Snatcher Tournament On Upper And Lower Mission

  

3rd Darrren, 2nd Larry, 1st Chuck

Conditions: 75-90℉, Mostly Sunny, 5-35mph S SW

My boater was Al Steinbauer, who was also my boater the last time we were on Mission Lakes in 2020.

The Day:

We started in the NE Corner of Upper in the wind, where it was blowing 5 to 10 for the first couple of hours. I lost my first two bites most of the way in; both bites felt like good bass, but I didn't see either. I caught a 6" sunfish on a Dark Sleeper. I then got a keeper or two on the Bunker Hawg. I got a good-sized dogfish to the boat on the Bunker Hawg where I played it until it got off. I could have had Al net it, but I could see by how it was hooked that it probably wasn't necessary. I got one last small keeper on the Bunker Hawg and caught a non-keeper and a pike. I threw the spinnerbait for a while in the morning and got bumps and hits, but they were not hooking up. I think Al had a limit by the time we finally moved.

I think we then went to the point by the Upper Mission Access; it was blowing pretty good by now.  Al upgraded a time or two there. I got a pike, got bit off a couple of times, and caught a short bass or two. We then moved across to a spot on the South Shore. Al culled, and I got my biggest and final keeper of the day here. I also got a pike and bit off again. 

We went back to our starting spot. I can't remember if we got anything or not. We then went to a couple of places on Upper and didn't get any bites. We then went to Lower. Bill Ludenia was where Al wanted to hit. I got to fish some pads/reeds here with a frog, but only for about 10 minutes. We hit a dock, I suggested, and Al lost a bass he said wouldn't help him. We went to another spot, at which time Al's front graph became nonfunctional for the rest of the day. I lost something here on the Big Blade Chatterbait. We then went back to Upper Mission and fished reeds at my suggestion. I really should have asked Al to take over the front of the boat because his boat control wasn't precise enough;  I ended up catching a dink and losing a 2lb plus fish in the reeds on a spinnerbait; Al also lost something shortly after I lost that 2lber. We re-fished everything on the East end of Upper, and all I got was a few more dinks, a pike or two, and a 9" pumpkinseed on a spinnerbait. I thought for sure I was going to get a keeper on that spinnerbait but somehow, it didn't happen.

My Thoughts: Mission fricken lake! Mission Lake just kicks my butt some days. It's like I was fishing on a different lake from everybody else. The wind was something else, and I was just too far out of touch, having been bedridden for most of the month.  Had the wind been more reasonable I would have caught a limit.

Grade: D+

The day is saved from a F by the wind and my legs and back being at about 80%.

Results: I finished in last place 14th out of 14 Anglers

Snatcher Mission Lake Plan and Rods I'm bringing

Snatcher Al And I Ride Again

 

The Plan: Catch me some big bass!

Goals:

1. Get a limit (I failed to do this back in 2020 on Mission, Al was my boater then as well.)

2. Win Co-Angler Challenge

3. Get the days Lunker

4.  Finish in the Top 5

Rods:
I'm bringing:

7'4" H Tatula Elite (Frog)

7'4" H Tatula (Swim Jig, Spinnerbit)

7'4" H Tatula (Chatterbait)
7'4" H Zillion (Swimbait)

7'4" H Tatula (Swim Worm)

7' H Avid (Craw Tube)

6'10" MH Tatula (Chatterbait, Ned, Ozark Rig, Neko)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (FC) (Jig,Chatterbait, Spinnerbait, Craw Tube, Ozark Rig, Fluke, Dark Sleeper)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Braid) (Jig, Chatterbait, Spinnerbait)

Snatchers Crush It At The 2023 Bass Club Clash

 

2023 Snatcher's Team, Victory Achieved!

 

The Brainerd Area Bass Club Clash is an annual tournament for bragging rights among the three Brainerd Area bass clubs; The Baxter Bass Snatchers, The Range Bassmasters, and Brainerd Lakes Bassmasters.

Bass Snatchers Won With 83-8 

Brainerd Lakes 70-12 

Range  63-13.  

Snatcher Dennis with the Challenge Cup

3-13lbs Bunker Hawg (blk/blue)

My Boater Ranger Smude

Conditions: Low 40's to mid 50's, Sunny to Cloudy, 0-5mph NE the wind couldn't make up its mind

My Day:

I drew Brian Smude who I fished with two years ago at the Bass Club Clash at Serpent Lake. I was determined to fish better than that poor performance and did. Brian has a history of success on the lake, but this hasn't been his year, and he wasn't able to pre-fish. He also hadn't been sleeping well due to sciatica. We were boat 2 and headed to the NE. I got a small keeper pretty quickly on a Texas rigged black/blue Powerbait Bunker Hawg and added two more small ones to the well in short order. I then got my big bass of the day, which weighed in at 3-13 which had me flabbergasted because my scale had the fish at under 3lbs. I've never had such a mismatch in weights. I had my 5 and culled once before we left for Smude's Juice.

