Couple Lil' Silver Bullheads

8"

Tonight I headed out after 6PM and stopped at Bulldog Lake first.  I got 2 nice 16" bass there.  By 7PM I was at the Grumpy Old Man Hole and I started on the NE side.  All I got were jumpin bullheads, so I switched the the SW side.  I had a jumper get off than I caught a 11" jumper.  Eventually I got 2 small silver bullheads and missed a few more bites.  A guy that was fishing on my side got some nice orange and one good silver.  The meat guy showed up and got 3 off of the SE side.  I left at 10PM.

Jumpin' Bullhead's at the GOMH

Tonight I hit the GOMH at 5:30PM and it was a jumpin bullhead fest from the first cast.

15.5"

I had 4 of them before I got a nice silver bullhead.

12"

After that all I got was a few more jumpin bullheads and I got Cubby's bit off by two toothy bullhead in a row.  That kind of ended the action.  I ended up taking off at 8:45PM because the wind was pretty bad and no bullheads were hitting.

GOMH Bullheads and Bulldog Bass

Tonight I decided not to take the boat out and fish from shore.  I got out after 5:20PM and was to Bulldog by 5:30.  I landed a couple of bass there.

Next I headed to the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  There were only a couple of groups there when I arrived.  A guy and a girl on the NE side and a kid and his dad on the SE side.  I took the SW side.  The kid said they had been catching a certain kind of bullhead.  I got a jumpin' bullhead to start things off.  My second fish was a silver bullhead which I gave to the kid.

I then caught another two silvers, which I also gave to them.  I then got another jumper, then I got an orange bullhead

The guy and the kid left.  I was considering making the move when another guy with his kid showed up and took the SE side.  When they arrived an old guy and two other guys came and sat down next to me.  They were fishing last night and said they were getting lots of crappies on the SE side last night.  They only got 1 crappie on the SW side last night, but they were using wax worms and getting sunfish.  The guy with the kid got a silver right away and I was thinking I should have switched sides.   I landed a couple of jumpin bullheads and then got a silver which I gave to them.  I ended up giving them 7 silvers and throwing one back, getting one more jumper and I got bit off.  They got a bunch of orange bullheads and a few silvers.  The guy and his kid caught some silvers and jumpers and orange bullheads as well.  After they all left I got 3 more silvers including this dandy.

11.75"

I was going to clean it, if I could get a couple more.  But all I got was this bullhead, which wrecked my jig head.

It was 10:30PM, so I called it a night.

Thought I Had a Big Dog

Tonight I fished on Platte/Sullivan,  mostly in Platte in the Channel Inn Bay.  I was working my way up to the "Dogfish Cut" when I hooked into a big fish, unfortunately it was a big Pike.

35.5"

I thought for sure it was a dogfish after it hit up in a foot of water, man was I bummed when I saw it was a pike.  It had thick head with shoulders.  I decided to land it by grabbing it over the top of his head because it was to big for the net.

I also caught a crappie and a couple of nice sunfish and I got a few bass.

9"

7"

17.5"

The wind came up pretty good just after 8PM, so I headed back to the launch, which was good because my strap rope broke.

Peavy Lake Bust, Back to Rock

Tonight I headed out to Peavy Lake around 4:30PM.  I found a few bass and sunnies shallow in a little cut, but I couldn't catch anything.  Then I ran up to the North End as I started looking a guy pulled up in front of me and started going the same direction I was.  Spotted a nice sized pike and a single crappie. I got up by the guy and he'd never been on the lake before.  He saw a big carp.  I went passed him and found some small somethings up real shallow.  At 5:30PM I decided to bail.

