Will I Be Able to Hit 300 Crappie this Year?

This was the goals I set for crappie at the beginning of the month when it looked like we were headed for early ice off.  If I can start getting some by the end of the month I'll feel pretty good about it.  The forecast for the next week looks positive.👍👍

1st Bass of the Year Tonight

14" Cubby Mini-Mite w/Minnow

I don't know why the sky is washed out.  That wasn't all I caught tonight at Rock.

Platte Lake is Open

Platte Public Access

Jenny's

It is now clear for travel from the access to Jenny's so ice is out on Platte Lake as far as I'm concerned.
Erskine Lake is open
Bulldog is 15% open and I would say about the same maybe a bit more on Sullivan

So cold and windy I didn't bring my rods with.

Rock and Long Ice Out, Platte 90% Open

Rock Lake Looking Northeast

Rock Lake looking Southeast 

The lakes gave me a surprise today.  I took mom into Onamia and Onamia Lake was wide open.  I went to Bulldog first tonight and it was about the same.  Next I drove North Platte Lake Drive and all of Platte that I could see was open except the northeast corner.  I decided to go take a look at Rock and was shocked to discover it wide open.  The wind was such that it was unfishable.  Next I checked Long and it looked wide open.  Then I went to Jenny's and there was still some ice there .  There was also ice at the Platte Lake Access so I am not calling Platte Lake Open as I couldn't get from the access to Jenny's in a boat today.  I was a little to pumped up from the open water and ended up spilling the minnow bucket when I arrived at the GOMH.  Thank goodness I had my fishing towel along to help clean up the water.  I didn't fish very long and didn't get a bite.

Platte Lake Access

Mille Lacs Lake, We Hardly Knew Ye

The DNR has released the 2016 fishing regulations for Mille Lacs Lake.

They didn't highlight the part about not being able to keep bass until May 28th.  So that along with the new bass limits and slots put the kibosh on the Bass Snatcher tournament we had planned for May 21st.  What is the club going to do now?  I guess I'll find out on April 9th when we have an emergency meeting.

As for the new regulations themselves I have no problems with them.  I think going to all catch and release with artificial's only for walleye was the best coarse of action that will impact the smallest amount of people.  There are other ways to catch walleye's than dragging live bait on rigs or under bobbers.  The launches have the ability to apply for an exemption to the no live bait rule.

On the bass end of things, I think the 17-21" protected slot combined with the 4 fish limit should be sufficient to protect the trophy status of the bass in the lake.

I like the fact that they are protecting the 30-40" pike.

I give the DNR one :

  (They would have gotten two thumbs up had they left the MN Opener for catch and keep for bass this year.)

Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Maybe by Easter

The clouds today kept it cooler than forecast and the wind today wasn't strong enough to do much damage to the ice.  I don't foresee much changing for the next few days.  I forgot to bring my camera when I went out tonight.  I got skunked and had a pair of swans swim by.

Not Much Changed Today

Lakes looked about the same.  I didn't get skunked.

Area Lakes About the Same

Swan convention on the South end of Platte Lake (East of GOMH)

Was a warm 37 degrees today with plenty of sun and diminishing winds.  The area lakes were only slightly more open.  Still thinking Monday is the day ice goes out on Platte.  I got skunked.  Lake level is up a few inches.

Progress Stopped!

Rock Lake Access

The cold weather today has the area lakes in a holding pattern.  I got a better look at Platte Lake today and I'd say it's 40% open.   Rock is less than 5%.  Bulldog is 5%, Sullivan 5%.

I now think ice will be off Platte Lake on Monday.

Platte is 40 to 60% Open

From the public access the lake looks the same as yesterday

Today I took Kaylee for a ride to check the area lakes at around 5:30PM.  First stop was at the Platte Lake Public Access.  Looked the same as yesterday.  At the GOMH I could see quite a bit of open water to the East of the Islands. Sullivan looked about the same as yesterday.  Next I went to Bulldog about 5% open.  I decided to drive up North Platte Lake Drive.  I was surprised that our bay was at least 60 to 70% Open and Don's Bay (the main body to the East of the islands) looked to be at least 70% open.  I stopped at the Rock Lake Public Access Road (didn't want to drive to the end of either road in the wet conditions from the snow/rain)  Platte Lake may be ice free on the 18th, but I'm not going to call it until I'm sure.

