Giving Up My Platte/Sullivan Juice For 2023

I just discovered that the Fish Swami App offers me yearly, monthly, and hourly maps of the general location of the fish I caught in the time frame of my choosing. There is no breakdown for fish species, but this year I was pretty much a 50/50 split between pike and bass this year. So here is where I caught them in 2023. 

This map was my Platte/Sullivan trips in which I fished both lakes.

Just my Platte Lake trip fish numbers

My Only Sullivan Lake trip fish numbers

In the coming days, I will do a post contrasting where I caught fish in 2023 vs. 2022, when I mainly was still fishing in Platte Lake.

Platte/Sullivan Trips: 922 fish caught

Platte Lake Trips: 345 fish caught (Probably 80/20 split pike to bass)

Sullivan Lake Trips: 404 fish caught.

 

Good Play, Just Used At The Wrong Time

 During the first drive of the game in Denver, the Vikes had the ball 4th and 1 yard-to-go near midfield. We elected to go for it. The ball was snapped to our TE Hock who was under center. Hock then pitched it to QB Tark 2.0 who ran outside to get the ball the ball was stripped, and took a vicious hit that wasn't flagged, but got the player suspended after the league looked at it. 

I really liked the idea of Hock under center, we should try it in the future with both a "Brotherly Shove" and a pitch out to a WR or RB Chandler.

I didn't care when KOC chose to use it. I think he should have waited until we were on the goal line or in the second half.

Three Vikings turnovers resulted in the team losing the game. We almost recovered a fumble MN LB Pace Jr. forced, but he didn't gain control until he was out of bounds on Denver's final drive. The Vikings losing the game wasn't the end of the world. The Packers beat the Lions on Thanksgiving, which I thought was a possibility. If the Vikings get back to winning this Monday night then everything gets back to being right with the world again. If the Vikings get beat by Da Bears, it isn't panic button time yet because we have the bye week next, the Sea Chickens are in free fall with a brutal schedule ahead, and the Packers play the Chiefs when we are on the bye. I can't wait for the Monday Night tilt. I think the Bears will play well, but the Vikes are at home and the better team. If we get those turnovers under control or force some, we should win. Jet may or may not be back.

19 Years Of Bass Pundit And Still Rolling

 
A look at Bass Pundit through the years. The pickings were pretty slim for pictures of me holding fish until 2009.

Pic taken Oct. 2004

Oct. 2005

May 2006

May 2007

June 2008 (1st Ever Snatcher Tournament)

June 2009

June 2010

July 2011

Sept. 2012

Sept. 2013

Oct. 2014

July 2015

Oct 2016

July 2017

Oct. 2018

Sept. 2019

Aug. 2020

Sept. 2021

Oct. 2022

July 2023

Is it just me who thinks I'm getting better-looking with age? 

Happy 19th Blogiversery To Me!

Next Year, I plan on getting a cake made.

Liveblogging: The Love Led Packers Vs. LA Lighting Bolts at Lambert

 Seeing as how A-a-a Ron is gone, and the Packers are now riding on the Suck Truck for who knows how long, I think live blogging their games could provide me with mucho entertainment to pass the time this Sunday and any other time they are on TV here in Minnesocold. 

Here is what happened so far:
Cheese started with the ball and a penalty, Noice!
They drove to mid-field where they were stoned on 4th and 1.
Sackmaster Bosa went off with what looks to be a serious lower leg injury on the 3rd Down play, I think.

On 4th Down a wide open Charger receiver couldn't catch an easy one in the cold and the Pack got the ball back at mid field. Shortly after they punted.
Chargers drove down the field and once again a Charger dropped easy one that cost them a 1st Down and probably a TD as well. Chargers kicked a field goal.

Packers got the ball and ran it down the Chargers throat for an easy TD. Pack 7 Bolts 3

Charger then went through Pack D like a sledgehammer through Miracle Whip. Bolts 10 Pack 7 

Love got sacked, but the Pack were not deterred and are now driving.
Drive stalled due to a bobbled snap and Love sack, forcing a 50+ yard field goal attempt, that was missed. So Sad, Pack Bolts 10 Pack 7, with Bolts ball near midfield.

Bolts did nothing and punted.

Pack 1st Down

3rd and Long coming up

False start 3rd and Longer

Pack 1st Down, nice downfield throw by Love.

