Skunk Again

7:15-8:00PM GOMH SW NE
45℉, Partly Cloudy, 3-5mph NE

Didn't get a bullhead tonight, thought I might have a shot at something because it was sunny and in the low 50's today.  GOMH Bay is now open on the Platte side.  It will be interesting to see how much progress is made in the next couple of days.  Temps are going to be in the low 50's and we are supposed to get rain tomorrow night into Thursday.

Skunk with Swans a Swimming

7:15-8:05PM GOMH NE SW
47-43℉, Partly Cloudy, 6mph NE

I went for a walk with Steve around 4:45PM.  We talked about the Vikes and mused over Trubisky.  I went home had dinner. Dropped some paperwork off to Steve.  Checked out Bulldog, not much progress there then hit the GOMH.  I decided to give the NE side a shot.  Swans were swimming around. Didn't get a bite.  Tried the SW side, nothing there either.  With all the rain in the forecast, I'm thinking that ice out day is now in the long term forecast.  As of right now I think the 13th will be the day.

Water Level Rising

7:05-8:00PM
After yesterday's rain and snow, I got out to check things out.  Water levels on the rise and is flowing into Platte.  The next two days are going to be nice.  Threw a few casts.  Watched the swans fly and land.

Skunked at the GOMH Tonight, But Otters, Eagles, and Muskrats

44℉ Partly Cloudy, Calm

Saw a couple of eagles, otters, and the first muskrats of the year,  The first one spooked me.  Didn't get any bites. Depending on how much rain we get and if there is any current which is currently non-existent if we get temps in the '50s on Sunday and Monday I could see me getting a bullhead early next week.

Visited Inlet, Skunked at the GOMH

44-39℉, Partly Cloudy, 2-4mph

I helped Steve and Kim gather wood in the afternoon instead of going for a walk.  Came home, had dinner then checked out the Inlet and finished the night throwing some casts at the GOMH. I got skunked, but it was peaceful.   

Sullivan and Bulldog Duds

9" Glow Demon Spoon/waxies

Blind Man Stood By the Road And He Cried

7:15-9:30AM Sullivan 27' Tullibee Hole
32-29℉, Foggy, 2-4mph SE

I didn't need to put on my spikes.  I walked out to the area but didn't see where my holes from the last trip were at.  So I stopped dragging the Fishtrap and went looking.  The second picture shows just how close I was to where I left the sled.  Duh! The holes weren't frozen over.  I got the camera set up first again.  There was activity down by the bottom.  Fish would occasionally act aggressively but not hit.  I got one crappie.  Nothing tullibee like.  Viewed a few perch up high and down near the bottom.  I was hungry so I headed home at 9:30 AM.

I went into Onamia to pick up Vitamin D. I stopped at Shakopee Lake.  There were 6 trucks in the lot. I talked to a guy that had just finished.  He said he was getting sunfish with an occasional nice Crappie.  Couldn't see any open water toward the inlet.
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3:00-4:30PM Bulldog Lake Matt W. Spot 8'
43℉, Cloudy some light rain as I left, 5mph S

As you can see from the pick open water is intruding on the access so this will be my last trip to Bulldog.  I got out, put the camera down and saw sunnies.  They weren't interested and quickly disappeared.  The lighting wasn't great.  I really wasn't into it and it started to sprinkle so I packed up at 4:30.  I checked out the GOMH on the way home.

It's Starting, Ice Ice Out, Baby

The first lakes went out on March 20th.  Pepin and the three on the far South end of the state.
Follow MN ice-out dates here.  I think a lot of the city lakes will probably be clear by April 1.  No joke.
Here is the forecast for the cities.

I think the central part of the state is going to be way behind the cities this year.

Tullibaby Baby!

17" VMC Fly/maggots

8.90" VMC Fly/maggots

7:20-9:30AM Tullibee Hole 25'
31-29℉, Cloudy/Partly Cloudy, 13-20mph SE

I got out a little later than I should have.  There was snow on the truck and on the road.  As far as I can tell I was the second one at the access.  A couple of trucks drove on when I was unloading.  I walked out which ate more time.  It was quite windy.  I got to the area drilled three holes and put the camera down first.  Then I put waxies down on the bobber rod.  The first fish of the morning was the bull gill that bit at about 7:50AM.  I was not on point with keeping the fish. I had to fill a bucket with water using the hawg trough in hopes the fish would survive if I wanted to release it.  That took time and the fish went belly up so I had to keep it.  I'm pretty sure there were others down there that were gone by the time I got my line back down. About had an hour later the tullibee showed up.  There were at least two of them by the marks I had.  Fortunately, I got a bite and hooked it in the shoot.  Excellent fight.  I got the camera and transducer out, but I got caught up on the bobber line.  Landing these slippery things is tricky.  I was using 3lb test. After that, I might have had one more tullibee come through. But who knows I also had crappies come through that I got to see on the camera.  I watched a crappie charge the Fly and suck it in, but I didn't connect with the hookset.  I had perch messing with me by the bottom and eventually put the camera down to watch them.  It was quite windy and my right foot was cold so I called it a day at 9:30.

