Looks like we are in for a slightly below-average stretch in the weather for the foreseeable future. As of today, the average high temp should be 54℉. We are still more than a month away from Opener, which isn't until May 15th this year. I am catching fish and am OK with struggling for a couple of weeks. I didn't start really getting fish last year until the 27th, though I did have a couple of double-digit days previous to that on April 19th (14 fish) and April 21st (11 fish). I hope to have my Garmin Side-Imager in the water by this upcoming weekend. That could possibly be a gamechanger for me in locating schools of crappie. I should probably start looking at Youtube videos to get me started on the learning curve. Better fishing lies ahead. I am confident of that.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
We Have Hit A Snag In the Weather Dept.
Looks like we are in for a slightly below-average stretch in the weather for the foreseeable future. As of today, the average high temp should be 54℉. We are still more than a month away from Opener, which isn't until May 15th this year. I am catching fish and am OK with struggling for a couple of weeks. I didn't start really getting fish last year until the 27th, though I did have a couple of double-digit days previous to that on April 19th (14 fish) and April 21st (11 fish). I hope to have my Garmin Side-Imager in the water by this upcoming weekend. That could possibly be a gamechanger for me in locating schools of crappie. I should probably start looking at Youtube videos to get me started on the learning curve. Better fishing lies ahead. I am confident of that.
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Congrats to David Pecháček BFL Champion
David Pecháček is a young guy from MN that moved to Florida to pursue his bass fishing dreams. This weekend he won the Gator Division Phenoix Big 5 BFL on Lake Okeechobee.
Congrats Dave on the big win!
Friday, April 09, 2021
Top Review Geek
Top Review Geek is a website with the beginning fisherman and hunter in mind. From my short review of the site; It has a wealth of information available.
Thursday, April 08, 2021
Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Some Silver On the 7th
Tuesday, April 06, 2021
1st Bullhead of 2021 Is A Golden
After a few misfires, I finally landed something at the Grumpy Old Man Hole tonight. Very first cast and this golden beauty was all over the Swim Shad. I also got a jumper as it was getting dark on THE Jig. First time ever the first bullhead of the year for me is a golden bullhead.
Saturday, April 03, 2021
Friday, April 02, 2021
1st Open Water Fish of 2021 Comes From Rock!
13" THE Jig (Glow/Pink) |
License On the Trophy today |
Went down front after working on the boat. |
I fished 3 different times today. First was at the GOMH on my way to the Lake Place. Didn't get anything and had my hat blown off. I got the boat ready to go in the water tomorrow. I stopped at Rock Lake to see if the Rock Dock was in; it wasn't. I only had a few minutes before I had to get the car home. On my very last cast a bass took the jig and made 2021 fishing history being my first landed fish out of open water in 2021. Turns out when I got home that the rents decided not to go to Good Friday. I ate pancakes for dinner then headed back out after 7:00PM. I stopped at Bulldog, Rock, and GOMH. Nobody else out fishing surprisingly enough. It had calmed down enough that I was able to hear swans taking off on the other side of Rock Lake. I didn't get a bite, but I did get some clipping done at the GOMH.
Thursday, April 01, 2021
Trophy Prep Today
Went and got Steve his birthday present, his 2021 Fishing Licence. Then I got to work vacuuming out the boat. Steve got stuff out of the way and by the time I was done with the near side, it was ready to be pulled out so we did that. I finished up at about 6:45PM. I didn't bring any fishing equipment with me and was driving the Expedition so I just ran by Bulldog and the GOMH to see if anyone was fishing. No one was. By the time mom and dad got home, it was getting dark and I wasn't interested in fishing. Hope to have the Trophy in the lake tomorrow.
Monday, March 29, 2021
Platte Open And My Tackle Warehouse Open As Well
It got to the mid 70's today.
2:30 Today Public Access |
In the afternoon I got the Trophy prepped to be vacuumed out and then opened the Tackle Warehouse when I came back home to start the prep. I should have gotten to lake place earlier today. Oh well.
