The Plan and Rods For Serpent Lake (Blind)

The Plan: Serpent Lake it is for the 2023 Bass Snatcher Blind Tournament. My boater's and my own history on the lake is a mixed bag, with one good 4th Place finish a piece. The lake has largemouth and smallmouth. I've never fished the lake in July or August. My boater reported he does not really care for this lake. We did get some intel from the previous Snatcher Champ, who apparently fished here in early July, but can't make this tournament. I don't think I have a prayer of beating Tuma on this fishery. If I can get a limit, 12lbs, and finish in the Top 9 I'll be happy; Only 13 guys fishing this one.

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Tatula (Buzzbait, Swim Worm)

7'4" H Glass Tatula (Chatters, Topwater, Wakebait, Traps)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube,Rage Bug)

6'10" MH Tatula (Chatter,Spinnerbait, Jerkbait, Topwater, Ned)

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

6'9" H Tatula (Punching, Jig)

6'8" M Avid (Topwater, Jerkbait)

6'6" MH Abu Veritas (Neko, Fluke)

Thoughts On The 2023 Baxter Bass Snatcher Tournaments

 

Bay Lake: May not return until after 11PM due to being down in the cities on Saturday. Hope I don't run out of energy. Hope to pre-fish it at least one time with Roger Ubl, maybe a second time with my boater. 

Tournaments Fished: 3 (12,15,18)

Best Finish: 2nd (6/2/12) Roger Ubl (Boater)

Best Limit: 15/11 (6/2/12) Roger Ubl (Boater)

Biggest Bass: 3/2 (6/2/12) Roger Ubl (Boater)

North Long: I just want to catch a limit. Haven't done that the last two times we have fished here. Also hope to pre-fish this one with Roger and maybe my boater as well.

Tournaments Fished: 3 (08,17,21) 2 Snatcher Mini-Bucks

Best Finish: 17th (8/23/08) Chuck Steinbauer (Boater)

Best Limit: 11/1 (8/23/08) Chuck Steinbauer (Boater)

Biggest Bass: 2/9 (In both 08 and 21) Chuck and Nate Steinbauer (Boaters)

Alexander: I like the lake. Will smallies be hitting topwater? I should rig up a wacky rig on a rocket bobber.

Tournaments Fished: 2 (14,19)

Best Finish: 18th Place (6/29/19) Tim Benson (Boater)

Best Limit: 10/1 (6/7/14) Chuck Johansen (Boater)
Biggest Bass: 2/3 (6/7/14) Chuck Johansen (Boater)

MN B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship Leech Lake Aug. 2-4.: I have been thinking about going to a BASS Nation State Championship for a long time, and it's probably now or never. I hope I don't get paired with guys using forward-facing and chasing smallies, but I will come prepared if I do. I pray we get favorable weather.

Tournaments Fished: 5 (09,12,14,19,21)
Best Finish: 10th Place (9/28/19) Paul Ruff (Boater)

Best Limit: 16/11 (6/30/12) Darrien Keifer (Boater)

Biggest Bass: 3/14 (6/30/12) Darrien Keifer (Boater)

Blind: I don't think there are any conflicts on Platte/Sullivan that day that will get it thrown out of the drawing. It would be nice to draw P/S to save me driving time, and I'm usually somewhat dialed in at that time of year.  I also wouldn't mind Edward, Fishtrap, Serpent, The Cullen Chain, or the Mississippi. Not so hot on Mission, Pelican, or Cedar.

The Poke: It's about time the Snatcher's returned to The Poke; it's been 7 years since we last had it on our schedule. I've never fished it in the Fall.

Tournaments Fished: 3 (08,12,16)

Best Finish: 13th Place, but only 14 guys went North for this one (8/6/16) Bill Bailey (Boater)

Best Limit: 12/8 (7/19/08) Bill Ludenia (Boater)

Biggest Bass: 3/7 (7/19/08) Bill Ludenia (Boater)

Whitefish Chain: Hopefully, it isn't windy, cold, and raining because The Chain is a fish factory. Wouldn't mind a little rain to keep boat traffic down.

Tournament Fished: 6 Snatcher Tournaments (10,12,14,16,19,21) and 1 Excel (04)

Best Finish: 10th Place (6/5/10) Chuck Steinbauer (Boater)
Best Limit: 14/02 (6/5/21) Hammer (Boater)

Biggest Bass: 3/5 (6/5/21) Hammer (Boater)

The Blind: Platte/Sullivan Goals/Rods

My goal's for this tournament is to get at least a 15lbs limit and finish no lower than 3rd.

Have either Darren or I win the days Lunker

Get Darren a limit 

 
Rods I am bringing:

7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog, Swimbait)

7'4" H Tatula (Fluke)

7'4" H Zillion (Jig)

7'3" H 736 Dobyns Fury (Swim Jig, Chatter Jig,  Spinnerbait, buzzbait)
7'2" MH Tatula (Topwater, Chatterjig)

7' H Avid (Crawtube)

6'6" Abu Veritas (Fluke) 

Bass Snatchers 2014 Tentative Tournament Schedule

The #1 thing I wanted to see on this years schedule was a tournament on Leech Lake.  It looks like that will happen.  I am least enthusiastic about having a blind tournament again this year.  I would much prefer to start at 7AM, rather than at 8AM which the having it be a blind tournament requires.

