Lookie what I got in the mail today:

The Bassmaster 2006 Pro Guide which looks to be a primer for the 2006 BASS/ESPN Tour season, especially the classic. I've been shying away from reading the Bassmaster magazines I've been getting, but you can bet this one will be read for it's fantasy bass fishing implications. BTW-ESPN/BASS Fantasy Bass Fishing IS NOW OPEN!

Daily Pro Site-ING:

Brennen Bosley FLW pro going into Day 4 leading the Lake Murray FLW Tour Stop. He only leads Anthony Gagliardi by 2 lbs on a lake with monster bags. Who's gonna win it. Find out as the BP live blogs it.

LiveBlogging Lake Murray Final Weigh In:
They are doing angler intro's focusing of coarse on Bosley and Gagliardi who were also 1&2 at a FLW Kentucky Lake event, which Gagliardi won. Brennen Bosley was appropriately fishing out of the Banana Boat

Weigh in Started with Matt Herren elimined 16-6 for a total of 18-11.
Terry Seagraves eliminated with total of 7-5
Katsu eliminated with 12-12
Dave Smith is up, needs 12-5 to catch Bosley 5 fish limit that went 10-2 total 18-13 eliminated
Next up Jeremiah Kindy who needs 12-2 to bass Bosley, weighs 4 fish for 12-15, takes the lead.
Next up Clifford Pirch who needs 11-11 to take the lead from Kindy, Pirch weighs 5 for 10-15 so Kindy still leads, 21-1 Pirch eliminated
Next up is David Wolack of Warrior Run PA, he needs 9-1 to take the lead from Kindy
Wolack weighs in 4 fish for 9-2 so he takes the lead
Next up is Tim Carroll who is 7-3 out of the lead, he weighs 2 fish for 9-2 takes lead
Next up is Gagliardi, he needs 5-7 weighs 2 fish for 9-3
Next up is Brennen Bosley who needs 7-5, weighs in 2 that go 7-5 to retake lead
Next up is Kindy who needs 6-8, No more fish, eliminated
Next up is Wolak who needs 6-7, last fish is 3-3, eliminated
Next up is Carroll who needs 3-14, weighs in 3rd fish 6-5
Next up Gagliardi needs 2-5, weighs in 3rd fish for 5-6
Next up is Bosley needs 5-6 to retake, needs 3&4th fish for 9-7
Next up is Carroll needs 7-1 with 2 fish left, weighs in 8-9 fish to take lead
Next up is Gagliardi, needs 5-12 with 2 fish remaining, weighs 6-13 to take the lead
All anglers have 1 fish left, Gags leads
Next up is Bosley with last fish needs 2-12, weighs in last fish for 8-1 for 45-12 leads Gag's by 5-7. Broke FLW 2 day record.
Next Carroll needs 6-8, last fish weighs in 6-6, so he is eliminated
Last up is Gagliardi who needs 5-6 to take the lead and $200,000, weighs in 6-14. GAGLIARDI WINS and sets new FLW record with 2 day total of 47-4.

Note Tim Carroll weighed in 30-15 to set a new FLW 1 day record, that's a 6lb average and his 45-10 is the 3rd best FLW 2day weight ever.

Way to go Gagliardi!

FLW Lake Murray Wrap Up
BassFan Lake Murray Final Day

Breaking News: BASS/ESPN Fantasy Bass Fishing registration is NOW OPEN.

Daily Pro Site-ING=
Andre Moore the CEO of Reaction Innovations the somewhat controversial lure company. He just finished 47th at Lake Murray and will be someone to watch in the 2006 BassMasters Classic. His website is worth a look, it has pictures of Kim Bain.

OverHeard at Lake Murray Day 1:“I have no money. Just trophy.” – Okeechobee winner Shinichi Fukae, after TV host Keith Lebowitz asked him if his wife Miyuki kept his $100,000 earnings to herself.

Chatterbait Madness on Ebay

It ain't so!, The Bass Hole Blog (Korea) is back but hibernating.

Hellabass on Trailer Hooks.

“I had to learn how to bass fish just to date him, so when I first signed up to fish professionally six years ago, he didn’t take me seriously. Now, he’s saying, ‘Go for it!’” - Cindy Hill, 50, Smyrna,Tennessee

HOW I TOLD MY HUSBAND I WAS FISHING THE WOMEN’S BASSMASTER TOUR

Lake Murray FLW News: Bosley takes lead Gagliardi stays in 2nd at Lake Murray Update: BassFan Murray Story is in.

Rick Clunn talks about his involvement in the Bass Man documentary film and his perspective on the struggles with spirituality on the tournament trail.

Listen Here The BP has thoughts at Bass Pundit Preach

Chuck Norris roundhouse spin kicks into Fishing Jones.

Daily BP reading assignment:
Daily Bassdozer Article: Bass on the Ledge by North Alabama Guide Troy JensDaily Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide Article: Slow Down for Winter by Jay Yelas

Daily Pro Site-ING=
U2 steal the spotlight at Grammy awards This is fine with me. (U2 is the BP's favorite band after all; I am listening to Rock Album of the Year, "How to Dismantle...", right now.

Daily Pro Site-ING (Bass Pro)=

David Fritts the consummate and probably ultimate crankbait fisherman. On Day 1 he came in tied for 10th at Lake Murray.Update: The wheels come off Fritts on Day 2. Full Bassfan Day 2 Lake Murray round up.

FBF Lake Murray Day 2 Update: The Thrill is gone as Fritts, Nixon, Walker, and Davis all stumble. Boo Hoo! Catch the Full Posse Day 2 round up.

Favorite Fish: Pete at Fishing Jones votes Pike.