Sunday, March 28, 2021
My Day & Tonight's GOMH Report
I went up to Baxter today to pick up my new Garmin Striker 7SV. It just so happened that Frabill Minnow Buckets were on sale, so I picked up a new one. I also got a Kalin's Tickle Tail and B-Fish-N swimbait to try out. Watched a video yesterday of a guy whacking eyes on the Tickle Tail. It is supposed to be a cold water smasher, as is the B-Fish-N. For some reason, I had never tried a B-Fish-N lure even though they have a cult following among walleye fisherman. Talked with Snatcher Chuck on my way home. The rents went up to the Brothers for dinner. I got into the Garmin unit and read the instruction that I needed an SD card to download the latest software. So I wasted a bunch of time trying to figure out a way to do that. Turns out those instructions are obsolete; it doesn't take SD cards. I found that out after I got back.
I got to the GOMH a bit later than I wanted with all the screwing around. Fatso was up in the tree again. It looked like things were open to the south shore of the Big Island. It was getting dark, and I wanted to hit the NE side, so I made what was going to be my last cast on the SW side. As I was bringing my bobber slowly in, I thought to myself, I've got fish in this exact situation before. About 5-seconds later, the bobber went under. I set the hook, and my line broke. It could have been because I didn't re-tie from the other night, but I think it was probably a toothy. I then fished another 20-minutes or so on the SW side with the lighted bobber, nothing. I thought I saw an eyeball swimming along the SE side when I was headed in. I fished until about 8:20PM. A nice bright full moon showed up around 8PM.
Saturday, March 27, 2021
GOMH Tonight
Open water was all the way up the west side of the small island and the Intersection on Sullivan was all the way open. There was light rain from early in the morning until about 5PM today and it only got to about 40-degrees. Didn't get a bite.
Friday, March 26, 2021
GOMH Tonight
About 50% to the Small Island |
Fatso In the Tree |
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
I Now Believe Ice Will Be Off By Easter
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
DNF
Didn't fish or get pictures of the GOMH tonight because it was raining, getting dark, and I had Kaylee along with me. It was windy today out of the NE. The Platte side open water now stretches in Channel Inn Bay. The Sullivan Side is processing down the SPRO. Windy, rain, and snow tonight with temps above freezing. Even windier tomorrow with a lot of wind in the forecast. I think the timetable for ice off is moving up rapidly. It wouldn't surprise me now if Platte and the area lakes are clear by the 6th. I'll plan on having the Trophy ready to go by Easter (April 4th).
Congrats To Bill Lowen And Family!
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Seigo Saito |
14 years of grinding it out and doing things the right way finally paid off with a win for family guy Bill Lowen. He had to catch 'em today as Brock Mosley put the pressure on with a 23lb bag. But Bill's 8lb monster was enough to seal the deal. It's always nice to see when one of the really good guys breaks through the ceiling he has been banging his head against. I think I speak for the whole bass fishing world in saying you guys deserved for things to fall into place today.
Congrats to the Lowen Family!
DNR Says Walleye Fishing Until Midnight This Fall
Early-season walleye anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to keep one walleye 21-23 inches long or one longer than 28 inches. Summer will bring catch-and-release walleye fishing, with a mid-season closure, before the potential for a one-fish limit returns in the fall.
“Lower walleye harvest this winter is allowing us to offer some open-water walleye harvest this year,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We’re glad Mille Lacs anglers will have the chance to keep a walleye on opening weekend and Memorial Day weekend — two of the most popular times to fish during the year. We also hope to be able to allow some harvest this fall.”
The one-fish walleye limit will be in place from Saturday, May 15, through Monday, May 31. Walleye fishing will be catch-and-release from Tuesday, June 1, through Wednesday, June 30. A two-week closure — implemented to reduce hooking mortality — will be in place from Thursday, July 1, through Thursday, July 15. Catch-and-release walleye fishing will resume on Friday, July 16, and continue through Wednesday, Sept. 15.
