Will A Lake Go Ice Free in March

 

As of today, the MN DNR isn't reporting any open lakes in the state. I thought for sure there would be a few by now. It could be that the MN Climatology Facebook Page no longer allows people to post to the page. That could be a Facebook thing. Or it could be the department that keeps track got shuffled or is running behind. Who knows. 

Broke Out The Long Rods

 Cold windy night, but I had to do some fishing. Got out the long rods and headed to the GOMH. No bites, but heard red-wing blackbirds. 

I Heard...

 ...a red-wing blackbird, must be Spring.

Red-Wing Across 8

Screw This

A sloppy, slushy mess at Bulldog and Rock Lake. Right boot got soaked, and I got stuck in the slush at Rock, so I said screw it and turned around. I managed to make the turn without getting stuck on my way out. Heard a red-wing blackbird at Bulldog, and there was one in the tree across the road at our place. The snow pretty much melted back to before the latest storm. I would say it is now  80% plus bare ground now. Still might do some fishing if things firm up this weekend.

Open Water At The GOMH

 The rain we got on Tuesday opened up the Grumpy Old Man Hole. It will be interesting to see how quickly the area opens up. My guess is that the snow decelerated the melting process significantly. The melt and runoff are slower and colder. I need to force myself to be ok with that. Later ice off prolongs the pre-spawn bite, provided we don't run into an ill-timed heatwave. Thinking of ice off on Platte in less than 30 days.

Update: It looks like we are about 4 days behind 2019. The ice went off Platte on April 20th that year. I think April was on the cool side that year after a few lovely days to start the month.

My Thoughts On The 2022 Baxter Bass Snatchers Schedule

 

Farm Island: This will be my 6th Tournament on Farm Island. My first ever Snatchers Tournament was on this lake fishing with Herman.  I have had some good days on the lake and am comfortable with how it fishes so partner draw isn't a big deal to me in this one.

Thunder Lake: I missed the tournament we had at this lake in 2017. It has smallies. Getting a good partner draw will be important.

Gull River: Big Fish Factory. Hopefully, frogging will be a huge part of the game plan. Would really like the draw Ruff, Tuma, Smitty, or Beau.

Rabbit Lake: Rabbit again, meh. Other than Platte/Sullivan this is the lake we have tournaments on that I have spent the most time on so partner draw doesn't matter all that much.

Gull Lake: Don't have a lot of time on Gull, so getting a good partner draw is important. I think the lake is on the upswing so I am hoping for a fun day.

South Long: I pre-fished and fished a Challenge Cup out here in the Fall a few years back. Have a lot of ideas. Hopefully will end the year strong.

2022 I Can See It! Plus GOMH, No Open Water

I can drive the entire driveway without touching snow and ice, so today is the day I can see my driveway. With the way water was flowing in the ditches this morning, I thought I would see some open water at the GOMH when I dropped by, but nope. With the forecasted rain Monday through Wednesday, I guess there will be open water there by Friday. I suspect I may have done my last fishing at The Dog unless I go tomorrow evening. The snowmelt peak combined with rain may bring an abrupt end to my ice fishing this year. I thought I would be ice fishing into April this year, but I'm not sure. I noticed a year ago tomorrow was my last ice fishing trip. 

 It wouldn't surprise me if lakes in far Southern MN open up starting late this week.

 

 

2022 Fishing Goals

New Goals in italic orange bold.

Fishing Buddies: 

1. Fish with Dad
2. Fish with Mike Thompson
3. Fish with Jim Bonin
4.  Fish With Josh Abrahamson & Ashley Just
5. Fish with Jeff and Renee
6. Fish with Todd, Isabelle, and Mallory
7.  Fish with Kane Phongsavat
8. Fish with Jaimen Abrahamson
9. Fish with Dave Lindmark
10. Fish with Steve and Devin
11. Take Corey Hicks frog fishing.
12. Fish with Jamar at Eddy's
13. Fish with Eric Aske
14. Fish with Pete
15. Fish with Kiefer for crappies this spring. (Gas Prices and 1 car)

Dream Fishing Buddies:
1. Fish with Josh Douglas
2. Fish with Al Lindner
3. Fish With Nattie Up North

Bass Snatcher Goals: (Same Goals as 2020)

1.  Win my 2nd club tournament. 
2. Get "Wood" in at least one tournament. (1st-3rd Place Finish or Lunker or Co-Angler Challenge) 

3. Get "Lunker" in a tournament.   (Preferably one over 5-8 to win the revolving big bass pot.)
4. Get paired with Chuck Fields.
5. Finish in the Top 10 at the end of the year. 
6. Catch a limit at every tournament of the year.  (I've done this twice, but in 2012 I only fished 4 out of the 6 tournaments due to a bad back.)
7. Pre-fish with at least 3 boaters. (Farm, Gull, S. Long)
8. List the Rods I'm bringing for each tournament before the tournament.
9.  Win the Co-Angler Challenge at least twice
10. Make the Challenge Cup Team

11. Finish higher than Tuma in a Tournament (He is the only long-term Snatcher I have not beaten on tournament day. He beat me on the tie-breaker on Whitefish Chain his rookie year in the club. That is the closest I have gotten)
12. Give each boater I fish a lure from my collection.