Hopefully this cooler stretch will slow the march of lake ice outs North, so that the area lakes docks get put in right away.  I've seen them go in within a day or two out after ice out to a month plus after in 2010.

Because ...

Because gas prices are low and now I have a car that gets triple the MPG of the Expedition I am now able to take trips I normally wouldn't.  Today I drove to check out Shakopee Lake and Mille Lacs.  Shakopee was way less open than I anticipated and Mille Lacs is just weird.  The small cattail bay in Vineland Bay was wide open, which I didn't expect and there was less open water than I expected at the Whitefish Lake Inlet.

I was a little surprised by how open Platte had become with today's wind.  Channel Inn Bay was completely wide open beyond the north tip of the Small Island.

The Big Island is dead center behind the darker ice line. The Small Island ends at fat pine tree

The Platte River Outlet (SPRO) was completely ice free in Sullivan and well into the Intersection.

Intersection is the area beyond that point on the left

The view from the Platte Lake Access and other area lakes is about as promising as the 5 day forecast, that would be not much.

Platte Lake Public Access

I think Platte will probably be ice free on Saturday, matching the day it went off in 2012 just under very different conditions.  In 2012 Platte opened during a lengthy warm stretch.  The bullheads were there almost immediately and the fishing got very good very fast. With the long term forecast being what it is I don't expect a repeat performance.  But I never know and that's why I'll go.

I did fish tonight for about 30 minutes before I decided I was more likely to catch a cold than a fish.  Conditions were very breezy out of the NW, cloudy, and 40 degrees.

Tonight At the GOMH & Ice Out Moving North

MN Ice Out Page

Still ice in the Platte River Outlet

All the lakes that the ice went out this weekend

My fishing report tonight.

A Wheeler Went Through On Platte Lake Tonight

Sullivan Tonight

Sullivan Inlet

Tonight I went fishing for about 45 minutes at the Grumpy Old Man Hole and caught another toothy bullhead.  As I was leaving a wheeler showed up on the South end of the small island.  I drove down to the inlet on Sullivan then over to Bulldog Lake. As I was heading home on 8 a cop passed me lights on and turned at Richardson Corners headed towards the GOMH. Turns out the guy on the wheeler fell through. Lucky for him Peter W. was out and saw the whole thing happen and called 911. I don't know if the person crawled out on his own or if he had to be rescued, but he made it out. I saw and heard some sandhill cranes out there tonight.  I'm guessing Platte Lake will be ice free by Tuesday the 22nd at the latest.  I think it will probably be earlier especially if we get significant rain on this Tuesday (15th).

A Football Field, To the Dock, And A Bullhead?

About a football field worth

Open water reached the dock

I got out just after sunset tonight thanks to a lengthy trip in to Brainerd today for the Bass Snatchers Liars meeting.  It got into the high 60's and was sunny with no wind.  The geese made a racket on both sides.  I saw a muskrat on the Sullivan side and maybe a couple of mergansers.  Swans did a fly bye and geese did a fly over.  I even caught a bullhead.  We are suppose to get quite a bit of precipitation this week and the temps are supposed to cool down as well.

Warmer Today, Little Progress, No Sign Of Fish

It got to the low 60's today, but it took a while to warm up from the freezing temps last night.  There was no noticeable progress at Bulldog.  I hoping the GOMH Bay in Platte is totally open by sunset tomorrow.  It was about 40% open today. No swans tonight.

Not quite to the dock today.

Last years straw and hay. Good for panfish, lousy for catching them

Slowing Moving to Open Water

It only got to 46 degrees today, about 10 degrees cooler than forecast.  I checked Bulldog and the GOMH.  Swans, geese, ducks, and some red wings made for a pleasant night not catching anything.  It's supposed to warm up tomorrow into the 60's the next few days.  Bring it on.

No open lakes in MN yet. (or they just didn't update today).

Bulldog Access

Even without much current the PRO open water area is growing

Not so much on the Platte side
(Click Pics to enlarge)

2016 I Can See the Driveway!!!

It's clear.

I also checked out the GOMH today.  Not open that much more than yesterday, but there were some geese and swans.

Open Water Will Be Here Soon

With temps predicted to be well above normal for at least the next 10 days I can see the area lakes being ice free in two weeks.  I had to get new water for the minnows so I drove by Bulldog Lake and stopped at the GOMH to fish for a little while.  I heard a couple of red wing black birds at the GOMH.  I got skunked.

