GOMH+ Today(4/6/26)

 I drove North Platte Lake Drive tonight, and there was quite a bit more open water along the northern shoreline and Big Island than expected. I would say Platte is about 1/3rd open. Rock is progressing, as is Bulldog, Erskine, and Sullivan. I drove to the Sullivan Inlet on the way home and saw a herd of deer along the road. I also heard my first loon while I fished. It was cold, and I ran out of energy, so I didn't fish for very long. I also had an oprey fly right to me from Platte to Sullivan. Muskrats were about as were ducks. It should warm up some tomorrow and throughout the week. I can taste open water now. Platte should be open by Friday, the 10th.

Platte Lake From GOMH

Platte Lake from N Platte Lake Drive

Sullivan Inlet

Sullivan Inlet South of Culvert

Sullivan Inlet Access

Rock Lake

Erskine Lake

NW Access Sullivan Lake

Shakopee Lake Access

Rum River into Shakopee Lake

GOMH Today(3/21/26)

 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. 

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.

Fished Open Water @GOMH To End 25/26 Season

 I will be going to Brainerd tomorrow for a Bass Snatchers meeting, then heading down to Princeton to celebrate Dad's birthday with the family. So no fishing tomorrow. It was super windy today, so I decided not to head out on the ice. There was just enough open water at the edge of the rocks on the SW side of the GOMH, so I chucked lures for 45 minutes. Ending 25/26 with a skunk.

Muskrat on sunk ice

GOMH 3/24, Not Skunked

Muskrat headed South

 

Thankfully, there was not much wind because it got cold after dark. I think swans were swimming off of SPSI, and E of GOMH is starting to open up. I thought maybe I had a hit on consecutive casts with the Rocket Shad on the SW side, but then again, maybe not. As I was about to call it a night due to the darkness, I got hit halfway in on the same exact cast I got hit two times earlier at the beginning of the retrieve. Gator Bullhead, no skunk on the boot tail shad. I thought maybe I saw a small walleye when I was doing my shining at the end of the night, after I did 7 laps.

1Pike 

Open to SPSI Tonight(4/22/22)

 

Thunderstorms did not develop today in our area. It was primarily occasional light rain with a hefty ENE wind. It was only in the low 40s for most of the day. Bulldog was slightly more open, same with Rock. Ice was pulling away in a bunch more places on Platte. With the warm temps and high winds and rain, I don't see the ice on Platte making it through the weekend. Don't know if I'll be able to get to work on the boat this weekend or not due to the rain. Would really like to have Trophy in Rock Lake no later than Wednesday.

I took two trips to the GOMH tonight. I took the lake tour during the first one after getting the low beam situation taken care of. The first one I only fished for about half an hour. A guy stopped to talk during the first trip. He remembered meeting me over at Rock Lake. We talked for maybe 5-minutes. He said he would be back next week if it warms up and drove a white pickup. Had an Osprey fly over the bridge, then went around Eagle Perch Point about 20-feet off the ground. Very Cool. Also had a low-flying trumpeter swan fly over to Sully tonight. As I was packing to leave on Trip 1. A second smaller loon joined the one that had been swimming over by Intersection Point. They swam around and around one another while dipping their heads underwater, presumably looking for baitfish. Never seen that before. Maybe it was a mating thing.

I stayed until after dark the second trip, hoping some silver bullheads might show up. Nope. Skunked again.

Skunked With A Full Moon(4/7/20)

Bulldog Tonight

Bulldog 20%

Rock 20%

4:00-5:30PM GOMH SW, Rock, Bulldog
64-68℉, Partly Cloudy, 4-8mph WNW

I started at the GOMH.  There was a guy fishing with his kid on the NE side who got there on a side by side.  Before I arrived at the GOMH I went and checked the Platte Lake Access because it looked like there might be open water up that way, but there wasn't.  I guess the open water line was along Channel Inn North Point to about midway to the Southside of the Big Island.  There was some open water beyond the SPSI.  Wheel House Guy showed up as I was packing up.  He hadn't gotten anything on Long.  I dropped something off for Kim.  Rock was fishable, but no fish.  Same for Bulldog.  I headed home at 5:30.

7:00-7:20PM Rock
7:25-7:40PM Bulldog
7:45-9:00PM GOMH NE SW SE
53-63℉, Partly Cloudy, 0-5mph NW, Full Moon

A big muskrat was at Rock, no fish.

There might have been some fish activity just to the South of where I could cast.  I was disappointed that I couldn't draw a bite at Bulldog.  Thought with the sun today I had a decent shot at getting something.  It didn't happen.

Nobody was at the GOMH.  Got to hear some loon calls. I started on the NE side, nothing.  Nothing on the SW side.  Got the lighted bobber out and tried the SE side with the Cubby/minnow nothing.  Went back to the SW side.  Thought maybe I saw a glowing eye briefly and a baitfish at the SW bridge opening when I was looking down from above with my headlamp.  I tried the NE side again, nothing.  Came back to the SW side, nothing.  I stopped fishing a little before 9PM.  Skunked again.

The weather forecast is not what I want to see.  Multiple cold cold fronts with high winds.  I'll probably put the boat in the water on Friday although if the lake open up by tomorrow afternoon their is a real outside chance I will dump it in then.  Man I got to start catching some fish.  These skunks are beginning to wear on me.

Skunked at the GOMH, But Otters, Eagles, and Muskrats(3/27/20)

44℉ Partly Cloudy, Calm

Saw a couple of eagles, otters, and the first muskrats of the year,  The first one spooked me.  Didn't get any bites. Depending on how much rain we get and if there is any current which is currently non-existent if we get temps in the '50s on Sunday and Monday I could see me getting a bullhead early next week.

Geese Moved In At The GOMH

Not much has changed after a couple of days in the 40's, now it cools down some.  We may or may not get snow in a couple of days.  Come on snow, stay South.

Ice free on the Southside, that's progress.

Water level about the same.

Muskrat #1

Muskrat #2

No major warm-ups in the forecast yet.