Snatcher Little Boy/Wabedo Plan, Goals, and Rods I'm Using

 The Plan: Pre-fishing with Chuck didn't give me much to hang my hat on, and conditions will be different on tournament day. So the plan is to wing it and hope I can find something the fish want during the tournament.  Ideally bass will be hitting on a frog and buzzbait and I won't have to resort to finesse. I'm not sure how much attention we are going to smallies, if any.

Goals:

Catch a bass 5/8 or bigger

Win the Lunker Pot

Catch a limit

Finish in the Top 5

Win the Co-Angler Challenge

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'4"H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula Gen 2 (Frog)

7'4" H Zillion (Buzzbait, Swim Worm)

6'10" MH (FC15)(Chatter, Texas Rig, Ozark Rig, Ned Rig)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC17) (Jig, Texas Rig)

6'8" Avid (Topwater, Jerkbait, Ned)

6'6" MH Abu Veritas (Fluke, Dinger, Ned)

Snatcher Little Boy/Wabedo Tournament Sept. 12th

Conditions: 50-58℉, Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy with occasional drizzle, 0-4mph SE
The area received a pretty good rain overnight.

The Day: We started in the reeds just to the East of the YMCA Camp in Little Boy. I may or may not have missed a couple of bites. After about an hour and a half with nothing to show for it we left the those reeds and headed to some reeds on the NE side of the lake. Bill missed a bite along a tree in the water. I had something very pike like attack my Fluke and get off quicky in the reeds. I had a couple other boils, but nothing hooked up. We then went to the dock by the outlet where Al had already taken a fish. We then headed to Wabedo. We started fishing to the east right at the entrance to Wabedo. Bill was working the shoreline reeds and I was throwing out with my orange Shower Blows knock-off. I had a 35 or so inch muskie jump over the lure and miss thankfully. From there we went and worked a weedline.  Finally, I got the skunk out of the boat with 2.5lb bass on a junebug Piranha. Bill then caught a line burner on a Senko. Then he got a fish that almost went 2lbs. I got a pike on a craw tube. It was calm and overcast. Perfect topwater conditions. I started throwing a River2Sea Bubble Walker. Something boiled behind the lure. I let it sit for a few seconds then popped it. Whoosh, the 6.5 pound pike took it. After putting up a good fight Bill netted it for me. Thankfully, It didn't put up any fuss in the boat and the hook came out easily. We fished Wabedo for maybe 15 more minutes then headed back to Little Boy with maybe 2 hours left in the day. We went back to the YMCA camp area starting to the West of where we did in the morning.  There is a breakwater at the camp. I made a cast to it with a bone Shower Blows and good bass blasted it. It jumped got down in the weeds and came off. I was not happy. We worked the reeds again. I had something pike like take a shot at my Spro Sprinker knock off and not hook up.  Bill was pretty frustrated as was I. I suggested we move in closer to shore into an area that was good for me and Al in the last tournament. We started working the pads and rice, nothing. Then we came to boat lane. I probably should have directed Bill on how to best approch the high percentage area. Sure enough there were a couple of fish there. I got a decent hookset, but the fish quickly got off. It was 2 to 3lber.  Bill put on frog as I peppered the area. I think he got a bite on his third cast by a smaller fish that didn't hook up. We came to the next boat lane and sure enough their were two fish in the high percentage area. We both landed our bites this time. That happened right in front of Hammer and Checkbook who were working towards us.  We quickly ran out of slop. With 20 minutes left we went to another slop area where Bill lost a fish and I caught a pike.  I was quite disappointed to only bring in two fish and thought I would be a bottom dweller for sure. But a lot of guys struggled, so I reached my goal of a Top 8 finish.

Results: My fish weighed 5lbs 6ozs, which put me in 8th Place. The tournament was won by Tim Benson with 18/9 and he had lunker with a 4/8. Beau Bacon won the Co-angler Challenge out of Tim's boat with 14/03, which put him in 3rd Place. Al Steinbauer was 2nd with 15/8.

My Thoughts: I don't know what the fishes deal was. I would have thought everbody would have come in with limits under those conditions, but the fish were just not up and feeding like you wold expect in the Fall. 2/3rds of the field caught 3 or fewer fish. Ouch

We figured out something that would work to late. Oh well I am now in a three way tie for 4th in the Angler of the Year. It looks like I stand a decent chance of making the Clubs year end Super 6 provided I don't skunk at either of the final two tournaments, which are back to back the first weekend of October on Gull and Cedar Lake.

Snatcher Little Boy/Wabado My Plan & Rods

My confidence level going into this one isn't very high. I am worried that the cold weather this week with possible cold rain overnight is going to make for a tough bite.  I think I really need the fish to be snapping pretty good to get a finish in the top half of the field.  My goal is to get a limit and finish in the Top 8.  

