B.B.S. Gull Lake

 

 Conditions: 36-48℉, Cloudy in the morning turning PC around noon, Clouds returned the final couple of hours, 0-4mph

My Boater: Club President Tim Benson (2nd Tournament I've fished with him) 

Oopsie: As I started North on 25 toward Brainerd I remembered I didn't put my cull tags in my bag. 

The Day: Everbody was there early in the belief that there wouldn't be parking spaces due to a big walleye tournament, but that wasn't the case. I was the last guy to arrive. I got my stuff in the boat and Tim had four extra cull tags. We blasted off a little before 7:30AM and we headed right to the reeds on the West side of  Round Lake. It wasn't long and I flipped up my big bass of the day 2/15 on a Texas Rigged junebug craw tube.  Tim got 2 or 3 keepers on our first pass along the outside edge in maybe a 60-yard stretch. We then worked our way back inside the reeds but not too far from the edge. I missed a bite on a Hack Attack Jig and caught a pike around the same area where I got my bass. As we started back on a second pass Tim got a nice one. I think he was culling by the time I got another bass. I did lose a fish that broke me off. Tim threw a chatter jig to a small reed island and had a good one jump all over it. I cast my craw tube to the area and was immediately hit by my second biggest bass of the day. We thought maybe we found a school, but nope. So after checking the area out resumed fishing down the reed line. Not too far down Tim got another good one on the chatterjig. I caught a 12.5" just outside of the reed line on a Hack Attack Jig. Then I got on the reed line on a tilapia craw tube. The sun had come out prompting me to go to a lighter color. I got my fifth fish on a D & M Baits junebug Piranha 2 Swim Jig (chatter). I got my limit fish around noon on the craw tube. We then worked our way back with me missing or losing several bites.

We then tried a small reed bed and Tim got a couple of upgrades. At that point, we decided to leave Round. We went to reed bed on the North end of Gull. I got one upgrade on a junebug craw tube and caught a dink on a LiveTarget Baitball Popper. It wasn't happening. We spent the final hour and a half on the South end not catching anything.

The Results: My fish weighed 12/13oz putting me in 7th Place. Tim had 18/9 putting him in 4th. Keith Tuma won with 20/6 and got Lunker with a 4/7 fish  Second went to Smitty with 19even and Al Steinbauer got third edging Benson by 6ozs. The Co-Angler Challenge was won by Beau again.

My Thoughts: I am satisfied with my day. It took me a couple hours to relax and get comfortable and in tune with pitching the reeds. We were the only boat in Round and because of that fact we probably should have stayed there the whole day.  

This Tournament guaranteed I will finish 5th or 6th in AOY.

6/3/17 Snatchers Platte/Sullivan

Getting Ready For Blast Off

7:45AM-3:50PM Platte Lake
Conditions: 54-84℉, Partly to Mostly Cloudy, 3 to 15MPH WSWNW Winds, Water Level getting low

There was a surprise at the ramp this morning when we learned a bass club with 7 boats would also be fishing Platte/Sullivan today.  They blasted off at 7AM even though all their boats weren't in the water yet.  Thankfully they only went until noon, so there was no conflict over weigh in and take out.

I think we blasted off around 7:45AM and we went right to what I will now forever call Chuck's Point.  It is a reed point with some cabbage mixed in with rice up by shore and a slop bay to the West.  I think Chuck got a 15" right away on a swimbait or swim jig.  I made a cast out of the reeds into the slop with the Horny Toad.   A fish slapped, but didn't get it.  I cast back and it got it this time, but it hung me up in the reeds.  It really wasn't happening at this spot so we went to one of my spots in the NW corner.  I think Chuck got a small keeper and I whiffed when a fish hit Maxx.  That darn J-Braid 8 wrapped itself around my rod good.  I eventually had to cut it.

We then went to Double Maidencaine Point.  I got a pike there.  Carp were active, but we couldn't raise a bass.  Next we headed to some docks on the South shoreline.  That didn't pay off with anything.  We were making our way out of the rice when I had something show up behind my frog.  I let it sit for a couple of seconds and when I moved it again a 17.75" bass blasted it.

Chuck was intent on getting to some docks, so we didn't fish the area to see if anything else was there.  Chuck came in a little too close to the South side of the small island and he hit bottom with his motor.  Thankfully he didn't seem to do any damage.  We didn't get anything on the docks.