Follow Ice Out across MN here.

Bulldog Lake

2016 When Will I See the Driveway? #4

Not quite today.  Tomorrow for sure.

Top of the driveway 100% clear

Just this area in the mid section.

Tackle Warehouse Opener will in all likelihood be later this week.

2016 When Will I See My Driveway? #3

It's been a week since my last edition.  Should be clear by Tuesday at the latest.  It's going to be in the mid fifties again tomorrow and may reach 60 on Tuesday.

 

Edwin Evers Clips Christie to Win Classic Title on Grand Lake

Edwin Evers wins a battle of the Oklahoma boys in stunning come from behind fashion on the last day of the Bassmaster Classic with a 29lb 3oz bag.  He won by more than 10lbs with 60lbs 7ozs.

Congratulations Edwin!!!

My Classic Fantasy Picks

I haven't been feeling the greatest the last couple of days and that's why I haven't posted anything on the Classic up until now.  Not a bad line up except for Morgenthaler who pretty much killed me.  Hopefully Rojas, Walker, and Watson will all move up on Day 3.

Update: I spoke to soon about my line up not being too bad.  Christie ends up in 2nd.  Walker and Watson move out of the Top 10.  Only Rojas moved up on the final day.  I don't consider a line up in the 60th percentile very good at all.

Fishing Goals for 2016

Ten years ago, I wrote my fishing goals for the 2006 here on my blog.   I crashed my truck that summer into a deer totaling it which sent me into a depression that ended my participation in the Team Bass Club. We also moved out of the lake place that spring and into where I live now, which threw me off ice fishing until last winter. I never wrote another list of goals again until now.

Bass Snatcher Goals:
1. Get "Wood" in at least one tournament. (1st-3rd Place Finish or Lunker)
2. Win my 1st tournament. (My best finish to date is 2nd Place.)
3. Get "Lunker" in a tournament.   (Preferably one over 5-8 to win the revolving big bass pot that I'm now entered in thanks to somebody finally winning it last year. With 3 big bass lakes on the schedule, there is a shot.)
4. Get paired with Chuck Fields. (He usually only fishes a couple of tournaments a year, so chances of it ever happening are not very good.)
5. Finish in the Top 10 at the end of the year. (Something I haven't done since 2011)
6. Catch a limit at every tournament of the year. (I've done this twice, but in 2012 I only fished 4 out of the 6 tournaments due to a bad back.)

Technique & Tackle Goals:
1. Catch some fish on a River2Sea Whopper Plopper. (This will be my 3rd year with this bait, and I haven't caught a fish on it yet. I'm not sure if I even threw it last year.)
2. Catch fish on my wake baits: Lucky Craft, Livetarget, and Rapala. (I hardly ever tried the Lucky Craft, and I got the Livetarget and Rapala's late last fall)
3. Throw a football head jig at the GOMH. (It will work, no doubt about it.)
4. Get out in the Trophy. (It's been 3 years since I've had it in the water.)
5. Win something in Fantasy Fishing or Facebook giveaway/contest.
6. Catch fish on a Lucky Craft Gunfish 117 (Lures I just won on eBay)

Fish Goals:
Crappie:
1. Catch a 14" or bigger. (This has been my goal for a long time, predating the blog.)
2. Catch* over 300 this year. (Very doable at this point.  I'm at 199 right now)

Dogfish:
1. Win my 3rd Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Championship
2. Catch an MN State Record fish. (11-4  or 35" x 20")

Pike:
1. Catch* over 150 this year. (I caught 205 last year.)
2. Catch a 38" or over.

Bass: 
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Largemouth
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth
3. Catch* over 500 bass this year. (I caught only 450 last year.)
4. Catch* at least 5 smallies. (I caught 10 last year)

Blogging:
1. Blog about anytime I reach a goal.
2. Blog the BASS Elite AOY on Mille Lacs Lake.

* Catch is anything I deem it to be, including follows by pike or smallmouth (while pre-fishing), a pike missing my lure, fish seen on the Aqua View, and fish that get off before I have them in hand that I can positively identify.

Sod Off Leap Year

Because of today, Leap Day, the first Saturday in May isn't until the 7th.  Thus the MN Fishing Opener isn't until the absolute latest date it can be instead of the absolute earliest it can be.  We lose a whole week.  What a frickin' rip off!