Monday, May 29, 2006

BP sends out Memorial Day gratitude to all soldiers who served this nation. God Bless America!

Posted by PicasaPic from the launch on Mille Lacs. Story Here

The Weather edited(from earlier today): It has been rumbling for the last 45 minutes and it has gotten very dark outside. I love a good thunderstorm, just waiting for it to punch. It has started to rain with a medium downpoor... It eventually came down pretty good with some marble sized hail. The temp went from 92 to 74.

Blogs that BP recommends:
Fishing Jones
Ezods
Hellabass One & 2
The Bass Hole

BP finds a new search engine: Dogpile I'm one of the many who are miffed that Google didn't put a tribute to our soldiers on Memorial Day.

Sunday May 28, 2006

BP VS. Cyberfish Bass Opener 2006

Tommorrow is supposed to be hot again. I don't have a plan but I'm scheming to get rid of that Minn Kota Endura trolling motor as fast as I can.

Family News
Congratualtions to my older brother Jeff for being accepted to Hamline Law school with a generous merit scholarship. So William Mitchell, what is thy offer?

Mom got a speeding ticket in Florida

I got a call from Isabelle Todd and Kristen yesterday

Devin Sage lost Grandma Maas to the road as of yesterday. Mom is heading north.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Liveblogging the 2006 MN Bass Opener

I didn't repeat last years mistake and got up early to hit the PRO where the early bird gets the worm. I woke up at 5:00 and was on the water by 5:35. It was a cool 67 with a bit of a SE breeze already stirring the air. I headed straight for the Platte River Outlet.

Upon Arrival I had several rods rigged and ready to go. I picked up the white swim jig and reddish purple trailer first. I got a hit on my very first cast but it was a pike. The Swim Jig was getting to caught up in the rice and so I switched to a green Zoom Horny Toad, shortly after starting to throw that I landed a 13.75" bass. Shortly after that I landed a 16.75" fish on the Horny Toad, then I landed a 17" bass with the swim jig. I then caught another 13.75" on the Toad and then a pike and then a 12" bass.

I had started making my way into the river at this point and another boat was coming in there with me. I landed a 15" right in front of these other two guys. They proceeded to go right in front of me and start fishing almost immediately the guy in the front of the other boat caught a 14-16" fish. I kind of worked slowly allowing for us to have some separation. I then started thoroughly working the wind blown side of the river. I caught a couple of 12 inchers then I got 2 that were 15-16", this was fishing behind these two guys. I narrowed the gap between us and decided to split.

I went to a semi-protected part of the PRO outside of the river. The slop was thick enough that it was Snagproof Frog time. I started by throwing a white frog and was shortly rewarded with a 16" bass. A little bit later I caught a 15" fish. I switched to a brown Snagproof Bobby's Perfect Frog, I got a bite and broke off, I'm not sure if it was a pike or not. Disappointed I tied on a Black Red Sparkle Frog and kept fishing. I worked my way to the river mouth then headed to the south shore of the PRO. All I got on the south shore was a few hits from Pike.

I then headed into "Old Cabin Bay" to do a little dock fishing except the good dock run was all covered up by parked panfish fishermen. I moved beyond them and started on docks with a black and green jig. I got a few on the docks and missed a few but nothing bigger than 15" and the fishing was fairly slow. I headed in about 11 O Clock. Overall I did alright. Conditions started to get tough with that wind, there were a ton of people on their docks or out in boats, it was a zoo out there by 9AM.

And then I took a nap

I went out for about 45 minutes around 4:30PM. I was fishing docks in our bay with the black and green jig. I managed to get one little bass. Didn't see much activity but a few sunnies. I left my polarized glasses here at the house. I got back to the house by 5:30 and shortly after that Mike "Cyberfish" Thompson arrived and we had dinner. He had been out on Mille Lacs hammering crappie and sunnies. He said he saw a lot of bedding Larry's and Sally's but could not get them to bite. After Dinner Mike cleaned crappie for a fish fry tomorrow.

We decided to go out around 7:30 in the calm area just to the East of our place. I got one 12"bass and Mike had a couple of follows. This area is full of rice which caused the Trolling Motor to overheat and now I have no working forward speeds. NICE! Fricking Minn Kota piece of crap.

Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and more windy than today. Dad will have a look at the trolling motor tomorrow. I have a sinking feeling that I will be using our old trolling motor for at least the first couple of tournaments. I think it will work out ok provided I don't have to fight millfoil or rice. Tomorrow with the high winds and boat out of commission Mike and I may go float tubing on a little lake.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Tournament Reports 2005 for Knife and Platte Sullivan are up at the Tourny HQ.