I was on Rock just after 6PM.  As I pulled into the RPRO it looked like it was gonna rain.  I started drifting and got some sunfish, so I anchored.  The rain went just to the South of me then the sun came out and it got calm.  I missed a ton of bites getting 5 Sunfish total.  I threw them all back.  After 7PM I decided to try for dogfish.  I missed my first couple of hits, but they were probably pike.  Then I caught a couple pike on the Grass Pig.  I started also fishing with a Heddon Spit'n Image.  I missed my first few bites on that.  I then got a pike on the grass pig.  Then I got a bass on the Grass Pig. Then I got 4 bass on the Image, including this 17"

Then I got 3 pike and 2 bass and missed that many more bites on the Grass Pig.  I stopped at 8:30PM
One interesting thing was I went into the River and thought I spotted the pike that bit off my Grass Pig last week.  That or it had a white jig on it's noggin.

I went to the GOMH and got a bullhead and learned some info I hope to capitalize on tomorrow.

Dropped A Bowfin

Tonight I fished at Rock Lake from the Trophy.  I was on the lake by 5:30PM  I started out by going to the inlet from Bulldog Lake.  I got two pike there on the Havoc Grass Pig.

I then went to the RPRO and quickly caught another smaller pike.  I started trying for sunfish.  I actually saw a crappie as I was moving along.  It was pretty much completely calm and the sunfish were really spooky.  Finally I started get a couple and I put the anchor out.  Action was a little slower than the other day and I missed a ton of bites.  Much to my surprise I set into something that felt more significant and sure enough I got a nice crappie to the boat,  as I lifted it up it got off.  I got a couple of more sunfish and switched to trying for dogfish at 7:50pm.  I got two pike and then noticed my knot on the Tyger Leader was coming loose, so I retied .  I then got 2 more pike.  I threw a cast up by shore and I got thunked by a dogfish and then as they do, it got off.  I need to find my net, I think it's at the lake place.  I then got 2 more pike and a 15" bass by the beaver dam.  There were several otters around tonight.

I bought home 6 of the 9 sunnies I caught.

I forgot my headlamp at home, so I couldn't fish at the GOMH.

Aquateko Product Has Arrived

That was quick.  I got a candy bar.  2 samples of Knot to Kinky, 3 different 12lb, 25lb, 35lb, and 55lb swivels and a snow globe with swivels in it.

I'll be testing the stuff out and be giving a review later this summer.

Bulldog and GOMH

Tonight I did some exploring.  I stopped at Bulldog and got 2 nice bass in 15 minutes.  Then I checked out the creek coming out of the North end of Long Lake.  Doesn't look there would be fish there but you never know.  Wish I had known to check it last year in the high water.

Then I hit the GOMH at 7PM.  A guy and his kid were fishing.   He was on the SE and his kid was on the SW shore.  He got a toothy bullhead.  Around 7:40PM I had a small toothy bullhead break me off as I tried to bring it onto to rocks.  It flipped back into the lake.  They left.  I got another bite but missed it.

It started getting dark and I missed a couple of bites.  It was just about to dark to see and I wasn't paying attention.  I started reeling in and there was a bullhead on.

I ended up getting 2 more and missing 3 or 4 bites.  I left at 10PM as it was getting cold.

Brandon Palaniuk Elite Series Bull Shoals Champion!!!

Congratulations Brandon on the Win and Classic Birth!!!

Elite Series Bull Shoals Day Final

I'm listening to the coverage today on the war room.

Great stuff by J. Todd talking about expanding his fan base and growing the sport through social media.

Go Brandon Palaniuk!!!

Go Remitz!!!

The Hook'ed Up before weigh in was really well done.

The video is getting worse and worse a we go along.

Evening On Rock

This Evenings Catch

It was reasonably warm today getting up to 57° and winds were fairly light out of the NW, so I headed out to Rock Lake again.  I got to the lake a little before 6PM.  I decided to head to the North end of the lake to see if anything was going on.  I spooked a couple of fish where the creek runs in and had a small pike follow the grass pig and that was it.

I then  moved over bye the Island at the entrance to the PRO.  I caught a 21" pike and 16" bass on a white double Colorado bladed spinnerbait.  Unfortunately the skirt on the spinnerbait came off, I had to pull a skirt off of another one.