Why? My blog will never be as good as Moldy Chum AND why I fish for fish smaller than me.

Daily BP reading assignment:
Daily Bassdozer Article: Turn Christmas Trees into Brush Piles By Paul Crawford
Daily Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide Article: Cold Water Lunkers by By Dean Stroman

Daily Pro Site-ING=

FLW Pro Anthony Gagliardi who I switched at the last minute for Larry Nixon at the Wheeler Lake FLW on a tip from BassFan. Will that move pay or Gag's get the home lake jinx, only time will tell. He has a solid website with message board. I took the time to register and sent him a message.

FYI-Gag's is currently #7 in the Bass Fan World rankings.

Update: The Pro Site-ING is like the opposite of the S.I. curse. Gagliardi sacks 26-14 and is in second place, his Co-Angler caught 18 or 19lbs. Unless a major choke he's in the cut.

I have the Posse's line up's for Wheeler up at the FBF HQ. I believe we can and will do better than the mediocre showing at Okeechobee where the eggs were in too few baskets and JT Kenney cracked a miserable score. I've learned my lesson and diversified the Posse.

However we must remember that Day 1 don't mean jack squat. I just want anglers in the top 100 on day 1. It's day 2 that they are playing for keeps.

Update: Bp's Obro Hot on Day 1 with the BPboys in hot pursuit.

Another Fishing Blog to Check Out: Grin Fish

Daily BP reading assignment:
Daily Bassdozer Article: Modifying Jerkbaits Over the WinterBy Russ Bassdozer
Daily Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide Article: Cold, Clear Water by Doug Yeargain

Daily Pro Site-ING=

Matt Johnson
Espn Online article featuring Matt: Don't icefish without jigs & spoons By Tom Behrens. So Matt isn't really a Bass Pro but he's a good guy and great fisherman. I wonder if I'll see him this year on the lakes or not. Among other things Matt is the commissioner of the Ultimate Panfish League.

4 Gamers

This is a fishing game that you can download and that will give you hours of fun, so why not become a real true angler with this very addictive game...

Fishing Game Download via Marks Fishing Blog

Daily BP reading assignment:

Daily Bassdozer Article: Bass Fishing in Winter by Charles Stuart
Daily Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide Article:Choosing Winter Lures by Joseph Raines

A couple of sites for the ladies Lady Bass Angler and FisherGirl

Death of a Blog???? Say it ain't so!

Bish on Myth:

... the anecdotal evidence is overwheming that fish often start feeding more aggressively as barometric pressure drops, this being true in both fresh and salt water. But the myth given to explain this behaviour is just that, a myth. It may be a myth that has in fact hindered us from exploring this aspect of fishes' behaviour more fully, and more accurately.

Moldy Chum has lots of good stuff on today's docket:
A Fish Called Allah
Tied to Tradition
Fishing with a Disco Ball Part Deux
Ask Ian?
Fly-fishing with flair

Don't foget that the $5000 FLW Fishing Challenge deadline for Lake Murray is Midnight.

Win Trip With Dean Rojas from Spro

News for Co-Anglers via BassFan

Co-anglers who fish the Stren Series have a new prize to shoot for this year. Evinrude and Stren will offer the new "Ultimate Fishing Package" contingency award to the co-angler who amasses the most points this season, regardless of division. The package includes a fully rigged Ranger boat powered by an Evinrude E-TEC engine and a $1,000 tackle package from Stren.

To participate, co-anglers who advance past the cut must wear an
Evinrude/Stren shirt and cap onstage. They must also fish with Stren line.

According to FLW Outdoors, the co-angler who earns the most points at the conclusion of the season will win the award package. Points may not be added from one division to another. Largest 1-day weight will settle ties.

Frogger:
Dean Rojas
Gary Dobyns

Daily Pro Site-ING=
Gotta give the Kid Props again.
Photo: FLWOutdoors.com
John Billheimer Jr
BassFan story of the Havasu Western Stren Here

Daily Bassdozer Article: Winter Bass: Stifle the Action for Ice Colds

Kids getting in on the Classic Action! via Hella Bass R.T.B.F.B. Blog

WEATHER: No ice, no fishing. via Fishing Jones

A new fishing blog to check out TCPalm Fishing & Boating blog. Hat Tip Fishing Jones.

Moldy Chum has a new page header.

FLW hints and tips for Lake Murray Fishing Challenge Fantasy Bass Fishing. via BP's Fantasy Bass HQ.

I have finaly gotten around to reviewing my fishing goals of 2005. Go see which goals were met and which were not even close.

Newswire for Bassin Geeks (from BassFan)
SPRO signs Dobyns

2/6/2006SPRO announced that it's signed western legend Gary Dobyns to its national pro staff.

"Gary is arguably the best West Coast bass fisherman of all time," said SPRO national sales manager Tim Norman. "His years of product development experience will be a huge benefit as SPRO continues to bring exciting new products to market. Gary has already started working on two new projects for SPRO."

Other SPRO pro-staff members are Roland Martin, Charlie Ingram, Dean Rojas, John Crews and Bill Siemantel.

BP's opinion: this is a loss for SnagProof, who Dobyns used to promote. That Bronze Eye Frog does look like a winner, but the price points (scroll down) will keep me in SnagProofs corner for now.


Check into the interview with Aaron "Spin" Martens on BassFan Radio.

Super Sunday Prediction

Even though I've been a Steeler fan for all of my life and will be rooting for them today, I'm picking Seahawks in an upset 27-17.

FYI- I've decided to make sunday's, at least this one, a light blogging day thus no Pro Site ING's or Bassdozer articles.

