Geese Moved In At The GOMH

Not much has changed after a couple of days in the 40's, now it cools down some.  We may or may not get snow in a couple of days.  Come on snow, stay South.

Ice free on the Southside, that's progress.

Water level about the same.

Muskrat #1

Muskrat #2

No major warm-ups in the forecast yet.

I'm (Not) Dreaming Of A White Easter

But it's looking like that's what I'm gonna get.  Temps not even getting above freezing on Saturday, C'mon Man!  There aren't any 50 degree days in the long-term forecast, but there is more snow and temps getting below freezing every night.  Ugh!  This weather situation needs to start turning around.  The average daily high temp is supposed to be 47℉ for today.  The snow on the ground has us stuck on cool too cold I'm afraid.

Today, I Can See My Driveway

We are ahead of April 6th like it took until in 2014 & 13.  However, there is snow in the forecast for tomorrow.  But the first Bass Pundit sign of spring is here as of today.

Bait Monkey Unhappy!

Academy put the new Booyah Toadrunner on this weeks add and apparently sold out.  Tackle Warehouse has them listed as in stock at $9.99 same price that Academy was selling them for.

While writing this post I made the executive decision to buy off of eBay for $10.95 per frog shipped.  Don't want to take the chance of there being a shortage and prices going through the roof like what happened with the Sprinker.

Bait Monkey Happy Now!

Ice and Snow Going Nowhere Fast

GOMH South Side

GOMH North Side

Once the ice melts should be slightly above normal water level

Platte Lake Public Access

I took a trip out to the Grumpy Old Man Hole on the breezy cold evening to see where things are at as far as open water.  It was a little more open than last Friday but not by much.  Two years ago today Platte was open and last year we were getting close.  I would say we are at least 4 weeks away from Platte opening up.  On the first 50 degrees day, I'll probably bring out the long rods.  I think we still may have some snow cover next weekend.  I know I wanted a slow melt, but this has been molasses-like.  No MN lakes open yet.  And no significant warming in the long-term forecast. I'll be able to ice fish in April if I can make myself go and do it.

Winner Winner a Lew's Combo for Dinner

Lew's Tournament MB

I am in a B.A.S.S. Fantasy Bass Fishing league associated with the Bass Boat Central message board.  Sportsman's Outfitters is a BBC sponsor that is donating prizes for each event.  It must be a random draw to win the Sportsman Warehouse prize because there was nothing distinguishing about my Classic line up which finished in the bottom 25% of the league.  I don't know what speed the reel will be or anything about the rod I will be getting.  I haven't used a Lew's reel in years, but I really liked the one I had back in the 90's.

Update: Sportsman's Outfitters gave me my choice of reel speed and rod.  I chose the 6.8:1 reel and the 6'9" M Trap Special Lew's Custom Speed Stick.

Jason Christie- A Cautionary Tale

Jason Christie I believe has proven himself to be one of the very best bass tournament fishermen on the planet.  He currently sits #1 in the BassFan.com World Rankings.  You don't reach the top of that ranking system by a fluke. He catches his tournament limit more than 95% of the time.

But,

He didn't get that 5th fish on the final day of the 2018 Bassmaster Classic.  It wasn't like he wasn't around fish.  He was seeing them not go for his jig.  Do or die he stuck with the jig and it may have cost him ever winning a classic title by a mere 1lb 3ozs.  That's got to be an awfully tough pill to swallow.

What is the tale I believe Jason Christie should learn from this defeat?  Absolutely nothing, way more days than not he catches that 5th fish. He should just keep doing what he believes will catch fish because he is just that damn good at it.  I'm not going to second-guess a guy like him.

Congratulations to Jordan Lee on his 2nd Classic Victory in a row!!!

Also great job by Seth Feider who finished 18th in his very first Classic. 

No MN Lakes Ice Free Yet

They changed up the interface and way it looks over at the DNR's MN ice out tracking page.  No surprise that lakes haven't started opening up yet.  I'm doubtful it will even begin happing by the end of next week.  It's ideal sap collecting weather for the syrup makers though.  Pete's coming up this weekend and we're gonna do some ice fishing after the Classic wraps up on Sunday.

Lucky Tackle Box December 2017 Review

I am getting to this review now rather than in December because I wasn't motivated to do it in December, January, or February.  The  Bassmaster Classic starts this week and what better time to be thinking new tackle.  So let's get to the Lucky Tackle Box.

What was in the box

 It looks at first glance like it's a lot of stuff, but it only contained 4 lures.

Blurry picture, oh well

Clear Lake Lures G Crank LTB Exclusive (Retail Price $10.99):  It's a really nice looking crankbait. Trouble is I can't find any info about it online.  It's as if Clear Lake Lures doesn't exist.  The website that is given on the card and on the bait it comes up empty for me.  It has a fairly thin body and lip.  I' guessing it's a 8' to 10' diver.  I don't know when or if I'll have a use for this lure this year.

Liquid Mayhem Shad Scent ($9.99):  I am not religious about using scents on my lures and I don't think shad live this far north.  I'll give it a try though, can't hurt.

Doomsday Tackle Co. Fat Man ($6.99): It's a bulky beaver style bait.  I think I'm really going to like this lure, but it is too rich for my blood at over a buck a bait.