I am excited about fishing Woman Lake, which the Bass Snatchers haven't done since I joined the club.  I also like the Serpent Lake and Pelican picks, but would prefer Pelican and Whitefish get switched so the smallmouth in Whitefish could be in play.

Aug 17th Bass Snatchers Blind Tournament at The Cullen Chain

With our last tournament of the year being tomorrow I figured I better get this done.

We met at a parking lot in Brainerd at around 6:15AM on August 17th and found out we would be fishing the Cullen Chain.  I was alright with that as I like the lakes and my boater Guy won the last tournament there.  The weather promised to be warm, mostly sunny and breezy out of the SW.  We launched out of the middle lakes access around quarter to 8AM.  We were first boat out.  Guy didn't want to run the risk of getting caught in the Culvert going to the Upper Lake so we went to a sunken island on the middle lake.  There was a guy fishing topwater there already.  We came in to the SW of him and about 3 of our boats also came in on this spot.  I had what I'm pretty sure was a pike hit at my Stanley Phantom and other than that we got nothing.

We moved to a point off of some reeds and guy got two good quality fish right away.  I got a pike on a black/blue Chigger Craw.  Not wanting to retie I switched to a craw tube.  I got a 12.5" bass on that as well as a rock bass.  I think Guy landed a couple more small keepers.   We then went to another point off of some reeds.  I had tied on another Chigger Craw by then and was quickly rewarded with my best fish of the day a 15.5" largie.

We then fished some reeds and some slop.  Guy got a nice dogfish.  Guy made the call to head to the Lower Lake.  We had to get out and push but made it.  We started on a weedline spot just out from the channel and I was immediately rewarded with a 14" bass.  We then moved around a bunch of places not getting anything.  The wind had come up pretty good by now and there was a reed bed getting nailed by the wind.  Guy caught a a keeper than two quality fish the first 15 minutes we were in the reeds.  One of the fish was the 4/3 Lunker of the tournament.  I broke off my Texas Rigged craw tube with 3/4oz Tungsten Sinker twice getting caught on the reeds, so I switch to a Strike King Hack Attack jig. We stayed in the reeds and I managed to get one that was just short of 14" and two 14.5" bass out of them on the Jig.  I got my limit and I was happy.  I didn't fish the rest of the day very well only getting a rock bass out of some pads missing a few other hits.  Guy put together a pretty good pattern in the middle lake hitting pad and reed edges with the wind blowing in on them and picked up a few culls.  We quit about 15 minutes early.

Results:  My 6 fish went for 8/12 and put me in 20th place.  Guy managed to win the thing  by over 3lbs with 18lbs 2ozs

My thoughts:  My head just wasn't in this one, especially after I caught my limit.  I did enjoy watching Guy put on a show.  This tournament sealed my fate of not going anywhere in the club point standings this year. Oh well.

Cullen Chain Quick Report

The "Blind" Lake turned out to be the Cullen Chain.  I got a front row seat to Guy Henkensiefken's domination.  He won the last tournament on the chain back in 2011 and he won today and got Lunker/ Big Bass. He also caught a big dogfish.  I had another mediocre day on the water while my boater lit it up.  Once I got my limit I was happy.  I will have a full report after I get the official results.

"Blind Tournament" Tomorrow

What lake will we be fishing?  Find out at 6:30AM tomorrow.

I'm hoping it's on Pelican.

Bass Snatchers 2013 Official Schedule with My Thoughts

Here is what my club is fishing this year, with my comments.

June 1st South Long-  Other than the parking situation,  I like the lake.  I've fished it twice when we fished our 2nd tournament in 2009, which was on June 21st.  I have some revenge to get on those bass.

June 22nd Mission Lakes-  I like these lakes.  I've fished them twice, but that was in October both times.  I'm sure they will fish a bit differently than it did in 2008 and 2009 because those were after all in early October.

July 21st Rush Lake-  I don't even know where this lake is, let alone anything else about it other than the Snatchers have fished it before twice, once in mid July of 2000 and once in late August of 2003.  The lake took 19lb weights to win both times but there weren't many limits caught either time.  Hopefully the lakes bass population has improved since then.

Aug 3rd Rabbit Lakes-  I have fished these lakes 2 times as a Snatcher, once for pre-fish and once for the tournament in late July of 2010;  And I fished it 3 times in 2004 for an Excel Bass Tournament I fished in late June 2004.  I look forward to getting a bit of revenge on the fish there for 2010, but the lake has generally treated me well.

August 17th Blind-  We won't find out the lake until the morning we go to fish it.  It could be any lake within 30 miles of Brainerd that is 1000 acres or more and that we didn't fish last year, so North Long, Alexander, Bay, and Whitefish Chain are out.  I believe the 30 mile rule puts Platte/Sullivan in play.  I believe the Mississippi River is in play as well.  Should be interesting.

Sept 21st Little Boy/Wabedo-  I'm not happy that the club refused to switch this with Mission so the smallies could be in play.  I fished there twice but that was for Muskie Tournament also in late Sept. or maybe it was Oct..  I don't recall what I caught other than 1 tiny muskie and maybe a couple of pike and bass in the reeds.  I lost a box of topwater lures there.  It just stinks that there could be a topwater smallie bite going on.

Hopefully my back will be OK this year, that's my biggest concern.