My New Years Resolution for 2017

I want to be more generous with my fishing time in 2017. I wrote a little bit about this in November as well on this post:  I Guess I'm A Terrible Friend Then.

I generally enjoy fishing with other people.   I just don't do it very often.  Out of the 233 days I fished last year I fished intentionally with other people on about 10%.  That is more than I originally thought it would be, but I'd like to do more of it in 2017.  I think I'd like to see the number be between 20% and 30% for 2017.  Having the Trophy to use definitely will help with that some.

So basically if anyone reading this wants to go fishing just let me know and we'll figure out a time to get out.  My boat or yours or on the ice or at the Grumpy Old Man Hole, it's all good.  Let's go fishing in 2017.

My Idea For Mag Flukes is Coming Together

The idea (or just scroll down 4 posts). I got some split rings while I was at Shields on Tuesday.  The size 6 were to big, but the size 4 worked perfectly.  Now I've just got to wait for bass season. 

Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic Toc...

My Older Brother And Bride To Be Got Me...

Blog topics for a minimum of three months by getting me a 3 month subscription to Mystery Tackle Box.  If you have been living under a rock and haven't heard of it;  Basically, it's a company that sends out a monthly box of high quality tackle with product descriptions and tips.  I believe they got me the more expensive level, so I get more and possibly better stuff as well.  I am going to set a goal of catching fish on a percentage of lures I receive.  It will all be stuff for bass fishing, but there is a real possibility I won't have a use for some of what I get.  Hopefully catching fish on the baits won't be much of a challenge, but me thinking to give the lures a fair chance might be. After I see what lures I get I'll come up with the % for my goal.  

Vikings Plane Slides Off the Runway

The Vikes sure have caught their fair share of bad breaks this season.  Having to be deplaned in a cherry picker 3 people at a time in Appleton WI the night before the Christmas Eve game of 2016 will go down in Viking lore.  The delay and disruption this accident caused could be a good thing or a bad thing.  If they come out and play like last week it will obviously have been a bad thing.  However, if it brings them together and they come out and kick some Packer ass.  Now that would be a grand thing. Skol!

More Than A Month Since I Last Fished

Last year I kept fishing and catching fish into December on open water.  While it was possible for me to do that this year I never did get out to try at the Grumpy Old Man Hole or at Eddy's Jetty.  The Vikings crushing loss to the Colts on Sunday put me in the mood to go fishing, but the below zero temps kept me inside.  I may get out ice fishing this week.  Maybe.  We'll see.

Idea For Fishing A Mag Fluke Fail, For Now

So I had an idea for connecting two of these style hooks on a split ring and using them to fish Zoom Super Flukes in the slop next year.  So I get out my hooks, split ring pliers, and split rings.  I was unable to get my largest split ring on a hook.  After 15 minutes and losing 1 split ring I gave up.  I'll have to go out and get some larger split rings.  To be continued...

Zero Percent Hope of A Vikings Super Bowl This Season

My first Viking Blog of the 2016 Season

Sorry Kool-Aid Man, No Purple For Me This Year

Last year on December 1st I wrote a post outlining 3 Paths to the Superbowl.  Unfortunately, Blair Walsh missed the kick and that ended the Vikes season.  That was a bummer.  This season has been one thing going wrong after another on the Offensive side of the ball.  It's really quite remarkable the team is even still in the playoff race going into December this year.

While I think there is a chance the team may be able to make the playoffs this season, even if they lose to the Cowboys tonight.  I think there chances of us getting to the Superbowl if we do reach to playoffs are slim to none.  I believe the offensive line play is just too big of a liability for the Vikings to advance far into the playoffs.

A Lot To Be Thankful For In 2016

11-15-2016

I haven't done a Thanksgiving blog since 2012.  I have a lot to be thankful for in the fishing department of my life over the past year.  I got on the water fishing 240 days in that time.  I caught my personal best crappie this spring at the Grumpy Old Man Hole, finally breaking the 14 inch barrier.