Rods I'm Bringing:
7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)
7'4" H Zillion (Jig)
7'4" H Tatula XT (Swim Jig, Swimbait, Sprinker, Buzzbait, Toad, Spinnerbait, Plopper, Sprinker Frog)
7' H Avid (Craw Tube)

7' MH Mojo (Chatterjig

6'10" MH Crucial (Topwater, Jerkbait, Spinnerbait)

5'6" M Avid Spin (Fluke, Jig))

My Snatchers Little Boy/Wabedo Full Report

2/13 Hack Jig/Craw Fatty

Conditions: 63-66℉, Cloudy to Mostly Cloudy some light rain, Light Wind SSW to WNW.  I think the water level had come up some from the day we pre-fished.
Water Temp: Mid 60's

The Day:  For the last part of my drive up it was thunder and rain.  I loaded my stuff in the boat in the rain.  I believe the rain quit by the time we blasted off.  We headed North to the inlet.  Within the first 15 minutes we both had a two plus pound keeper in the boat.  I got mine throwing a 1oz Hack Attack Jig along the thick inner reed wall.  The fish really smacked it.  I think Alan then got a fish he culled out later in the sparser reeds.  I had a fish hit my frog and not get it along a cattail wall.  I kept casting back with a black blue Lake Fork Craw Tube and eventually a 1.63lb bass hit it.  I then got a 1.38lb pitching the 1oz Hack Jig in the deeper reeds.  We got over by the closest dock.  I pitched the Hack Jig into the boat lift and caught my biggest bass of the day (2/13).  I had to play it up and over the boat lift frame.  It was barely hooked in it's upper lip.

We then moved to the West side of the upper lake to some reeds, pads, and rice.  While I was putting together my Double Magnum Fluke Alan caught two quality fish on a spinnerbait.  I was fishing again and Alan got at least two more fish before I got bit again.  Alan had just caught a fish in a boat lane.  I cast my Terminator Frog across the boat lane and a 2lber grabbed it.  I then rolled two small fish on the hookset.  I got a 1.78lb fish on the Frog.  I missed a couple of bites.  who knows if they would have helped.  We started  working our way South.  I culled my two smallest with a 2.53 and a 2.31 on the frog.  Alan caught his big bass (4/10) in the pads and reeds on a swimbait.  I thought it was only a high 3lb fish.  I caught a fish or two that didn't help me on the frog.  We got over to where Chuck and Nate were fishing and got out of there.

I think we then went farther south to an area where we got some fish during pre-fish.  Same kind of stuff: reeds, pads, and rice.  I think Alan got maybe one that helped himself and I got one or two that didn't and missed a coupe of hits on the frog.  I think the one's I missed were probably pike.

We went to a weedline spot off of some reeds.  I missed a bite, before getting one that didn't help me on the Craw Tube.  I then missed a couple of bites.  The second one I got a great hookset on and it felt like a really good fish and then it just came off.  The same thing then happened to Alan a couple of times.

We then went back and re-fished our second spot.  I think Alan got one or two more culls and I got one that didn't help.  There was now just a couple hours left.  We went to make a move and the starting battery didn't have enough juice and Alan couldn't get it to jump.  While Al was messing around with the batteries I missed a hit on the craw tube.  We decided to throw traps over the large weed flat/point we were on.  Alan had a big something get off and caught a small bass and I got a pike.  We then headed off at full speed for Little Boy Resort.

   It started to sprinkle a little bit.  We fished a little bit along the way.  Alan picked up a small smallie of a dock.  I think that was the last fish landed for the day.

Alan with the 1st Place "Wood_

Results: My fish weighed 14bs 7ozs, which put me in 10th Place out of 21 anglers. Alan's fish weighed 19/06, which put him easily in 1st Place.  2nd Place was Keith Tuma with 16/3 and Darrin Kiefer got 3rd with 15/14 beating Bill Ludenia on the tie breaker by an ounce on his big fish.   Tyler Czech had a 5lb Lunker.

What my scale said I had

Thoughts:  With the weights packed so tightly above me losing the last couple of hours because of the dead battery probably cost me a higher finish.  After the way the last couple of years ended for me I can't complain too much though.  At least I was culling fish and I got a front row seat to see how it was won.

To make the Top 10 in Angler of the Year I needed to finish in 2nd Place.  I ended up in 13th Place for the year.  I fished much better this year and got to fish with 4 boaters I'd never fished with before.  All in all it was a good year for me even if I didn't reach any of my goals in terms of finishes.  I had the smallmouth on at the Mississippi that would have gotten me "wood" had I landed it.  Oh well, those are the breaks.  On to next year.

Congratulations to Dennis Lothspeich on being Mr. Bass for 2017!

Little Boy/Wabedo Quick Report

Alan Steinbauer took 1st Place with 19+lbs

Had a pretty good day on the water, other than the starting battery dying with two hours left.  Alan couldn't get it jumped, so we trolling motored back to Little Boy Resort.  I weighed 14lbs 7ozs, which I think put me in about 7th Place or so.  The only rod I didn't use was the Horny Toad rod.  I probably should have thrown the Horny Toad some.  They seemed to really like a moving presentation today.   Full report later this week when I get the full results.

