Congratulations Brent Chapman 2012 B.A.S.S. AOY

B.A.S.S.

Brent sealed the deal today.   Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.   Way to go Brent!!!

Not Fishing Bass Snatchers North Long

Tomorrow is the 5th Bass Snatcher tournament of the year at North Long Lake.  I will not be fishing due to my back.  I've got a bulging disc in my L4/L5.  It's doubtful at this point that I will be able to fish at Lake Alexander on September 22nd.

Bass Snatchers Pokegama July 28th

My boater Adam had a good day getting 3rd Place and Big Bass 4.15lbs 

The fishing at Pokegama was tough for me in large part because my back/ right leg was in pain for much of the day.  I couldn't keep contact with my lure like I needed to and hooksets were an issue as well.  The weather was partly cloudy to sunny with a bit of a breeze out of the South, blowing strongest at the end of the day.

We got on the "juice" immediately in the morning.  On my 3rd cast I got a big fish, but it was the wrong kind.

It was a big bowfin that did a number on my hook.  While I was landing the fish, Adam got his first bass.  I got the bowfin off the hook and no sooner did Adam have his big bass on.  I got it netted went back to dealing with my line.  Adam had another fish on immediately.  He may have gotten one more before I got my line back in the water.  I finally picked up first bass a 13 incher on a Blue Bruiser Crawtube.  I also got a small pike.  Adam got 5 fish on the starting spot.

We headed to our second spot and got nothing.  Then we went to run some docks.  Adam got his limit fish and I missed a couple bites on a Zoom Fluke.  Adam caught his first cull and I got a 10" bass and another small pike.

We went back to our first spot and I got a  14" bass on the Crawtube.  I think I got another pike as well.  Adam got a couple more fish.   We went to another spot and Adam caught 3 or 4 and I got nothing.  Next we headed out of Poole Bay and went to Salter Bay but that was a bust.  Next we went to Sugar Bay where I got a couple of 13 inchers on a brown/green pumpkin Crawtube along with a non-keeper and a pike.  We went to 1 more spot in Sugar then headed to the river.  The river turned out to be a bust and we headed out of there stopping to fish some slop in Jay Gould.  I finally got a good bass on a Horny Toad (15.5").  I ended  up missing a couple more on poor hooksets.  Adam got 3 or 4 more bass.

Next we headed back to our starting spot and I got my limit fish (15.5") on the brown/g.p. Crawtube.  I was relieved to get my limit.  I also culled my first fish of the day with a 14" fish.  Next we headed way down to the bottom of Sherry Arm to fish slop.  Adam picked up a few fish on a frog and I missed my first bite.  Finally I got one on a Zoom Horny Toad that went 15.25".  I think I missed one more and Adam got a couple more.  We ran back up to Sugar Bay for 20 minutes than fished the last 10 minutes in Tioga Bay where I caught a dink pike to end the day.

My weight was 10-15 and got me 19th Place.  Adam's 16-6 got him 3rd Place.  1st Place was Chuck Johansen who was fishing by himself with 19-1. Apparently he was fishing docks.

I should have had over 12lbs easy, but my leg was just to much of an issue.

Eddy's Launch with Spike and Dad

This evening my old boss at Gander Mtn in Maple Grove Mike "Spike" Miller got together a group to go out on a launch out of Eddy's Resort on Mille Lacs Lake and Dad and I went along.  The weather was warm, but not to hot, mostly sunny with a bit of a walleye chop.  We started off going for smallies in some shallow rocks.  My dad's rod had a problem with the bead getting on the wrong side of the bobber stop.  Several small smallies were caught and Jessica my old roommate from when I lived in Champlin got a 17"er.

I didn't get Dad's rod in order for about 35 minutes and by then we were heading out for walleye's.

Spike got the first eye of the trip with this 26.5" which was the big fish for the launch.

It was a slow night with only about 6 or 7 walleye's caught for 20 of us.  I lucked out and got the last eye of the night as we were pulling up anchor.

24.5"

I think dad might have had a bite, but am not totally sure.  It was good night to see some old friends.

