it wouldn't budge. I figured out the problem and fixed the issue when I got home; It was the same deal I encountered somewhat frequently with my older 25hp Johnson.

I think I'm done in the Trophy for 2025. Temperatures around here are supposed to be about 10 degrees below normal for the next few days, before it is supposed to warm into the 50s by next weekend. If I get out for the warm-up, it will be in the Slop Slip, most likely on Rock Lake.

I didn't put the Trophy in Platte until June 5th this year, because some leaks in the hull needed to be fixed, and Todd wasn't able to make it up to do the repairs until either late May or June. In 2026, I plan to get the Trophy in the lake ASAP after ice-out to take full advantage of bass being open to catch-and-release fishing. 2026 is the year my long-awaited wish for year-round bass fishing happens. I took 137 trips in the Trophy this year, up significantly from the 89 trips I took last year. A bad back, bum hip, and poor fishing curbed my enthusiasm for getting out last year.

June 2025	28
July 2025	35
August 2025	28
Sept 2025	19
Oct 2025	21
Nov 2025	6
Total 2025	137

The weather wasn't the greatest in September and October, and I think in September and early October, I was kind of fished out and missed a few opportunities when the weather was nice as well. 

Last Trip In the Trophy For 2025

4.71lbs OutKast Chicken Nugget Jig

 

3.54lbs Choked the Nuggy

3.54lbs OCN Jig

Last trip in the Trophy for 2025. I was not gung-ho about getting out after getting beaten up yesterday until I was on my way up to the cabin with my Bass Fishing Playlist playing. I found great enthusiasm at that point. The wind wasn't terrible. I worked the Point/Flat Reeds out to the Juice and anchored. I think I had a couple of hits on the Chicken along the reed line. I tried a bunch of different stuff at the juice, not getting any bites. I then headed toward the Big Walleye Waypoints, getting a small bass just off the Red Area. I anchored and fan casted, losing one bite that felt good. I got to the Waypoints and it wasn't happening, so I made a move to Jaimen's and worked the reed line. I got the 3lber and 4lber just off the thicker reeds beyond the first boat lane on the "Nuggy". The 3lber choked the Nugget, and the 4lber got it in the top lip, dead center. I trolled the GOMH on the way in, getting snagged on a rock. I was able to free the Ultimate Jerk Shad when I got back to it. A successful final trip.

3Bass 2Pike (4lb)(9.36lbsfor 3 bass)

I'm Stunned, Vikes Win In Detroit

It's amazing what happens when your starters are not on the sidelines injured. Did I think the Vikes had any shot of winning versus the Lions in Detroit? Heck, no!

Pleasantly surprised that there is a glimmer of hope for making the playoffs.  If key Vikes can stay healthy that is a realistic possibility at 4-4.  I thought we were going to be 3-5 and the Vikes would be out of the playoff hunt today. The Lions are one of the best teams in the league and playing them in Ford field is no joke.

Tough game again next week vs. the Ravens who are in desperation must win mode, but on a winning streak to save their season. It is a big game. Will JJ Mac get his first win in MN?

Goodbye To Yet Another Record Setting Month In 2025

 Back in mid-June, I was singing the blues because fishing was just ok and the motor was having issues. With all the fishing I did at the Grumpy Old Man Hole and out of the Slop Slip, I didn't get the Trophy in the water until June 5th. I really struggled on Platte/Sullivan the previous fall and was highly concerned I was in for a mediocre summer and fall.  On June 29th, I began to really figure out the puzzle and never looked back. Bam, my best July for the number of fish caught, and by a wide margin. Bam, my best August. Bam, my best September. October extended the streak to four straight months of setting the record for the number of fish caught for that month. I also set this record in April. 

More posts to come on the records I set in 2025.

Last Topwater Bass of 2025

19" ToadZ (Green Pumpkin)

At the end of October, I thought I was still going to be able to catch some topwater fish in November, but it was not to be. I got this 19" bass I worked my way up the Intersection NE Reed Point on October 30th and it was my last topwater bass and topwater hit of the year. The water temps kept dropping, and even when it was reasonably calm and baitfish were on the surface, I couldn't draw a bite. But I was getting hit subsurface, so I didn't stay with topwater very long. 
 