He got two fish there and I didn't get a bite until we were making our second pass. I think it was a pike and then shortly after that I got a 2lber. They both bit on a Powerbait Craw Fatty.  We then worked our way West along the South reeds. I missed two bites on the Poppin Frog before I stuck a good 2lber. I thought it was going to be AWWWWWN, but that was the last bite in the reeds. We then went back to the starting spot and Brian put on a jigworm and filled his limit. I hit a mid-day wall with my energy levels when the fish just weren't biting on anything I tried. We went and worked the cabbage flat behind the reeds as it clouded up and I finally started getting some action again on a spinnerbait, but they were either pike or bass that didn't help. I was bending my spinnerbait wire and it broke. I put on a bluegill Big Blade Chatterbait as we made our way back toward the starting spot. After fishing fruitlessly for about 5 minutes I made the change to blue/black with a FireCraw Big Blade Chatter. It wasn't long and I caught a couple of pike. I culled 2 or 3 times with the Big Blade, but never got that kicker bite I needed.

Results: My fish weighed 13/7, which put me in 8th out of 20 anglers. Smude only had 10/4. I thought he was much closer to me than that. I ended up beating all but two Rangers and two of the Brainerd Club. I think I may have been the top non-boater. The tournament was won by Ranger Arnie who beat out Snatcher Dennis on the tiebreaker but Arnie wasn't actually on the Rangers Clash Team, so Dennis won the Challenge Cup. Jim Eide of Brainerd Lakes took 3rd. 

Snatcher Hammer and Arnie tied for big bass with a 4/15 fish a piece. Arnie originally weighed the wrong bass and wasn't going to reweigh because he didn't think it was going to beat Dennis's fish, but was goaded into it by fellow Rangers. Arnie was also the Weigh Master for his own fish. Not sure how Snatcher Chuck and Dennis let him get away with that, but it's water under the bridge now.

The score sheet

What my scale said I had.

Snatcher Darren left me a selfie
or
two

Snatcher Goofball

Rods and the Plan For The Bass Club Clash @ Mission Lakes

 

The Plan: I drew Brian Smude of the Range Bassmasters Club. I fished with Mr. Smude at the last Challenge Cup/Bass Club Clash I fished on Serpent Lake in 2021. My head wasn't in it that day, and I only caught 2 bass. Smude offered me the front of the boat multiple times, but I foolishly didn't take him up on it. I will definitely work something out with him this time because I do want to run the front of the boat unless we are clobbering them. Smude is a jig guy, so I expect to be on the weedline and maybe in the reeds on the Upper Lake.

Rods I'm Bringing:

7'6"MH LTB (Jig)

7'4" H Tatula (Buzzbait, Frog, Spinnerbait, Swim Jig)

7'4" H Tatula (Worm)

7' H Avid (Texas Rig)

7'MH Mojo (Cranks,Chatter,Topwater)

6'10" MH Tatula (Jigs, Chatter, Spinnerbait, Ned)

6'9" H Tatula Elite (Spinnerbait, Jigs)

Spin:

6'6" MH Veritas (Neko, Ned, Fluke)

Snatcher's At Mission Lake, My Plan and Rods

It is going to be hot and I am prepared for it to be a grind.  July tournaments tend to be that way.  The Pre-fish was good. Hopefully, the fish Al found are still there and cooperative.  It looks like it is going to be moderately windy from start to finish, so I think topwater is probably out.

Rods I'm Bringing:
7'4"H Tatula (Frog) Probably won't get used.
7'4" H Zillion (Jig)
7' H Avid (Craw Tube)
7' MH Tatula Elite (Topwater, Traps) Probably won't get used
7' M Avid (Neko Rig)
7' MH Mojo (Chatterjigs)
6'8" M Avid (Topwater, Jerkbait)
6'6" MH 783GLX (Jigs)

6'6" M 782 GLX (Ned Rig)

Mini-Bucks Tournament on Mission Lakes Tomorrow

This is an annual tournament between guys in the Baxter Bass Snatchers that has been going on for quite a few years.  This will be my third year fishing it as Chuck Steinbauer's partner.  The lake is broken down into as many sections as boat's fishing.  Each team starts in a different numbered hole.  We fish about an hour in each hole and then go to the next one in line until we have fished them all.  I've fished Mission in the fall when it's been tough and when it's been OK.  Hard to say what this cold weather tonight will do to the bite.