BP Super Bowl Post Script: Neither team played all that well and the officiating was atrocious.
Offensive Pass interference call taking away Seahawk Touchdown-Joke!
Replay saying "Big Ben" crossed the goal line with the ball- Joke!
Overall I thought the Seahawks played better and were hammered by several key blown calls of the officials.

BP's Best Commercial: Budweiser's Baby Clydesdale.

BP's Worst Commercial: So lame that I can't recall what it was even for. In the absense of remembering that one. I'll say Jessica Simpson and the Pop Bites Pizza Hut. However there were others just as lame as this one. Aleve at the Star Trek Convension and MGD in the Grocery Store being among the stinkers that I remember.

Daily Pro Site-ING=
This is 16year old pro John Billheimer Jr of California. He just made the cut and took the day 3 lead at the Havasu Western Stren.

Update: The kid wins by almost 4lbs. That's 10K + a brand new Ranger, guess the kid can fish.

Daily Bass dozer Article: Winter Bass - What They Do

BP Fishing Report: Fishers of Men Ice 1

445 is the current number of anglers ranked in the BassFan World Rankings.
445 Michael Yawgel Cromwell CT 0.063 The Worst of the best.

"This Way To The Lake"
At the Fishers of Men meeting last night our speaker was Dutch Deick of Crystal-Pierz Marine. He did an excellent job telling us about changes in the Marine/Boating industry in the last few years.

Don't forget that the Next FLW Fantasy Fishing Challenge deadline is next week.

Daily Pro Site-ING=
Veteran FLW Pro Alvin Shaw who could be a force at Lake Murray. Previous places at Murry in FLW 72nd, 32nd, 15th and he is a Carolina pro.

Note: Yesterday's Daily Pro Site Ing Aaron Coleman leads the Havasu Western Stren after Day 2.

Daily Bassdozer Article= Cold Water Rat-L-Trap Fishingby Lake Fork Guide Jim Reaneau

From humor from Ohio Bass Fishing Blog:

BUBBA’S PET FISH

Bubba was stopped by the fish and game warden in South Carolina recently with two ice chests full of fish. He was leaving a small lake well known for its fishing.

The game warden asked the man, “Do you have a license to catch those fish?”

“Naw, sir, I ain’t got none of them there licenses, no. You must understand that these here are my pet fish.”

“Pet fish?” asked the warden.

“Ya. Every night I take these here fish down to da lake and let them swim ’round for a while. Then I whistle and they jump rat back into dis here ice chest and I take dem home agin.”

“That’s a bunch of hooey! Fish can’t do that!” says the game warden.

Bubba looked at the game warden for a moment and then he said, “By golly, tats the way tis Mr. Government man, I’ll show you. It really works.”

“Okay”, said the game warden, “I’ve GOT to see this!”

Bubba poured the fish into the lake and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to him and said, “Well?”

“Well, what?” said Bubba.

The warden said, “When are you going to call them back?”

Bubba said, “Call who back?”
“The FISH!” replied the warden.
“What fish?” answered Bubba.
Now, we in the South might not be as smart as some of dem city slickers, but we ain’t as dumb as some government employees neither….

Trout Fishing Report from Pete at Fishing Jones

My local trout stream opened for business yesterday, on a catch-and-release
basis. With today projected to be in the 40s and sunny, I took a personal day
and dug the waders out of the garage...

Massive shark hooked on ice-fishing jaunt hat tip Daily Bag Limit

KVD interview at BassFan today. Is it just me or does every Bass Pro hunt something in the off season?

Daily Pro Site-ING= West Coast Pro Aaron Coleman
BP Note: Never heard of the guy but at least he's a bass pro with a website.

Daily Bassdozer Article= After Ice Out by Russ Bassdozer
BP Note: I consider BassDozer Library of Articles to be a "go to" spot to read about all things bass fishing. Need to learn something, Bassdozer probably has an article about it.

1. Classic Patterns - When it comes to patterns & techniques, I probably get more from this show then all others combined.

HellaBass favorite Bass TV Show, here is his Top 10 List

Then I'm walking in Memphis
Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

Moldy Chum reports Snakeheads Walking in Memphis

BP's Agenda: Fishers of Men Club & Board Meeting Today. Gonna see about adding a group blog to the FOM website among other things.

NEWS: Apparently, the city of New York does not like the idea of people pretending to fly fish in the subways. I'm not sure why--with a little innovation and practice, you could probably entice a strike or two from the subway hamsters.

For other Fishy happenings be sure to check in regularly with Fishing Jones: News for Angling Addicts.

BP's Revenge vs. Cyberfish (many months later)


Are You O.C.F.?

Daily Pro Site-ING= "Spin" gotta love the rolling surf sound effect with gulls. I think I'm gonna take a nap.

New Stuff:
Cool Looking Baits

But will they catch fish? I bet they will. I'll probably buy a couple if I ever find some loose change in my pocket this spring.

Note: Checked in Bass Pro Shops, these baits are selling for $12.99 a piece. OUCH! Maybe I won't be buying any. Rapala Husky Jerks and X-Raps are fish catchers for half the price.

BP Newswire:BassFan changes the Bass Professional World Rankings Formula.

State Farm is no longer the title sponsor of the BassFan World Rankings

I suppose it had to be done with all the changes going on in the world of Professional Bass Fishing right now. In case you are not aware there have been many major changes made between 2005 and 2006. BassFan recognized this and has acted accordingly. Under the new ranking formula here are the Top 10 Bass Fisherman in the World by performace over the last two years.

