2016 When Will I See The Driveway? #2

I thought I'd be able to see a little more than I can right now due to the temps we had yesterday.  If the extended forecast is correct the driveway should be ice free sometime next week.

1st Open Water Bullhead of the Year

19" STX

3:45-5:00PM
Conditions: 54 degrees, light S wind, mostly sunny, water level is really low.

My Fish Trap doesn't fit in the Kia Soul but my long rods do, so I went to the Grumpy Old Man Hole to try a little open water fishing.  I didn't expect to catch anything, but you never know at the GOMH.  I fished the SW side with a blue/silver STX and didn't see any signs of life.  I then fished the area with a bluegill D & M Piranha.  Still nothing.  Then I tried a chartreuse/white STX and a fish swiped and missed.  I let it sit for about 5 seconds then twitched it a couple of times and BAM! Fish On!  A 19" toothy bullhead is my first open water fish of the year on February 27th; The earliest first open water fish since moving North in 2003.  I fished a few more lures on the SW side and then tried the NE side where there wasn't very much open water.  Nothing on the NE side.

Fishing Season ends tomorrow for pike, bass, and walleye, so I may give the GOMH one last shot tomorrow, if it gets above freezing.  I might go ice fishing tomorrow as well.

All the open water I had on the Sullivan side.

2016 When Will I See The Driveway? #1

I may be jumping gun with my count down this year, but with the rain and warm temps we got last weekend the driveway is showing itself already and it's suppose to make it to 50 degrees or more tomorrow.

Bass Snatchers Schedule for 2016

The Baxter Bass Snatchers have sort of finalized our schedule for this year.  It's only "sort of" because the DNR would throw a wrench in our plans if they switched the first two weeks to immediate catch and release only from the catch and keep regulation they had last year on Mille Lacs.

Here are my thoughts on the lakes we are fishing this year.

May 21st Mille Lacs Lake:  This would be the first time in the 39 year history of the club that we will fish the lake for a tournament.  We are planning to go out of Cove Bay so hopefully wind won't be bad out of the North.  If the wind is bad we could switch to Sunday the 22nd.  I really hope DNR doesn't switch the regulations and shut us down, although I suppose if we have to go to an alternative date later in the year we could still fish Mille Lacs.  I have fished Mille Lacs a fair amount and caught some big fish which are pretty much everywhere for smallies and I've gotten some big largemouth as well.  Really looking forward to this one.

June 11th South Long Lake:  Unfortunately we nixed Platte/Sullivan on this date because another circuit was fishing the lakes that day, well maybe next year.  I've fished South Long four times for two tournaments.  I'm guessing that the lake is going to set up more like the first tournament in 2009 than the pre-spawn tournament we had in 2013 with the late Spring that year.  The two things I don't like about this lake is the access which has limited parking and maneuvering space and our 8AM start time is only going to make congestion there worse.  Also the 8AM start makes a morning topwater bite less likely.  My best finish here was 5th Place.

July 16th Fishhook Lake (Park Rapids):   This will be my second tournament on this lake with the club.  Had a great time the first time and hope the numbers and size structure of the fish is about the same.  I had 13/7 and came in 13th Place with a 4/5 kicker which was the third biggest fish caught that day.  The lake has a small smallmouth population, not sure if they are known to get big like the largemouth do.

Aug. 6th Pokegama (Grand Rapids):  I've fished this lake 3 times for 2 tournaments with the club.  The third big fish lake of the year with Smallmouth and Largemouth.  Love it!  My best finish here was 15th Place with a 12/8 bag in 2008, my first year in the club.

Aug. 20th Rabbit Lakes: This will be my third tournament on these lakes with the club and my fourth tournament overall.  I don't care for the fact it's an 8AM start.  Maybe I'll catch an elusive Rabbit Lake smallmouth.  My best finish was 3rd Place at an Excel Singles.

Sept 24th Whitefish Chain:  This will be my fourth tournament here with the club and fifth overall. Like Pokegama there is a bunch of water I've never seen or fished.  Hopefully a Fall topwater bite will be going this day.  My best finish was a 10th Place in early June.