Here are the rods I'm Bringing:
7'4" H Tatula (Buzzbait/Frogs)
7'4" H Zillion (Jig)(Braided Line)
7'3" MH LTB (Horny Toad)
7'2" H Tatula (Jig) (FC Line)
7'1" MH (Swimbait)
7' H Avid (Crawtube)
7' MHM Mojo (Chatterjig)
6'10" MH Crucial (Spinnerbait)

And a last-second addition while I was composing this list:
6'6" M GLX Spin (Ned Rig)   

Ironman With Chuck Steinbauer on Mission Lakes

I'm going to be fishing the Ironman fruit jar tournament On Mission Lakes  put on my Bass Snatcher Jim "Smitty" Smith.  I assume it is a 5 fish limit.  It's supposed to be stormy and windy.  Could turn the fish on at Mission.

The rods I'm bringing:
7'6"H LTB (1oz Jig)
7'4" H Zillion (1/2 Jig)
7'2" H Tatula (3/8 Jig)
7'4" Tatula (Frog)
7'3" MH LTB (Horny Toad)
7'3" H Lamiglass (Mag Fluke)
7'2" MH Tatula (Bladed Jig, Lipless, Wakebait, Topwater)
7'1" MH Tatula (Swim Jig/Swimbait/Spinnerbait)
7' H Avid (Craw)



 

What A Disappointing Tournament at Mission Lakes

What I caught My 3 Fish On (2 Bass, 1 Pike)

My first big mistake was thinking I would be able to get a limit no problem.  My boater Bill B. had a good history on the lake and we as a club caught the fire out of them here two years ago in June.  I thought the fish would be everywhere and on the feed, boy was I wrong.  Less than half the field caught a limit and about half of us had 3 fish or less.  It was tough.

My second mistake was not calling to check if my boater pre-fished, which he did end up doing.  I didn't bring my dock skipping rod because I didn't know we would be fishing docks.  Oh well.

Conditions: Post cold front, cool in the morning getting to about 70 degrees, Sunny, light winds for the first 3 hours then getting to be about 10-15mph in the afternoon out of the WSW, about a foot of visibility maybe less.

The Day: We started in the Lower Lake in some maidencaine.  Bill missed a bite on a spinnerbait.  We spent maybe half an hour, than moved up the lake to try some docks.  Bill got a squeaker out of some sparce reeds.  And I got a 11.75" of a dock on the Craw Fatty.

Next we moved to the Upper Lake.  We fished outside of some reeds, then went in to try some docks.  I got my only keeper on the Horny Toad.  I then missed a fish on the HT and Bill also missed a fish on the same dock.

Next we moved to a weedline spot outside of the reeds.  Bill picked up three decent one's on this spot on a Senko.  The last of which he got when Chuck Steinbauer was close by, which gave Bill quite a thrill.  The wind came up while we were on this spot.

Next we went to the NE corner of the lake and got nothing, then we went to the reed point by the Upper Lake Access and Bill got an OK fish on the Senko.  I switched to a Grass Pig Jr on a Texas Rig.  I should have put it on a mushroom head jig instead as I got a couple of bites but didn't get hook into them at this spot or at the place Bill got the 3 fish.

Next we went to a spot outside of a reed point on the NW shore.  I got my pike there.  Then we moved in to fish docks.  I missed a bite that took the Horny Toad when I let it sink at the back of a pontoon and another fish that hit the HT as I brought it out of a thick patch of reeds that was out from a dock.

I think Bill got a hammer-handle off an under water point.  With about an hour and a half left we went back to the Lower Lake and retraced our steps back to the docks then maidencaine.  Bill pulled his biggest bass there on a Yabbie.  I missed a hit on the Craw Fatty, but the line was frayed a bit so it was probably a pike.  We then went over by the access where Bill got a small pike on a swim jig with a swimbait.

Results:  My fish weighed 1lbs 8oz, which kept me out of last place by an ounce.  I finished 19th out of 20.  Bills fish weighed 12-13 and put him in 7th Place.  1st Place went to Chuck Johansen with 17-15 after a 2oz dead fish penalty.  Lunker went to Darren Kiefer with a 4lb 6oz fish.  He was fishing with Johansen.

My Thoughts:   I just wanted to go out and catch a bunch of fish.  What a disappointment!

I didn't get a bite on a chatter jigs, Chigger Craws, Red Eye Shad, buzzbait, or a Vixen.