1. Kevin VanDam 228.590
2. Greg Hackney 216.084
3. Edwin Evers 195.297
4. Michael Iaconelli 194.939
5. Takahiro Omori 193.054
6. Skeet Reese 188.520
7. Anthony Gagliardi 186.264
8. Terry Scroggins 185.585
9. Marty Stone 185.188
10. Davy Hite 184.825

Full rankings here.

Of the Top 10 I don't have websites for 6 of them. What does that say?

Site Construction- Puting together a new Side-Bar Roll called Bass Pro Site-ING which will seek to be a conprehensive as possible listing of the Web Sites of Bass Pro's. You would think that almost every bass Pro from the Major to Minor Leagues would use the web as a venue to promote themselves and their sponsors, but I would say only about 20-30% of the pro's take advantage of the WWW in any way shape or form at all, at least that I can find.

Ohh well back to work.

A Day of Rest

Yesterday, I rested instead of fishing.

Blogrolling
I did do some work on the blog however. If you will notice to the right on the side-bar I have added many a new Blogroll-O-FishNblog. One of the cool things about a blog can be it's blogroll which are links to other blogs. I would really like to keep on top of all the blogs devoted to Fishing and Bass Fishing in particular. Most of the new additions came from the blogrolls of other blogs.

It is a challenge to stay on top of this because it takes a concentrated effort to look for new blogs and than add to your template. Of coarse you also end up reading a little something from the blogs before blogrolling them which adds to the time consumption.

At this point I am disappointed that there are not more dedicated or partially dedicated Bass Fishing Blogs. Maybe they are out there and I just can't find them.

Speaking of Bassin Blogs here are some tips for Cabin Fever from Rich's Bass Tournament Fishing Blog.

For something funny goto Moldy Chum

This Day

Last night I could not sleep and my mind wandered into thinking about the Bass Pundit Blog Franchise Empire and how I have lost the plot. The model for the main BP blog was supposed to be Instapundit; quick commentary with links farmed out to the various franchise blogs. Instead of that the BP blog is catching almost everything and the franchise blogs are whithering on the vine. For instance, many of my last few posts could have been farmed out to The Fishing Log Blog via link. Getting into the habit of that, in theory, should make the whole Blog Empire run easier.

So now I'm gonna try to get on the right track and breathe some inspiration into the B.P.B.F.E..

Today there was a Slab Slowdown in my fishing.

Avid Update: I actually did a respecable job of repairing the St. Croix Avid Ice Rod that got a wee too close to the propane lantern last night. I made something like a splint from a broken graphite rod blank and super glued it in place. Worked like a charm to fix the thing. BP is happy now.

Notables from the BASS Okeechobee Southern Tour
Bobby Lane's baby brother Chis won.
Terry Scroggins was 2nd
Takahiro Omori was 20th

Currently Reading:

Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (Paperback)
by David Martyn Lloyd-Jones Good Book.

New Franchise Blog Coming Soon!

South Korean Winter Combat Fishing via The Bass Hole

Hard Luck Slabberday

The Aitkin Jaycees Ice Fishing Contest was a bust for me. I couldn't even bring up a little perch. I had two quality bites on minnows and whiffed on both hooksets, should have let them have it longer. Pout were 3 out of the top 4 places with a walleye in 3rd. I think there was 1 tulibee in the top 10, one other walleye in the top 20 and the rest were perch, including a couple that bested a pound.

Afterward I decided to head to Sullivan and try for some slabbers. I put in at the West Access and by accident ended up working a hump for eye's. In the process of doing that I accidentally had my St. Croix Avid Ice Stick, my best ice fishing pole, get to close to the Coleman Lantern and the blank got weakened but didn't break. I think if I put some kind of splint on it that maybe it can be saved. At that point I was one frustrated dude. I did manage to get off the break and find 6 solid 10" slab crappies and missed several more on bad hookset and probably also not feeling the bite. They were biting really light. What finally tripped the trigger was a big minnow on a Custom Jigs Glow Demon beneath a glow dropper as an attracter. In my other hole I had a small minnow on a Glow Demon. I would jig the big minnow and they would inhale the small minnow and just sit with it.

Now that I've found these dudes, look out.

Silver Dollars

Today I started with an early morning excursion to Sullivan in search of Tulibee's. What a slush and water pit after last nights rain. Usually the Tulibee thing starts sometime in mid to late February but I decided to try my luck anyway. I nabbed one nice crappie, a small eye, a couple of little perch. I did miss one good fish about half way up, but don't know if it was a Tulibee and that was it from about 7-10Am. I came back and took a nap.

I got back out around 3:30 and headed out on Platte to the North of the Big Island. It was a wet ride over with water splashing up to the point that I needed the wipers on. I immediately ran into a school of little sunnies and had fun catching them while watching on the camera. I saw a lots of sunnies and perch, a crappie, pike, and bullhead all swim by but no bass. Talked to a guy who was getting pike, little crappies, 1 bass, who said someone caught a 4lb bass the day before. As it got towards dark I started fishing that guys holes and got into a bunch of small Crappies. Mucho 3 to 5 inch Silver dollars. After dark I did catch them up to 8 inches but no slabs.

I know there are big pannies in Platte, but finding them seems to be a needle in a hay stack proposition.

Tomorrow I will be at the Aitkin Jaycees
(Click to enlarge)
Trying to jig up an eye, Sumo Perch, or Tulibee. I could really use a 4 wheeler.

Ice Fishing in a Rut

It's a wierd deal when you are driving home at night after ice fishing in a driving rainstorm.

