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| No Company at Midnight |
I was pleasantly surprised nobody else was at the Jetty at Midnight, and there were plenty of eyeballs in the Harbor Mouth area, so that is where I started. It was basically calm. I ditched the plan to go with a Rippin Rap first to see if I could sight fish 'em first. Fish weren't interested. So I started blind casting and had a couple of bumps not hook up. I switched to a swimbait and had one on briefly. Then a couple guys showed up around 12:15 and started fishing off the Center Jetty. He was hooked up on his second cast. I decided to throw a Rippin Rap. The guy hooked up again, and I got a 20-inch eye on my first cast with the Rippin Rap. It was 20.5", so not quite a keeper. I forgot to bring a bucket and to take a picture. No big deal, the fish were going, and I would catch another, right? Wrong. I had a few more bites and lost two that were hooked up. One that I sight fished with a hair jig at the North Corner and one in the final 10-minutes that took the Frenzy Minnow that I fought all the way to the rocks. Probably a 23/24-inch fish. I did get my perch X-Rap back that I lost when I backlashed at about 12:30AM. It had drifted down to the North Corner when I caught the line and brought it in. When I left at 3:30, The other guys had caught 13 between them. I got a little spun out trying to catch the X-Rap rather than fish, and by the time I got back to fishing, they had shut off for the most part. So I left somewhat disappointed, but I got my X-Rap back, so I was a little lucky.
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| 15.5" R2S Bubble Walker (Pearl) |
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| 2.75lbs/17" SK 3/16 Spin |
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| 2.91lbs/17.5" Bully Wa 2 |
The first trip out in the Trophy was a mixed bag. I got started about 15-20 minutes later than I should have. Missed a hit on the Frenzy Popper on the second cast at the River Mouth, and the line and hook got fouled up on the hook set. I did get my first bass on topwater on the Bubble Walker just as another guy entered the River Mouth. That was the only bite I got in the area. I started working my way down the western shoreline. Got a few bass and pike on a spinnerbait and chatterjig. Caught my first 17-incher and realized I hadn't prepared the scale like I had planned. So I stuck the fish in the livewell and got that situation straightened out. There were anglers out in front of me, so I started working toward the northern shoreline of the SPRO. I had a big pike take that little spinnerbait. I had her all played out and in the net lifted halfway into the boat. The fish flopped out of the net into the lake and got off in an instant. That trainwreck turned what would have been a successful Opener into a disappointment. The pike had to be at least 37-inches long and the biggest I have ever had on at Platte Lake. I really wanted a picture with it. I could have had her in the boat but might have broken a rod had I let her flop out in the boat rather than over the water like I chose. Well, no crying over it. went back to fishing. Caught a few pike and bass on the flat. Came up to the curly left pondweed at the Intersection. Got three 17-inchers there, including my first two frog bites. Lost the first one, got the second. Also lost a good fish on the LiveTarget Baitball Popper. Conditions were good, but I had to get home to take care of Kaylee, so I headed in at noon.
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| 16" Jackhammer |
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| The DNR heading off in the distance |
Todd and Steve had the dock in the water but didn't have most of the decking done. I got the boat ready and Todd and I headed out around 7PM. South Inlet Bay was a bust as was Access Across. We each got a bass in the SPRO. Todd's on the Jackhammer and mine on the LiveTarget Baitball Popper. Disappointing trip. Thought the fish would be suicidal. CO Vang came and checked us toward the end of the evening. He said it was really slow for most anglers. I think the falling clear water has them skittish and reluctant to get on the shallow flats. I missed far too many bites today. I didn't suggest Mille Lacs to Todd as I was tired and not happy with the evening's results. Steve had the dock finished when we returned.
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