Hopefully I will be healthy enough to fish every tournament this year.  Last year I missed two do to illness.

Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing Is Open

The Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake is only three weekends away.  So get signed up!

Bass Fishing In the Blogosphere Is Dying

The Final Post at Big Indiana Bass

I was vaguely aware of this fact do to all of the MN Bass Fishing Bloggers that had stopped or mostly stopped their blogging.  I haven't tended to my other blog rolls much over that last few years to realize how bad it's gotten.  I really should do something about weeding out all the blogs that no longer exist.

FYI to FLW Fantasy Bass Players

Tackle Warehouse must have deleted their legacy League and started a new one.  I just discovered it.  I could have sworn the Tackle Warehouse League was there when I registered, but when I went to look for it this morning it was gone from my list of leagues.  I re-registered, but don't know if my score from the 1st tournament will be counted or not.  As of right now my score is not in the list for Lake Okeechobee.  I will not be happy if that is the case.  I recommend you check and make sure you are in the Tackle Warehouse League ASAP.

1st Feb. Ice Fishing Trip In Years

Because it was something I didn't do last year.  This report is from Feb. 6th.

20.5" VMC Tubby Jig w/maggies and Gulp Minnow

4:15-9:15PM
Conditions: Temp 33 degrees, mostly cloudy to cloudy, some sleet, windy out of the South

I got out a little later than I would have liked.  I picked up some minnows at Bear Trax and drove out onto the ice.  Someone had been fishing in my area earlier in the day, but was gone by the time I got there.  I drilled a couple holes in 16 feet.  Then drilled holes up by the maidencaine.  I didn't bring the camera with me.  Going shallow was a waste.  At about 5:15PM I went to the deeper holes and spent the rest of my night there.  I caught a crappie first on the VMC Tubby Jig with maggots and Gulp Minnow.

8.5" VMC Tubby Jig

  Then I got the pike.  Then it was crappies coming in pretty consistently on the VMC Jig.  I had a couple of minnows stolen before I got any crappies on them.  It started sleeting around 6:30PM so I put the ION in the truck.  I had a mark come through at about 8 feet.  I thought it was going to be a bullhead, but it was this chub of a sunfish.

Almost 8" VMC Jig

The minnow got hot and I landed the biggest crappie of the night on it.

10.5" Glow Demon w/minnow

I ended up with 10 crappies on the Glow Demon with a minnow and 13 on the VMC with maggies.  Most fish were right about 9 inches with one potato chip.  I may get out before sunrise tomorrow.

23 Crappies
1 Sunfish
1 Pike

Better Get Those FLW Fantasy Line Ups In

Tournament at Okeechobee starts tomorrow and line ups lock at mid night.

Out With Some New and New to Me Equipment

Thumbs Up on my new auger

3:00-7:00PM
Conditions: Mostly sunny, light SE wind,  temps from the low teens up to about 20 degrees

Today was the maiden voyage for my ION Auger, my new to me Polaroid Dual Screen Waterproof Camera and the "Selfie Stick" my brother gave me for Christmas.  Impressed with the Auger, not so much with the camera or ice thickness.  But I'm not gonna complain about the camera as I got it cheap.  The ice thickness was only about 14 inches and I won't drive the Expedition out until it is more like 20".

With the Polaroid and selfie stick without flash

Same fish with old camera and flash 

  I think I will bring both camera's with me for as long as the Power Shot still works.  I'll keep the Polaroid mounted on the selfie stick.

The sunfish were active today.  I got a couple 7 inchers and this 8" that broke my line, but I managed to grab it before it got away.

8" VMC Jig w/Gulp Minnow and Maggies

9.5" VMC Jig w/same

I got the crappie before I broke the jig off.  I wasn't going to retie as it was prime time.  I put some smaller minnows on the Glow Demon and got a few crappies on that and a Glow Demon with a waxie and Gulp Minnow;  None over 9.75".  Also I got this bullhead that came through suspended about half way up in 15 feet.

