Rock Lake In The Slop Slip(4/9/26)

 

Blocked by ice in the PRO

18.40lbs

3:00-8:30PM Rock Lake Ice Line fish in 6' to 10' with weeds

34-38℉, Cloudy, 1-6mph WSW

Water Temps: Low 40's/High 30's maybe

After my walk up to the corner, I was up for taking the Slop Slip to Rock Lake. I was disappointed that the ice line hadn't moved much yesterday. Down towards the reeds It was over some deeper water, but I didn't get any bites. There was a parade of four eagles. I went into the Platte River Outlet and was blocked by ice at the inner mouth of the narrows. That worked out because chances are pretty good that the Beaver Dam is a waste of time.  The ice line was farther off the bank at the NW Corner. I ended up missing two bites off the reeds in the Lone Sunfish Area on the Chatterbait. I had both fish on for a solid five or six seconds. The first one may have been a pike, and the second I'm pretty sure was a bass. I got back out to the ice line and missed a couple of bites on the Chatterbait. The ball of my BallerZ got bit off. I decided to throw the Rage Swimmer one time and came up a winner. 3.92lb bass. The Rapala scale was set to KG, I Googled how to switch it back, and fortunately, the correct way was the first result. I got a couple more solid bass on the Faisox Chatter and lost a couple of more bites. I kind of lost the plot as I drifted to the NW Point. I worked the NW Point pretty well without getting any bites. It started to snow. I worked the ice line back and missed a couple of bites before hooking up with another 3lber. I couldn't get the camera to work, and my iPhone battery was getting low. I turned off the music and put the phone inside my bibs to keep it warm. I missed a couple more bites as I was moving toward the fish, but got a final 4lber.  I think I missed another couple of bites. I turned toward the Lone Sunfish Area and got my only pike. I threw it back, and the sucker jumped up on the ice. I thought about leaving it there for an eagle, but I was able to get it back in the water. I cruised quickly across the PRO opening. I had a really good feeling bite along the ice line out from the reeds, but it swam under the ice and got hung up and came off. That was my last bite of the night.  It took me a while to get the boat landed and into the car. I gave the Frittside, Chicken Jigs, and X-Rap a fair shot. They wanted the Chatter today.

5Bass 

1Pike (18.48lbs for the 5 bass)

Snatcher's Tournament Farm Island Lake

 

Tuma 3rd, DJ 2nd, Arnie 1st

Conditions: 50's to 80'S, Light wind and Sun

The Day:

Herman elected to take us down South to Ludenia's Reed Island. Unfortunately, Herman didn't shut down in time, and fish scattered everywhere on the surface as we arrived. I got one hit on a buzzbait casting out over the break, but it just swiped at it, so it was probably a pike. When we got over by the reeds, I got a pike on a spinnerbait and the skunk out of the boat with a small bass on the Frenzy Popper. On our way back South, I got a 2.5lber  and a pike on the buzzbait. And missed something that bit twice next to the reeds on a frog. I thought the first hit was a bass. The second time, I thought it was a pike. 

After we had circled the Island once, we went to the South Shoreline reeds working West. We passed DJ and Tuma, who were fishing the deep weedline. I didn't get a hit until we got to the cattail point of the Slop Bay, which I missed. Herman wanted to go somewhere else, but I insisted we fish a little farther, telling Herman giants live in this stuff in the Fall. Shortly after, I got a pound and a half fish in the boat. I lost a 2lb plus fish that got off in the slop. Herman didn't convert on a couple of bites. The Western side of the bay was dead. We then went back out to Ludenia's  Reed Island. I got a pike and a dink, and Herman made us sandwiches. 

Next, we headed up to the NW Corner of the lake. Tuma and DJ were there fishing the weedline. It started out dead, but then we got to a slop/reed point. I got a 2lber out of the coontail and 3lber, my lunker, in the reeds on the frog. I missed a good fish on the other side of the reeds on a coontail mat and got a little guy, which I culled.  We worked the shoreline reeds that are farther to the North. Herman got his first bass and I missed several bites. Herman got another keeper. We then returned to the slop/reed area where I first got bit when we came North. When we got to the back side of the reeds, I had a 3lber not get the frog. Bummer! Herman missed a blowup and had me throwback to the spot. I caught a slight upgrade. And I think Herman missed another fish. We tried working the outside reed islands but didn't get any bites. I  suggested we head East and work the slop bay with a steep drop next to the Catails. I missed a few hits. I caught one that didn't help and got a small cull. Herman got a 3lber. This was our final stop.  As we waited for people to get loaded up, Herman made me a giant sandwich with the remaining fixings. Man, it was good after a hard day of fishing. Thanks, Herman!

My Thoughts: Because of the sporadic slow frog bite this Fall, I just was not in top form and probably lost a couple that I probably would have gotten in the boat if I had more practice. It was a fun day, and I had opportunities to make the Top 5, maybe even the Top 3. But it just wasn't my day or my year.

Grade: B- 

My best finish of the year.

Results: 7th Place for me.

 

Fishing with Lois and Chuck On South Long Lake

 

1:50-5:50 PM South Long Lake 

44-54℉, Cloudy some light rain, 3-5mph N
53℉ Water Temp Not much visibility

Thankfully it did not rain. There were multiple rigs parked and no dock. We headed to the West reeds. Lois started things off quickly with a spinnerbait bass. I think Chuck had 4 bass before I got my first bite which was a pike. I got a pounda on the swim jig, then had one close to 4lbs pull off as I tried to lift it in. I got one more bass and pike on our first stop. Then we headed up the lake by the North Reed Bed. Chuck got a couple of bass and I got one pike. As we got beyond the reeds I decided to put on a swimbait seeing as how Chuck didn't have a rod rigged with one like usual. Bam, fish on immediately. We headed farther east shortly after that. Nothing at the top of the lake. We returned to the starting spot and I got 6 bass on the Rage Swimmer including the last three of the trip on three consecutive casts. Lois caught a couple of fish as did Chuck on the last stop. We called it a day shortly after. Chuck beat me on numbers, but I don't think by a great deal.

9Bass 

3Pike