14.25" on 4-16-2016

 This summer I got to fish with all 4 of my nieces, for the first time with 3 of them.

The 3 nieces: Devin, Mallory, Isabelle

Isabelle and Haley

I also got to spend a little bit of time in the boat with both of my younger brothers.

Steve

Todd- Youngest brother

My Mom and Dad's 50th Anniversary was good for me sticking the Trophy in the water and keeping it there.  That led to me fishing more often and with greater catch rates.

  

2016 Numbers Aug-Nov

2015 Numbers Aug-Nov

And now that I have the fuel line situation squared away the Trophy should be good to go next year👍👍.

And then there were all the beautiful fish and big fish I caught this year.  Most of which can be viewed in the 2016 Livewell.

19.9" 7-28-2016

Then there were all of the fishing goals I accomplished this year. I plan to have a blog about these done sometime in late December or early January.

Yes, much to be thankful  for in 2016.

Another Bass Blogging Great Is Done

Kramer Gone Fishing has called it a day.

I Guess I'm A Terrible Friend Then...

Confession Time:
I fish alone most of the time and I kind of like it that way.  When I fish I am in my own little world and having others along can ruin the tranquility for me;  Especially if the person is prone to getting angry.  This is something I should probably work on.  I only invited one friend to go fishing with me in the Trophy this year.  I'm ashamed to say I didn't even offer to take Dad out once.  I think I've had him out in the Trophy fishing only one time ever.

Resolved: When I make my fishing goals for 2017 I am going to add a Fishing Buddies category.

Bass Pundit Turns 12 Today!

My original vision for this blog was to be an Instapundit of the bass fishing world.  For various reasons I was never able to pull that off.  Since my stroke in December of 2011, this blog has become a shell of it's former self.  This year most of my blogging was done at Bass Pundit's Fishing Log Blog.  With all the snow we just got it looks like it's going to be quite a while before I go out fishing again.  I don't know if I am going to be able to get out ice fishing this year or not because dad backed the Expedition into a tree and messed up the back lift gate pretty good.  Oh well, such is life.

Thank You to everyone who drops by to read my stuff!

Trophy IS Out Of The Water

Leaving the Public Access Road

At the Lake Place

Blue top on, I hear there is going to be a snow storm

Due to the weather not being in my favor today I elected not to fish and take the boat out early.  Dad had a 1:30PM appointment in Princeton for something.  The garage wasn't quite ready for the boat yet, so I covered her and we were off.  I really hope we don't get walloped by this storm.

Update:

Dad got back in time for us to finish the job.  It went in easy peasy like me to a banana cream pie.

We also got the Slop Slip put away.

Last Trip In The Trophy For 2016

11/16/16 Platte Lake

25" D & M Baits Piranha w/Craw Fatty

3:00-5:00PM Loon Sex Bay and the Juice Flat
Conditions: 55-50℉, Partly Cloudy, Windy out of the SE,
Water Temp: 44℉

Loon Sex Point

I headed to Loon Sex bay first.  I had a hit by a pike on the bluegill Poison that I put a Zoom Swim Fluke on that I just won on Ebay in front of the boat house.  I went across to Loon Sex Point and got the 25" pike there on the Piranha.  I then got a 23.5" pike on the Piranha.  I missed something that hit the Hack at Jig as I was pitching into the reed edge.

Where did the fish go? 

At 4PM I headed to the juice, starting on the eastern side where the wind wasn't as bad .  I had a small pike hit the Flat Shallow that jumped off as I went to take a picture of it.  I got two pike on the Pure Poison with Swim Fluke.  I missed the last hit of the night on the Piranha. I packed up shortly after 5PM when I discovered the Craw Fatty no longer had any claws.

And so ended the season in the Trophy

  I tried to take a picture with me standing on the front of the Trophy, but the camera was out of juice when I was in front of the flag pole as I got ready to leave.

