My 1st Broken Rod Post

I didn't realize I only published this at the Fishing Log Blog, not here at mother ship blog.

I wrote this on 6-26-13

Kind of had a feeling this might happen thanks to my cat climbing were it shouldn't have been. He shut the Explorers rear window on it and 2 others. I'm hoping the heavy rod makes it through the season at least. The good thing is they were all St. Croix Avid's, so I can replace them with a new rod at more than 50% off what a new one costs. I'll have this rods replacement before my next tournament.

17.5"

I had caught this jumpin' bullhead, my best of the morning, and 10 others on it between this morning and my last two outings before the rod cracked and broke in two. 

 It was a good morning of fishing.  I hit the GOMH, the PRO Culvert, and the inlet getting fish at each and missing a bunch as well. I arrived at the GOMH at 5:50AM.  I started off getting them on topwater on a Lucky Craft Kelly J (12.5"), a Frenzy Popper (2x14", 15") and the Stanley Phantom (2x13", 3x14", 15", 16" and two little toothy bullheads).  Then I got them on the Fluke until the rod broke (2x14", 17.5",11.75" and a small toothy bullhead).  I got 1 (14") and yet another small toothy on a Chigger Craw.  I left to go to the culvert around 9AM.

There I missed my first several hits on a Horny Toad before finally getting a 13", I also got 1 (14") on a Chigger Craw and 1 (14") on a Subwart in the culvert.

I then headed to the Inlet and missed two good fish on the Grass Pig before connecting with a 15.5".  That was my last fish of the morning.  I quit at 11AM.

Best 6 Fish
17.5", 16", 15.5", 15", 15" and 14.25"
20 bass Total and 4 Pike

Bass Opener Day 2

I didn't get on the water on Sullivan Lake until a bit after 2PM then I spent an hour and a half trying to figure out my motor issues.  I ended up calling Dad and he brought out a new fuel line for me.  While I was waiting for him to show up I fished a single dock and picked up my first Derby fish of the year on a huckleberry Christopherson's Craw Tube.

17.75"

The picture doesn't show it well but it was a fat fish, obviously still had eggs in her.  Once dad got the new fuel line to me I was off to the North Shore of the Platte River Outlet.  I started hitting bass right away on my Gambler Ninja Spin.  I put down the poor man's power pole and proceeded to get this walleye on the Grass Pig.

16"

I proceeded to work the flat getting largies and pike on the Grass Pig, a Terminator Spinnerbait, the Ninja Spin, and Craw Tube.  Once again the biggest fish came on the Craw Tube at almost 16 inches.  My plan was to be off the water at 6PM then go to the GOMH to try some topwater action on "the juice".  Thanks to there being a boat at the Platte River Mouth that's what happened.

I got to the GOMH a bit after 7PM and there was a guy and a girl fishing on "the juice".  I managed to get two jumpin bullhead with a Stanley Phantom just to the East of the juice then the girl left allowing me to get straight on to it.  I proceeded to land a few and miss a few on the Phantom.  I got a toothy on the Grass pig and two fat 15"+ ers on a Lucky Craft Kelly J.  I was out of there by 9PM.

Total Fish for the Day-
Bass: 23
Pike: 3
Walleye: 1

Major League Fishing Episode #5

In this one McClelland, KJ, Skeet, Tak, Alton, and Faircloth battled it out.  From the preview to the Episode we knew the Alabama rig was going to play a role.  However, it was hard to know who that would be for as Skeet, Tak, KJ, and Faircloth all started by throwing it in the morning.  Conditions were a bit tougher this round as it was high skies and no wind.  It looked good for Skeet who got along some bluff walls and pulled away for a while.  But when he got to about 26lbs the fish quit and he didn't make any solid adjustments..  McCelland eventually caught up and surpassed Skeet throwing the McStick.  The Kelly Jordan went from last place to 1st and first to get over 40lbs.  McCelland  crossed 40lbs 5 minutes later.  Skeet was first out with 27.25lbs

So it's Van Dam, Ehrler, Jordan, and McCelland in the Final Round next week.

The smart money is on Van Dam, but who knows maybe the Alabama Rig will work again for Kelly J.

Major League Fishing Episode #3 Liveblogged

Here is my recap of Episode #3

Today's Anglers
Skeet
Kelly Jordon
Jeff Kriet
Mike McClelland
Boyd Duckett
Ish
Rojas
Byron V.

Starts with McClelland telling us they are loading up and switching Zone due the the win.  They will be going into it blind not having that the previous evening to study a map.

