The Ugly Berkley Frenzy Minnow

 Berkley came out with their "Frenzy" concept a little before the year 2000 if I am not mistaken.  They were what Berkley created in their scientific lab designed to figure out what got bass to react and trigger to best. There were topwater lures, crankbaits, lipless, and a jerkbait. The jerkbait, the Berkley Frenzy Minnow, is one ugly mofo that has a shallow and deep runner. It isn't a lure that ever really caught on with me until I discovered something about it this Fall fishing walleyes at the Jetty at Mille Lacs.  Something about this lure triggers walleyes that have passed up multiple presentations of other kinds. I have had this happen several times so it isn't a fluke. I wonder if it is the same for bass. I vaguely recall having that experience a time or two at the jetty with smallmouth but wasn't able to locate any posts at the log blog detailing it. I will have to give it a try with bucket mouths next Spring at the Grumpy Old Man Hole. Hopefully, I will remember to try it unlike my pledge last winter to use the Frenzy Popper more in 2020, doh!   

Golden Bullheads at the GOMH

This morning I got to the GOMH at 5AM in search of some gold.  I started on the NE side and it wasn't long and I was bringing in my first golden bullhead on a Berkley Powerbait Ripple Shad.

18.5"

 I missed another one and got a couple of jumpin bullheads.  I then went to try the SE side, but only got jumpin bullheads there.  Because it was cloudy and windy blowing into the N side I went back and scored my second golden bullhead of the day.  Here's both of them from this morning.

I did get a couple of toothy bullheads, including one that had a jig in it's mouth.  Here is the one that didn't have the jig.

Here is my biggest jumper of the morning.

17.75

I lost several other really nice jumpin bullheads and a couple that I don't know what they were.

For the evening trip I didn't arrive until 8:30PM and I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of people and within 20 minutes of me being there all but my friend Joe's buddies were gone.  I started on the NE side and only got a couple of jumpin bullheads.  I then tried the SE side for a while and once again only got jumpin bullheads.  I switched back to the North side and immediately got a golden bullhead on a Spro 25 crank in parrot.

I got my last 2 golden bullheads on the night on a Powerbait Ripple Shad.

16"

17"

I think I missed one or two more.  I gave the fish to Joe's friend and he gave me some minnows.  John W. showed up. He had something big on, probably a pike he said.  I left a little before 10:30PM

Golden Bullheads and Jumpin Bullheads, No Toothers

I got out early today to try for some golden bullheads.  I thought I wasn't going to get one.  I tried the NW side and nothing.  Then I tried the NE side and broke the front off my Frenzy crankbait when I hit the wall.  I  switched to a baitcaster and got another Frenzy.  I made several casts with nothing and was just about to give up when I got a hit.  Sure enough it was a golden bullhead and I managed to land it despite it not being very well hooked.

22"

I then got a jumpin bullhead on the Frenzy then nothing.  I switched to the YUM Money Minnow and had a bigger eye on but it got off somehow.  I don't know if I would have kept it, because it was at least 24 inches.  I got a couple more jumpers on the Money Minnow then I switched to the SW side.

All I could get there were jumpin bullheads, this 18" was the biggest.

No matter where or how far I cast all I could get were jumpin bullheads, not a toothy bullhead to be found.  I even tried for panfish bullheads and got jumpin bullheads.  I called it quits a 8AM my thumbs were raw.

Walleye Opener- My 2nd Mille Lacs Trip

5-12-2013
I let it get too late on me on Sunday morning.  The temps were at or below freezing and so I decided not to go figuring my guides would be icing up.

5-13-2013

I headed out just before midnight and was fishing by 12:30AM.  I decided to throw the crawdad colored Berkley Frenzy Minnow instead of the rainbow trout one I threw on Sat.

I had gotten a tip to fish South of where I had been the night before, so I gave it a try.  I had a hit on my very first cast.  A few casts later I got hung up. I thought maybe I could wade out to the spot and took my jacket off.  The water dropped off to much and I couldn't get anywhere near it..  I moved quite a bit South and tried to pull it free.  Then I moved quite a bit North and thankfully it came out.  Turns out it was caught in an old reed stalk.  I resumed fishing at about 10 to 1AM and was hooked up immediately with this 23" fish.

About 15 Minutes later I was hooked up again.  With this 25 incher.

About 15 minutes after getting it released I got this 22.5 incher.

Things were going pretty well.  But then I missed a bite or two and things had slowed down.  I went in to change baits.  When I looked out on the water it kind of looked like some fog was forming.  Then I realized it wasn't fog but ice coming in.

 So basically my spot was wrecked.  I went and checked Cemetery Jetty and I could have fished there but I didn't see any fish.  Note to self- Bring a high powered flash light next time.

Next I went to Eddy's and it was fishable there.  I went quite a way South but I didn't see any thing.  I also fished off the middle Jetty. Nothing.  I called it quits a bit after 4AM.

Eye's For Opener On Mille Lacs

I didn't get headed out this morning until after 12:30AM.  I had a hunch that Eddy's Jetty wasn't gonna play tonight and I was right.

Ice was tight to the shore and the harbor was even less than 50% open.  As I tried to make my way North along the frontage road I had to turn around and come back as the road was blocked with ice.

I made my way to my back up spot and it was free of ice.  Thankfully I wore my neoprene waders and I went and scoped it out.  I saw some suckers and a couple eye balls, so I went to the truck and got my gear. I don't think I was in the water until right around 2:00AM.  I knew I was probably going to be fishing shallow water probably not deeper than 5 or 6 feet.  I decided to try a rainbow trout Berkley Frenzy Minnow because it was one of the few floaters I had with me and it casts pretty well.

I waded out in the water and had been casting for about 20 minutes when I had a hit really close to me.  It was on for a few seconds and got off.  I fished there for about 10 more minutes then I moved.  I was in the new spot about 10 minutes when a good eye just choked it.

24 Inches

I tried to go out to approximately the same spot and started fishing again. I had been at it about 10 minutes when  I hooked into another fish that felt really good but it got off after about 10 seconds.  My next bite came about 10 minutes later and stayed hooked up.

24.5"

Much to my surprise the fish was actually a half inch longer.  It didn't have nearly the shoulders the first one had.

Once again I went out and tried to fish from the same general area.  My feet started getting cold so I began to wish for a fish to end my night on.  I missed the first 3 bites I had before catching this keeper to end my night at about 3:50AM.

19"

All in all I consider this morning a smashing success.  3 eyes landed and 5 more bites, not bad for not knowing if I was going to be able to fish or not.