She comes out of the lake and goes into storage later this morning.

Platte Lake Over Took Rock Lake for Fish Caught

With the head start Rock Lake had and my catch rates per trip through mid September I thought there was going to be no catching Rock Lake this year.  Guess I was wrong.

Obviously, if I always considered Platte/Sullivan together they would be the top lake in a land slide.

Caught Me a Toad On Wednesday Night

19" Strike King Pure Poison w/Craw Fatty

I was just about to go in because my upper back was giving me grief and I hadn't caught anything in at least 45 minutes.  It was the only bass I caught that night.  I might have had another bass on about 5 minutes later, but whatever was on got off before I got a chance to see it.  I think this was the third heaviest bass I've caught this year.  It was well into 4 lbs.

I caught a couple of nice one's on Thursday night as well.

17" Bass Pro Flat Shallow Crankbait

15.5" Bubble Walker

Will that be my last topwater fish of the year?

Election Day Pike, Bass, and Crappie Action

17.75" River2Sea Bubble Walker

3:00-7:00PM N Side of Don's Bay Juice & at the GOMH
Conditions: 57-40 degrees, Mostly Sunny, NNW Wind turning calm, Water Temp 49-48 degrees.

I started out fishing in the juice reeds.  Didn't get anything there, but as soon as I went onto the flat I started getting pike the biggest of which was.  I caught 4 and had a few hits I didn't get to see.  I then moved closer to shore in the calm water and fished with the Bubble Walker.  I had a fish up by shore miss.  I cast back and had another bite and I got it.

14.5" Bubble Walker

 I think it might have been a different smaller fish.  I then got a 15" bass in the thick shallow cabbage on the Bubble Walker.  Fish then started busting here and there.  I got the 17.75" casting out.  It was hooked in the gill, but I got it unhooked and back in the water quickly.  I think it will survive.

Where the sun was at when I got the 17.75"

I moved around on the juice chasing busting fish, but then they started busting all around me, but I couldn't get a hit.  And the one's that did didn't get the lure.  My last fish of the night was a crappie of all things.

11" Bubble Walker

It was yet another beautiful November night on the lake.

Another Perfect November Night in the Trophy.

18.75" Bubble Walker

4:00-6:30PM N Side of Don's Bay Juice
Conditions: 69-60 degrees, Mostly Sunny, Light SW wind turning calm, 49 degree water.

I started at West Point and didn't get a thing.  I then headed to the North side of Don's Bay hoping to expand the juice throwing an Spro Aruku Shad.  Had one fish follow, but couldn't see what it was.  As I approached the SW corner of the juice I switched to a Bass Pro Shops Flat Shallow Crankbait.  I was almost immediately rewarded with a 17 incher.

1st fish I ever caught on this color, don't think I'd ever thrown it.

17" BPS Flat Shallow

I had the good sense to throw out a marker buoy.  That was a good move because it took me a little while to get the fish unhooked with the way the lure was wedged in it's mouth and I got blown of the spot.  After releasing the fish I got repositioned thanks to the marker buoy and immediately caught another 17 incher.

17" BPS Flat Shallow

Unfortunately there wasn't a school holding in that spot, just those two fish.  I even got the GPS out and marked a way point after thoroughly working the area.  I then drifted across the flat.  I started throwing the Bubble Walker as a few baitfish were getting hit.  I caught a dink up by shore.

10.5" Bubble Walker

The shoreline continues down on my left.  With a long cast I could have hit it at this point. The fish came out of about a foot of water.   I had a small pike jump over the Walker. 

Some fish got hit out but very close to me so I quickly motored out.  I threw out a cast, reached down to stop the trolling motor and a fish lit the Bubble Walker up.  When I caught up to the fish it was still there , but the sucker was swimming straight at me.  I didn't get much of a hookset and it came off about three quarters of the way in.  It felt like a good fish.  A couple casts later I had a big one jump after the Walker right after it landed.  I set the hook, but it missed the lure.  I cast back a few times, but couldn't get it to strike again.  