I then went into the PRO found the 53° water and started catching little sunfish on a pink Cubby, so I put down the poor man's power pole.   I kept 11 for the garden and released an 8 incher.  At 8:10, I decided to try for dogfish.  I got a 20" pike on the Grass Pig, then I missed 3 hits.  As I got down by the beaver dam I threw the spinner bait and got a 16" bass.  Missed a couple of more hits on the Grass Pig and on my "last cast" for the night the Grass Pig got bit off .

I dug out that Tyger Leader now, so hopefully between that and Knot2Kinky that won't happen again.

I checked by the GOMH and two guys were fishing.  I think they said they got a couple but I'm not sure what.  I didn't fish.

Flash Earth Better Than Google Earth

Flash Earth, what do you think?  I think yes

Product Review on the Horizon

The good people at Aquateko have contacted me about doing a product review for their Knot2Kinky leader material and the InvisaSwivel .  I hope the Knot2Kinky works better than Cortland Toothy Critter and this reminds me I have a spool of some Tyger Leader around to that I never tried.  It's somewhere in the Tackle Warehouse.

Boats First Trip Out, Rock Lake

Full Report at  Bass Pundit's Fishing Log Blog, I didn't get a Bowfin, but saw one (just a little guy)

I Consider This A Loss

Not even a bite.  High likely hood I'll try the boat out tomorrow.

Hookin Them Lips & Hookin Them Lips Part 2 by Drastikk

Check out this rap (Sorry I couldn't figure out how to copy the Youtube embed)

I Call This A Win.

I went fishing tonight from 8PM to 9:15PM and got skunked.  However another angler gave me all his minnows, no doubt saving me $3.75 for the next time I need them.  I actual did have a couple of nibbles but nothing took the bobber down.  Hopefully the warm up tomorrow will move some fish back.

Now I'm also thinking about getting the boat out on Wednesday provided it doesn't rain.

Not Getting the Boat Ready Today

The Trophy has been sitting in the driveway for a couple of weeks.  Today will not be the day I break it out.  Actually it doesn't look good for the whole week.  Maybe next week.

I don't plan on fishing either with the wind blowing 25 miles per hour and it being in the mid forties.

Minnesota Bass Expo This Week

I'd kind of would like to go, but probably won't.

Almost 6 Hours for 5 Fish

It was a beautiful evening I fished from just after 6pm to midnight.  I had some issues with my jighead not holding the minnow when I would get a bite.  The bobber would go down for a second and come right back up no minnow.  I didn't put another jig head until after 10:30pm.

My first fish was a tiger bullhead.

Then I got a small toothy bullhead.

As it was getting dark I got a few bites, but missed them.  One particularly good when happened while I was  changing the water for my minnows.  Was probably a jumper or toother cause it pulled my rod towards the lake.  As it was getting dark I got a nice silver bullhead that got off on shore.  After dark I got two more.  I probably should have gotten 2-3 others.

DNF

It was cool, windy, and wet so I didn't try fishing tonight.  If it wasn't for the wind I might have gone.  Tomorrow is supposed to be really nice then it cools down to around what we had today for Sunday; then we might get snow on Monday.

Midnight Trip Bullhead

So after I got done blogging my last update, I thought right then might have been as good a time to go fishing as any so I headed out.  Scott was still there and he gotten about 6 more in the two hours since I left.  While Scott was there I missed a bite and he got a small silver bullhead.  After he left I got one bite and landed this bullhead.  I gave up at 2:15am.

Toother and a Bullhead

Tonight I headed out to fish just after 5PM.  I set up on the SW side and got a little toothy bullhead.

A little while later the Meat Guy showed up and came and told me they started biting right after I left last night.  Ohh well.  The guys on the SE side got some orange bullheads and once it was getting dark got a silver bullhead.  Those 3 guys left and Scott J. showed up, Scott got a silver.  I stayed until 10pm getting one bullhead:

I'm Fishing Tonight

I took the last couple of days off because temps never got out of the Low 40's to High 30's.  Today it's supposed to get to 52°F.  I am guessing that with the cold temps we have had, the lake is now only slightly above normal to the years we've had ice off already.  The temps are supposed to be getting above average starting tomorrow.  Hopefully we will get another round where to silver bullheads come in real good again, but I expect it will be pretty slow for tonight.