I Caught A New Personal Best Walleye, Last Night

 

29"/9.12lbs Frenzy Diving Minnow (Brown Craw)

It is not the dirty 30',10lb fish that I have been after for more than 30 years now. But it's a half inch bigger than my previous PB, which was 28.5". I recall that I caught a few that size night trolling on Mille Lacs.I think the biggest one I ever got from shore at Eddy's was 27" something. It is possible that I have caught a low 9lb fish out of Mille Lacs, but back when I night trolled frequently, I didn't carry a scale and never believed one that I caught would go ten pounds. So this is my offical and documented walleye PB. 

Todd's PB Pike

5.59lbs Northland, Indiana Blade/Goat

 Todd brought his pontoon back up today to put it in storage, and we pulled the pontoon lift up on shore. It was windy out of the SE. I decided to run West of Platte Lake Access. Todd got the personal best pikewhere the Melon patch Trough end. Pike were stacked in that spot today. I hadn't cleared my scale yet, so I'm not 100% possitive 5.59lbs is the correct weight.

Vikings 2025 Season Is On Fire

 The Vikes game in LA last night was a must-win. But, without both Darrisaw and O' Neal our QB and running backs are sitting ducks. 2025 is turning into a nightmare scenario. 

Juggling Balls Falling To The Ground , Part Duex

 

O-Line injuries, QB Injuries, QB mistakes, D inconsistent play. Vikes at 3-3. Where are we at, and where is this all headed?

I've got no clue.

New Fishing Goal For 2025 Added

 

Coming into October, I knew if the warm weather held, that I would have a great shot at hitting 1,000 fish caught on a Z-Man ToadZ. So I had hitting 1,000 as a goal in mind, but didn't add it to my 2025 Fishing Goals until now.  As of October 10th, I have caught 987 fish on this lure. That is made up of  649 bass, 333 pike, 4 bowfin, and 1 sunfish. I am over 1,000 if I were to count buzzbait fish. This year, the weeds on Platte/Sullivan set up perfectly for the ToadZ. And the fish just can't get enough of it.

Juggling Balls Keep Falling To The Ground

 O-Line injuries, QB Injuries, D inconsistent play. Vikes at 2-2. Where are we at, and where is this all headed?

I've got no clue.

Snatcher North Long Preview: The Plan and Rods I'm Bringing

 The Plan:

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'6" H (Jigs, Chicken Jig)

7'4" H Tatula 1 (Buzzbait)

7'4" H Tatula 2 (Toadz, 

7' H Avid (Texas Rig)

7' MHM Mojo Bass (Chatterbait)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC)(Jigs, Dark Sleeper)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Chatterbait, Spinnerbait)

6'8" M Avid (Topwater)

Spin:

6'6" MH Abu Veritas (Neko)

Snatcher Fishtrap Lake Preview: The Plan and Rod's I'm Bringing

 

My boater, Club President Snatcher Benson

The Plan: During pre-fish, pretty much everything we tried produced a bass or two. So I'm gonna prepare to junk fish and see if I can drill into a pattern. The goal is to get a limit and beat Tuma.

Rods I'm Bringing: 

7'6" H Tatula (Jigs)

7'4" H Tatula (Frogs/Toads, Jigs, Buzzbait)
7'4" H Tatula (Frogs/Toads, Jigs, Buzzbait)

7' H Avid (Texas Rig)

7' MHM Mojo (Chatterbait)

6'9' H Tatula Elite (FC) (Jigs)

6'9' H Tatula Elite (Braid)(Spinnerbait)

6'9' H Tatula Elite (Braid)(Chatterbait)

Spinning Rod:
6'6" MH Abu Vertas (Neko, and Fluke)

I Think I Feel Attacked, Wired2Fish?

 

I will read the article later. That was my reaction to the title, somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Kids Got Grit! Vikings 1-0!

 Vikings win the opener in Soldier Field 27-24. It wasn't looking good for the purple through three quarters. Da Bears had Da Vikes on the ropes. But the D got stops. McCarthy found his footing and the rest his history. JJ McCarthy wins his first game, capped off by an RPO tuddy run by JJ.