Anyway, in Ice Fishing, and fishing in general, it is best when you get into a groove. Fishing is more fun when you are catching the fish you seek and catching them in a steady and predicatable path even if that path is slow; It build's hope and confidence which makes the whole experience more enjoyable. In regular open water fishing it is generally a whole lot easier to change your luck. In Ice Fishing changing your luck is just plain time consuming hard work; You have to drill lots of holes and move a lot. Because you are confined to that little hole, it's a bad thing to get stuck in an Ice Fishing rut where you just can't scratch up that fishy your after.

I'm in a rut and have pretty much more or less been in it every ice fishing trip I've taken this winter. Sure I've caught fish, but generally not the sized one's that I am really after. Today, I tried Mille Lacs for Jumbo Perch. The system is easy enough; Drive out onto the lake in the middle of nowhere, drill a couple of holes, and see if anything shows up on the electronics. If your lucky you run into sumo sized perch, if you are unlucky you run into either nothing, non-active fish that won't bite, or a variety pack of less than sumo sized perch aka "baitstealers." Today I caught a fair number of medium sized perch and one mini-jumbo. No luck on the Sumo's.

I ended up staying too long which cost me when I made the move to Shakopee, where I tried a different spot and struck out. I decided to leave as that I was marking very little and it was raining.

Tomorrow is supposed to be warm. I think I may try getting up early to chase Tulibee on Sullivan. Maybe that's how I can get my groove back.

Look what I caught!

The World's Smallest Fish.

The Dead Sea

Today it was a balmy 42*F here in MN. I hit Shakopee just after noon. I was fishing the same general area as the last time. I was catching small sunnies one after another with no signs of Crappies anywhere, not that I moved around much. By about 2:30 I was itching to try something different. I decided to try Mille Lacs out of the Casino public access and see if I could get to Indian Point. I got most of the way out there in the tracks of other vehicles when I sorta got stuck in this one spot. I decided I better turn around there and spent 45 minutes getting stuck and unstuck while turning around.

Life would have been much easier with a partner today. My Ford Ranger Pick up is lite and 2wd so it gets stuck easily. Freeing it isn't that difficult especially if you have someone to push which makes the truck much better in those tricky spots, plus additional weight means better traction so you are less likely to bog down in the first place. Anyway I did get the truck turned around.

I thought I was in a good spot but as it turned out I was a significant distance to the North of Indian Point. In case you didn't know underwater the Point runs from the the West to the SE thus the point was running away from me. To be on the spot I wanted to try I was a good 400yards from the truck. I stuck it out and struck out only having one sniffer and that was it. I think I should have stayed right next to the truck and fished there. I was only out until 6:30 and then had to pack it up to get to a Bible Study in Garrison.

Tommorrow is supposed to be nice again and I think I will try Mille Lacs again.

Some fun for once.

Check out this spoof over at Fishing Jones (via Moldy Chum)

Blog Neglect and Updates

It may be apparent that over the coarse of the Bass Pundit's existance I have let the blog fall into some disrepair. By the Grace of God I will be slowly working to update and improve the blog.

If you will notice on the right/sidebar I have added some links
Bass Zone
ProBassAnglers.com
BassDozer (Greatest Bass Fishing "How to" Article site on the net)
HellaBass Bassin' Blog (MN)

Updated one:
Ohio Bass Fishing Blog

Deleted a couple:
The Bassholes
Kansas Bass Fishing
Bassin Blog (OH)

Hopefully I will get to the Blogroll-O-FishNblog in the near future as well as start adding to both that and the Blogroll-O-BassNblog. I also will be bringing another franchise blog online one of these days.

Spring Fever

It's only January 23rd here in MN, which means there is a lot of winter left before open water and bass season opens. AGGGGGGGGGGHH. Spring Fever hit me today full force. Up to this point I've just had the winter blah's big time with mild intermittent cases of cabin fever. But today it's official, I'm sick of winter.

ESPN Will be having Fantasy Bass Fishing in 2006

Registration will open up in early Feb. However they do have features open such as Prizes, and other stuff.

Check it out!

Camp and Shakopee

Been out fishin the last two nights.

Last night the Slab search went to Camp. A lake I've fished only once before in the winter. The action was slow then but the size was good in that previous trip. This night the fish were not into it, but I managed to force a few to bite. Got a 9" and the rest were small. Arrived about 4PM

Tonight, after much debate I decided to head to Shakopee. Arrived around 2:30. I immediately started smacking small sunnies and perch. I got a hammer handle and kept catching sunnies. Then I popped a 10" crip and thought I might be onto something as the sun went down. Managed to catch quite a few small crappies, along with more small sunnies and perch. Got 1 more keeper Crappie and kept one nice Sunny as well. I may have to try Shakopee during the week when it's warm as that I think if one could get on a school some nice fish are there to be had. The visibility was better than I expected it to be and the fish continued to bite after dark although slowly.

Finally cleaned my fish (7) and ate em for dinner

Worn out

Today the search for slabs was suspended because I was feeling worn out. Plus it was snowing at a pretty good clip and the thought of getting stuck on the ice just didn't appeal to me. We got around 6 inches which may mean I can't get out in my truck.

Update for the Posse at the Big O.

No Slabs for You

Tried a new area of Platte for Ice Fishing; North of the Big Island where there is always a host of houses. Upon arrival I was invited inside a house to see this guys set up and Aqua View. It looked like the right kind of area weed and depth wise. He has been fishing the area since December and he seemed to pretty much be a pike fisherman. We watched sunnies in the camera and he told me he had seen a bass or two and caught a couple. Said he hadn't seen a crappie.

I went back to drill a few more holes, instantly attracted a fish in and caught it. Crappie. I managed to catch several small crappies and sunnies with one pike to boot. No slabs at all. The bite shut off as it got darker. I'll probably fish the same area tommorrow, which is today.

