GOMH Today

 

The latest long-term weather forecast at Weather.com has things getting warmer and a lot less wet than previously indicated.

Chiefs and 49ers to the Super Bowl. If the weather is decent I'm going fishing.

The GOMH Today

 

I'm not saying it's going to be an early ice out this year, but it is going to be an early ice out this year. It won't surprise me if there is open water at the Intersection by February.

My Thought on the Bass Snatcher 2024 Schedule (Tentative)

I was not feeling well so I didn't make it to the January meeting. Three of the lakes I mentioned in my wishlist are tentatively scheduled this year; They are Little Boy, Gull River, and Gull Lake. I left Pelican off my wishlist because it doesn't impress me as a bass fishery. Between it and Edward, I prefer Edward. Mission Lakes, I prefer we don't fish because I've been there so many times; I'll be trying to get it changed to Bordon Lake at the February meeting. The Snatchers have never fished Bordon Lake outside of Garrison MN since I joined the club.  

So what about Big Birch? We fished it my first year in the club, 2008, and haven't been back since. It didn't really impress me back then; I came in 2nd to last with a really small limit. I read my pre-fishing recap blog and tournament recap blog to refresh my memory.  I'm cool with this choice. It has probably improved as a smallmouth fishery and I had basically forgotten about the largemouth habitat. If we do keep this lake I hope I can convince the guys to make it a 7 AM Start, something I think we should also do if we fish at Little Boy as well. Both lakes really are not that far from Baxter. I leave my place to fish at 4:30 AM or earlier frequntly in June.   

January 16th 2024 at the GOMH

 

A very cold winter day 0 to 5℉ was the temp range. It looked like there might be somebody fishing in a spot I want to try, but I'm not completely sure. There was big wheelhouse out from the access on Platte 150 yards and a truck on the ice about 100 yards to the West.

January 14th at the GOMH

The Polar Vortex has the GOMH completely frozen over

 The same couldn't be said about Platte. That is steam rising above open water.

BP's Snatcher Tournament 2024 Wish List

Saturday will be the first Baxter Bass Snatcher meeting of 2024. We traditionally have 6 tournaments and do not fish a lake in back-to-back years. Last year we fished Bay, North Long, Alexander, Serpent (Blind), Pokegama (Grand Rapids), and Whitefish Chain. Last year, our most attended tournaments only had between 6 and 9 boats, so I think there is going to be some discussion about shrinking the minimum size lake, which I believe is currently 1,000 acres.  Here is my wish list of lakes. 

Away Lakes (We have one maybe two on the schedule)

Rush Lake (Ottertail)

Fish Hook (Park Rapids)

Little Boy/Wabedo (Longville)

Woman Lake (Longville)

Leech

Osakis

Local Lakes:

Farm Island

Platte/Sullivan

Crow Wing River/Gull River

Rice Lake/Mississippi

Zebulon Pike/Mississippi

Gull Lake 

Bordon

South Long

Edward

Fish Trap

Birch (Hackensack)

Washburn

Thunder

If we go to a 700 acre minimum:

Clearwater (If we are not in a drought again.)

Nokay

Blackwater

Lakes I've seen enough of, thank you!
Rabbit Lakes

Mission Lakes 

Cedar Lake (Aitken)

 

Jan. 5th at the GOMH

I wasn't into fishing on this day. I did go for a drive. Still a bunch of open water at the GOMH. There were fishermen at The Dog, Platte, and Sullivan. I didn't check Rock and nobody out on Long.

BP's 2023 Top Lure: Snagproof Bobby's Perfect Frog

After two years of absolute dominance by ice fishing lures, my sore back in early 2023 ensured the rule of panfish lures would come to an end. In 2023, Bobby's Perfect Frog was back on top again; It also held the top spot in 2018 and 2020. I lost 10 Bobby's Frogs in 2023, mostly due to pike theft, but I did have an empty Power Clip come back a couple of times as well. 

My supply of "The Sparrow" color is getting low, so this may or may not be the last year the Bobby's Perfect Frog comes out on top. 

 

2023 Battle For Big Bass Between My Bro's

 Is declared no contest, because Steve only fished with me twice the whole year; Todd had 15 trips with me during primetime of the day for big bites. That just isn't doesn't make for a fair contest.  Here are their big bass for the year.

4.34lbs

2.77lbs