3/20 GOMH, Sully Inlet, and Doggo's

  

6:30-7:10pm GOMH SW NE & Sully Inlet

37℉, PC, 10-15mph SSE

Sunny Day but Cool and windy out of the South. Ice in Platte is a bit past the first dock. I didn't wear bibs, so the wind went right through me, making the conditions suck to fish in. Not as many birds around tonight. I went down to the inlet on the south end of Sully. Water is flowing and is getting close to being open on the marsh side. I was hungry, so I skipped doing laps and headed home early. Luca and Belle were in the field when I dropped by the lake place.

Skunked 

June 2022 Fishing Drops Off

 

I knew the hot bite in May wasn't going to last. I am pleased to say the fishing in June wasn't a complete train wreck as I feared. Didn't get skunked once, and the golden bullhead fishing was good. My first tournament of the year wasn't good, but I bounced back with an OK finish in the second one, aided by a smaller field. It truly is amazing how differently the weed composition is on Platte/Sullivan from one year to the next. The weed growth should finally fill in for the year in the next week or so. If I am lucky, the fish will group up. Fishing could actually improve in July. That never has happened, but here is hope. 

2021 May Recap

 And just like that, Memorial Day is over, as is the month of May in 2021. The month started with so much promise due to the cold month of April. I thought the fishing was just going to bust wide open, but it really never did. Then I started having lower back issues, and when I finally got to the Chiropractor, which I put off when the parents were down in Florida, and the second adjustment didn't make things any better, I got concerned. I really don't want a replay of 2012 when lower back issues that developed around the same time ended up with me having to shut things down in August.  So I pulled way back on activity for the final week of May and mostly rested. I was out for over 3 hours on Memorial Day, and it definitely seems like my back is improving from where I was a couple of days ago.

Topwater fishing was mostly a disappointment in May. They just don't like falling water and low water levels. My top producing lure for the month was T.H.E. Jig, the lion's share of which was sunfish. The top bass producer was the craw tube.  Crappie numbers were dismal. Bass and walleye numbers were modest and below normal. Things aren't looking good for me, reaching my goal of 1,500 bass this year. May is the month that I usually rack the numbers up, and that didn't happen. Pike and sunfish numbers were good.

Highlights of the month were the two trips I took with Chuck and Lois Steinbauer on Platte Lake. Taking several trips with Steve, getting him a 4lb bass and 3 walleyes at the Jetty. And getting out a couple of times with Todd on opening weekend; We got on a good frog bite for about an hour on Sunday morning.

Fishing In April Was Disappointing

Screen Shot Taken 4/11

Taken 5/1

 I fished every day in April except for the 1st.  The weather was just too inconsistent for the fish to get comfortable. My Fish Per Hour number dropped by three and a half per hour. As tough as the fishing was I was rarely skunked and I caught 200 plus fish for the month thanks to the fact fishing picked up in the final few days. Disappointing, but not a disaster by any means.

One More Week Of April

 After the warm end of March, April just couldn't get its act together weather-wise to make for good fishing.  It was just about ready to start popping one week ago, and then that major cool-down happened. It looks like things are gonna change this week. I thought for sure we would be full-on post-spawn by Opener on the 15th, but the Full moon is tomorrow, and there is very few bass in shallow right now. It looks like the fish are set up to go gangbusters in May. Sucks that Opener doesn't happen this year until the month will be half gone. 

April Was A Brutal Month For Catching Fish for the BP

On April 17th I wrote a blog post entitled April Has Been Brutal So Far.  When I wrote it I was thoroughly convinced I would have things turned around in a big way by the end of the month. Due to my motor issues which developed on the 23rd that rally never materialized. The panfish never moved in en masse to where I could get them and I was no longer able to go to the fish.  That was a tough month.  I'm glad it's over. 

I have no idea when I will be able to use the Trophy. I think I'm probably going to have to write off the month of May as far as that goes.  I will be putting the Slop Slip to use and will continue hitting the GOMH at prime times.  I don't know if getting a hundred fish day is a realistic expectation now or not.  I am sure going to give hitting that goal this month my best shot. 

October Was Comme Ci, Comme Ca

Have I caught my last open water bass of the year? Probably

18.25" Hack Jig/Craw Fatty Oct.29th

I was super exited about fishing this October, but the weather had other plans.  It was too windy, too wet and too unstable for me to get on much of anything. And then it got too dang cold with that snow storm that put water temps into the low 40's and we've been below average ever since.  I'm pulling the boat out today and it looks like ice fishing will be hear sooner rather than later.

Goodbye open water, it's been great.