Snatcher's at the Gull/Crow Wing River Tourny Preview and Rods

My Thoughts:

My "I can't catch a limit" nemesis, a river tournament. When we were here two years ago in early September, Smitty's Co caught a nearly 18lb limit on a frog, if I'm not mistaken. Rivers are unpredictable beasts that can leave even seasoned guys like Smitty scratching his head. If the rice is lying on the water, I have the weapon of bass destruction for the job.

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'6" H Tatula (Jigs,Punch)

7'4" XH Zillion (Frogs)

7'4" H Mod Zillion (Jigs,Punch)

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frogs)

7'4" H Tatula (Toadz, Frogs)

7'4" H Tatula (Toad,Frog)/7'3" MH Tourny Bass (Carolina Rig)

6'9"H Tatula Elite (Jig)

6'9"H Tatula Elite (FC)(Jig,Punch)

 

Baxter Bass Snatchers 2026 Tournament Schedule (Tentative)

 

Last Saturday, we picked dates and lakes for the upcoming tournament season. The schedule will be debated and finalized at our February meeting.

Sunday, May 31st, Platte/Sullivan: Like I said in my tournament wishlist post, I would prefer a tournament on my lakes later in the year. If it is post-spawn, the lakes can be tricky if the fish are off. That said, I have had some really productive days in late May and early June, and thanks to being able to target bass right from ice-out, I should have a really good idea of productive areas. Will the Chicken play? Will I finally be able to beat out Tuma?

Saturday, June 20th, Big Birch (Grey Eagle): We fished this lake in my very first year in the club, 2008, and we haven't been back since. I really liked the lake. It has smallmouth and clear water. I hope this one stays.

Saturday, July 11th Gull /Crow Wing River: This was my suggestion, and it beat out all the other lakes we came up with in the vote. Tuma said later is better here. So at the next meeting, I am going to make a motion to switch it with Pelican or Leech.

Saturday, August 15th, Pelican Lake: I may have to stock up on a certain color of craw tubes for this one. Judging by my pre-fishWill the Chicken Play?

Saturday, September 12th, Leech Lake: Hopefully it stays at Leech, it doesn't blow hard that day, and water levels are normal. Will smallies play?

Saturday, October 3rd, Gull Lake: Gull Lake has been on fire the past few years. Will it continue? Will they bite the Chicken?

My Snatcher Tournament Recap of Sept 7th on the Crow Wing/Gull River

 

The Winning Trio

 Weather: 50-70℉, Mostly Sunny w/some fog in the morning, 2-9mph SSE

My Thoughts Going In: My boater was quite confident that we would both be able to get a limit. I have never done that in a Snatcher Tournament on a river, so I was hopeful but not counting my chickens yet. This has not been my year.

The Day:

It was a beautiful slightly foggy morning take-off. I wish I would have taken a photo. We should have stopped at the bridge because nobody was fishing off of it. At our first stop up the Gull River Tyler was getting bites immediately on his frog but missed the first two or three; then he got a pike. He said he got a bunch of pike prefishing on the frog. He continued to get blowups but wasn't converting any of them into hookups. I had a couple of fish swirl on me in the cheese and duckweed, but not actually make an attempt to eat the frog. Tyler finally hooked into a bass and got the skunk out of the boat. Shortly after that, I had a fish blow up and take the frog, but I came up empty on the hookset. We ended up reworking the area at my suggestion and Tyler got his second fish in the boat. 

We then went back downriver to another slop area where Tyler had some big fish show themselves. It was dead for quite a while. I finally got my first bass in the boat. It was right in the middle of a cheese mat and it took four attempts for it to get my frog. I should have told Tyler to cast to the spot a few times to make sure there wasn't more than one fish there. By the time I was ready to fish again, we had moved on. About 15 minutes later I got a small keeper out of some pads. 

We went back to the starting spot and came up empty, but then just went across the river into a little cut and I frogged up my third fish. We then headed to the rice at the confluence. A guy on the bridge had a three-pound smallmouth as we passed under.  There was some activity at the confluence, but we were not getting bit. I finally had a good bass blow up on my frog after I saw some movement behind my frog; I laid the wood to her, but she buried me in the junk and got off. I couldn't believe it. That coontail/milfoil was like getting stuck in concrete. Eventually, we went back up the Gull and refished the areas in the morning from closest to farthest. Tyler got a couple of keepers inside of the cuts and I got my fourth and final bass on a spinerbait. We both missed at least a couple of blow-ups in the final hour. I should have been throwing a frog instead of that Snag Proof Popper with little hooks. No limit for me yet again on a river.

Results: 14th Place, Ugh! But I'm lucky it wasn't far worse as Ludenia, Tim, and Larry didn't catch 'em.

Sarah won her second Co-Angler Challenge this year.