Snatcher Little Boy/Wabedo Preview

Tomorrow is my last chance to achieve any of the goals I set for my Snatcher Tournaments back in March.   To make the Top 10 at the end of the year is probably going to require me achieving the goal of a Top 3 finish as well.  Not being able to fish at Thunder Lake probably killed my chances because of the total bomb at North Long.  All I can do is fish hard all day, hope I get the right bites, and am able to land them.  The fish might be chomping🤞.  I like the fact that my boater Alan Steinbauer has a Phoenix boat.  It's wide open layout on the passenger side has plenty of room for me to bring a few extra rods.

Here's what I'm bringing:
7'6" H LTB (1oz Jig)
7'4" H Tatula (Frog)
7'4" XH Zillion (Frog)
7'4" H Avid X (Sprinker Frog)
7'4" H Zilion  (1/2oz Jig)
7'3" MH LTB (Toads)
7'3" H Lamiglas (Mag Fluke/ Swimbait/Swim jig)
7'2" H Tatula (3/8oz Jig)
7'2" MH Tatula (Topwater/Wake/Chatter Jig)
7' H Avid (Craw Tube)
6'10" MH Crucial (Buzzbait/Spinnerbait/Topwater)

Snatcher Tournaments Set For 2017

No changes were made. Here are my thoughts on the lakes this year,

Platte/Sullivan:  For only the second time since I have been a Snatcher we will be fishing my home lakes.  Last time was back in 2011. Platte/Sullivan has a history of giving me the finger on Tournament day.  It seems like things almost always go wrong for me out there on tournament day, especially equipment issues.  I broke off a big fish on a hook set and also broke a rod at the 2011 tournament.  I also caught a 17.25" fish that day that only weighed 2/10 on that day.  Hopefully this will be the year when things line up for me out there.  Thanks to the catch and release season I should be very dialed into the fish.  I am just so stoked to be out fishing the lakes again in the Trophy after not doing that the last few years until last Fall.  I can see me being out there every day I am allowed to pre-fish; I've got two lakes to rediscover.  Hopefully the wind will die down tournament day and a topwater bite will be on.

Zebulon Pike Reservoir Mississippi River:  This will be the first time the club fishes this stretch of the mighty miss.  I've never been on this section of the river myself either.  I believe this part of the river is dominated by smallmouth.  I know some river smallmouth tricks.  Hopefully I'll draw someone who will take me pre-fishing.  Who knows maybe I'll get up the gumption   If the fish are going on topwater I could be a contender.

North Long: This will be the 3rd time the club fishes this lake since I joined the club.  I wasn't able to fish it in 2012 due to back issues.  Pretty much every boater in the club knows this lake and Gull well.  Hopefully getting a limit here won't be difficult.

Gull Lake: Ditto for what I wrote about North Long.  This will be my 2nd Snatcher tournament on the lake and my 3rd over all.

Thunder Lake: Won't make this one due to a family conflict.

Little Boy/Wabedo:  This will be the 2nd time the club visits these lakes since I've been in the club.  We fished it at the same time of year the last tournament and I did well.  The lakes set up a lot like Platte/Sullivan and because smallies are no longer eligible to be weighed I expect frogs and toads to be a big part of my game plan. I'll be looking for big fish in this one.

Other than missing Thunder, which is a lake the club has never fished a tournament on before, I'm pleased with this years slate of venues.  

Bass Snatchers 2013 Official Schedule with My Thoughts

Here is what my club is fishing this year, with my comments.

June 1st South Long-  Other than the parking situation,  I like the lake.  I've fished it twice when we fished our 2nd tournament in 2009, which was on June 21st.  I have some revenge to get on those bass.

June 22nd Mission Lakes-  I like these lakes.  I've fished them twice, but that was in October both times.  I'm sure they will fish a bit differently than it did in 2008 and 2009 because those were after all in early October.

July 21st Rush Lake-  I don't even know where this lake is, let alone anything else about it other than the Snatchers have fished it before twice, once in mid July of 2000 and once in late August of 2003.  The lake took 19lb weights to win both times but there weren't many limits caught either time.  Hopefully the lakes bass population has improved since then.

Aug 3rd Rabbit Lakes-  I have fished these lakes 2 times as a Snatcher, once for pre-fish and once for the tournament in late July of 2010;  And I fished it 3 times in 2004 for an Excel Bass Tournament I fished in late June 2004.  I look forward to getting a bit of revenge on the fish there for 2010, but the lake has generally treated me well.

August 17th Blind-  We won't find out the lake until the morning we go to fish it.  It could be any lake within 30 miles of Brainerd that is 1000 acres or more and that we didn't fish last year, so North Long, Alexander, Bay, and Whitefish Chain are out.  I believe the 30 mile rule puts Platte/Sullivan in play.  I believe the Mississippi River is in play as well.  Should be interesting.

Sept 21st Little Boy/Wabedo-  I'm not happy that the club refused to switch this with Mission so the smallies could be in play.  I fished there twice but that was for Muskie Tournament also in late Sept. or maybe it was Oct..  I don't recall what I caught other than 1 tiny muskie and maybe a couple of pike and bass in the reeds.  I lost a box of topwater lures there.  It just stinks that there could be a topwater smallie bite going on.

Hopefully my back will be OK this year, that's my biggest concern.