Baxter Bass Snatchers Mr. And Mrs Bass 2025

 On March 21st, my bass club, the Baxter Bass Snatchers held our annual Christmas Party/Awards Banquet.  Tuma and Rainya were all smiles to be Mr and Mrs. Bass 2025.

Keith and Rainya

Bassin Plan of Attack Post Ice Off to May

 

Fish:

2026 is the first year when it is legal to fish for bass in Central MN before the MN Fishing Opener in May.  Here is my plan for bassin the Platte/Sullivan area lakes. 

Location:

The Grumpy Old Man Hole, the bridge between Platte/Sullivan, is the first area to have accessible open water, so this is where I have already started flogging the water. Unfortunately, it locked back up completely with the sub-zero temps. It's my guess that I will be able to pick up a few bass at the Grumpy Old Man Hole before I am casting anywhere else. I will also fish at the Rock Lake access before the ice is off the lake, provided the ice doesn't get pushed into the Access area as it retreats from the shoreline. 

Once the ice is off the area lakes, I plan on fishing in the Slop Slip on Rock Lake, provided things are not "Going Gonzo at the GOMH." Hopefully, the area docks, including the family dock, will be in quickly post ice out. I will get the Trophy in Platte ASAP after the family dock goes in. Once the Trophy is in the lake, weather and fishing conditions will largely dictate where I fish on a given day. If I get on a hot bite somewhere, I will ride it out. If I am not catching much, I'll do a lot of bouncing around between Platte/Sullivan, Rock, Erskine, and Round. Not really sure how much I fish at the GOMH from shore. I'm guessing a lot of morning trips.

Presentation:

I have made a fishing goal this year of catching 82 fish on a Trap, 155 fish on a crankbait, and 260 fish on a jerkbait. The crankbait and lipless numbers were derived from all the fish I have caught on those lure categories since I started keeping track with Fish Swami. The jerkbait number is my highest yearly total, which was from 2016. Those lures will see a heavy rotation early, as well as a Chicken Jig, Chatterbait, soft swimbait, Turbo FattZ, and Spinnerbait. The weather will determine how early I start mixing in topwater.

GOMH Today

 It got to 70℉ today. It was breezy and overcast for the most part.  I stopped at the Grumpy Old Man Hole on my way to Brainerd for the Bass Snatchers banquet. I'm guessing the ice melt wil be bac to where it was pre-cold snap tomorrow on the Sullivan side and it may take 2 days on the Platte side. I watched eagles with the binocs and saw a good-sized muskrat. I wish I would have packed a rod as that there was an open casting lane from the rocks. The water level has come up. I'm guessing we will see quite a bit of progress on the ice out front before April 1st. I have had to remind myself that it is only just now getting to the March 20's, still plenty of month left, and also that it is March. 

Discovered Something Tonight(3/20/26)

 

The road to Round Lake is paved now up to the public access. I will probably definitely be bringing the Slop Slip to fish Round this year. I think I have fished Round Lake out of a boat once, maybe twice. I have a vague recollection of fishing there with Mike Davis out of Cyberfish's Aluminum. I don't think we stayed very long. It may have been to weed choked for us to get anywhere. I'm pretty sure I took the Slop Slip here once and only fished the outlet area. Round is only 129 acres, basically making it just a big pond on the Platte River, which flows in on the East side and out on the West side, where the public access is. I don't know why they named it Round Lake, it isn't round.

GOMH Today(3/18/26)

 We got a couple more inches of very white, wet snow last night.  I walked down to JD's later in the afternoon, and there were a bunch of red-winged blackbirds in the old pole barn pine tree. 

It will be spring-like for the next few days. Hopefully, the GOMH will be back to where it was and progressing forward by Friday evening (tomorrow night).

GOMH Today(3/17/26)

 Hopefully, winter will be through with us after today. It is cold and windy out there. It will be interesting to see if all the snow is melted by Friday evening.

GOMH Post Bizzard???(3/15/26)

 We got 4" of snow maybe. Not so bad. It is windy though. And now it gets cold for a couple of days. Then Spring.

Deez Nutts, Bassmaster Classic Champion!

 

📷Grant Moxley

Dylan Nutts is the second angler to qualify out of the BASS Nation to win the Super Bowl of bass fishing tournaments. Congrats, Kid!

Winter Has Returned(GOMH)(3/14/26)

 Blizzard Warning for tonight/tomorrow and sub-zero temps for a couple of nights with highs in the high teens. I'm not really happy with the March weather at the moment. But it kind of looks like this will be winter's last gasp. I went fishing on Sullivan today, and I was a bit of a trainwreck. I only fished for about 15 minutes and gave up.  The ice was maybe 18" and very granulated. I had water coming up in the holes with 10" left to drill.

GOMH + Rock(3/12/26)

 

Open water and swimming swans at the Rock Lake PRO Narrows

Winter has returned. GOMH icing up again. Drats!

Kyler Murray to the Vikes

 

After the Vikings' season ended, my Football Guru Matthew Coller of Purple Insider looked into solutions for the team's QB problem, and his number one solution was Kyler Murray. Coller banged that drum, making the case for Kyler, and I was converted to Team Kyler after originally being against it. If the O-Line can be healthy, Kyler could shine with the weapons on Offense.  

My advice for JJ McCarthy is to grow up and learn. You may get another bite at the apple, and if it looks like it did in 2025, this Vikings fan will be done with you.

KOC, work your magic!

GOMH+ Today (3/11/26)

 I was pleasantly surprised by how much open water was gained after yesterday's snow. We got about 4 inches. Luca and Belle sang the song of their people. I saw a muskrat.

Just Discovered MN Lakes Thaw Tracker

 

Apparently, this has been around for a couple of years, and I just got wind of it. It is a website that tracks weather conditions and makes ice-out forecasts for most MN lakes. Here is the prediction for Platte Lake:

And for Rock Lake:

I don't know why there's a discrepancy between the two lakes, especially since Rock was forecast earlier. I think Platte goes out first in most years.

MN Lakes Thaw Tracker

GOMH Today (3/8/26)

 I fished on both sides of the bridge tonight and saw maybe 15 swans. Beautiful sunset.