"And then depression set in"

 

I was still pretty high after the loss to the Lions; They barely beat us and Hockenson hadn't played yet. I figured Hock would be back for the Rams game except he wasn't. Puka Nacua was unexpectedly ready to play for the Rams. Son of a ... Just the spark the struggling Rams Offense needed. Cashman was a no go at LB; The Defence struggled again with him out. The pass rush struggled to get pressure. Darrisaw tore his ACL and MCL. Uncle Sam nearly had his head ripped off on an uncalled Facemask Penalty in the endzone resulting in a game sealing Saftey for the Rams. Ridiculous! 

Oh, how the cruel winds of fate turned on my favorite team. Losing Darrisaw and the game basically assures that the Vikes will not be able to catch the Lions for the Division and the #1Seed. All my hopes and expectations went out the window with that loss. Losing one of the best Left Tackles in the NFL totally bites. How negatively will the running and passing game be affected? Right now, it's anybodies guess. 

Will the injury bug keep biting and bring down a once promising season?

After the next three games I think I will have a clearer grasp on where things are headed. Right, now things are muddied up. I think the picture is even darkerfor the Packers and their fate with a one legged quarterback and the Lions coming to town this week.

Huge Game This Sunday

 This is what I wrote over at IDO about the match-up with the Lions this Sunday. The Lions and Vikes are the premier teams in the NFC right now. The odds of the Vikes being the #1 Seed in the NFC go up significantly if the Vikes get the W. Will that happen? The Lions have to be the most feared team in the league right now.  I think the teams are fairly evenly matched with the Lions having the stronger Offense currently and the Vikes with the better Defense. It is a true toss-up from my perspective. This game could go in any direction at any time. It could be a blowout in either direction or be nip and tuck from start to finish depending on how the ball bounces and the success or failure of game plans on all sides of the ball. The teams don't play again in the final game of the regular season. Who knows what will happen between this week and that match-up in January? Either team could be injury-depleted or both could be the juggernauts they have been to this point. A Vikes win this week is a big step toward making that final game in Detriot meaningless, but there is a lot of football yet to be played between now and January.

SKOL Vikings!

 

Vikes Take Care of Business In London, Defeat A A Ron

 The Offense and aspects of the Special Teams did not play well, but the Defense and other aspects of the Special Teams were on point, so we won the game in a squeaker. Uncle Sam made bad decisions and bad throws. AJ got injured. We had the Jets Defence on the ropes and didn't press the advantage when we had the chance to impose our will in the running game when we were ahead in the first half. The Special Teams had multiple screw-ups that cost the team.  It was a sloppy, but we got the W. Now we have the bye week. Hopefully, AJ's hip injury isn't that serious and the team comes out refreshed and ready vs. the Lions in a couple of weeks.

Vikes D picked off A A Ron three times including the dagger in the final minute. Flores won the chess match vs. Rodgers pretty convincingly. If other aspects of the team could shoot straight they would have won easily. 

4-0, Vikes Win At Lambert

 

The ref's made this game closer than it was by not overturning the Darnold INT call. KOC needs to run more often. Addison is so fricken good as is Jets and AJ. Who is going to beat this team? The Jags, SeaChickens, or Lions at home maybe. I don't see this squad losing at home. This team is elite and the front-runner for the #1 Spot in the NFC.

Farm Island Plan And Rods I'm Bringing

If nothing else I plan to eat good

The Plan: We got out prefishing for a few hours on a cold Sunday morning, that warmed up quickly. We didn't find much. Basically, my plan right now is to fish some cabbage in the morning trying to get a limit; then hope I can frog up some pigs in the reeds and slop in the late morning and afternoon. I don't think getting a limit will be a problem unless the lake is really off.

Goals:

1. Catch a limit.
2. Somehow beat Tuma.
3. Be the top Co-Angler

4. Finish in the Top 5.

5. Catch the tournament Lunker

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Spinnerbait, Swim Worm,Frog, Swim Jig)

7'4" H Tatula (ToadZ, Pop ShadZ)

7' MH Mojo (Wake, Chatterbait)

7' H Avid (Texas Rig)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig, Swim Jig, Chatterbait, Spinnerbait)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Buzzbait)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC) (Jig, Fluke, Texas Rig, Dinger, Ozark Rig)

6'8" M Avid (Topwater)

Bold indicates what I will have on the rod at the start of the day.