10" or so. Glow Demon w/Gulp and waxie

1 Bullhead
12 Sunfish
9 Crappies

Bass Pundit Livewell 2016 Now Open

I started my Livewell 2016 with a 13" crappie I caught this year and I'm pretty sure all my notable catches from 2015 are now in my Livewell 2015.  Please click on the links and check 'em out.

Bass Snatchers Tentative Schedule for 2016

Last Saturday I was unable to attend the first Bass Snatcher Meeting of 2016.  Here are the Lakes they came up with for 2016.  The dates and lakes won't be official until after our Feb. meeting.  I've fished at least one tournament on each one of these lakes.

I think we are a little sketchy on Mille Lacs as bass might not be in season yet;  It depends on what the DNR does with the regulations there this year.  I think I am in favor of going to Mille Lacs provided the season is open.  I believe this would be the earliest tournament in the history of the club.

I hope Platte/Sullivan stays.  The only bummer being that if it's a hot bite I can't fish the lakes on Thurs. & Fri due to our clubs "Off Limits" Period.  I will definitely be putting the Trophy in the water this year if Platte/Sullivan stays on the schedule.  The last time we were here was in 2011.

Fish Hook Lake is southwest of Leech just North of Park Rapids.  It's a lake that has fished really well for the club and 2011 was the last time the club fished here as well.

Pokegama at Grand Rapids is a lake that has just about everything a bass fisherman in MN can want.  When we were last there in 2012 I was dealing with lower back problems and that was the last tournament I was able to fish that year.  Maybe this will be the year I get a smallmouth there.

Rabbit Lakes have been good to me in the past.

Gull Lake I've only fished two times, both tournament days.  I've always caught fish and this could be prime time for a topwater bite; Bring it!

Congratulations To Coach Zimm & NFC North Champion Vikings

4 Species For My Birthday

10" Glow Demon w/waxies

23" Tungsten Jig w/waxie 

8" Glow Demon w/waxies

5" Tungsten w/waxies

2:30-6:15PM
Conditions: Partly to mostly sunny, less wind than yesterday out of the West, 31-28

I got out earlier today hoping to use the Aqua View.  There was no fish where I had visibility and not enough visibility where there was fish.  I started where I got my fish yesterday.  There was nothing doing.  I moved a little shallower and there were perch there stealing my waxies.  I did catch one.  At 4 I went back to last nights holes and some sunfish moved in.  Then I got the pike.  Then crappies moved in.  I got 4 that were 10"ers.  Last fish of the night was a sunny.

1st Sunfish on the Tungsten Jig w/waxies

1 Pike
1 Perch
8 Sunfish
13 Crappies

1st Fish of 2016

5.5" Glow Demon w/wax worms

3:30-6:30PM
Conditions:  Sunny, wind out of the WNW, 32-26 degrees

Yesterday I went and got water for my minnows at Rock Lake and people were running wheelers on the lake, so I knew it was safe.  Today I got out and there was no one in my area but there had been a spear house there recently and somebody had drilled holes I was able to kick in.  I ended up drilling two additional holes.  First 5 fish were sunnies, the biggest was 7.75" out of about 15'.

7.75" Demon w/waxies

Then I got my first of 5 crappies.

9.5" Glow Demon w/waxies

  They were all the same size as the ones I got last year 8.5-9.5".  I ended up with 8 sunnies.  I missed a couple on minnows.

8 Sunfish
5 Crappies

What I Caught Pike And Walleye on in 2015

2015 was a record year for me in terms of number of pike I caught with 205.  Here is what I got them on.

I got almost as many pike (17) as bass (22) this year on the Horny Toad.  The Luck-E-Strike STX came on strong at the end of the year after I won them on Ebay.  Hopefully they will catch bass even better than pike.

Walleye numbers were up slightly this year with 32 fish caught.

What I Caught SM & LG Bass On In 2015

The 2 sight fish and half of the Fluke fish weren't actually caught.  They were follows.

As for the LM

I only caught 450 largemouth in 2015, a significant drop from the 602 I caught last year and way off the 922 I caught in 2013.  This was by far my worst year for catching largemouth since I started keeping track at Fish Swami in 2011.  I am blaming the normal Spring ice off and low water at Platte/Sullivan for most of the drop off in fish caught.  The GOMH just wasn't holding fish like it has in the past.  Instead of getting 10 or more largies per trip, I was getting 5 or less.