Shelli Sanders is looking especially nice today.
Stone calls it the "high maintenance group"
They can start fishing immediately no 15 minute scout time.
Find out about Rojas' injured thumb.
Kriet tells us he's a nervous guy and will have to bring it down a notch

Sasquatch farting it's time for Period #1
McClelland gets first fish 2.5lbs on a spinnerbait. on 5th cast of the day
Kriet says he don't want to know what other guys have
They are on the far East end of the lake
Byron finding out the KJ went to the same spot.  It's bridge pillings
Byron makes a big deal of not casting when KJ goes
Rojas gets a fish 2.75lbs and into the lead
I notice Dean's Ref handles the fish to be weighed presumably because of his injured hand
Byron talks about how he got his hotel.   "I never thought I'd be a Texan"
Duckett gets a 1.25lber on a jerkbait,   thinks he should be catching more than he has
Kriet gets a fish 45 minutes in 2.25lber
Skeet gets a keeper 2lbs
McCelland takes the lead on a spinnerbait, he contests the weight but then realizes he read it wrong.
Dean Rojas takes the lead 5.75lbs
Byron takes out the Alabama rig for his 1st time ever.
Skeet ends up missing a couple
Ish gets a 2.5lbs punching the grass.
Kriet says he hasn't fished anything I like
Edwin Evers talking about the boats being 18' with a 150hp
Kriet moves into 2nd
Byron gets a 1.5lber on a plastic
McClennand fishing the bridge piers and gets a little one on the McStick into 2nd
Kriet catches one and into the lead- he says it main lake points
Skeet gets a fish and moves to 3rd
Mike misses to on the McStick then catches one and takes the lead
McCelland thinks he found something fishing in the wind as the period ends
Jordan caught one just as time ran out, so he's on the board

Period 2:
Dean talking about his injured wrist
KJ misses a fish in a buzzbait says he's 1 for 4 on bites
McClellad pulls a school and you can kind of see as a 2nd fish hooks itself, McClelland is excited got in on the McStick it's a 2.75 and 2.75
He says there were 20 fish in the wolf pack
Hooks up on next cast on 4.25
Kriet misses a good fish says it was 5lbs
McCellend says Kriet is a "Spin out Case" "He can spin out with the best of them"
McCellnand hooks a striper "we do not need you, dadgummit I thought was another largemouth"
Skeet moves into 2nd
Kriet moves into 2nd
1 minute later Skeet hooks up "My blood is pumping now, boys!"
McCelland brings in 3.25lbs talks about how they wanted a hesitation in the retrieve
Dean catches one moves into 3rd
McCelland  hooks a fish while being interviewed by Stone says to tell em "I'm gonna put a McStick on and lay a smackdown on 'em"
The go to Kriet talking about how Mike is probably out throwing a jerkbait in the windy points
Show McCellend talking about rooming with Kriet and wants to see him make the cut. "I want to go to the final round with Jeff Kriet."
Marty Stone talking with Kriet asks if he can connect the dots and Kriet talks about Mike and a jerkbait
Duckett caught one and said he thought it was a "walleye" Huh!
Dean catches one and they confirm the Ref is handling fish because of the injury puts him into 2nd on the Fighten Frog. says he's gonna fish that place the rest of the day.
Kriet is out in the wind on a point and gets one immediately
KJ says "look at this dumb looking thing" as he goes to the A-Rig gets hammered on the 4th cast., it's 3.5lbs "I heard they hit it hard, that sucker crushed it"
Interview with Denny Brauer talks about catching fish on a shallow crank "that lead him down a path I wish it hadn't"
KJ gets another A-rig fish 4.5  moves him up to 2nd
1st time he's ever thrown it
Kriet gets one on a worm out of the wind moves him into 3rd
KJ gets another as does Rojas who moves into 3rd
"I boogered up 5 or 6 fish and it bothers me, bad"
"I'm getting my butt whipped I don't wanna hear who's catching them" Kriet

3rd Period:
Kriet starts jerking on points and gets one taking into 3rd
KJ gets a 1.25 on the A-rig
Skeet fishing Byron who's catching fish says "I'm letting Byron kick my ass, you kidding me"
Kriet hooks up on a 3.25 and gets into 2nd, Kriet's talking and quickly gets another on the jerkbait
Kriet gets another and then he pitches a jig and gets a toad 6.5lbs "When I pitched in to that clump and he hit it, I almost had an accident in my britches"
Ish has moved into 4th
Kriet gets one and moves into 1st
McClelland thinking about what Kriet is doing
Skeet lands a 3.75 and he goes into 3rd
Kriet catches a couple and increases his lead on the jerkbait'
"I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if Mclelland is catching them he's jerking it" Kriet
McClelland talks about maybe going to see Kriet to see what he's doing
McClelland gets a 2.75" then another and another but Kriet gets one and stays ahead
"McClelland thinking he wants to win, he's greedy" Kriet
Boyd moved into 4th
Kriet gets another
Boyd misses one and cuts his finger
KJ gets a little bump on the A-rig
Skeet gets one that barely makes  it with 1.25lber into 4th and then he gets another on a worm
Ish gets a 4lber that puts him a half pound down on Skeet
Skeet gets another on the drop shot and then another and he moves into 3rd
Kriet's says he needs to get another cause he's 3.25lb up
McClennand gets one that's 2lbs
"I'm gonna be pissed if I get beat" Kriet with 2 minutes left
McClelland gets "the wrong kind, Kriet you are so lucky right now"
He hooks up again and it's a largie "take that Kriet!"
And time ends
"1st period was the game changer"

1st McClelland 38.5lbs
2nd Kriet 37.5lbs
3rd Skeet 23.25lbs
4th KJ  21lbs
5th Ish 19lbs
6th Boyd 16.75lbs
7th Rojas 12.75lbs
8th Byron 11.25lbs

"This group learned to play the game" Stone

The End

They let us know next round is 1st one to 40lbs