Aaron Jones injured on 1st Down play, isn't he their main horse?

Da Bears 10 Da Lions 7 Lions threatening to score

Pack 1st Down at the 2-Minute warning.
Detriot is now up 14 to 10. The game is in Detroit.

Will Love pull a Ponder and throw a pick?
Packers moving

Packers in the red zone, 1st Down

Pack player Wilson is injured, he's a RB. Costs GB a timeout.

2&9 on about the 11-yard line. GB timeout.

Love does a bonehead and doesn't throw it away costing them a timeout

Pack kick a fieldgoal

10 to 10 at half.

Incredible that it is only 10 to 10. It looked like this one was going to be a shootout.

They have kicked off and bolts are driving, almost at midfield

Bolts on the Pack side of the field.

Bolts 3rd and about 7

10 scrambles to the 5 yard line

Bolts going backward tackled at the 8

WR Allen drops a TD

Bolts 13 Pack 10

Pack lose 5 on 1st down

3rd and 10

1st Down, nice throw and catch

It will be 3rd and short

Short pitch and catch, 1st Down. Injured Bolt Joesph Day DT

Bears scored a fieldgoal and are down 13 to Lions 14

Love throws for a 1st Down

Pack ahead of the chains

And they go backward

3rd and 6 after a loss of 4 yards

Mack Sacks Love on the Packers side of the 50, nothing Love could do but eat dirt.

Bolts ball at the 10 yard line

Bears score a TD now up 20 to 14

The Lions fans who think beating the Bears is as easy as Rodgers made it look could be in for a rude awakening.

Bolts punt and Packers muff the ball out of bounds, Packer ball around the 35 or so.

Pack big gain on 1st Down

Packer big play, but he did step out of bounds, no TD

TD Pack, throw to Watson.

Pack 16 Bolts 13, Pack missed the EP 

Bears kicked field goal Bears 23 Lions in trouble down by two scores with 14

3rd Quarter is over at Lambert

Long completion for the Bolts

Bolts going through 'em like Miracle Whip again

Bolts 1st and goal from the 2.

incomplete pass

fumble

Pack ball, it was a fumble

Lions punted again, 

Love with a 105.4 rating right now.

An incomplete pass on what should have been a big play

Dropped pass, 3rd and 10

Intentional grounding, Pack to punt

Bolt ball at their 37, Campbell injured for the Pack

Herbert threaded the needle first down

Pack almost made an incredible INT, Offensive PI

Doesn't phase 'em 1st Down Bolts

Delay of Game, Center didn't snap the ball

10 runs for a 1st Down

Bolts in Red Zone go nowhere on 1st Down

Holy Cow what a throw, TD Bolts

Bolts 20 Pack 16

Herbert is a stud!

Pack stopped on 1st down

Fumble GB recovery in the backfield, Lucky suckers

PI Bolts on 3rd and 20, stupid play

Heck of a play on 2nd Down for a long gain

Bolts tacking form poor

Packer TD on a throw to a wide open reciever

Pack 23 Bolt 20

Bears are up by 6, Lions with the ball nearing the Red Zone

3rd and 10 Bolts

10 Sacked

Will they punt or go for it

Two-minute warning

Looks like the Lions pulled it out

3rd and 6 Packers, Pack will punt

Touchback

Fumble on 2nd Down

PI on the Cheese on 3rd and 8

Packers will Punt, no timeouts for the Bolts 1:35 left

Dropped pass that would have put the Bolts in FG range

Packers deflect pass, Pack win the game

The frozen tundra won this one for the Cheese

Cali boi's can't catch in November in the North Country in a game played outside.

Pack 23 Bolts 20

Somehow the Bears gave up a saftey on their final drive to try and tie the game and lost

31-26 

The Packers got a gift win today. They were clearly outplayed and got the lucky bounces when the ball hit the ground and when Herbert hit open receivers.

Give that production assistant a beer!

Congrats the Pukes and Da Lions
I think the Lions are in for a battle on Thanksgiving when the Pack comes to town. 
The Pack got embarrassed in Lambert.

 

55, 99, 22- The Band is Back Together

 

In the wake of the injury to Jordan Hicks the Vikings have apparently signed Anthony Barr. Barr being a UCLA grad with a high football IQ should be able to pick up the Flores Defence quickly. I really like this signing.

Welcome back to MN, 55! 

