Snatcher's Platte/Sullivan Tournament Preview And Rods

 

My Thoughts: 

Thanks to 2026 being the year MN bassheads were liberated from a closed bass season, I got the Trophy in the water quickly, and it has been game on for me ever since on Platte/Sullivan. As bites have come and gone, I have been able to understand why a bite left or stayed good, and with an OK amount of success, have been able to figure out where the fish had departed. In the past, I may have felt lost and probably just didn't spend the time necessary to track them down. I am confident that Ranger Arnie and I will be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The Plan: 

We are going to start in an area where Arnie caught them the first day he was out pre-fishing. I think it is a solid area and I am talking an area. I have three primary areas in mind that I think we should spend most of our time on, and where we start is a good one. We have eight boats fishing in this tournament. It will be interesting to see whether any other boats head to our starting area and, if they do, where they choose to attack first. I have some backup areas that, if we don't get to them, I'm fine with it because that means we caught 'em where I thought they should be. 

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Zillion (The Chicken)

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula XT (Buzzbait)

7'4" H Tatula (Toads, Ploppers)

7' MH Mod Mojo Bass (Crankbaits, Topwater, Wakebaits)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Jigs,Chatters, Plopper, )(Braid)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Jigs,Chatters, Flukes)(FC)

5'6" MH Avid (Fluke, Dinger)

Trophy In the Water For 2026

 

Several others were at the Grumpy Old Man Hole this morning, but the bullheads were not. So instead of catching nothing and looking dumb, I decided my time would be better spent getting the Trophy ready and putting it in the lake today. It turns out fate knew what it was doing, and I crushed them the next couple of nights on Sullivan. It is nice to have all options available early.

Rock Dock In(4/14/26)

Dock In

 

Boat Ramp Fixed

Beautiful Night

I didn't catch anything at Rock, but did talk with an old acquaintance who was out walking her dog. However, I did score a slabber bullhead at the Grumpy Old Man Hole.

Platte Lake Ice Off(4/12/26)

 

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)

Rock Lake, Platte, GOMH (4/8/26)

 

Another 20' and I should be catching fish at Rock. 

North Platte Lake Drive looking South

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(4/4/26)

 The final day of this four-day-long winter storm started on the 1st of the month. We were on the low end of what was forecast for snow accumulations. Open water expanded in Channel Inn Bay in Platte Lake a fair amount. The Sullivan Platte River Outlet still looks to have quite a bit of ice, but I imagine it will be gone soon. I didn't check North Platte Lake Drive or Rock Lake because it was sloppy getting to the lake place. I think Platte and the area lakes will go ice-free somewhere between the 10th to the 12th. There were a few swans, ducks, and eagles flying around. Will the loons show this week?

Platte at normal zoom
Open water all the way past SPSI 

Note to self: Pack a shovel tomorrow.

Bass Pundit's Fishing Goals 2026

  Normally, I release my fishing goals for the year in early March, but I was not on the ball this year. So April Fools' Day is when they are dropping in 2026.

New Goals in Bold Italic Orange

Goals Accomplished in Bold or  ✅

Fishing Buddies List

1. Keep a list of everyone I fish with during 2026.

The List:

GOMH Crew: (Last Year this list had 28+ People)

Trophy Crew: (6 People last year)

Bass Snatchers: (9 Snatchers last year)

Bass Snatcher Goals: 

1.  Win my 2nd club tournament. 
2. Get "Wood" in at least one tournament. (1st-3rd Place Finish or Lunker or Co-Angler Challenge) 

3. Get "Lunker" in a tournament.   (Preferably one over 5-8 to win the revolving big bass pot.)
4. Finish in the Top 10 at the end of the year. 
5. Catch a limit at every tournament of the year.  (I've done this twice, but in 2012 I only fished 4 out of the 6 tournaments due to a bad back.)
6. Pre-fish with at least 3 boaters. 
7. List the Rods I'm bringing for each tournament before the tournament.
8.  Win the Co-Angler Challenge at least once.
9. Make the Challenge Cup Team

10. Finish higher than Tuma in a Tournament (He is the only long-term Snatcher I have not beaten on tournament day. He beat me on the tie-breaker on Whitefish Chain his rookie year in the club. That is the closest I have gotten)
11. Give each boater I fish a lure from my collection.