Fish Open Water At The GOMH Tonight

7:15-7:45PM 39℉, 4mph S

Here is what I wrote on Facebook about the trip:
I am grateful that I threw my first casts of the year at the Grumpy Old Man Hole tonight. I am thankful for all the birds that were gathered there tonight. An eagle, a couple dozen Canadians, swans, and ducks. And one lone sandhill crane calling in the distance as it flew.

Bulldog Lake Again with A Couple Of Bonus Pic's

7.5" VMC Fly/maggots (Glow)

21" VMC Fly/maggots (Glow)

Sculpture created in 5 Gallon with water dripping off the roof last nigh 

The GOMH from today

5:00-8:00PM Bulldog Lake 7' NE Point
31-35℉, Cloudy, 3-18mph SE

I must have arrived just after Matt W. left.  I went out and put the camera down in some of the holes he drilled.  I only saw one sunfish, so I headed to the NE Point where I have been fishing.  Some guys were on the lake earlier in the day and drilling holes like madmen on the NE and N side of the lake, there dozens upon dozens of holes drilled.  I used their holes to find fish with the Aqua-Vu.  It took me a few for me to locate any fish.  Not a good sign as fish were all over the place every time I've been out.  I finally found a group of sunnies and put two additional holes there.  By the time I had any lines down the sunfish had moved off because pike were patrolling the area.  First fish was presumably a pike that broke my line at the dropper, so it wasn't a bite off.  My mistake, shouldn't have happened.  A little while after that I caught a pike on the Glow Demon and Minnow.  I then got a nice bluegill. Then I got the pike in the pictures that snuck into camera rage when I wasn't looking.  When I looked back, there he was with my jig in his mouth.  I'm was lucky I hooked him at the tip of the shoot.  I saw a couple more pike swim through and couple crappie swam through but didn't look at my lures.  I did catch a couple other decent gills and played keep-away with some small ones.  I did move out to 10' when it was too dark for the camera but didn't mark anything until I was all packed up and about to leave.

I'm probably going to fish somewhere with Matt W. tomorrow

Fished Rock Because of the Wind

6.5" VMC Fly/maggots

There is open water in the channel

6:00-8:00PM Rock Lake 9' Sunz Spot
30-35℉, Cloudy, 15-20MPH NW

I finally achieved victory with the headlight tonight.  I didn't even need Jeff's help.  I went to Rock because the winds were hellacious and I would be protected there.  It had been above freezing the previous night so the top of the ice was a slushy mess-making pulling the sled much more difficult.  There was open water in the Platte River Outlet Bay Channel.  I drilled about 7 or so holes 3 of them being to shallow.  There is Eurasian milfoil in the lake. The ice was 6-8" thinner than on Bulldog or Sullivan.  I found sunnies high in the water column in 9'. There was small mature bald eagle chirping when I was setting up.  I told it I would throw it a fish, but I forgot; Sorry Mr. Eagle.  Lots of little sunnies around.  I caught 8 on the VMC Fly with maggots.  I lost a crappie in the hole and saw another on the camera. I saw one small pike.  I also lost something the felt really good when I first put down in the hole where the fish were.  I quit at 8PM.  The walk back was much easier as things had firmed up with the falling temps.

No Tullibee, Saw A Few Perch

I was going to head out at 6AM but rethought that plan due to a heavy mist.

7:30-10:00AM Sullivan Lake

Trucks were out on the ice, so I drove out.  Somebody was out on the spot.  I tried a spot that looked good a little closer to the access, but the Navionics app was wrong.  It was 16' feet not 23'.  I might have had tullibee follow right away.  There were a few perch I saw on the camera.  After an hour or so of that.  I went to Sun Hole. Nothing there.  I also tried some open holes out from the point.  Didn't get to see whatever was there on the camera.  I had forgotten maggots and Waxies. 

I Can See The Driveway!

Sunday the 15th it is.

Can drive down the driveway without running over any ice or snow.  Took a little longer than I thought it would.  Now I am waiting for the first red-wing blackbird and first bullhead in open water.

Bulldog With Crappies Engaging In Social Distancing

5" VMC Fly (Glow)

6:00-8:30PM Bulldog 6' to 10'
32-36℉, Partly Cloudy, 0-4mph S

Thanks to dealing with car issues I got a later start than I wanted.   There was a guy fishing that packed up as I was halfway there.  We talked.  He had gotten a few crips and sunnies to keep.  I drilled holes out deeper.  Crappies would spook lookie-loo it.  Missed a couple of bites.  I was surprised to bring up the rock bass.  Not as many sunfish swimming around; I caught a few small ones.  On the way back I drilled holes in the deep hole didn't mark anything.  With all my cold-weather gear on it was comfortable.