My Thoughts: It just wasn't my day yet again.  Hearing that Tuma, Smitty, and Sarah crushed them on frogs is a heart smasher. I should have known those little hooks on that Snagproof Popper made hooking fish risky.  Frustrating year. 

Grade: D When they are biting on frogs I should have gotten a limit.

Gull/Crow Wing River Plan and Rods I'm Bringing

 The Plan: I drew Snatcher Rookie Tyler for my boater. I think if we get any smallmouth it will be accidental. Plan A is to frog 'em up. Plan B: Jigs and spinnerbaits if they are not hitting on top.

Goals:

1. Catch a bass that goes at least 5/8 

2. Get a limit. (I have never caught a limit in any of the the previous four Snatcher tournaments on a river.)

3. Place in the Top 5

4. Win Co-Angler Cash, and both Lunker Pots

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Toadz)

7'4" H Tatula  (Worm)

7'4" H Zillion (Punching)

6'10" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig,Spinnerbait,Buzzbait,Chatterbait)

6'10" H Tatula Elite  (FC) (Jig,Spinnerbait,Craw Texas Rig)

6'10" MH Tatula (Swim Jig, Chatterbait)

Snatcher Gull/Crow Wing River Tournament

 

Chuck Fields wins 2nd Consecutive Tournament.

 

Sara & Herman with "Lunker Wood"

Sara with her 6lb Lunker & a 3/03

4/02 on Big Bite BFE

Pike on the Berkley Fusion19 Jig/KVD Shiner

What I caught fish on

Conditions: Periods of clouds and sun, 70's to upper 80's, a bit humid, light winds

The Day:
I was so disappointed that my Tackle Warehouse order did not arrive on Friday, but such is life. We blasted off as boat #4 and headed West, getting passed by Snatcher Dennis as we headed up river. Our first and second spots were slop areas on adjacent sides of the river, and we didn't get a bite at either place in about an hour of fishing. So we headed up river farther, and Bill got a quality smallmouth right away on a popper. He then got a rock bass and a couple of non-keeper smallmouths. I got a pike on a lipless Frenzy and a rock bass on a Jackhammer. I also had something that felt quality on for a few seconds on our second pass down by where Bill got the smallie.

From there, we headed up in sight of the bridge, and Bill popped a nice large on his first pitch. I think I got a pike and rock bass, and Bill got a couple of non-keeper smallies and rockies. I think we moved down the river just a little way. Bill got a nice smallie throwing a Senko by the shore and a fourth nice keeper smallmouth in the middle of the river. We pulled in behind Snatcher Al, where Bill got his first keeper; Bill got a non-keeper smallmouth.  We went down river a little way, and I got the big pike which put up a good battle. I took my time with it, and Bill eventually netted it and took pictures. I wasn't too pleased because the day was more than half over, and I didn't have a bass in the boat yet. We worked a shaded bank and didn't get anything. So next, we headed back to where the river narrows to the East of the public access. And started working our way West fishing wood. Bill got his 5th keeper pretty quickly. We continued working wood. Finally, I got a keeper in the boat out of some weeds and wood, and it was a good one, 4lbs.

There was a slop area just upriver from where I got my fish, and in the next 10-minutes, I had my bag for the day, catching two quick fish on a frog. We then went back up river to our second stop working that slop bay better than we did the first time. I got one 11-inch largemouth on a frog. Then we crossed the river expanding on our first area of the morning. Bill had to miss 5 or 6 bites on his frog before he finally got his limit fish in the boat, which was a quality largemouth. I think he then caught one that didn't help him. For the final 20-minutes, we worked the slop area by the access. I had a fish boil on my frog but did not get it and didn't try again. And then the day was done.

Results: My 3 fish weighed 7/13, which put me in 13th Place out of 17 Anglers, two of which blanked. Chuck Fields made it back-to-back wins with a 17/01 bag, and my boater Snatcher Ludenia made it back-to-back as runner-up with a 16/12. Lunker went to Snatcher Sara with a 6lb Pig.

Thoughts: I should have thought more about what it would take to catch some smallmouth. I should have thrown a football jig and brought some swing heads and square bills. I really think my lack of forethought cost me a limit. At a minimum, I should have been able to catch at least one smallmouth.  Not getting to pre-fish this one cost me.

 

Snatcher Gull River Preview: My Plan and Rods I'm Bringing

The Plan: It is tournament week, and this Saturday, we will be fishing the Gull/Crow Wing River. This will be the second time the Snatchers have fished it since I joined the club. The previous tournament was in mid-August of 2019. Unfortunately, I was unable to pre-fish. On the good side, I drew Snatcher Ludenia, who knows just about every fishery we go to well. He has a track record of bringing in limits here but on the small side. I am on the hunt for giants and bringing the heavy artillery. I am guessing Bill will be pitching a jig. If I can get hits on a frog/toad,, I will do a lot of that.