We then headed to the point across from the Platte Lake access and the fish were active there.  Chuck got the first couple of fish.  Then I got a 13.3," 14.25" and a 17" on a Bass Pro Speed Shad.  I lost a 15-16 on the Shower Blows Knock off.  I think Chuck filled out his limit and maybe culled once.

Next we headed back to Chuck's point.  Chuck got a fish right away again and was back to culling.  I caught a 12" line burner on a craw tube which I put in the well.  Almost immediately I had another bite as did Chuck.  They were both good fish.  Chuck's got off, but I landed mine and it was my big fish of the day 18.5" 3/07, so she was spawned out.  I then got a 16.5" fish on the craw tube to get rid of the line burner.  I switched to the Horny Toad and quickly got a skinny 16" fish on that.  Then the bite quit on Chuck's Point.

We ran into my bay, but everything was either covered up or kids were swimming there.  We ran back to the point across from the access.  I may have caught my final cull here, a 16.5 on the Speed Shad.

The sun came out.  We tried some docks on the Platte Access shoreline.  Didn't get anything.  We went back to Chuck's point.  I had a really good fish hit the Horny Toad, unfortunately after having it on for about 4 seconds it buried me in the reeds.  If it was a bass, and I think it was, it probably would have been my big fish.  That hurt me because I couldn't get rid of that skinny 16 incher.

We tried the slop to the East of the GOMH.  Both Chuck and I had hits but couldn't hook the fish.  We went back to Chuck's point to end the day.  He got a solid cull and lost a good one while I got several fish that didn't help me.  And the day was done.

Chuck had me believing we had  me believing that our weights were fairly similar.  They weren't.

Results:  My fish weighed 15/8, which put me in 7th Place.  Whew, I finally made a Top 10.  Chuck came in 3rd Place with 17/4 and he had Lunker with a 4/2.  Mark Munson won with 17/12.  I'm a little surprised no one caught an 18lb bag as the fish were really biting.

My Thoughts: Finally a half way decent tournament day for me. I would have been really disappointed had I come in with anything under 14lbs.  There are just so many 15.5-17" fish in the system right now.  Can I keep the momentum?

 

Sep. 17th 2013 B.B.S. Little Boy/Wabedo

Well better late than never on this tournament report. I've got nothing better to do on this snowy April Day.

I fished with Darren Kiefer as my boater.  This was the third time I've had the pleasure to share the boat with Darren.  He got a little spun out in this one.

Weather Conditions:  It was a cool September morning with a cold breeze blowing out of the NW when we blasted off at around 7:40AM.  The sun eventually came out and the breeze died down some and it got to 61°F.

The Day: Darren had gotten some good fish in the slop in the Access area when he pre-fished and it was pretty calm there, so that's where we started.  I had a hit on a yellow Horny Toad but missed it in the pads.  We worked his prime area back and forth but didn't come up with anything. Then we fished the small Island right by the access.  We got around to some reeds that had wind blowing on to them and I got my first and biggest fish (17") of the day on the Yellow Horny Toad.  We worked our way around the back side of the Island and I missed a fish in the pads.  Darren also missed something, probably a pike or a muskie in the pads as well.

Next we moved to the North Shore adjacent to the Island and worked the shoreline heading East. One of the two of us got a nice pike on the back side of a reed point.  We got into some pads and docks and I got my 2nd bass of the day (15.25") on the Horny Toad.  I missed a couple of hits in the pads.  We were working some seriously good looking water with pads, rice, and reeds, but not catching anything.  We went back to where we started on the North shore adjacent to the Island and headed East this time.  I landed a little 12.5" keeper on the Horny Toad out of the pads and a 12.75" off of some reeds just beyond a dock on a black T.T. Mad Maxx Frog.

Next we went around the point and got out in the wind.  I saw a muskie swimming with it's head out of the water like they do sometimes.  We went up and fished the windblown reeds of the other Island.  As we came around on the back side out of the wind again Darren had a monster bass miss his frog.

The sun started coming out so we ran up to the NW side of Little Boy and tried a weedline spot, but didn't get anything.  Next, we went into the reeds and I picked up a chunky 16.25" on a yellow Spro Frog.  I also lost a good one in the reeds on the end of a long cast.  Eventually, we gave up on the reeds and headed to Wabedo.