Pokegama Quick Report

My right leg gave me trouble for much of the day, so I ended up not fishing my best.  My boater Adam kicked my rear end after we were pretty even in pre-fish. I did get a limit and even culled a couple of times, but it took most of the day.  Adam was culling in the first hour.  We'll just have to wait and see what my 11lb limit gets me.  Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be in the top 20 out of 29 fishing..

Pokegama Bass Snatchers Preview

It should be an interesting tournament tomorrow with the high water.  Reports I've heard is that the river area's aren't very good.  In my pre-fish we stuck to the lake and fished weedlines doing OK.  Weather forecast is for sun and 10 mph wind out of the South similar to conditions we pre-fished under..  I think it's gonna be a Crawtube kind of day.  The Crawtube was my lure in pre-fish where I got  a 17", 16", 15.5", 14.5", 14" and 14" for my best 6.  Maybe if I'm lucky I'll get a few topwater fish.

I expect weights are going to be down for once this year, but who knows.  I'll be glad if I can get 12lbs, I have a feeling that will be a good weight for this one.

Bass Snatchers Whitefish Chain July 15th

We fished from about 7AM to 3PM.   It was sunny for the first couple of hours, then got cloudy until about the last hour when the sun came out again.

My boater Dave Branum and I were second boat out and we headed to the North East corner of Big Trout Lake.  I decided to start throwing a Paycheck Baits Repo Man and was rewarded on about my 3rd cast with a bass, but it jumped off just before it got to the net.  A few casts later I had another one on that got off half way back to the boat.  Dave then landed the first fish of the day.  Shortly after that I got a 12" squeaker and then I got another 12" squeaker.  About 15 minutes later I landed a quality 15.5" fish also on the Repo Man.  After that the topwater bite died and Dave was getting a few on a jig, so I switched up to a Strike King Ocho on a mushroom head jig.  I got a 13.25" and 12.75" on that.  


We moved to a sunken hump in the middle North part of Big Trout were I missed a good feeling bite on the Ocho.  We then moved to a close by weedline and I got 14.75", 13.25", and another 14.75"on a Blue Bruiser Crawtube and a couple that didn't help. We moved West to another weedline spot where we found rock bass.  Eventually we headed back to our starting spot as it sprinkled a bit.  I got a couple of shorts on the Repo Man, so I switched up to a gold Berkley Frenzy Popper and got a couple that didn't help, then I landed 16".  We moved back to the weedline in the middle North and I got a 16.25" and a 14 on the Frenzy Popper.  Caught a few more that didn't help on the Frenzy and Crawtube.  With an hour left, we headed into Middle Whitefish, then to Upper Whirefish where I caught a rock bass and a pike.  Then it was time to head in.


I ended up with 12/8 but one of my fish died so I dropped to 12/6 which put me in 12th Place.  My boater Dave only got 9/10, which put him in 25th out of 30.  The weights were up again this tournament with 12lb bags to 15th Place and 10lb bags to 24th place.  Last time we were on Whitefish two years ago in early June, my bag would have been good for 5th Place and the time before that in 2006 also in early June it would have been good for 6th Place.  Guys are catching them this year.   The winner was Dennis Lothspeich with 16/15 with an ounce more than Chuck Steinbauer.


My Thoughts:  I was a bit disappointed we didn't get any smallmouth, which I would have thought would have happened with those topwater fish up in Big Trout.  I think we might have actually seen a lake trout that came up to the surface and then swim right by us.   

Whitefish Chain Quick Report

The weather was favorable with light wind and clouds.  It seemed like people caught 'em good today as well.  I had fun catching my best fish on topwater.  The fish bit all day long.  I caught 12/8 minus a 2oz dead fish penalty.  I think I'm in the top 12 out of 30 but then again maybe not.

Bass Snatcher Whitefish Chain Preview

Honestly my head really isn't in this one with the back pain I've been having.  I think I will hold up OK.  I just hope my boater puts us on fish.  His practice sounded pretty mediocre and he doesn't have a great history at the Chain.  Sounds like we will be on weedlines all day.  If I can get 9lbs I'll be happy.