MN Bass Openner is now just under 24 hours away!

The Plan: Wake up at day break and hit the PRO, from there it's anybodies guess but I will be out today looking for beds and bass activity. I suspect I'll be throwing lots of jigs and trick worms at docks with maybe a little bit of action in the slop. It's supposed to be quite windy and warm.

Mike Thompson will be coming up on Sat. night and we will hit the lake after church on Sunday which is supposed to be into the 90's. We may hit Mille Lacs if it's nice on Sun. or Mon.

Gar at The Bass Hole has been whackin and stackin

Mosquito's the little buggers started to be out in force today with the warm weather. Bass openner is now just a few short hours away. Visions of Snagproof Tournament Frogs will be dancing in my head tonight.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

BP Feature: BP's 2006 Tournament Outlook Part 1

Picture of Devin Sage Maas

This is what Uncle Todd had to say at his blog.
Welcome....

Devin Sage Maas my wonderful new little niece coming in at 21 1/2 inches and 8lbs 7oz at 4:51a.m.

I am an uncle again. So welcome little one, my prayer for you would be that you would know Jesus, know Jesus, Know Jesus and that you would grow in wisdom and mercy. Wisdom and Mercy will be your the 2 godly attributes that I will pray be raised up in you.

Congrats Steve and Kim and of course Haley! I'm sure you are exhausted. Love you,

Uncle Todd
We are all very excited!!!!!!

Posted by PicasaFishing Rod and Reel Story from My Fishing Chronicles- "Fishing is a Passion." This is one good fishing blog, lots of pictures and stories.

Gar with Big Korean bass at The Bass Hole.-Check it out!

In case BP fans are wondering, why all the blogging. It's kind of cool outside and I don't think the fishing will be that great, plus bass aren't officially open, plus the weather is supposed to take a turn for the better starting tommorrow; that's why I blog today.

The first BASS Major is over with Peter T taking home $250,000 at the Bassmaster Memorial.

Check out this Blog: Bassin' the Net (a very fishy blog)

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Devin Is Born! Plus Misc

Hooray! my Brother Steve and Sister in law Kim had Devin Sage Maas at 4:40AM. She was 21" inches and 8lbs7ozs. I haven't seen any pictures yet, but Steve says she is definitely a little Maas. The labor went on for 15 or 16 hours. Poor Kim had a terrible time of it, but everything is good now.

Hellabass has his first tournaments of the summer this weekend. Preview
Because we are fishing these two tournaments "No Cull", it changes how I may go about things. I feel pretty confident I could start out with Jerkbaits & lipless cranks and get a limit in the morning. If I do that and females make themselves easy pickings in the afternoon, then I am hosed because I am stuck with a livewell full and I cannot cull them out. So if the water looks right, I may just start the morning looking for bigger fish.

Although traditionally our May club tournaments are pretty stingy, so I may put the first few keepers in the box regardless of size. I have been burned before by throwing keepers back. I feel there is a pretty solid chance there will be some fish ready to spawn by tomorrow afternoon
.
I don't know about in the Amery area but up here the weather threw a curve ball from the actual forecast. It was nice up until about 11 and then the clouds rolled in the wind picked up and it even rained for a while. This front wasn't supposed to come through so fast. The bite up here on Sullivan for pike went from so so to tough. I hope Hellabass wasn't counting on the bite getting better as the day wore on.
Have I been dissed?
Anyhow, if you want a target to shoot for, it makes more sense to target Instapundit than Bass Pundit.
via basil's blog

Man he could have used any of the other 143 other Pundits out there, but NO basil chooses to smack me around.

Actually I thought it was funny. I think I'm gonna add it to the top of my page.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Today...

Was a nice day a wee bit windy. I hung out most of the afternoon throwing the frisbee to Pattie Lou. Eventually I braved the wind and went out fishing. I caught 3 Pike including a strong 29" that made my day. I also had a break off and caught several bass. I fished Sullivan.

Tommorrow I will be heading to Lake Minnetonka for the inagural Fishers of Men 3rd Thursday Outing. At this point I expect to be the only boat out there. Oh well.

More trolling motor problem, my bracket broke, but dad worked out a pretty good fix for me. Minn Kota Endura transom mounts are junk for serious fisherman, step up to the Maxxum's.

Brought the Widow Olson some fish to eat and she repaid me with a choclate bar and banana bread. Had fish for dinner, yum.

Still no word on Kim, tommorrow must be the day

Tommorrow is the start of the Bassmaster Memorial Major-be sure to get those Fantasy Bass Rosters up to date.

All for now.
How much longer until bass opener? Anyone seen any dogfish I can catch?