Meanwhile in Fanatsy Bass Fishing JT Kenney laid an egg, but could come back tomorrow; After all Day 1 don't mean Jack Squat!

Slab Fever

Well I've caught it. Too bad I haven't caught any.

Today I got a little earlier start and headed across to the winter bass spot from a couple of years ago. The wind was a howlin' making things miserable as I tried to drill and get my bearings with the Aqua View. I did find some promising weed growth and a pike, so I decided to fish the area. I caught a couple of small sunnies and a perch before I got sick of it and headed out to "The Hole" about 3PM.

I arrived on the Northern tip of "The Hole" and it took about 30 minutes for anything to show up besides the snow flurries. I consistantly caught crappies off and on until about 7PM. The size range was small but all over the map, not the chips and just short of keepers like last night. I also got one pike and bullhead. I ended up keeping one 9" and one 9.75" I think I may have dropped another keeper or two; I think I had less quality bites than last night. However I have now shaken off the rust and am a crappie catching machine.

It is a disappointment that the quality of the fish just isn't there. I may try a couple of other spots before I write off Platte lake for slabbers

2006 FLW Fishing Challenge-Now Open

Here is your chance to win an easy 5 Grand. Hurry though, the first tournament deadline is today at midnight.

I can win this! Come on BP Boys!

Gonna miss Zona in the Pundit Picks.

Be sure to check the BP Fantasy Bass Fishing HQ for tips and punditry in 2006

Ice Fishin

Even though my back was bugging me yet again today, I finally made my way out to "The Hole" on Platte to try some Silver prospecting. The crappies were indeed out there but the size left a lot to be desired. I got two 9inchers and missed a few others that size; I probably should have had 6-7 keepers. Mostly they were potatoe chips or 7-8 inchers. The action was steady and with the bigger fish biting at prime time and after dark. I was fishing by about 3:30PM. Ice was 12-14 so it's good enough for driving on Platte.

If I head out tomorrow I will probably try to be a bit more mobile and look for pannies in the weeds. It sure got cold and windy out there. BRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

At the St.Paul Sportsmen's Show

At least I was this past Fri, Sat, and Sun. I was working the trout pond as a fundraiser for the Fishers of Men Club (Twin Cities). I was just installed on the Club Board again and am the Vice President, which will not be just another do nothing position. For instance, the Club President roped me in for writing next month's newsletters feature article. I'm going to write an article on the need for an Ice fishing outing next month. Ohh Boy.

I plan on starting to Ice Fish this week. The BP is in a mood to get up and do stuff. Tah Dah.

Burned out!

I cannot decide if it is on bass fishing or blogging or both. I just do not have the interest in the world of Bass Fishing or fishing in general that I had at this point last year. I think I got burned out on most things bass fishing by the end of the tournament season last year. My blogging track record seems to support this. However, I am waiting to see if FLW or Bass will have fantasy bass fishing. I will not be holding a league or be doing the Bass Pundit Championship thing either way, but I will maintain the Franchise Blog on the subject unless Bass and FLW disconinue having it.

The FLW Tour starts in a couple of weeks and BASS starts in Late Febuary. Naturally anyone interested is already follwing things at BassFan and elsewhere.

On the Family Vacation

So we headed to Florida on December 14th, a day with a winter snow advisory. Naturally we were off to a late start to begin with due too my medical appointment. Then mother misplaced her cell in the car, thought it was back home, thus causing us to waist 2 hours on the road time (1 hour back, 1 hour to get where we were.) There was also the bit about the house key which Mom already had in her bag but had thought we left. She found phone and the key while I was trying to get a key from the neighbors, cause the one we got from our neighbor Jenny was the old key and didn't fit the lock. We also got a bit crossed up in Eau Claire, WI and thus didn't even make it to Rockord IL.

Thus it took another 2 long days to make it to the McLeods. We spent the night and most of the next day at their place and then headed to the Condo at Daytona Beach Shores. The weather was cool and windy almost everyday we were there. I did a little fishing with my brother Steve on a couple of evenings. We got a bunch of bites and I got a small flounder, but that was it. Had fun eating cookies, and hanging out with the family especially niece Haley Jewel and Mom/mother to be Kim. Before I knew it Christmas had come, we (Todd, Kristen, Steve, Kim, Haley, Mom) went to the Christmas Eve service at the Drive in Church. Santa found the Christmas tree we put up in the Condo and we opened presents and then had a feast of Turkey and Ham with all the trimings and cookies we could eat. Christmas Night I went to See the movie: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Movie Review: I'll give it an ambivilant OK. Was more for the kids than for adults. I'm hoping an extended DVD will make it a better movie for adults and kids.

We broke camp the on the morning of the 27th and headed back to the Mcleods that evening. Watched a bunch of movies at the Mcleods. On the 29th I went for an airboat ride which seriously racked my back.

We did see a 10ft Aligator and the ride was pretty cool in general. We headed to my Uncle Bill and Aunt Donna's on the 30th and spent New Years Eve and Day with them. It was nice seeing my cousin's Bryan, Alan, and Denise as well. I was too lazy to get up and go see cousin John and family. Finally we were on the road and headed home on the 2nd.

We arrived back in the cities on my Birthday and had pizza and pie with Todd, Kristen, Isabelle (who of coarse was delightful to be around in Florida) Jeff and Erin and that's it. Now I'm back in the land of snow and cold. HooRay!

I'm back!

Report on the Vay Kay to come later.

Misc Notes

Heading to Florida for Christmas today-so I may not have blog access for awhile. If not
Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Kristen!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Happy Birthday Spud!

Happy Birthday Me!



I will be adding a blog to the franchise in the new year. Oh Boy!