Bass Snatchers Leech Lake June 30th

Well due to my sore back  I'm getting to this a bit late, but better late than never.

We launched out of Horseshoe Bay around 7:45AM.  And we were fishing 5 minutes later down in Uram Bay.  First cast I landed a 17.75" on a white Zoom Horny Toad out of the reeds.  I thought great, I'm screwed. Getting a fish on the first cast has been bad luck for me in the past.  About 20 minutes later my boater Darren landed a 5lb 50z fish that was big bass for the tournament.  Unfortunately he was 3ozs short of our club's buy in running big bass pot.  Darren missed a couple of bites and had a pike steal his Spro he got the fish on.  We worked around the bay for a couple of hours.  As we were working our way out I spotted a fish hit something in some shallow reeds.  We moved that way.  I put a cast in the area with a Mad Maxx Big Sexy Frog and got smacked by a 15.75".  Darren ended up missing one more bite, then we headed for Sucker Bay, which took about  25 minutes to get to.


It clouded up by the time we got up there.  We started in some Rice on the West side of the bay.  I think Darren got 1 in the rice, then he broke off his other Spro Frog.  We got up by some docks and Darren got a fish on the crawtube, and I jumped off a good fish on a Spro.  On the backside of the same dock, I hooked an 18", which was my big bass.  I think Darren got a couple more among the weeds on the docks.  

Next we went to some Reeds and Darren and I doubled up on crawtubes.  My fish was 14.25".  I next got a 15.75" on the crawtube.  I filled out my limit with a 13" on a white Horny Toad.  Next I stuck a nice pike in the reeds. I missed another hit.  Darren was catching and missing fish occasionally.   We got to some undercut banks and I got a 14.5" on the crawtube.  I missed one more hit on the undercut banks before we got into rice again.  We moved across to the East shore and I missed a couple on frogs, before I finally caught my last fish, a 16.25" on a Mad Maxx "Big Sexy" after the sun came back out.  Darren got the last keeper.

My 6 fish went for 16/11, which is my best Snatcher weight ever, but was only good enough for 21st Place. The weights were crazy.  Darren got 5th with 19/7. Four bags we over 20lbs and Art caught the new Snatchers biggest bag at 22/10 and his boater Todd Berghuis caught 21/14.  An 18/7 bag was 12th place.  We blew away the club's record average bag by over 3lbs at 16.7lbs. Blew away clubs record total weight in a tournament by 127lbs.


Overall it was a fun day and I can't complain to much Darren had us around good fish.

Tonight's Launch At Eddy's with Dad

Tonight Dad and I finally got out on another Launch trip out on Mille Lacs.  The weather was almost perfect, maybe a tad warm.  Dad started things off with this 23" fish.

I couldn't see the screen to know I cut it off.  Then Dad got a 24" fish.

Then Dad got a 22" fish.

Finally I got on the board with a 23" eye.  Unfortunately the setting sun is behind my head or it would have been an awesome picture.

Then I got a 24" er.

Dad closed out the night with the last fish on the Launch and the only keeper for us non- Native American's on the boat.  It was a 15inch eye.

All fish were caught on a red hook with single yellow bead.  I think Dad caught the most fish on the launch,  maybe one other lady got 4 as well.

My Sore Back...

Has kept me from blogging this week.  Haven't done any fishing either

Leech Quick Report

Leech Lake was on Fire today.  I caught my best bag as a Snatcher and I don't know if I even made the top 20.  All time Snatcher big bag was set today and I'm sure we blew away the all time club weight record.  My boater Darin got big bass and was 3oz shy of the Big $ Bass pot.  The weather was perfect.

Bass Snatcher Leech Lake Preview

Tomorrow we fish Leech Lake.  Didn't get out to prefish.  My boater got out there a couple of times but just did so so.  He doesn't have the most experience on the lake, so we will see how it goes.  Basically I am set up to fish heavy cover, except for my dock rod.