 Texas Tackle Conroe Candle ($4.99): A nifty little drop shot bait/ned rid bait.  I guess I will be doing some drop shotting this year.

Mustad KVD Triple Grip Treble sz 6: I can always use more sharp treble hooks. 👎 on Mustad not providing a regular 6 hook pack.

MONSTERBASS Basszilla 4" Revolution Bluegill ($11.99): Another lure that I have come up empty searching for info on online.  One of them sold on eBay for $18.50 shipped.  This makes 2 out of 3 boxes with a swimbait in it.  I've never had much success on these jointed swimbaits.  I think I will be able to catch a fish on it at the Grumpy Old Man Hole and I know which box it will go in after that.

Woo Tungsten Finesse Kit LTB Exclusive ($11.99): I like it, probably because it is something I would never buy on my own.  For instance, tungsten nail weights for Neko rigging is just not something I would ever buy for myself.  I've never even tried a Neko rig.  Looks like that's on my list of things to do this year thanks to Lucky Tackle Box. Drop shot weights will come in handy when I give that Conroe Candle a try.  Some glass beads to jazz up my Texas rigs a bit👍👍.

Clenzoil Sample: I'm not very mechanically inclined.  I'm giving this to my Dad who is.  I'm sure he will find a use for it.

This box was a mixed bag in my opinion.  For their Christmas box, I would have thought they would have tried a little harder.  But then again how many people get a subscription for Christmas and don't receive their first box until the next year?

I give the box a solid C, maybe C+.   

When Will I See My Driveway?

It looks like we are in for an uninterrupted week of melting.  So maybe by a week from today.

View from the garage.

GOMH Today vs. 1 Year Ago

Today

Last Year March 8th

Today

Last Year looking into Platte

Today

I believe last year we had just come off of a record-setting March warm up.  This year it's a winter wonderland.  There was a flock of swans that flew by as I was driving up tonight.  Spring is coming, but slowly. 

An Addition to my Blogroll: Tackle.org

So yesterday I got a request to add a Wisconsin based website Tackle.org to my blogroll.  It's been a number of years since I last had a request to do it.  I haven't messed with my blogrolls at all so far this year.  I added it to the "Friends of Bass Pundit" roll.  I don't know if I'll touch the blogrolls beyond doing that.

Tackle.org looks like it's a site dedicated to giving information about tackle with the hope of getting you to buy it from Amazon through them.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  If he's able to make some money that way, more power to him.  I wish you luck.

Update: I got a note from Tackle.org's owner about the site.

Not A Big Surprise, No Open Lakes In MN Yet

I'll be amazed if any lakes in MN are ice free by the 15th of the month. I may check out the GOMH later today to see if there is any open water there.

Lucky Tackle Box November 2017 Review

I know I know, I got way behind on writing this review.  The thing is there was a screw up at Lucky Tackle Box and I didn't get the box until December.  A few days after it arrived I got the box for December.  Had the box arrived when it was supposed to I most probably would have gotten the review done in November as I waited for safe ice.  But it didn't so I didn't.  I'm getting the review done now because open water fishing is beginning to seep back into my conscious thoughts and I want to get these last two Lucky Tackle Box reviews done by April.

This was my favorite box of the 3.  Here is what was in it:

 

Bagley Sunny B (Retail Price $12.99): I wonder if the LTB exclusive is the fact that it is a square bill? Haven't thrown a Bagley in years.  I think I only own one.  One the first crankbaits I ever got was a small Bagley.  I caught a few fish on that lure over the years then the tackle box it was in got stolen.  I suspect this bait will be gold at the Grumpy Old Man Hole provided that a toothy doesn't steal it right away.

Castaic BD J115 (Retail Price $6.99): These Boyd Duckett Series 115's are among the least expensive Megabass knockoffs out there.  I won several of them on eBay last year but never got around to giving those a try.  The scuttlebutt on these is they tend to be slow sinkers.  Can never have too many jerks is my attitude.

Z Man Finesse TRD The Real Deal (Retail Price $3.99): Ned rigs catch fish and I've wanted to give these baits a try. Now I've got my chance.  Thanks, Lucky Tackle Box.   It would have been nice to get some ned jig head in the box to go with these. Smart on their part not to, as I will be buying myself some.

  Bass Attacker Attacker Stix with Bass Fuel (Retail Price:$4.99):  Senko knockoff and it's a sample pack with half the lures of a normal pack.  Apparently, they are only sold through the companies website.  This lure will probably catch a few fish and be quickly forgotten.  Just being honest.

VMC Ike's Approved Weedless Neko Hook (Retail $3.99):  Another sample pack as if VMC couldn't afford to give us 5 hooks👎. 

Duo Realis Pencil 110 in LTB exclusive Smokey Bone color (Retail $13.99): I have wanted to get my hands onto some Duo Realis topwaters and now thanks to Lucky Tackle Box I've got one.  Was kind of surprised it didn't come with a feathered treble.  I will be adding one.  The hooks appear to be super stout.

6th Sense Quake 70 (Retail: $8.99):  This bait could be a smallie killer. We'll just have to see about that.

Overall, this is my favorite of the 6 different boxes I have received between Mystery Tackle Box (3 boxes) and Lucky Tackle Box (3 boxes).  If you debating between the two companies I'd recommend going with Lucky instead of MTB.

Will be trying the baits out starting May 12th when the season opens. 

I give this box an A-.