13. Catch a 20+ Bag and make the Club's list of Top 25 Biggest Bags 

Technique, Equipment, & Tackle Goals:
1. Win something in Fantasy Fishing or Facebook giveaways/contests.
2. Officially Open the Tackle Warehouse this year.
3.  Keep a Lures Lost List
4. Catch 25 fish on a Frenzy Popper
5. Catch 25 fish on a Stanley Phantom

6. Catch bass cranking deep in Sullivan Lake

7. Get better at marking waypoints when I catch a fish

8. Start using side-imaging to catch fish

9. Sell some of my tackle

10. Give Away some of my tackle

Lures Lost In 2022:

Bear Trax Glow Demon: ||||

Cubby Mini-Mite: |

T,H.E. Jig: ||

Rippin Rap: |

Jerk Shad: |||

Pure Poison: |
Texas Rig: |||| ||||
Terminator Poppin Frog: |||

Bobby's Perfect: ||||
Teckel Whacker: | 
Herb's Dilly Buzzbait: |

Z-Man Goat: ||||

Mad Maxx: Big Sexy, Grapes of Wrath,

Z-Man Billy Goat: |||| |||

SK KVD Swim Jig: |||

Z-Man Toadz: |||| ||

SK KVD Sexy Frog: |

Tungsten Texas Rig: |||| ||

eBay Swim Jig: |

Hack Jig: ||||

SK Skip Jig: |
All-Terrain Skip Jig: |

All-Terrain Grassmaster: |
Frenzy Minnow: |
Dark Sleeper: |

 Blogging:

1. Blog about it when I achieve a goal most of the time
2. Record all fishing trips at Fish Swami
3. Fish at least 200 days and blog about them

4. Give better descriptions of trips in the Notes at Fish Swami

5. Get all those unblogged trips from 2021 at Fish Swami blogged at the Log Blog

Fish Goals:
1. Catch* 4,000 Fish (3,900+ caught in 2021)
2. Average 5 fish caught per hour. (4.96 in 2021, 3.92 in 2020, 4.40 in 2019, 4.07 in 2018, 3.99 in 2017, 4.08 in 2016, 3.62 in 2015, 3.55 in 2014, 4.41 in 2013, 4.31 in 2012, 2.77 in 2011)
3. Have a 100 fish day.

4. Catch Devin's Birthday Bullhead On May 20th

5. Catch A Fish Every Month
🗹January

🗹February

🗹March

🗹April

🗹May

🗹June

🗹July

🗹 August

🗹 September
🗹 October
🗹 November

🗹 December

Crappie:

1. Catch a new personal best. (Currently 14.25") (Got 14.75/1.80lb on 5/9/22)
2. Catch* over 1,500 Crappies this year. (Caught 834  in 2021)

3. Catch my personal best number of crappies.

Dogfish:
1. Win my 3rd Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Championship
2. Catch an MN State Record fish. (11-4  or 35" x 20")
3. Catch a new personal best.
4. Get the Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Championship stuff done in a timely manner this year.

Pike:
1. Catch* over 1,000 this year. (Caught 968 in 2021)
2. Catch a 38" or over/personal best.

Bass: 
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Largemouth (6.5lbs/21" PB)
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth (20.5" PB)
3. Catch* over 1,500 bass this year. (Caught 1,178 in 2021)
4. Catch* at least 10 smallies.  (I caught 0 last year)
5. Catch a 25lb 6 Fish Bag
6. Have a 50 bass day 

7. Catch over 500 bass on Frogs/Toads
8. Catch 5 bass over  5lbs/20-inches

9. Catch 25 bass over 4lbs/19-inches
10. Get Steve and Todd at least one 4lber

11. Get Belle, Mallory, and Devin a frog fish.

Walleye:
1. Catch at least 100. (Caught 62 in 2021)
2. Catch 30"/10lber or new personal best. (28.5 is PB)

* Catch is anything I deem it to be, including follows by pike or smallmouth (while pre-fishing), a pike missing my lure, fish viewed on the Aqua View, and fish that get off before I have them in hand that I can positively identify.  And fish caught by people I am guiding or boater during pre-fish.