After opening weekend, fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. Beginning Saturday, June 5, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches can fish after 10 p.m.
The one-fish walleye limit is scheduled to resume Thursday, Sept. 16, through Tuesday, Nov. 30. During the late season, the DNR also will allow anglers to fish from 6 a.m. to midnight.
“Our projections strongly suggest that fall harvest can occur,” Parsons said. “However, predicting fishing pressure, catch rates and weather involves some uncertainty so we want people to recognize that the fall harvest will depend on how much of the state’s 2021 walleye allocation remains as we approach September. As always, we will monitor the factors that determine the state’s walleye take throughout the open water season.”
The state and the eight Chippewa bands that have treaty fishing rights agreed Mille Lacs could sustain a state harvest of up to 87,800 pounds of walleye this year, unchanged from 2020. During the 2020 season, state-licensed anglers took 66,748 pounds and tribal fishing took 33,113 pounds.
This year’s winter walleye harvest was about 16,000 pounds, about half of what it was in 2020. Lower catch rates for anglers, combined with fewer people fishing, caused the harvest to return to normal levels after a big spike last year. That drop in walleye take gave the DNR more flexibility to implement a one-fish limit during the early season and plan one for the late season.
Even with the drop in winter harvest, a two-week closure during what’s normally one of the hottest times of the summer remains necessary to protect walleye. As water temperature increases, so does hooking mortality — the tendency for fish to die after being caught and released. Protecting walleye during this vulnerable period can allow for many weeks of harvest during cooler times of the year.
To help avoid incidental catch of walleye during the two-week closure, fishing for any species with certain kinds of bait will be restricted. Anglers targeting northern pike and muskellunge can use sucker minnows longer than 8 inches. But anglers targeting other fish may not use live, dead, preserved, or parts of minnows, nightcrawlers, worms, leeches, or crayfish.
“Our goal with these regulations is to meet the state’s treaty obligations while also providing the best possible experience for anglers, recognizing that fishing and the anglers it brings are economically important to the Mille Lacs Lake area,” Parsons said.
Monday, March 22, 2021
GOMH Tonight with Bulldog (Skunked)
South GOMH Bay is 95% Ice Free. Just some on the East Rim |
North GOMH Bay May Be Ice-Free Tomorrow |
Two Eagles on the ice at the Base Of Eagle Perch Tree |
Very Little Progress At Bulldog |
Checked out Bulldog, North Platte Lake Drive, Rock Lake, and the GOMH tonight. A little pulling away from the shore along North Platte Lake Drive and the Rock Access, but not much. Eagles, Swans, Canadians, and Red Wings at the GOMH. Didn't get a bite, no surprise.
So It Begins, Ice Out 2021
The Fairmont Cluster went off on 3/19/21
Spoon Lake in the cities went 3/21/21
I am guessing there are quite a few more lakes that just haven't been reported yet. I don't think the DNR has sent out the yearly ice out reporting email yet.
My guess is most if not all of the lakes in the Twin Cities and south are open by April 1st, no fooling. If this long-term forecast holds and we get into the 60's in the first days of April up here then I believe we will beat last year's April 8th ice out for Platte.
Sunday, March 21, 2021
1st Open Water Trip And Bullhead Odds For March (80% Against)
I made my first casts at the Grumpy Old Man Hole tonight. A day earlier than my first cast in open water last year. It is slightly more open than it was at this point last year, but there was a lot more water around last year and the snowmelt wasn't over yet. The water is low and unsurprisingly I got skunked. The snowmelt for this year is 99% over at this point. When I was out there tonight I thought the odds were slightly against me catching a fish this month. I thought 55/40 against. A closer look at the weather has me backing off those rosy thoughts. I think the odds are 80% that I don't get any bullhead this month. The water is too low and it doesn't look like it will warm up enough to send fish shallow until April. I think this little warm windy stretch we were in accelerated ice off. I am now eyeing April 8th, the same as last year.

1st Open Water/Last Ice Trip Today
9" VMC Fly/Wax/Polli (Pink) |