I did go Ice fishing on Bulldog Lake on 12/9. I got a bunch of little Crappies.

Pet Adoption

As can be seen in the sidebar, I've decided to dedicate blog space to Petfinder.com 's adopt a pet program. Thanks to the blog of The Patriette, I found out about the banner program and thought it would be a good edition to my blog. I have a soft spot in my heart for dogs whether neglected or not and thought it would also be a fitting tribute to Soren who passed away just about a year ago.

For the New Year I'm thinking about trying to help with Elkhound rescue in MN and possible other volunteer work with critters.

If you have the means and the stability of lifestyle than the right dog is about the best gift a person can give themselves and the little (or big) ball o fur.

For my Belated Blogirthday

A Lambert Sweep!
Vikes 20 - Pack 17

It's back

Actually the ice arrived yesterday on the 17th. The snow came in a bit to quick and so we didn't get "safe ice" when it got cold again last night. If you will recall, things are a bit ahead of last years schedule.

Program Note: Only 2 Days until the BP Blogirthday or is that Blogiversity?

Matisyahu @ The Cabooze

WWW.MATISYAHU.ORG
WWW.HASIDICREGGAE.COM
WWW.ORMUSIC.COM
WWW.JDUBRECORDS.ORG

A BP first: Concert Review

Never heard of Matisyahu or Hasidic Reggae before, neither had I until a Twin Cities Station, Drive 105, played his song "King without a Crown." It is a cool track, the lyrics are solid spiritually, and the Drive 105 DJ's spoke well of the guy. When I heard Matisyahu was coming to town I asked my older bro Jeff if he wanted to go and he said OK. The only thing that really needs to be said is that Matisyahu and his band seriously rock most of the time. BRAVO!

The show opened up with underground Xtian rapper Pigeon John. The Pigeon is high energy and brought better than average original hip hop with both humor and a message. I only like hip hop these days if it is unique and non-gansta and the Pigeon is unique and more joker than gangsta. He did get a laugh out of me a couple of times and I thought he was better than average warm up material. Highlight was his song Hello Everybody and the last song which has a title that alludes me. I'll just call it "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made."

The Matisyahu set: I didn't really know what to expect coming into the concert with only a slight familiarity with a single song and a little knowledge about the guy from Googling a bit. However, reggae is easy to get into the groove with sight unheard. I was more than pleasantly surprised to find this fusion mix of reggae, rock, jazz, hip-hop, prayer/chant, and solid musicianship all working together. I just wish I knew some songs in advance, that would sure help my review. It seemed like there was a lot of experimentation and fair amount of spontaneity/improv to the performance which at times was rocky, but usually managed to satisfy.

I thought the group was at it's best in when it went into a raw psychedelic rock/jazz/reggae romp. When they put it all together they had the right musical synergy of spirituality, energy, and emotion to blow roof off. It seemed obvious to me that the band, Aaron Dugan (guitar), Josh Werner (bass), and Jonah David (drums) was made up of individually accomplished musicians. They all had extended solo's including Matisyahu with a mindblowing human beat box. I thought the beatbox and the drum solo's were particularly impressive.

Besides King without a Crown, other songs that stood out were Warrior, Chop'em Down, Exaltation, and a couple others who's titles I don't know.

What I appreciated about the show was both the commitment to spirituality and innovative musicianship. Here is his upcoming concert schedule, it you have a chance Matisyahu is worth a look.

Something for fun

Numenorean


To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

The Fishing Lesson

This is a fishing story from the blog Running on Coffee: (Click on title or go to Bass Pundit Preach for the whole story)

The Fishing Lesson
My grandfather fought in two wars in his time in the Army, WW2 and Korea. He was wounded 5 times between the two wars. He held the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. I want to share something my sister wrote shortly after our grandfather passed away last year. With Veteran's Day approaching, I thought it appropriate.

The Fishing Lesson:
I could never figure out as a child why my grandfather loved fishing so much. It was fun to go with him as a kid every now and then, but I could never understand why he went day after day. It wasnt until I went fishing with him last April that I finally knew...

I have no muse

therefore I bloggeth not. Sorry if you are one of the few that are regulars.

I will be with you again
U2 New Years Day

Vikes Win Vikes Win!

Viking Record Breaking 56 yard fieldgoal kicks Packers where it counts, when the count hits 0!

Also my favorite player #30 Mewelde Moore scored his first NFL TD!

PS Pastor Cheesehead I need your email, phone, and address. I've been wanting to get hold of you but nothing I've tried has worked.

Last Night's Low Lights

Well sometimes you get em N sometimes you don't. Last night I didn't.

I took the "Slop Slip" out on Platte from about 4:30 to Dusk on a gorgeous fall night, but the bass were not hitting but the Pike were swirling. I saw stuff including my Sizmic Toad getting whacked at, but those Pike were just trying to scare that Toad; I never did catch a pike and I didn't lose a hook either (a few legs off the Toad's yes, but hooks no thank goodness). I did get one 14/15" bass, I missed another that size when my hookset sent him rolling, and I think I had a shot at a big one that promptly buried me in "the straw and hay."

I then went to Eddies on Mille Lacs to meet the guys coming in on the 6-10PM launch. It was very slow and only Capt. Shrink Wrap caught anything among the guys and gal with FOM. They had 19 people on the launch and only 8 or 9 were caught in the 4 hours. The later launch had better success by the sound of it. The Jetti was a dud, but it sure was nice out and I stayed until after 1AM. Some guys gave me some leaches and I talked to a guy who was out the night before and got into em.

It looked to me like IP was going with a perfect W SW wind and bright moon.