A goal that I reached is in bold black.
New for 2021 in italics.

2022 When Will I See My Driveway? #3

 Got sunny in the afternoon. Should be able to drive the driveway ice-free in a couple of days.

My Santee Cooper Elite FBF Roster

 Almost went with Stetson in Bucket A. Mullins is a guy that caught my eye this year, and I've been impressed, so he is who I am going with.

Hack is below standard so far this year. Hoping he catches fire in this one.

A Johnston in Bucket C got to take that.

Palmer in D, same 

Auten is a Carolina Boy that hasn't flashed in a while. I am hoping he does this tournament.

2022 When Will I See My Driveway? #2

 

It has been in the high 40's for the last couple of days and we got a little light rain this morning. I don't think it got below freezing last night. I haven't driven anywhere since the parents left on Monday morning. Think I'll be able to see the driveway on Monday or Tuesday.

Got the backyard blown out. 

Yesterday when I stopped

Finished today

2022, When Will I See My Driveway? #1

20-inches (Extra 4 from the bottom of the stick) 

Since 2010 I've documented the process of when the snow/ice leaves my driveway. In 2010 I started on March 5th. Last year I started on March 2nd. I think the earliest I have ever started was February 26th, 2016. The latest start was March 26th, 2013. Last year I saw the driveway today. Guessing it will be sometime mid-next week this year.

In other Spring news, I got the water line from the sump pump dug out today and will attempt to snowblow the backyard tomorrow; the snow depth may prevent that. Decided not to fish today. Hopefully, the temps stay close to this forecast, maybe a bit lower on Sun and Monday.

 

Spring Watch 2022, It's Coming Soon

 

It definitely looks like we are about to get off of the roller coaster of low temperatures. As of today, the average high temp is 37℉. Daylight Savings Time Starts in a couple of days. Spring is on its way, and if the forecast is correct, we are in for a controlled snowmelt. I will probably start the When Will I See My Driveway posts on Tuesday and will snowblow the backyard on Tuesday or Wednesday.

BP Endorces This Message

 It seems clear that Kirk's priorities in life and a football team that contends for Championships are incompatible. The holes in his game combined with the Viking's squad holes are too big to justify the price tag. If Kirk wants to prioritize the welfare of his family and causes he believes in above winning football, that is his business. He can take his overpriced talents elsewhere. I hope some other team makes us a quality offer for his services. Impress me, Kwesi!

GOMH And A Mack Story

Today was let Big Mack out Wednesday. I had Kaylee along and didn't park close enough to the garage. so Kaylee got a glimpse of Mack and threw a fit. Naturally, Mack took off for the Kia. On the ice, I am not a match for Mack so he took me for a ride. Somehow I kept my feet and stopped myself by sliding into the front of Kia. I did almost let go of the leash when I was about 10-feet from the Kia. Running into the Kia like I did was probably the safer plan as the taut leash helped me keep my balance while I was running.

I got minnows at Bear Trax and stopped at the GOMH on the way home. I am guessing the darker area out from the bridge is where the ice is thinnest   

Spring Watch 2022, Breaking News!

Don't want to count the chickens quite yet, but the long-term forecast looks like an ideal soft landing for spring with all the snow around here. Temps in the mid to low the 40s and below freezing at night is the sweet spot for steady snowmelt. A straight week of weather like that, yes, please!

 

Christie Captures Classic Crown

Click Here To See the rest of Overstreet's Final Weigh-In Photo Gallery.
 

Victory Achieved! He did it. Jason Christie came back to B.A.S.S. with the expressed mission to get himself a Bassmaster Classic Championship, and by golly, he did just that. Christie just edged out Kyle Welcher and Stetson Blaylock, putting a 17lb bag on the scales giving him 54lbs on the dot, which scored me 40 bonus points in Fantasy Fishing and Drain the Lake. Whozahhhh! 

Holy, What?

 When did Mark Davis turn into this?  He looks like he is ready to kick tail and take names. 100% Giga-Chad!

Platte Lake Ice Out Prediction for 2022

 A Couple of days late with my Official 2022 Ice Out Prediction for 2022. This year's weather has been up for a day or two, then down for about a week. Looks like we are going to be in for more extended cold next week, with no signs of a turn towards Spring. I wonder if I will need to put the extension on my auger next week. Yikes! 

I predict ice goes off Platte Lake on Easter Sunday, April 17th, quite a reversal from my initial spit-balling of ice off April 1st. I think I need to re-train my brain to like ice fishing more and not be so gung-ho for ice off. I've got positive elements to work with to do it. Patience BP, patience.

I think the ice will be off the lakes in the lower 3rd of the State early this year. It has been way warmer down there than it has been up here, and they are supposed to get a soaking today.

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