3-0 Vikes Dominate Texans, On to Packers Week

 

Vikes with a great team win. Next week we roll into Lambert to face the Cheese. Will Love be back in the drivers seat? Or will the Pack keep going with Willis? It should be a good game. Turnovers will be key.  

My Snatcher Tournament Recap of Sept 7th on the Crow Wing/Gull River

 

The Winning Trio

 Weather: 50-70℉, Mostly Sunny w/some fog in the morning, 2-9mph SSE

My Thoughts Going In: My boater was quite confident that we would both be able to get a limit. I have never done that in a Snatcher Tournament on a river, so I was hopeful but not counting my chickens yet. This has not been my year.

The Day:

It was a beautiful slightly foggy morning take-off. I wish I would have taken a photo. We should have stopped at the bridge because nobody was fishing off of it. At our first stop up the Gull River Tyler was getting bites immediately on his frog but missed the first two or three; then he got a pike. He said he got a bunch of pike prefishing on the frog. He continued to get blowups but wasn't converting any of them into hookups. I had a couple of fish swirl on me in the cheese and duckweed, but not actually make an attempt to eat the frog. Tyler finally hooked into a bass and got the skunk out of the boat. Shortly after that, I had a fish blow up and take the frog, but I came up empty on the hookset. We ended up reworking the area at my suggestion and Tyler got his second fish in the boat. 

We then went back downriver to another slop area where Tyler had some big fish show themselves. It was dead for quite a while. I finally got my first bass in the boat. It was right in the middle of a cheese mat and it took four attempts for it to get my frog. I should have told Tyler to cast to the spot a few times to make sure there wasn't more than one fish there. By the time I was ready to fish again, we had moved on. About 15 minutes later I got a small keeper out of some pads. 

We went back to the starting spot and came up empty, but then just went across the river into a little cut and I frogged up my third fish. We then headed to the rice at the confluence. A guy on the bridge had a three-pound smallmouth as we passed under.  There was some activity at the confluence, but we were not getting bit. I finally had a good bass blow up on my frog after I saw some movement behind my frog; I laid the wood to her, but she buried me in the junk and got off. I couldn't believe it. That coontail/milfoil was like getting stuck in concrete. Eventually, we went back up the Gull and refished the areas in the morning from closest to farthest. Tyler got a couple of keepers inside of the cuts and I got my fourth and final bass on a spinerbait. We both missed at least a couple of blow-ups in the final hour. I should have been throwing a frog instead of that Snag Proof Popper with little hooks. No limit for me yet again on a river.

Results: 14th Place, Ugh! But I'm lucky it wasn't far worse as Ludenia, Tim, and Larry didn't catch 'em.

Sarah won her second Co-Angler Challenge this year.

My Thoughts: It just wasn't my day yet again.  Hearing that Tuma, Smitty, and Sarah crushed them on frogs is a heart smasher. I should have known those little hooks on that Snagproof Popper made hooking fish risky.  Frustrating year. 

Grade: D When they are biting on frogs I should have gotten a limit.

2-0, Lions, Pack, And Bears Say "Oh Crap!..."

 

...the Vikes are one of the best teams in the league. 

The Vikings victory over the 49ers was hella impressive. The Vikes were the better team against the top of the class in the NFC, straight up. The Vike's composure held in the midst of taking haymakers from the 49ers on both sides of the ball. This was a heavyweight fight and the Vikes came out victorious. This wasn't a fluke, in my opinion, this Viking squad is impressive. If the team stays healthy the sky is the limit.

Let's Go Purple!

  

Vikes 1-0, Uncle Sam Performs Well

 

D Feasts, Van Ginkel Pick 6 for the Dagger! Aaron Jones is who I thought he was, thanks Pack! Uncle Sam gets it done in game one. 

Kirk is who he is Falcons 0-1.

Gull/Crow Wing River Plan and Rods I'm Bringing

 The Plan: I drew Snatcher Rookie Tyler for my boater. I think if we get any smallmouth it will be accidental. Plan A is to frog 'em up. Plan B: Jigs and spinnerbaits if they are not hitting on top.