7'11" H Flippen Stick with a Jig
7" Heavy Crawtube
7'3" MH Swimbait
7'3" MH Horny Toad
7'3" MH Slop Frog Spro Frog
7'3" MH Slop Frog Spro Poppin Frog
7'3" MH Slop Frog TT Mad Max
6'10" MH Buzzbait, Pure Poison, Swim Jig
6'3" M Fluke spining

Morning at the PRO

This morning I fished out of the Trophy from 7AM to 10:30AM.  I fished in the Platte River Outlet area of Sullivan Lake.  I decided to hit the SE side of the Intersection on a whim.  Turned out that was a good call as I got my biggest fish there.

17.25"

I think I got it on the Horny Toad, but I may have got it on a black Spro Frog.  I think I got 5 in this area.  Then I headed to the River mouth and got a small pike.  I got a couple in the River mouth, a 15",12"and a pike in the river, and a couple of 13.25 at the dam and a 10" on the Grass Pig.  I got a 13" on the way out at the River mouth.

12 bass
2 pike

Rock Lake From the Boat

Tonight I fished on Rock in the Trophy from 7:45PM to 9:30PM.  I started out in the reeds by the access and got a single 14" bass and I missed a few hits on the Horny Toad.  I worked my way into the Platte River Outlet area and got another 14" fish and missed a couple of good strikes as on the Horny Toad.  At 9PM I decided to run to the Beaver Dam.  There I got 3 fish on the Toad including this 16" and I missed about 3 more.

 I threw out the Crawtube and got 16 and a 14".  Then it was time to go.  Should have gone to the Dam,sooner.

Toad's and Big Sexy at Jenny's

15.25"

Tonight I fished from 7:30PM to 9:20PM at Jenny's.  I got 5 bass on the swirl black/white Horny Toad and 3 Bass on a Mad Maxx Big Sexy frog.  Nothing over 15.75".  I also had a pike bite off a Toad.

I then went to East of the GOMH and had a few swirls but no takes on the Toad.  The mosquito's got to bad so I went up to the bridge to talk with John W.  Apparently he got a couple of nice jumpin bullheads there tonight and 1 nice one at the Culvert.  He even got a golden bullhead under the bridge.

Horny Toad Tonight

Tonight I got out at 7:30PM and it turned into a Horny Toad night when I put on Pete's waders that he forgot here last week.  At Jenny's I got 5 bass and I missed a couple.  The three biggest were about 15.5".  This was the first of those.

 At about 9PM I went to go to the Grumpy Old Man Hole, but when I saw there were people there I stopped short along where the lake is next to the road.  I climbed down into the weeds and got a 15.5" bass, then I got a little pike, then I got 13" bass,  then I missed some bites before I got another 15.5" bass.  Next I landed this little dude.

Yep I got a little Bowfin.  After that I got 2 more 15.5" bass and I missed a few bites.  I quit at around 9:45PM.

Morning I.C.G.

This morning I hit the Inlet on the South End of Sullivan, the Culvert and the Grumpy Old Man Hole.  I got a solid 16+ at the Inlet on a Crawtube.  Didn't measure cause I left the board at the GOMH last night and I forgot to get a picture. I also missed something on the Grass Pig.  I got a 14" or so bass at the Culvert on the Pure Poison.

At the GOMH I got 6 jumpin bullheads, including this 15" all on the Crawtube.

Missed a toothy bullhead and a couple more bites.  I did get my measuring board back.

Missed A Good One at the GOMH

Tonight I missed a good fish at the Grumpy Old Man Hole on a Horny Toad.  It came all the way out of the water and had it.  I just blew the hook set.  I'm going to need to work on my Horny Toad hook sets this week, with Leech Lake coming up next week.  I did catch two small bass on a Pure Poison with Craw Fatty.  I got out a bit late, so I didn't get to the Culvert or Inlet.

Yesterday I got 2 bass at Jenny's on the Horny Toad and got bit off.  And in the morning I got 2 bass at the Culvert on a spinnerbait and a Crawtube and I got 2 bass at the GOMH on a Yum Wooly Bug.