Update: So I talked to my boater, and it sounds like we will be fishing for smallmouth most of the time.  Made some adjustments. Unfortunately, a shipment of baits from Tackle Warehouse that was supposed to arrive on Thursday got delayed and didn't make it. Bummer!

Rods I am bringing:

7'4" H Zillion (Jig)

7'4'' H Tatula (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Swim Jig)

7'4" H Tatula G2 (Toad, Buzzbait)

7'4" H Tatula Glass G2 (Chatter, Topwater, Lipless)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube, BFE)

6'10" MH Tatula G2 (Swim/Skip Jig)

6'8" Avid M (Spinnerbait, Topwater)

Aug. 17th Gull/Crow Wing River Snatcher Tournament Full Report

Checkbook Won the Co-angler Challenge with 15/4 

Conditions: 81-65℉, Mostly Sunny, 5-15mph South

The Day:
We started at the rice island at the confluence of the two rivers where Bruce got the two bites prefishing.  There was notably no activity going on here while there was plenty of it when we pre-fished.  We didn't get a bite.  There was some activity to the South of us just off of the rice.  When we got down there I had a fish hit my Piranha Chatterjig, but not hook up.  It jolted the rod like a pike.  That was the only bite we got along the rice.  We then headed across to the slop matt which wasn't nearly as well-formed as when we pre-fished; It shrunk significantly.  I saw a fish come out of the water.  I had bruce get me in casting range and I got a hit on the Spro Sprinker Frog but it didn't hook up.  It was a small fish.  Couldn't get a follow-up hit on a swim jig, Piranha, or craw tube.  We worked our way to the South end of the mat.  There was activity there and I was just about to say expect to get a bite when Bruce had a hit on his swim jig.  It got off.  Bruce is pretty sure it was a bass.  A couple of minutes later I had the grub tail get bit off the Piranha.  I replaced it with a Zoom Speed Craw.  We worked back over the point and I directed Bruce to take us into a cut slop.  I got my first bass there.  I was so relieved not to be skunked.  We worked up the East side of the slop mat without any luck.

Next, we went to re-work our starting spot coming up from the NW along the shoreline.  I got my second bass along the shoreline on the Piranha.  Didn't get anything on the second pass.  I think we then went a little way up the Crow Wing to where Bruce got a bass the first day he pre-fished. Bruce got a pike and I got a pike in the rice slop on a 1oz Jig/Craw.  I was so ticked it wasn't a bass.

We then tried a spot in the confluence we hadn't pre-fished and didn't get a bit.  We then ran up the Gull River to a narrow section.  I got my third bass there at the entrance to the narrow section on a white double willow white Strike King Spinnerbait.  We fished a few more spots without any luck in the Gull River.  We went back to the starting spot.  Nothing doing.

We then ran up the river.  Bruce thought he missed a bite.  I got an 11-inch short largemouth.  I thought I missed a bass, immediately threw back to the spot and got a pike that stole my spinnerbait when it came off the Power Clip.  Was not to happy about that.  We ended the day where I got my second fish.
  

Results: My fish officially weighed 6/01 which put me in 14th Place out of 18 anglers. Bruce got skunked and came in last.  The winner was Keith Tuma who set a new all-time record bag for the club with 24/8.  Lunker went to Ruff with a 6/03 mega pig.  Checkbook took the Co-Angler Challenge with 15/4.

My Thoughts:  I got a tough break when I drew Bruce for a boater.  He s an outstanding guy, but he is a novice when it comes to bass fishing.  I think Bruce probably would have preferred if I would have taken charge and run the boat.  If I ever get partnered with him again I'll see if he wants me to do that.  The thing is I enjoy the challenge of fishing from the back end of the boat without having to worry about controlling the boat.  I did do some boat control coaching, which I think Bruce found helpful.  If I would have taken control of the boat I would have thrown a frog a lot more than I did.  A frog was a key bait for Tuma and Ruff.

Thanks to the number of guys that elected not to fish this tournament I am basically guaranteed to reach my goal of being in the Top 10 at the end of the year.

Gull/Crow Wing River Tournament Tomorrow

There has been far too much trepidation about this tournament in my brain.  Maybe the fishing gods will smile on me tomorrow or maybe they won't and it will be a really tough day on the water.  I've just got to fish the best I can and not allow myself to get stressed out if I miss a fish or they aren't biting.  

Here a the Rods I'm Bringing

7'6" MH LTB (Tokyo Rig Craw Tube)

7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Frog)

7'4" H Zillion (Jig)

7'2" H Tatula (Jig)

7'1" MH Tatula (Swim Jig)

7' MHM Mojo (Chatter Jig)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube)

7' M Avid (Neko Rig)

6'8" Avid M (Topwater)