That Didn't Go Well

I only caught 2 bass, one of which was short, and 1 pike.  I should have called my boater to find out if he pre-fished, which he did.  I didn't bring my dock skipping rod, a spinning rod with a Zoom Super Fluke.  I'm pretty sure I would have caught more fish had I brought it.  Both of my bass came off docks.  The small one on a Texas rigged Craw Fatty and my keeper on a white Zoom Horny Toad.  I think I came in last place.  So much for the #yearofrevenge.  My boater only caught 6 bass and a couple northerns.  And the camera batteries were dead, so I didn't even get a picture today.

Bass Snatcher Tournament Tomorrow On Mission Lakes

My #yearofrevenge was pretty much thrown in disarray with my health issues costing me being able to fish at Woman and Rush Lakes.  It resumes tomorrow at Mission Lakes, sight of my worst showing in a Bass Snatcher tournament in terms of place finished (32nd).  Tomorrow we only have 11 boats fishing, so I am not worried about a repeat.  I just hope the fish are snapping.  Hopefully the cool down has them turned on and not shut off.

Mission Lake Full Tournament Recap Up

I'm not even gonna bother posting it here, my day was so poor.   Mission Lakes has my number.

You can read about it if you want over at Bass Pundit's Tourny HQ.  It might be of interest to some because I fished with the tournament winner.

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.

Bass Snatchers Win Challenge Cup 2009

Today was the Challenge Cup which is a longstanding contest between the Baxter Bass Snatcher Bass Club and the Range Bassmasters. By virtue of the fact that other more highly seeded Bass Snatchers didn't want to fish I was allowed to be on this years 6 man team. There were 3 Snatcher boaters with 3 Range non-boaters and vise versa. My boater was Range Bassmaster Emmet Smith.

Going into the tournament the scuttlebutt on Emmet was that he was going to take me into the shallow junk all day and that I should use my allotted 4 hours in the front of the boat to hit weedlines. That isn't how it worked out.

The weather: From the low 40's in the morning to the low 50's in the afternoon. It was cloudy with a couple short rounds of light sprinkles. Wind was out of the North around 10mph.

Emmit started us off on a weedline spot on the West end of the upper lake. In the first hour Emmet managed 2 keeper bass around 2 pounds and a 10lb pike. I had a couple of hits on my black spinnerbait but they didn't hook up. One of those bites felt big. After about 45 minutes with no action we ran to the NE end of Upper Mission to a weedline spot I had fished before. I caught a pike and had my spinnerbait get bumped a couple of more times.

Next we headed to Lower Mission to try some docks, that was a bust, so we tried some reeds and that was a bust so we tried some weedlines and that too was a bust. We headed back to Upper Mission to our starting spot.

We spent a couple of hours flogging our starting spot and Emmit got a 12 incher and a pike, while I had a pike bite off and that was it. Totally perplexed we went right to a spot that I wanted to fish, even though I didn't mention the area to Emmet. We were fishing down a weedline towards Range boater and In-Fisherman Bass Guru Steve Quinn. We watched as Snatcher Bill Ludenia caught a small keeper. They were struggling like we were struggling and word was that the bite was very tough for everybody except Snatcher Chuck Steinbauer. We passed the Quinn boat and I got a bite on my tube, but it was a pike. Shortly after the pike Emmet caught 2 keeper bass on a jigworm off of the used water. We worked the weedline up the side of a point with no action so we decided to head back over the water where Emmit got the last 2 fish.

I was throwing my black spinnerbait and I hooked up, but once again it was a pike. Emmet caught a short, then Emmit got the idea that we should move a bit shallower. He was rewarded with his biggest bass of the day on a spinnerbait in the little reedbed up by shore. We kept working shallow into a slop bay. I thought I might have had a fish on for a second on a Strike King Pure Poison chatterjig when the next thing I knew Emmet was hauling in a 2lb bass. I picked up a Herb's Dilly Buzzbait and finally was rewarded with a bass just a little under 3lbs, at this point there was just an hour and a half left to fish; I was mighty relieved to have the skunk out of the boat with a good fish. We worked from the North side of the slop bay around to the South side of the slop bay where Emmit caught another 2lber on a craw tube pitching into the pads. Emmet had to cull, so I took the front of the boat and worked the rest of the South shore of the slop bay then I headed us quickly back to the North side. On the North side Emmet caught another 3lber on the craw tube and I got a pound and 3 quarter bass on the Herb's Dilly. Those would be our last fish although we would both miss bites in the reeds on our way back to the landing.

I don't and probably won't have the official numbers but I can report that 4 out of the 6 snatchers won in their boats. Chuck Steinbauer won with about 18lbs and Lunker that was right about 5lbs. I think Snatcher Dennis Lothspeich got 2nd and Emmet got 3rd. I think our Snatcher Club won total weight by around 4lbs.