Top 3 Fishing Memories of 2019

1. Todd's 5 Pounda

2. Plopper Fishin' Platte With Cyberfish

3. My 6 Pounda

2019 Lure Of The Year: Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx Frog

Grapes of Wrath

311 Fish Caught

6.26lbs/20.25 (Big Sexy)
August 2nd, 2019

It was a landslide victory this year for the Mad Maxx Frog.  Not only did it account for the most fish, but also my biggest bass of the year.

Bass Pundit's Lure Of The Decade: The Craw Tube

When I joined the Baxter Bass Snatcher back in 2008 I noticed that a lot of the guys were into the Lake Fork Craw Tube, a lure with which I was personally unfamiliar.  Me being the hardheaded knucklehead that I am didn't try using them myself until 2010 when Guy Henkensiefken was kicking my butt with them during a tournament on Rabbit Lake and insisted I use one of his baits.  He also gave me a lesson on how he fishes them.  After that tournament, I bought some for myself and have been using them ever since.  They have without a doubt been my most consistent producer this decade and that is why I am naming it Lure of the Decade.  Guy saved Lake Fork Craw Tubes for tournament day and generics for fun fishing.  Lake Fork discontinued making craw tubes sometime mid-decade.

1st Runner Up: Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx Frog

Tru-Tungsten went out of business in 2011, which is really too bad because they were a company that made a quality product.  I scored a bunch of their Mad Maxx Frogs when they were closed out by an online retailer.  I wish I had bought more because I am almost out of them now thanks to toothy critters.  They do come up occasionally on eBay, but usually, for a price I won't pay.

Honorable Mentions:

The Berkley Havoc Grass Pig: Caught my personal best largemouth on this lure in 2014 and really really caught the fire out of them on it in 2013 when the GOMH was loaded with fish form Opener well into June:  It was my top producer in 2013.

   The Stanley Phantom:  Caught the fire out them on this lure in 2013.

Chatterjigs: D & M Baits Piranha's, Pure Poison's, and assorted other chatterjigs have been among my most consistent producers this decade.

I Disagree With This Headline

Kirk Cousin's play was not high on the list of why the Vikings lost to the Packers on Monday night football.  Adam Thielen dropped a perfectly thrown ball that he is normally money on.  Instead of a momentum building big play on third down, Kirk is credited with an incomplete pass and the team has to punt.  The gadget play with Diggs throwing the ball to Kirk was there and Diggs missed a wide-open Cousins.  We had the Packers defense fooled and let them off the hook;  This missed opportunity as a momentum shifter cannot be overlooked.  We didn't score another point.  The running game was almost non-existent probably due to bad Offensive Line play.  The Offensive Line flat outplayed poorly with multiple sacks and pressures with only 3 or 4 guys rushing.  Kirk had that 4th quarter touchdown pass taken away due to one of our linemen getting beat and having to hold.  On the interception, Diggs has got to make a better play on the ball either not allowing the interception to take place or making the tackle and thus not allowing any kind of return.  The Offensive staff clearly got beat by Green Bay's Defensive staff.  The team failed Kirk way more than the other way around.     

Is This Really True?

From a Matthew Coller article at SKOR North.

From my understanding, the Vikes being the two seed takes a lot more to happen than that.  Right now the Pack, Saints, 49ers, and Seattle are all a game up on the Vikes.  It's as if Coller forgot about the Saints entirely.  As I said in my previous Vikings blog, the Pack losing next week to the Lions is extremely unlikely.  The Pack owns the tiebreaker. 

Thankfully, the people at Bring Me The News wrote an article spelling out how things have to break down for the Vikes to land in the 1 through 3 seed.

All three are extremely unlikely scenarios predicated on a Packers loss or tie to the Lions.

If I haven't said it here on the blog before, I am going to say it right now for the record.  I think it's a travesty that teams with the best records don't necessarily get a home playoff game.  It would be one thing if Division winners and wildcard teams had records that are tied.  Then OK, give the game to the Division winner.  But if the wildcard team has a game or more on the Division winner it just isn't right for them not to be rewarded with home-field advantage.  Hopefully, the NFL will eventually set that right.

Vikings Week 16 Outlook: Blah And Bah Humbug

It's Cheese week and I should be exited.  I assume the Rams are going to lose to the 49ers on Saturday thus the Vikes will be assured of a playoff birth as a wildcard.  With the Packers playing the Lions in the final game of the year the chances of the Vikes winning the Division are pretty much nil.  So really the Vikes don't have much to play for this week.  While the Pack is playing for a first-round bye.  It's as if the football gods are once again smiling down on the Packers franchise this year.   If the Vikes do beat Green Bay this week it's only a pyrrhic victory to me unless the Vikes make it farther in the playoffs than the Packers.  The Packers beating the Bears last week took all the wind out of my sails as far as enthusiasm for the Vikes playoff chances.  I suppose my blahs are nothing a Packer beatdown on Monday Night Football wouldn't cure. SKOL! 

Vikings Week 15 Outlook: Let The Chips Fall Where They May

There is a lot on the line this week in the NFC North.  Da Bears play the Cheese in Lambert at noon.  A Pack victory probably means they win the Division and Da Bears would be eliminated from the playoffs.  The Bears seem to have hit their stride and it is my belief that the Pack are pretenders this year.  I think we may see a Bears upset at Lambert.   May it be so.

A Pack loss opens the Door for the Vikes to win the Division provided they can get a victory against the Chargers in L.A. this week.  The Vikes should be able to beat the Chargers if the Vikes play reasonably well on both sides of the ball.  I think the Vikes will do that. 

If the Pack do beat the Bears, that isn't the end of the world for the Vikes provided the Vikes don't have an end of the year collapse like they did last year.  The Vikes should make the playoffs and a Pack victory this week most likely means the Vikes will face the Pack in Lambert in the first round of the playoffs. So let the chips fall where they may I think the Vikes have a better team than the Packers.

Vikings Week 14 Outlook: Thumbs Up

First my thoughts on the Loss at Seattle.  What a disastrous 3rd Quarter and start of the fourth.  I wonder how the game would have turned out had Rhodes not gotten that unnecessary roughness penalty.  The team lost the plot there for a while after that mistake. I am impressed that the Vikes/Cousins fought back as effectively as they did.  It's quite astonishing that we actually had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter.  It's a shame they couldn't finish the job, what a missed opportunity.

I am pretty sure the team is going to be in a surly mood come Sunday at home.  The Lions will have the advantage of a long week for them and a short week for us. That shouldn't matter that much.  The Lions undrafted rookie QB is starting his second game.  I am sure the Lions are going to want to run the ball as much as possible.  The Vikes D has to be embarrassed about how many yards they gave up on the ground in Seattle, so good luck with that Detroit.  Zimm vs. a rookie QB.  This one could get ugly in a good way.  I highly doubt the Lions will be able to come in and pull what Denver did.  Last week the Lions allowed Trubisky to throw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns.  But I think the Vikes need to get the running game re-established.  Pound the rock boys, SKOL!

(I also think if Dalvin isn't 100% healthy than they should sit him for this one.)