It's been a very good year so far with 21 days fished with 106 crappies and 214 fish caught total.

Update:

Platte Lake Access Dock & GOMH

Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera,  would have had some pics.

I arrived at the GOMH just after 7PM and pretty much nothing was going on.  At about 8:15 I decided to take the advice from a drunk from the other night who said crappies bite off the Platte Lake Public Access Dock right before dark.  Now I didn't know whether to believe him, but I thought it was worth a shot.  I get there and  on the very first cast my bobber goes down, but I miss it.  I'm like hmmm, maybe the drunk was on to something.  Next cast bobber goes down and I miss again.  Next cast I hooked into a chunky 18" bass.  That was the last bite I got staying to 9:45.

Then I went back to the GOMH and Scott was there with his daughter and the wind was down to nothing.  They had gotten 5 silver bullheads.  Right away I smacked a slab and thought this might be good.  Didn't get a hit again until about midnight and I missed it.  It was getting to be about 12:15AM and I was just about to give up when I caught another silver bullhead.  I caught 2 more in pretty short order;  all of them were right up on the rocks.  At 12:30 I caught an actual honest to goodness bullhead and decided to call it a night.

Nuttin' But Jumpers

15"

I got 4 jumpin bullheads tonight on the Cubby and minnow, that was it.  May or may not have had a bite from a   SB.  Amazingly I was the only one there until it got pretty dark.  Kuske stopped by at about 8:10PM.  He told me they were getting dogfish on the culvert on the South end of the lake.  I fished from 7:00 to 9:00PM.

Slow at the GOMH

Oops Camera wasn't set right

I arrived at the Grumpy Old Man Hole tonight just after 5PM.  It was kids night on the SE side, but I still got my spot.  There was a guy catching some jumpers, orange, and toothy bullheads on waxworms.  I got bit off  around 6:20PM.  Got a jumper around 7:15PM.  Got my first silver at around 8:15PM and another around 9:15PM.  There where quite a few people fishing after dark but nobody was getting much so I left at 10:15PM.   No sense in freezing myself.

Got it right the 2nd time

And Kuske dropped by again tonight.

Some Interesting History On Platte/Sullivan

This guy Brian I met this week fishing at the bridge has fished the lake since he was 2 years old in 1965.  His family had a cabin on Sullivan.  Anyway's he told me that they never used to catch largemouth bass in the lakes until like the 1990's.  He said they did catch occasional smallmouth while walleye fishing before that.  He said it used to be a great lake for huge pike and huge sunfish.  I thought that was interesting.

Ran Out of Minnows Again

Lets just say I wasn't impressed with the scoop of minnows I got from the Deer Haven Store (formerly Gross's Store) and they didn't put my scoop back in the pail. Anyway's the minnows lasted me until 10PM tonight and I got 19 silver bullheads on them. Several came on dead minnows, glad I didn't throw the dead one's out when I got there.  Grumpy Old Men Willard and Bud where there but didn't fish.  I got their a 7PM and managed to get the same spot on the SE rocks I got yesterday.  I was kind of lucky because a big group arrived after I got there.  A lot of bullheads were caught on both the SE and SW side and even on the North side as well.  Scott Johnson arrived after dark.  I think I threw back 4 total and didn't keep anything.  Only a couple of jumpin bullheads were caught by others.  I got everything on my last glow Cubby body which is now half a body.

Of Note:  I've already caught more crappies this year (74) than I did in all of last year (57).  Of coarse last year I didn't catch any until the 25th of April.  I stopped fishing for crappies on the Opener

Minnesota Fishing Opener A Week Earlier This Year???