Where I was fishing at.  Look familiar?

A baitfish got hit off to my left within casting distance.  I put a cast on the spot, nothing.  I put a second cast on the spot and worked the bait extremely slow letting it sit for more than 30 seconds before popping it again multiple times.  Letting it sit eventually triggered the fish and I landed it, another 17 incher.

17" Bubble Walker

About 10 minutes later I got the 18.75" once again working the lure super slow over a spot where a fish had shown itself to be.  That was my last bite of the night despite the fact that fish boiled within casting range a few times.  The fish stayed active until it was getting to dark for me to see my lure on a long cast.

Perfect November Night to be Out

 You can read about my other trips this month at the Log Blog.

10/17/16 Was A Long Day On the Water

18.5" River2Sea Bubble Walker

7:00AM-6:30PM GOMH, Rock Lake, N side of Don's Bay, the reeds and docks across the way.
Conditions: 45-58 degrees, Mostly sunny to mostly cloudy, Calm to light wind NNW NNE, Water Temp 50-53 degrees.

This turned in to my longest day on the water in who knows how long.  I was totally worn out and didn't get on the water again until 4 days later.  This blog is being written 11 days later.

I started at the GOMH and didn't catch anything.  I then went to Rock Lake and didn't get anything there either.

I then got in the Trophy and tried out front and at West point, not getting a thing.  I then ran to the North end of the reeds across the way.  There was a seagull and some baitfish activity on the flat.  I started throwing a River2Sea Rover, a walking topwater across the weed flat.  I had one fish blow up on that but not get it.

Conditions seemed just ideal for topwater, so I switched to a Vixen, then the small Whopper Plopper, and then to a River2Sea Bubble Walker.  The Bubble Walker was what they wanted.

14" River2Sea Bubble Walker

That was the first fish I ever caught on the lure.  I then had a 16.5" not get the lure, but I was patient and just let the bait sit still for about 45 seconds.  I then worked the lure for a couple seconds, then killed it again letting it sit for about 15 seconds.  When I started up again the fish blasted it.

16.5" Bubble Walker

You can see I was working about the length of a cast from shore, casting parallel to shore, sometimes shallower, sometimes out more.  The 18.5" was my fourth fish on the Walker at that point with a couple of more misses.

18.5" Bubble Walker

 I got over by the start of the reeds on the North end of Don's Bay when I got this long, but skinny pike.

27.5" Bubble Walker

I worked the flat back an forth for a number of hours getting enough hits to keep things interesting.  I missed my fair share, that's for sure.

16.5" Bubble Walker

For a little while it looked like it was going to rain and a light wind came up.  I switched to Pop Max and immediately got nailed by a typical fish.

15.75" Pop Max

I then got a small pike and then missed 3 or 4 straight hits.  I then let myself get pulled off of the juice.  Instead of going back to the juice I decided to fish the reeds across the way.  Stuff was getting blown up well inside the reed bed so I worked my way in fishing a Pad Crasher.

16.25" Pad Crasher

I caught a couple and missed a couple doing that.  It was now cooling off and I was getting tired.  I elected to try "The Dock" and was rewarded with a good bass on the Hack Attack Jig.

17.75" Hack Jig w/Chigger Craw breen

That worked out so well I tried the next dock down and got an even bigger fish.

18" Hack Jig w/Chigger Craw

I then hit the two docks and our dock on my way in.  I didn't get anything on the docks, but missed two fish in the pads in front of our place.  I was beat.  On the way home I bumped a deer and sent it rolling into the ditch.  It got back up and kept on running.  It was the darndest thing.  No damage to the Kia Soul, thankfully.

11 bass on the Bubble Walker
2 Pike on the Bubble Walker
16 bass total and 3 pike
I missed at least 12 hits

I've been fishing a lot again this month.  All my trips are blogged over at the Fishing Log Blog.