My Snatchers Little Boy/Wabedo Full Report

2/13 Hack Jig/Craw Fatty

Conditions: 63-66℉, Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy some light rain, Light Wind SSW to WNW.  I think the water level had come up some from the day we pre-fished.
Water Temp: Mid 60's

The Day:  For the last part of my drive up it was thunder and rain.  I loaded my stuff in the boat in the rain.  I believe the rain quit by the time we blasted off.  We headed North to the inlet.  Within the first 15 minutes we both had a two plus pound keeper in the boat.  I got mine throwing a 1oz Hack Attack Jig along the thick inner reed wall.  The fish really smacked it.  I think Alan then got a fish he culled out later in the sparser reeds.  I had a fish hit my frog and not get it along a cattail wall.  I kept casting back with a black blue Lake Fork Craw Tube and eventually a 1.63lb bass hit it.  I then got a 1.38lb pitching the 1oz Hack Jig in the deeper reeds.  We got over by the closest dock.  I pitched the Hack Jig into the boat lift and caught my biggest bass of the day (2/13).  I had to play it up and over the boat lift frame.  It was barely hooked in it's upper lip.

We then moved to the West side of the upper lake to some reeds, pads, and rice.  While I was putting together my Double Magnum Fluke Alan caught two quality fish on a spinnerbait.  I was fishing again and Alan got at least two more fish before I got bit again.  Alan had just caught a fish in a boat lane.  I cast my Terminator Frog across the boat lane and a 2lber grabbed it.  I then rolled two small fish on the hookset.  I got a 1.78lb fish on the Frog.  I missed a couple of bites.  who knows if they would have helped.  We started  working our way South.  I culled my two smallest with a 2.53 and a 2.31 on the frog.  Alan caught his big bass (4/10) in the pads and reeds on a swimbait.  I thought it was only a high 3lb fish.  I caught a fish or two that didn't help me on the frog.  We got over to where Chuck and Nate were fishing and got out of there.

I think we then went farther south to an area where we got some fish during pre-fish.  Same kind of stuff: reeds, pads, and rice.  I think Alan got maybe one that helped himself and I got one or two that didn't and missed a coupe of hits on the frog.  I think the one's I missed were probably pike.

We went to a weedline spot off of some reeds.  I missed a bite, before getting one that didn't help me on the Craw Tube.  I then missed a couple of bites.  The second one I got a great hookset on and it felt like a really good fish and then it just came off.  The same thing then happened to Alan a couple of times.

We then went back and re-fished our second spot.  I think Alan got one or two more culls and I got one that didn't help.  There was now just a couple hours left.  We went to make a move and the starting battery didn't have enough juice and Alan couldn't get it to jump.  While Al was messing around with the batteries I missed a hit on the craw tube.  We decided to throw traps over the large weed flat/point we were on.  Alan had a big something get off and caught a small bass and I got a pike.  We then headed off at full speed for Little Boy Resort.

   It started to sprinkle a little bit.  We fished a little bit along the way.  Alan picked up a small smallie of a dock.  I think that was the last fish landed for the day.

Alan with the 1st Place "Wood_

Results: My fish weighed 14bs 7ozs, which put me in 10th Place out of 21 anglers. Alan's fish weighed 19/06, which put him easily in 1st Place.  2nd Place was Keith Tuma with 16/3 and Darrin Kiefer got 3rd with 15/14 beating Bill Ludenia on the tie breaker by an ounce on his big fish.   Tyler Czech had a 5lb Lunker.

What my scale said I had

Thoughts:  With the weights packed so tightly above me losing the last couple of hours because of the dead battery probably cost me a higher finish.  After the way the last couple of years ended for me I can't complain too much though.  At least I was culling fish and I got a front row seat to see how it was won.

To make the Top 10 in Angler of the Year I needed to finish in 2nd Place.  I ended up in 13th Place for the year.  I fished much better this year and got to fish with 4 boaters I'd never fished with before.  All in all it was a good year for me even if I didn't reach any of my goals in terms of finishes.  I had the smallmouth on at the Mississippi that would have gotten me "wood" had I landed it.  Oh well, those are the breaks.  On to next year.

Congratulations to Dennis Lothspeich on being Mr. Bass for 2017!

Little Boy/Wabedo Quick Report

Alan Steinbauer took 1st Place with 19+lbs

Had a pretty good day on the water, other than the starting battery dying with two hours left.  Alan couldn't get it jumped, so we trolling motored back to Little Boy Resort.  I weighed 14lbs 7ozs, which I think put me in about 7th Place or so.  The only rod I didn't use was the Horny Toad rod.  I probably should have thrown the Horny Toad some.  They seemed to really like a moving presentation today.   Full report later this week when I get the full results.

Snatcher Little Boy/Wabedo Preview

Tomorrow is my last chance to achieve any of the goals I set for my Snatcher Tournaments back in March.   To make the Top 10 at the end of the year is probably going to require me achieving the goal of a Top 3 finish as well.  Not being able to fish at Thunder Lake probably killed my chances because of the total bomb at North Long.  All I can do is fish hard all day, hope I get the right bites, and am able to land them.  The fish might be chomping🤞.  I like the fact that my boater Alan Steinbauer has a Phoenix boat.  It's wide open layout on the passenger side has plenty of room for me to bring a few extra rods.

Here's what I'm bringing:
7'6" H LTB (1oz Jig)
7'4" H Tatula (Frog)
7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)
7'4" H Avid X (Sprinker Frog)
7'4" H Zilion  (1/2oz Jig)
7'3" MH LTB (Toads)
7'3" H Lamiglas (Mag Fluke/ Swimbait/Swim jig)
7'2" H Tatula (3/8oz Jig)
7'2" MH Tatula (Topwater/Wake/Chatter Jig)
7' H Avid (Craw Tube)
6'10" MH Crucial (Buzzbait/Spinnerbait/Topwater)

Winner Winner 13 Fishing Hat for Dinner

This is the second time I have won a contest from 13 Fishing.  The first time was when I won a Muse Gold Rod in a caption the picture contest.  This time I guessed the crayons.  I am not that disappointed abut not winning the reel, as I have plenty of reels, but will wear the hat all the time.

Winning this means I have achieved yet another goal this year.

And speaking of achieved goals for 2017.

I caught my 1,000th bass sometime this past month.

About That Blogging the Elites AOY Goal

Not looking good at this point for reaching the goal.  I am pre-fishing for the last Snatcher tournament of the year today up at Little Boy/Wabedo.  That is 2 hours North of me.  I am probably going to be worn out Friday.  Maybe I'll make it over for the stuff on Saturday. On Sunday, the Vikes play at noon and I'll probably want to go fishing after the game is over.  Oh well.

Football Season Is Here, SKOL!!!

I like pretty much everyone else here in purple country didn't know what to expect when they kicked off on Monday Night Football.  Now that the game is over I am impressed along with the rest of the Vikings faithful.

Sure the Saints might have the worst defense in the league, but for a least one game our offense kicked butt.  I'll take it.

Next week against the Steelers in Pittsburgh our O-Line will get a much more serious test.  Hopefully Bradford, Cook, and Co. come ready to play and put more points on the board.

Two 4lbers Last Night

4.23lbs/18.66" Terminator Frog

4.67lbs/19.75" Terminator Frog

A little camera trickery makes the first fish seem bigger.  It definitely was fatter.  Had the 19.75" been similarly built it would have been over 5lbs easy.  I also lost a big one between catching these two fish.