When I saw the suggestion on fishing message boards I thought it would never happen.  But apparently it actually might.  Apparently the DNR Comisioner

Here is the money quote from the article:
Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr said Monday that moving up the fishing opener shouldn't interfere with the spawning season, and he wouldn't have a problem with it. 
I am all for it. Who cares if the resorts don't like it because some won't be ready in time. Boo Hoo for them! I rather doubt most people who are booked for May 12th are going to cancel their plans. What would make this even better is keeping the Mille Lacs night ban the same, so I get more that a full week to night fish at Mille Lacs. Who knows maybe Eddy's would have an 11PM or midnight launch. Also moving the bass opener up a week would be really cool as well.

Cubby's and Demon's at the GOMH

10+"

I got to the Grumpy Old Man Hole at a quarter to 6 and I took up a spot on the SE side where there was only one guy.  Basically nothing happened until 8PM.  I got 5 silver bullheads and a jumpin bullhead on the Cubby.  After dark I switched to the Glow Demon and picked up 6 more until I ran out of minnows  Brian showed up with a buddy at about 10:30PM,  they offered me minnows but I was getting cold so I left.  The bite really picked up after they got there.  I think I need to do something about the line on my night fishing rod.  I gave all but 3 of the silver bullheads away and the other 2 went back.  Kuske stopped by tonight as it was getting dark.

Bass Junkies Frog Pond Blog

The guys at Bass Junkies Fishing Addiction have added a new blog to their slate.  It's all about the frogs.

Frustrating Trip to the GOMH

Tonight we ate fish.  Yum!

I didn't get out until 8PM and there were 3 guys on the SW side and 4 on the SE.  I went on the SW side.  They were catching them fairly regularly on the SE side.  I got 1 one silver bullhead and 1 jumpin' bullhead and the people on my right and left landed a few a piece before it got to dark for them and they left.  I missed several bites as they continued to catch them on the SE side.  I got an orange bullhead and gave that to the Meat Guy and his girlfriend.  After 9PM everybody left to the SE side so I went over there.  It took me a while but I got a silver bullhead that broke my line again as I was holding it up.  My bobber went flying into the rocks, luckily I spotted it from above, the light wasn't on very bright.  I decided to put on a Custom Jigs and Spins Glow Demon.  I got 3 sb and missed several on the Demon and then got broke off by a nice jumpin bullhead up by shore.  It started to rain so I left at about 10:45PM.

Early Morning GOMH Trip

I was up and figured what the heck, lets get some more bullheads.  I headed out just after 5:30AM.  Much to my surprise there was another guy their and he was on the SE side so I took up the SW side.  Nothing happened until around 6:30 when this guy Brian pulled in a silver bullhead.  I missed a bite right up next to the rocks but got it to bite again.  Silver bullhead, I gave it to Brian.

I made another cast up by the rocks and had another hit.  This time it was a golden bullhead.

15"

I picked another silver bullhead off the rocks and got one more out further and missed a few hits.  Once the sun got up it was jumpin' bullhead time.

17.75"

That was the biggest of 6.  I left at 8:15AM

Good Night at the GOMH

Got my limit!

Tonight I didn't head out until 7PM, just as well.  There were a guy and his girl on the SW side and three teenagers on the SE side. I took up on the SW side.  Right about 7:45 the guy got a silver bullhead.  Then he got another than she got one and they kind of traded off fish.  Finally I got one when it was almost to dark to see.  The 3 teenagers gave me their fish and a guy who was on the N side gave me a orange bullhead.  I went over to the SE side and started catching fish.  When I got the big one my line broke sending bobber flying over the railing.  That fish just choked the glow Cubby and minnow.  It took me a while to get retied and by the time I got back current was coming through and the fish repositioned farther out from the bridge.  Once I got that figured out I caught them steadily until I left at 10:15.  I ended up catching 13 total.

12"

12" and 13"

I fished in the morning as well from 7 to 9:30AM and got 2 jumpin bullheads and a toothy.