Last Open Water Fish of 2023

 

 9:30-11:40PM Eddy's Jetty 

41-56℉, Clear, 1-3mph SW

4' of visibility

A slight ripple on the water, but no wave action to speak of. Eyeballs would follow my lure, but not hit. Only got the one-biter and two bumps; one at Pete's and one at the N Corner on my first cast with a Jerk Shad There was a boat or two at Indian Point. Spotted at least 6 different sets of eyeballs either at the North Corner or N Harbor Mouth.

1Eye 

Tark 2.0 Is 2-0

 The first half was all Vikings. The second half was a mess offensively, but we held on.

Vikings 27, Dem Cheatin' Saints 19.

Tark 2.0 Leads The Vikes To Victory In Atlanta

 

The rook, Jaren Hall, only lasted two series before he got a concussion trying to run the ball into the endzone on third down. Hall did look good in that second series. So the QB that we traded for last week was thrust into the game. Zero practice reps with the Offense, because they were getting a rookie QB ready to play. What Dobbs, KOC, and the Vikings Team pulled off in a hostile stadium with a solid defense was astonishing. The Vikes got one TD with Dobbs and I was impressed. Then he got a second TD to tie the game at 21 on an amazing scramble. Wow! Then we got an interception and the Vikes took the lead on a field goal. The teams then traded off punts before finally, the Atlanta OC came to his senses and started pounding the ball right down the field and into the endzone. With two minutes left in a raucous domed stadium, Tark 2.0 went to work and could not be denied. Vikings 31 Falcons 28, scoreboard at 0:00.

Coach Kevin O'Connell now owns three of the most improbable victories in Vikings history. I still can hardly believe this happened. I don't think it's an understatement to say this was one of the all-time great total team wins in NFL history. Simply incredible!

I don't know what the future holds. I am sure the Saints Defence is chomping at the bit to get their shot at Tark 2.0 in Minneapolis this week. If nothing else, we will always have Atlanta, Mr. Dobbs. 

Dock Out 2023, Todd Got A Deer

 I dropped by the cabin today and helped Todd pull the dock in the rest of the way. We had about 7 feet to go. Ice went off the lake on Saturday. Todd finally got his first deer yesterday. It was just a little doe. There were a total of 7 deer herding together; he wished he had a second tag because he didn't spook the herd and easily would have gotten another bigger one. Lesson learned.  

Good Luck, Rook!

Jaren Hall gets his first NFL start today. My expectations are not high. I think we are going to lose the game. The kid probably doesn't have enough experience. Maybe KOC is a miracle worker and will be able to tailor a game plan around the kid's strengths. If we score 20 Points I'll be amazed.

140 Trips Taken In The Trophy In 2023

 I have slowly been working on a spreadsheet to keep track of how many trips I have taken with each of my two motors. This year I took 116 trips with the 1993 Johnson and 24 trips with the 2001 Johnson for a total of 140 trips in the Trophy this year. That is a fairly significant drop from the 162 trips I took last year and the 184 trips I took in 2021, both years on the 1993 Johnson. Motor issues depress me and I had those in 2023. Platte Lake freezing out was a factor as was a late Spring, and I fished into November the previous two years. I took 35 trips in July and 32 trips in June this year and only 31 trips in September and October combined. No trips in the Trophy this November so far this year and there probably won't be any. However, I'm not going to rule it out completely as that I am storing the boat here this winter and the forecast has taken a turn in a warmer direction.

Women In Tournament Fishing

 

Christopher Decker wrote a three-part series about women in bass tournament fishing published in reverse order in Bassmaster Magazine. This was news to me because while I get Bassmaster Magazine I rarely look into what is inside the issue, especially during fishing season. I learned about the Series through the MN Bassheads Facebook Group when one of the members shared it with the group on Halloween when Part 1, the final installment was published online. I really enjoyed the perspectives of the Women Anglers in Part 1, especially veteran angler Pam Martin-Wells. She went into the history of women's bass tournament angling, which used to have a bunch of participation back in the day, but has been in a steady decline for longer than I have had this blog if I correctly understood Wells timeline. 

At the MN Bassheads Facebook Group, I noted that the decline in participation seems to coincide with the rising price of high-end fishing gear for bass fishing.  Maybe that is just a coincidence or maybe there is a correlation that can be made. I don't know.  

Women in Fishing: Part 1