It's been a pretty lethargic last couple of days, I did get the boat cleaned and visited the Minnesota Fishing Museum with Dad yesterday.

Go check Hellabass for some interesting Wapo informationO. I am amazed that he would write about his pre-fish before the tournament was over. Or maybe he was doing PsyOps with the competition.

Here is Cyberfish's openner report: via Catch-N.com
No walleyes for me either. We took some kids out on a pontoon for some pike
and crappies. the lake I wanted to fish had too shallow ramp for the toon.
Decided to mosey on over to whaletail, where I have heard rumors of huge pike
and slabs. Well, I am sure they are in there, but we didnt find em. The bass
must have known the season was closed, cuz that is all that was biting! I threw
a huge spinner with a heavey steel leader, but only got two nice bass. Mitch our
best GEM fishing guide boated a huge bass over 21inches and full of eggs. No
pike not even a hammer handle, no crappies, one kid got a couple of sunfish on
waxworms. Everyone had a good time, we got out of the wind and it didnt rain too
much.


Kim, I think you should have your baby today;)

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Opener in 4 Parts

Opening Report Part 1:
I'm Back. The wind and waves were howling in out of the East which means I couldn't cast very well. After about 6 to 10 casts I was out of there. If the wind stays like that than the Eddy's Jetti may be pretty good tomorrow during the day.

Opening Report Part 2:
I've spent the day so far inside relaxing, the weather has been cool rainy and windy, but plan to get out in a bit. Here is the results so far from the Gov., Governor, first lady reel in walleyes.

Opening Report Part 3:
Around 3PM or so I started getting around to getting the boat ready in a steady drizzle to light rain to steady downpour. I was not thrilled about this. When the boat finally launched I trolled a Excaliber Floater Shad for Pike and Walleye's. I got a pike and then the motor started giving me trouble so I headed into the little east bay. I got 3 small pike and a bass. From there I headed into Sullivan and trolled the Excaliber Floater Shad for Pike and Walleye's with no results. I then headed to the South side of the Pro. I started with throwing a swim jig and caught a small bass immediately. Shortly after that a pike separated me from the swim jig. I put on a spinnerbait and worked all the way into the river. I got 2 more small pike and a bass. I was getting hungry and so I headed back into Platte. I decided to troll with the Excaliber Floater Shad for Pike and Walleye's when I was between the two Islands. Trolling in I whacked a 5-6lb Northern and then I decided I was good and headed in.

Opening Report Part 4:
The weather was finally clearing up and so I decided to head to Mille Lacs and Eddy's Jetty. The reports from Mille Lacs today have been that the fish were on fire. I waited until I saw all the fishing stuff on the 10 O'clock news and then headed out. Between 10:45 and Midnight I landed 4 Eyes all off the same spot on the Jetty. The first two were a 15" keeper and 19" keeper. I then landed a 21.5" slot fish and 20.5" slot fish. After casting for another 15 minutes or so without a bite I decided that was good and left.

Not a bad end to a somewhat crappy day.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Pre-Opener Thoughts

Posted by PicasaMinnesota Pro Jim Moynagh is leading the FLW Kentucky Lake Tournament.
BassFan Story
FLW Story
FLW Quick bites

Pre-Opener Thoughts:
Tomorrow night at Midnight is the start of "The Opener," the weekend that marks Minnesota's open season for the state fish Walleye and the toothy Northern Pike. "The Opener" comes with a great deal of hoopla and anticipation amongst the angling crowd; It is a rite of Spring.

I do look foreword to "The Opener" but it is not the end all be all for me because it doesn't open the season for bass. I must note it is OK to catch bass provided you are fishing for northerns, walleye, dogfish, or panfish. It's still a couple of weeks away before I can break out the full arsenal of bass catching bliss. In the meantime I do enjoy fishing for both pike and walleye and will do a little of both over the weekend and throughout the rest of the open water season.

The weather is supposed to be cool and breezy with a hint or two of some rain. Not the greatest but not outright cold wet with gale force winds either. If the weather was better I would be hitting the water hard. As it stands I will take it easy. I will probably head to Eddy's for some midnight shore fishing. When I wake up on Saturday I will venture out on Platte/Sullivan to see how many hammer handles I can catch. The weather should be good for catching pike. I may even try to troll for walleyes a little bit.

The weather is supposed to be better for Sunday and I may hit the big pond on Sunday night before the night ban goes into effect on Monday.

Those are the plans, report to follow.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

2nd Dogfish of the Year

2nd Dogfish of the Year
Got a 21incher tonight on a white Stanley Phantom. May have had another follow.

Happy Birthday Kim!