The kid has the heart of a champion.

The Vikes really miss Darrisaw. Hopefully, he is back next week. 

The McCarthy Era Begins On Monday Night

 

Vikes all-new interior on the O-Line, all-new signal caller, new young stud running back, Addison out for 3 weeks due to suspension, Theilen back, a healthy Hock at TE, will Jets and Darrisaw be 100%?

The Defence has an all-new interior as well. How will Caleb and Ben Johnson fare against the Vikings D?

I don't know what to expect. Week 1 in the NFL is usually full of surprises.

Have to wait for answers to my questions, so wait I will, impatiently. 

Snatcher Rush Lake Preview, Part 2: The Plan and Rods

 The Plan: Snatcher Tuma was not impressed with what we saw up shallow, so we probably will not be throwing frogs.  It's going to be windy. If the bass are up in the water column and aggressive, it will be Chatterbaits and Spinnerbaits. If they are not up and aggressive, it will be jigs and Texas rigs on the bottom.

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Tatula (Plopper, Frogs/Toads)

7'4" H  Mod Zillion (Punching)

7' MHM  Mojo (Chatterbait)

7' H Avid (Texas Rig)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC) (Jigs)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Spinnnerbait)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Jigs)

6'6" MH 763 Loomis GLX (Ned)

BP's Line-Ups for LaCrosse

 I thought I had a really good lineup for St. Clair, but it did not turn out that way. Here is to hoping this lineup hits.

BP's Fantasy Bass Line-Ups For St. Clair

 

I replaced Whitaker with Redwine and Mueller with Gussy. (That last sentence brought to you by Grammerly's AI.)

Snatcher Lake Edward Preview: Part 1

 

Yes, Part 1 is being written and released after Part 2. My prerogative as a blogger to do things that way.

My History with Lake Edward:

Today will be my third tournament on Lake Edward. I'm not sure why the club didn't fish the lake between 1989 and 2017. Access issues, maybe? I'm sure I have heard the story; I just can't remember it. My introduction to the lake in 2018 was positive. I recorded that I caught 18 fish that day.

Light bulb moment, just happened. I am going to add "Bass Snatchers Tourny" to my Fish Swami Fishing Partners list, so all of my Tournaments will be easily searchable once I get them all documented that way. I think I will also make a list of days I pre-fished as well.

The second tournament day, pre-fish and tournament, was plagued by wind. Not a good thing for Edward, which is just a wide open basin pretty much. It looks like wind will be a factor today. It isn't supposed to blow hard hard, but anything above 5 mph is going to have half of the lake rocking and rolling. It is also supposed to be cloudy to partly cloudy, which is usually a positive for clear bodies of water such as Edward.

I had some pretty good finishes in July and some real stinkers, like last year's Last-Place finish on Mission Lake. The 2025 Season has been off to a terrible start. Hopefully, Arnie's fish are there and chewing. That is the secret to success in July, drawing a boater on a school or pattern that is on and stays on long enough to put together a solid bag. 

Wish me luck!

Snatcher's Lake Edward Preview Part 2: Rods and Plan

 

The Plan: I will be blasting out in boat #1 with Ranger Arnie. He will forever be Ranger Arnie here at Bass Pundit, even though he is a part-time Snatcher now. This will be the first time I fish with Arnie as a Snatcher. I did draw him for my boater for the Challenge Cup on Platte/Sullivan back in 2019 when I got skunked. Arnie may have been skunked as well, but I think he caught one keeper bass. 

Arnie took two trips, prefishing for Edward, and did well fishing the cabbage, so that is where we will no doubt spend the majority of our time. I will start with a buzzbait, but quickly switch to a jig and Texas rig if Arnie is catching them and I'm not. If it's a tough bite, I'll go to a free rig, Ned, and Neko. 

Rods I'm bringing:

7'6" H Tatula (Jig)

7'4" H Tatula (Toad, Frog, Jig, Buzzbait) Just in case Arnie has a reed spot.