12. Catch a 20+ Bag and make the Club's list of Top 25 Biggest Bags 

13. Set Personal Bests on each lake for Bag Size, Big Bass, and Place of Finish

14. Grade my performance in each tournament and do this for all my past Bass Snatcher tournament recaps.

Technique, Equipment, & Tackle Goals:
1. Win something in Fantasy Fishing or Facebook giveaways/contests. 
2. Officially Open the Tackle Warehouse.✅(3/8/26)
3. Give away some of my tackle
4. Experiment with a Rocket Bobber and Wacky Rig

5. Sell some of my tackle

6. Catch 5 Fish on a Thin Fin

7. Catch 82 Fish on a Lipless/Trap

8. Catch 155 Fish on a Crankbait

9. Catch 260 Fish on a Jerkbait 

10. Catch 5 Fish on Powerbait Nessie

11.  Keep a Lures Lost List

12. Catch some fish on an MN Alabama Rig

13. Catch some fish on a Spybait

14. Catch fish on a Cull Shad

15. Have the Trophy in Platte Lake within 7 days of ice out.

Lures Lost In 2026:

Glow Demon: |

JB Gem-N-Eye: |
Faisox: |||| 

Frittside 5:||

Chicken Nugget: |

Jerk Shad: ||

Stunna 112: ||

X-Rap: |

Big Blade Chatterbait: ||

Shower Blows: |

SK Burner: |

Blogging:

1. Blog about it when I achieve a goal, most of the time
2. Record all fishing trips at Fish Swami
3. Fish at least 200 days and blog about them

4. Get unblogged trips from 2021,2022,2023,2024 at Fish Swami blogged at the Log Blog.

5. Be more intentional about taking Sunrise/Sunset pictures

6. Make more of my past Fish Swami entries public.

Fish Catching Goals:
1. Catch 4,500Fish  (I caught approx 4,000 fish in 2025)
2. Have a 100-fish day.✅ (2/20)

3. Catch Devin's Birthday Bullhead On May 20th

4. Catch A Fish Every Month 

January✅

February✅

March✅

April✅

May✅

Bass: 
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Largemouth (6.5lbs/21" PB)
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth (20.5" PB)
3. Catch* over 2,500  LMB. (Caught 2,033 in 2025)
4. Catch* at least 10 SMB.  (Caught 2 in 2025)
5. Catch a 25lb 6 Fish Bag
6. Have a 50 bass day 

7. Catch over 500 bass on Frogs/Toads
8. Catch 5 bass over  5lbs/20-inches (8 in 2025)

9. Catch 20 bass over 4lbs/18.75-inches (42 in 2025)
10. Get Steve and Todd at least one 4lber

Dogfish:
1. Catch an MN State Record fish. (11-4  or over 31")
2. Catch a new personal best.

3. Catch 5 Bowsers (8 in 2025)

Pike:
1. Catch* over 1,000 this year. (Caught 1,049 in 2025)
2. Catch a 38" or over/personal best.

Walleye:
1. Catch at least 100. (Caught 105 in 2025) 
2. Catch 30"/10lber or new personal best. (29.5/9.12lbs is my PB 10/29/25)

Crappie:

1. Catch a new personal best.(14.75/1.80lb on 5/9/22, 14.75 on 4/20/24)
2. Catch* over 300 Crappies this year. (85Crappies, 525 Silver Bullhead in 2025)

* Catch is anything I deem it to be, including follows by pike or bass (while pre-fishing), a pike missing my lure, fish viewed on the Aqua View, and fish that get off before I have them in hand that I can positively identify.  And fish caught by people I am guiding or boating with during pre-fishing.

GOMH & Rock Lake Today(3/31/26)

 Ice is starting to pull off the shore on Platte and Rock. One more day in the 40's before we get cold and snow. Long and Platte were looking dark. There was some open water at South Point Small Island on Platte. I think it will be a waiting game for open water, but you never know. The Platte GOMH Bay was open tonight The Intersection in Sullivan is mostly open, but there is a lot of ice in the SPRO.

Rock Looking North

Rock Looking South

Upcoming weather

MN Ice Out's Started A While Ago

 The DNR finally got around to updating the 2026 Ice Out webpage and dumped a bunch of them. Most of the lakes in the Twin Cities are now open. Looks like we are going into a cold stretch with snow. The shorelines in the Platte/Sullivan area were just starting to pull away. Platte and Long Lake have been looking pretty dark. I think Platte will go out after the April 10th, but it wouldn't shock me if it is ice-free by the weekend as well.