My Top 13 Fishing Highlights of 2018

2018 was the year of Devin and Steve.  Steve and family moved into the lake place in the Fall of 2017 remodeled the place and about a year later moved on to a new adventure in Chicago.  Fishing with Dev and Steve were at the top of my highlights for the year.

#1 Highlight: Catching Bull Bluegills Off the Dock With Devin 

#2 Highlight: Getting Steve His First Ever MN State Fish at Mille Lacs Lake

#3 Highlight: Teaching Devin about Ice Fishing

#4 Highlight: Bass Devin Caught Off the Dock While We Were Eating Dinner

#5 Highlight: Steve's Big Pike

#6 Highlight Fishing With The Brothers.  Steve, Todd and I fished together on a few trips in the Trophy.  And there were quite a few trips with just me and Stever or me and Todd. 

#7 Highlight: Steve's Big Doggo

#8 Highlight: Fishing the Melon Patch.  Many a melon was snatched and quite a few got away as well (Only linking twice doesn't begin to tell the story).

#9 Highlight: The 17" Hole and Big Rice Point.   Another productive area that provided a number of memorable trips as well as my biggest bass of the year.

#10 Highlight: Fishing and Pre-Fishing the Snatcher Minnewawa Tournament with Keith Tuma and his daughter Breanne.

#11 Highlight: Being the 1st Ever Bass Snatcher Co-Angler Challenge Winner at Lake Edward.

#12 Highlight:  The Hot Fall Bite Off  Of Eddy's Jetty In October and November.  It's a shame winter came early this year.

#13 Highlight (Because I "Make My Own Luck") Catching Big Bass at the Mission Lakes Mini-Bucks.

You can read about pretty much every trip I took in 2018 at the Fishing Log Blog.

My Day Ice Fishing With Dev

10.5" VMC Fly/maggots

4:00-6:15PM Platte Lake Out Front
Conditions: 30-24℉, Mostly Sunny, W Windy
Depth 7' or so

Devin's first ever ice fish

I finally got my act together and took Devin ice fishing for the 1st time.  I searched for fish using the GPS and Aqua -Vu Micro 5c. I started drilling to shallow.  By the time Devin got out there I had spied some fish.  I had Devin help me drill the second hole, which we put the old Aqua-Vu in.  While I was getting that setup Devin was outside with Storm.  Unfortunately, there was a weed partially blocking the screen.   Sure enough, the perch were still down there.  I caught one perch then took Storm from Devin and told her what to do.  She quickly located the lure on the Aqua -Vu and caught her first fish lickety-split.  We caught a bunch and avoided a bunch.  Didn't see any sunfish.

    We tried to avoid the little ones, but Dev managed to catch a couple of really small ones. 

Steve felled the tree, while we were out fishing. Steve came out and Devin showed him how she was catching them while I held storm.  They went back up to the cabin.  I had a pike bite off a Rippin' Rap.  I elected not to move and packed up around 6PM.  Steve helped me pull my stuff up the hill.  Shortly after arriving at home I got a call from Steve.  Kim hit a deer on 27 just before the turn on 8.  So I drove down to where she was at.  There was significant front-end damage to the Expedition and the airbag went off.  Kim was shook up, but able to drive it to J & D's service station.  Sherman drove Steve down and picked Kim up.  I don't know if the truck is fixable r not.  Thankfully it looks like the snow storm we were supposed to get tomorrow has veered to the North.  Hopefully, the storm on Monday/Tuesday misses us as well.