Goals:

1. Catch a bass that goes at least 5/8 

2. Get a limit. (I have never caught a limit in any of the the previous four Snatcher tournaments on a river.)

3. Place in the Top 5

4. Win Co-Angler Cash, and both Lunker Pots

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Toadz)

7'4" H Tatula  (Worm)

7'4" H Zillion (Punching)

6'10" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig,Spinnerbait,Buzzbait,Chatterbait)

6'10" H Tatula Elite  (FC) (Jig,Spinnerbait,Craw Texas Rig)

6'10" MH Tatula (Swim Jig, Chatterbait)

As Unlce Sam Goes, So Does The Vikings Season

 The NFL season is almost upon us. The Kirk Cousins experiment ended in a whimper. I didn't think JJ McCarthy would start this year and his unfortunate knee injury ensures that is the case. So we are left with Uncle Sam to lead the Vikings to the promised land this season. I don't much about Uncle Sam other than he was Drafted 3rd in 2018 by the hapless Jets. This is probably Sam's last chance to prove he can be a trusted NFL starting QB. The Vikings O has weapons and a QB Guru Head Coach. I think he is going to open some eyes; His arm talent has always been there. It's decision-making and talent around him that have always held Sam back. Knowing this is his last best opportunity to make it will certainly concentrate his mind. He is older and wiser. If he stays healthy I think it will be a breakout season.

As Uncle Sam goes, so goes the team. Don't crash the car, man!

Snatcher Pelican Lake Plan and Rods I'm Bringing

The Plan: This is only the third time I've drawn "Smitty" as my boater. The first two times I struggled to catch them, so I think I'm due. The plan is to fish thick shallow cover, which is what I love to do. If the frog bite is on, it will be AWWWWWWWWN!

Tournament Goals:

1. Get a limit.

2. Finish in the Top 3

3. Be the top Co-angler
4. Catch the day's lunker.

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog, Swimjig)

7'4" H Tatula (Toaz, Swimjig)

7'4" H Zillion (Jig,Craw Tube, Jig,Chatter)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig,Fluke,Chatter)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC) (Jig,Fluke,Dinger,Chatter)

6'8" M Avid (Topwater)

Rick Clunn Calls It A Career At The Elite Level, Today

One of the greatest and most successful professional bass fishermen of all time announced he would not be back on the Elite Series next year. Rick Clunn fished at the top level of B.A.S.S. for an amazing 50 years. He still plans to fish a few select Bassmaster Opens and a few other events. Over the last few years I have grown to appreciate this man's wisdom and character. He is one of a kind.

You will be missed Mr. Clunn.

I hope the various bass fishing podcasters don't forget about Rick and will continue bringing him on as a guest. He is as thoughtful of angler as there ever has been. 
 

Lake Champlain Fantasy, Try, Try, Again

 It has not been a banner year for me in Fantasy Bass Fishing. For whatever reason, my picks just haven't been working out this year. There are two tournaments left over the next two weeks for me to find my mojo and win some cash and prizes; it has been a couple of years; I'm due. 

I predict the Sleepy Assassin wins this week.

 

BP Is Drinking The Purple Kool-Aid On JJ McCathy

 

What's the worst that can happen? I'm wrong, big deal. Go big or go home. Get a few Lombardi's for us just like that other Michigan Alum! Starting next year. I want Sam Darnold to drive the Ferrari like he stole it this year and keep JJ on the bench for a year.

Snatcher Mission Lake Plan and Rods I'm bringing

Snatcher Al And I Ride Again

 

The Plan: Catch me some big bass!

Goals:

1. Get a limit (I failed to do this back in 2020 on Mission, Al was my boater then as well.)

2. Win Co-Angler Challenge

3. Get the days Lunker

4.  Finish in the Top 5

Rods:
I'm bringing:

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Swim Jig, Spinnerbit)

7'4" H Tatula (Chatterbait)
7'4" H Zillion (Swimbait)

7'4" H Tatula (Swim Worm)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube)

6'10" MH Tatula (Chatterbait, Ned, Ozark Rig, Neko)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC) (Jig,Chatterbait, Spinnerbait, Craw Tube, Ozark Rig, Fluke, Dark Sleeper)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig, Chatterbait, Spinnerbait)