GOMH Post Bizzard???(3/15/26)

 We got 4" of snow maybe. Not so bad. It is windy though. And now it gets cold for a couple of days. Then Spring.

Deez Nutts, Bassmaster Classic Champion!

 

📷Grant Moxley

Dylan Nutts is the second angler to qualify out of the BASS Nation to win the Super Bowl of bass fishing tournaments. Congrats, Kid!

Winter Has Returned(GOMH)(3/14/26)

 Blizzard Warning for tonight/tomorrow and sub-zero temps for a couple of nights with highs in the high teens. I'm not really happy with the March weather at the moment. But it kind of looks like this will be winter's last gasp. I went fishing on Sullivan today, and I was a bit of a trainwreck. I only fished for about 15 minutes and gave up.  The ice was maybe 18" and very granulated. I had water coming up in the holes with 10" left to drill.

GOMH + Rock(3/12/26)

 

Open water and swimming swans at the Rock Lake PRO Narrows

Winter has returned. GOMH icing up again. Drats!

Kyler Murray to the Vikes

 

After the Vikings' season ended, my Football Guru Matthew Coller of Purple Insider looked into solutions for the team's QB problem, and his number one solution was Kyler Murray. Coller banged that drum, making the case for Kyler, and I was converted to Team Kyler after originally being against it. If the O-Line can be healthy, Kyler could shine with the weapons on Offense.  

My advice for JJ McCarthy is to grow up and learn. You may get another bite at the apple, and if it looks like it did in 2025, this Vikings fan will be done with you.

KOC, work your magic!

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.

Just Discovered MN Lakes Thaw Tracker

 

Apparently, this has been around for a couple of years, and I just got wind of it. It is a website that tracks weather conditions and makes ice-out forecasts for most MN lakes. Here is the prediction for Platte Lake:

And for Rock Lake:

I don't know why there's a discrepancy between the two lakes, especially since Rock was forecast earlier. I think Platte goes out first in most years.

MN Lakes Thaw Tracker

GOMH Today (3/8/26)

 I fished on both sides of the bridge tonight and saw maybe 15 swans. Beautiful sunset.

I Can See The Driveway! + (3/8/26)

 

I can drive from the top of the driveway all the way to the road without driving on any snow or ice, so I'm calling it clear. Mother Nature generally has something to say about that. Last year, I declared it on March 10th.

And a bonus picture from my walk down to the corner today. The brook is flowing freely and is finally visible as of yesterday. It had been almost completely drifted over in our last significant snow a couple of weeks back.

2026 Tackle Warehouse Opener (3/8/26)

 

It looks like this may be the last 50-degree day for some time, and I wanted to grab one of my Dad's vintage Storm Thin Fins, which he probably bought in the late 70's. So today is my Tackle Warehouse Opener. 

One of my earliest memories of fishing is trolling with one of these two Thin Fins and getting a small pike on West Sylvia along the shoreline south of the channel to East Sylvia. I am setting a goal of getting five fish on them this year. I don't know if they have been fished since the 1980's. I am quite confident they have not by fished in the 21st Century. The Thin Fin weighs 3/8oz, but is built like a football-shaped potato chip, so it didn't cast very well, and trolling with it wasn't my jam. I'm pretty sure my modern tackle will let me throw it across the channel at the Grumpy Old Man Hole. Catching five fish shouldn't be that difficult once the bulheads move in. I may or may not swap out the hooks.

My Tackle Warehouse is Open for 2026. Last year, I opened it on March 14th last year.

2026 Platte Lake Ice Out Prediction (3/8/26)

 

I have been poring over my records here at Bass Pundit, trying to get a grasp of where we are compared to past Aprils, and tracking the forecast for where things are going weather-wise. I have concluded that the cooler weather ahead for later this week will bring things in line with where they were last year, so I'm going with last year's prediction of April 7th for a second year in a row.

April 7th, It Is!

Last year, I mistakenly called Ice Out on April 5th, as 95% of the lake was ice-free, but ice in the North Bay held on until the 9th.

The forecast isn't ideal, but it isn't terrible either. There is a lot of bare ground now. Forecasting has been on the erratic side lately, as March is prone to do. I think I could catch a bullhead any day now at the Grumpy Old Man Hole. I won't be surprised if red-wings show up today.

When Will I See The Driveway? Part 3 (3/7/26)

 Tomorrow will be the day!

I broke a lot of this stuff up

And this stuff as well