7'3" MH St. Criox Legend Tournament (Free Rig)

7' H St. Croix Avid (Texas Rig)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC) (Flukes, Neko,  Dark Sleeper, Chatterbait, Spinnerbait)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig, Chatterbait, Spinnerbait)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Dark Sleeper)

6'6" GLX 783 (Jig Worm, Dark Sleeper, Ned, Jerkbait, Paddletail) 

Spinning:

6'6" Abu Veritas (Neko Rig, Ned Rig)

Bass Snatcher Mississippi River Tournament Recap

Conditions: 70-90℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-5mph

The Day:

We went straight to Little Rabbit Lake and started in the same section as Arnie and Theo. We were working the slop, and they were working deeper. After 15 minutes of nothing, I started casting out over the calm water with the Walkine Boss. I had a pike miss the Boss. Theo got a couple of pike. I think I had a small keeper take a shot at the Walking Boss, but it didn't hook up. Arnie and Theo, I believe, both got on the board and caught a pike as well. 

We entered the third bay, and I got the skunk from the boat with a 2-lber on a frog off some wood. Darren missed a bite and got hung up. We went a little further into the bay, then Daren got the skunk out of the boat with a small bass off the same piece of wood where we had caught those two bites as we were on our way back out of the bay. We fished almost to the mouth of the Bay we started in with Darren getting a couple of boils, but no hook-ups. We fished in the first basin for quite a while, along with a number of other Snatcher boats. Darren and I both pulled a non-keeper out of a slop area that had some life. 

We then returned to the bay from which we had started. Darren got three small keepers on a Chatterbait, and I got what would be my final keeper of the day on a Chatterbait. I think we could have gotten our limits, but a guy was trolling in the area where Arnie and Theo got their fish. We decided to bail for the entrance to Little Rabbit. The life that was in the area in the morning had mostly left. 

We then went to the backwater where I had success with Ruff. It was lifeless there, other than one attempt by a pike to get my frog. We went to an area where Darren got a 4-lber pre-fishing. We started downriver from the juice, and he got a bonus smallmouth right next to the bank on a piece of wood. The area where Darren got the 4-lber had a lot of life in it. The first time I had seen really abundant signs of life all day. We fished this area too quickly, in my estimation. I don't remember if Darren caught a fish or not. He definitely had a couple of blow-ups. I had a good bass eat my frog, and I got a very good hookset, yet it jumped and got off. Tough luck, I was sure that bass was going to come in the boat. 

We ran a good bit of the river, hoping to duplicate the smallie bite, but it never happened. We then arrived at another area where Darren caught a couple of pigs in pre-fish. He had a blow-up that missed his frog just before we crossed paths with Tyler and Dave, who were both struggling. Darren ate his lunch, and I piloted the boat.  Darren resumed fishing with me on the troller and immediately had a blow-up that missed. A little while later, I had a great opportunity to put a good bass in the boat on a Livetarget Frog. I knew the bass was there because it missed the frog the first time, and I let her have it on the hookset. But it buried me and got off.  I was pretty pissed off, and that propelled me for the final hour and a half. Unfortunately, I only had one more blow-up, and I'm pretty sure it was a pike. Darren got two small keepers with the final one coming in the last five minutes. It just wasn't my day yet again. Frustrating!

Results: Third from last, I'm moving up baby. DJ.Kicker got 1st, 2nd Place  went to Dennis and 3rd Place and Lunker (4/10) went to Nate.

My Thoughts: Lost fish cost me yet again. The bite was much tougher than expected. I thought I would average at least two bites an hour. I had maybe 6 bites from keeper bass for the day. The hot weather didn't bother me, and I fished hard all day. Having an infection in my left eye did affect my vision and casting accuracy. Once again, I could not get my limit on a river. Hopefully, we will schedule the Gull River for next year. With two bombs now on the record, I am in a hole for the year.

Tournament Grade: C

Lost fish suck, but when you get good hooksets on a frog, and that is how things go. Fortune was just not with me again.  

Snatchers Mississippi River Preview: Part 2 (Plan & Rods)

 

Snatcher Darren showing me how it's done.

The Plan: Frog myself up a limit of three to six pounda's.

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'6" H Tatula (Pitching Jigs or Texas Rigs)

7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog, Toad)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Fluke)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Pitching Jigs)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Texas Rig)

6'8" M Avid (Topwater)