The positives I can take from 2015 were the number of fish I caught on Spro (41) and Mad Maxx (42) frogs and the 24 fish I got on the H20 Jerk Shad.  Also for the 1st time a chatter jig was my best largemouth lure of the year with the D & M Baits Piranha being the only lure in triple figures.  Some memorable hits this year on the frogs and the Piranha.

Beat Green Bay And...

It has been a while since my last Vikings post.  I am pleased that we are playing for the Division Crown in the final regular season game of the 2015/16 season.  I think the Vikes are in a position where that very well might happen, now that our best 3 players on defense look to be healthy again.  All we have to do is beat them Packers and Aaron Rodgers at Lambert field in Prime Time on NBC.

SKOL Vikes!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Skipping With A Baitcasting Reel

I think next year I am going to make a concerted effort to master skipping with a baitcaster.  I have gotten better at it over the past couple of years, but there is definitely room for improvement I need to make.

1st Ice Fishing Trip This Winter

9.75" T.H.E. Jig w/waxie

3:00-5:30PM
Conditions: Cloudy, Light wind out of the NNW, 7" of ice

I decided to head out of the Platte Lake Access where I knew the ice was safe.  I decided to head out to the 14 ft hole as marked on my Lakemaster Chip.  I was out farther than a couple of guys who were fishing tip ups.  I drilled two sets of two holes.  I put a minnow down one hole and I jigged the other with a tungsten jig with a wax worm.  I had my Vexilar turned all the way up to 10, thinking it was on 1.  Not a whole lot was going on.  Finally a fish came in and bit, but I didn't have my drag set for the 2lb test I put on the reel and it stole the tungsten jig when it took a run.  My bad.  I decided I was going to have to switch a couple of reels a round when I got home.  I decided not to tie anything on the rod with the broke line and switched to the rod with a black and white glow T.H.E. Jig on it.  Finally I figured out I had the Vex set to high.  I thought I wasn't gonna catch anything so I took a couple of pictures.

But then I marked something and caught it.  That was the last bite I got.

Be Safe On the Ice

Final Open Water Fish of 2015

 

One of two otters that were out there today

4:00-4:30PM
Conditions: 35 degrees, cloudy, wind out of the NE, water level up a bit after yesterday's rain

Managed to get a couple toothy's today on the STX fishing the NE side.

18.75" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

17.25" Luck-E-Strike RC STX

Nothing on the S side.

Yesterday's rain I think pretty much wrecked my ice fishing plans for this weekend.

They Were Who I Thought They Were

At halftime with the Lions up 17-0 I wrote on Facebook:

When the Lions kicked the 2nd field goal.  I thought the Lions just might have it.  When they lateraled back to Rodgers.  I thought they had it for a second, but then the flag came out.  The rest is now Packer Lore.  They were who I thought they were.

Unfortunately the chances of the Vikes winning the division just dropped significantly.  Still my 3 Paths to the Superbowl for the Vikes still stand.  Come on Vikes, show the birds who's boss the next two weeks.

Unfortunately I can't find the meme of Zimmer's Bird Hunting Trip I saw today.

Update:  Well that game didn't go well.  The Hawks kicked our butt, while the refs kicked us in the nads repeatedly when it seemed we did something right.

From NFL's Facebook Page

3 Vikings Paths to the Superbowl This Year

It's now December and the Vikes at 8-3 are very much in the race to the Super Bowl at this point.  These are three paths on how I could see it happening.  Yes, this year.  All that has to happen is for one of them to happen in each of the games needed to get us there.

1. Vikings shut down D.

This Zimmer Defense is for real.  If they keep it dialed up, we could go.

Or

2. AP goes MVP.

He's proven he's still capable of going off.  If he does, we could go.

Or

3.  Teddy and our receiving core step forward.

Teddy and our receivers have played ok to mediocre all season.  We've got the weapons.  If he and our receiving core get hot, we could go.