Tonight it looks like Cyb and I will be getting out.

Biggest Bass of Year

Actually this:

...Is my biggest bass of the last couple years. She measured in at 21.5 and I would guess was in the high 5's; She hit a Sizmic Toad fairly close to the boat. It is the second biggest I've caught out of Platte. I caught a 21.5"er that was much thicker and probably went mid-6's two years ago.


This bass was one of those fish that fools you. I thought I had a little pike swirling at the frog in a tease. Fortunatly I decided not to pull it away and kept baiting it. I did this for a good 30feet, before it finally sucked it in; all the while I thought it was just a slimer. It was about 10 feet from the boat when it took the frog and I set the hook, all I saw was head and mouth of a big bass. I was using heavy tackle in fairly heavy but dying cover and so I horsed it right to my awaiting hand.

As long as I'm on big fish Here's two I caught on Platte the night after this years September Tournament debacle on Platte/Sullivan:


The big fish was only 19.75 but weighted 5lbs4ozs. The smaller fish is a regular sized mid 3lb 18" Larry. I got the big one under a dock that I just hammered to no avail on the previous tournament day; Got her on a SnagProof Bobby's Perfect Frog on one serious swirl. Sometimes you know they are big and sometimes you don't.

Ohh yeah...

I'm gonna try Eddy's Jetty for a time tonight.

Update, didn't get there until 10:30. The wind had come up nicely out of the SE, but the clouds were cutting out the 1/2 moon. I only got one that was under 14", one of the few small guys I've ever got off the Jetti.

Fishing Report

It was a long day out at the "New House" which is actually now after long last on the property. I video taped the thing. Watching a modular home get put on it's foundation is interesting and I am sure my commentary and videography skills made it even more so. My one regret is that I didn't interview "the guys." A little Leno'esk "Dave Walking" would have been cool.

Anyway I headed out at dusk on this perfect mid fall day and slammed 5 topwater bass, but none were pigs. I had several pike blow ups and one was from a huge'n. But it missed the Sizmic Frog. Oh to be out all day on a day like this, the fish were shallow and ultra aggressive; another day that you could pop a state record.

Living the Dream

There is a new blog that I encourage everyone to visit: Living the Dream by Master Outdoorsman Spike Miller. Spike was my department manager at Gander Mountain in Maple Grove a couple of years ago and is probably the most knowledgeable and versitile fisherman and outdoorsman I've ever met. Spike is also a "natural" comedian and story teller. Well I haven't had time to read the blog, I have little doubt that it will evolve into a classic, if Spike sticks with it.

If he can just translate his story telling prowess, and this guy has stories upon stories, into a written form than we may have the bloggosphere's best writing pioneer on outdoor subjects. PUT THAT BLOG IN YOUR FAORITES AND READ OFTEN.

As for Spike, I will get up to Red this winter to fish those Wall, um I mean Crappies this winter. Expect a phone call sometime soon.

BP is BACK!

Dang Spam Bots!

I have been busy beating them back in the comments section. Looks like I need to find that Blogger code to stop em and start running the Frachise Empire again.

I have an Apology and Wrap Up of 2005 over at The BP Fantasy Bass Fishing HQ

The Tournament Report is up for the Team Bass Horsehoe Chain of July 9th and I do plan to give reports for the rest of the season as I have time. I also hope to update the Fishing Log Blog some from 2005 as well as Bass Pundit Preach and B.P. vs. Cyberfish. We didn't face off much this summer and our last outing we both got skunked. Before that Cyb shived me at Mille Lacs during the Sept. full moon. He was ON FIRE that nite reeling in the piggies, thanks to my boat control and that Firetiger HJ.

Anyway, soon I should be blogging again on a regular basis.

Coming Soon... a pic of a real Toad I caught in September.

Note: Even though the weather has been great in October, I've had issues, which I will get into in another post, that have kept me off the water this month, and when I have been out it has been whiff city even though the weather has been about ideal.

New MN State Record

The weather has been unseasonably warm for about 2 weeks and a lake finaly gave up a ghost! (We have had perfect weather for this to happen.)

Here she is:

While the pic makes it look 10plus; the Certified weight will be 8lbs15ozs, which will break the old record by a couple of ounces. Still no 10er for the Mud Ducks! It was caught out of Auburn Lake, a small west metro lake of 261Acres; I'm not sure if it was caught out of the West or East Lake. That lake will probably get pounded by idiots now. I don't think I've ever fished that lake, but I've fished a few that are close by as that there are a good number of sleepers in that vicinity. It is close to Victoria and is just the SW of Lake Minnetonka.

The fish was caught by one of the big guns of MN Bass tournament fishing, Mark Raveling. He got it on a big ole buzzbait. A lure I've had zero success with this year.

Star Trib Story here.

9/11 Remembered

This is my favorite piece written in the aftermath of 9/11/01

Leonard Pitts, Jr. - Miami Herald

They pay me to tease the shades of meaning from social and cultural issues, to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering: You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard. What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed. Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause. Did you want to make us afraid? You just steeled our resolve. Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family bent by racial, cultural, political, and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop culture minutiae: a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the readily availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain bit of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though-peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God. Some people, you perhaps, think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in morning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of it's ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, indeed, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to it's bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us to such and monumental pain. When aroused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice.

I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future. In days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined. You see, there is steel beneath this velvet. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, as Americans we will rise in defense of all we cherish.

Still, I keep wondering what it was you hoped to teach us. It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're about. You don't know what you just started. But you're about to learn.

But on this, only the 4th anniversary, since that day I am beginning to have questions about the resolve, commitment, and integrity of many in this country. I haven't forgotten, have you?