We started fishing some pads that had some wind blowing on them;  The wind was much lighter now.  We ended up getting into some reeds and I caught my keeper fish (15.25") on the Horny Toad.  I think I got 14.5" out on the weed flat just out from the reeds on the Horny Toad and a 15" even farther on the weed flat.  We worked back to the reeds and I got one or two that didn't help.

Next we ran South and worked some pads and rice.  I missed some, caught a couple that didn't help and finally got my final keeper of the day (15.25") all on the Horny Toad.

We ran back up into Little Boy and Darren lost one where that big one missed his bait earlier in the day.  We ended up fishing by the access again.  I got one last fish that didn't help me on the Horny Toad in the pads off the Island in general vicinity where I missed one in the morning.

The Results:  My 6 fish weighed 13lbs 1oz which put me in 7th place out of 26 fishermen.  This was my second best finish of the year. Apparently the Yabbie was working it's magic again as Mark Munson won his second consecutive tournament at these lake with a 18lb 4ozs bag.

My thoughts:  I really enjoyed fishing these lakes.  It was just like fishing Platte/ Sullivan. It's really to bad that big fish missed Darren's frog as the Lunker of the tournament was only 3lbs 12ozs.

This was the last tournament of the year and I think I went out on a good note.  I ended up finishing in 13th Place for the year.  I would have come in 15th place had I not caught that last second fish at Rush Lake.

Team Bass Knife Lake August 27th 2005

Report done 5/25/06

Pre-fish: I don't think I pre-fished this one due to having a GEM camp.

Tournament Day Conditions: Morning it was semi cloudy calm around 70. Afternoon the winds picked up out of the west and it was near 80 with sun then thickening cloud cover.

Started in the same spot as last year which is basically right across the lake on the western shore from the blast off point. I think I got one small one in the box right away and missed a good hit as I worked the shore south. I only went so far then headed back north eventually running along the Island as I was working that shore some old timer and his wife passed by me and parked up the shore line about 70 yards and out about a good casts distance. I kept working the shore line and when I got down by this guy he starts talking about how I have no manners even though it was he who parked right in my path but far enough out for there to be plenty of room for me to continue working the shore line. I was like "whatever!" I worked around the North Side of the Island and got nothing into the weeds.

Another tournament boat was just working it's way around a mini-point on to the run of docks just North of the Island. I decided I would hit the first dock and then I would blast out. I immediately got hit by a solid 17"er. I then caught two more small keepers out from that dock. I worked to the next dock and got another solid 16"keeper. The other boat and I passed each other. They were pitching jigs and I was throwing a topwater Zoom Horney Toad. They caught fish behind me and I caught fish behind them with me getting the better of it with a solid 18"er and I think my first cull out. I worked up and back on the run of docks getting one or two that didn't help me.

I then ran to the east shore farther North on the lake. There was a solid algea bloom in this area but it didn't matter because immediately I got another keeper from under a dock. I then proceeded to miss a good hit and then another. I went until the algea just got too thick and headed North a little farther than where I started before. I missed a good hit from a 3 to 4lb fish. That was several quality chances in a row gone. The wind started coming up and the eastern shore turned tough.

I then headed to the river inlet and got nothing. I went under the bridge and tried the far south end of the lake. I missed another solid blow up. The wind was coming in good now. I worked my way north with no luck. I then headed to the run of docks were I had done so well and got 1 more slight cull up. I then headed to the weigh in knowing I had blown a shot for a pretty good bag with missed fish. As it turns out I would probably have had a tough time breaking into the top 4 which all had 18lb bags.

I ended up in 7th place with a 13lb 6oz bag

Stats:Knife
TLA: 1.000
LCP: 1.000
FWA: 2.23lbs
BBP: .000
TDWA: 13.37lbs

Mistakes: I was worn out from the week of camp and I struggled to keep my focus. I outright missed fish because I didn't have my A or even B or C game. For the last few hours on this one I was a hurting unit.

After Thoughts: This tournament was very hard on me. I was just wiped out. At the end of the day I went back to the launch and took a nap on the deck of the boat before loading up the boat and going home. This one pretty much sealed my fate into not being able to break into the top 10 for the year but I kind of feel fortunate to have caught what I did. After all I got my best fish behind one of the clubs top boats and I did much better than last year.

Next Touranment: Platte/Sullivan

Team Bass @Sauk Lake August 6,2005

Report Done: 5/8/2006

Pre-Fish: Went into this one lake unseen.

About Sauk Lake: This was an all new lake for me and the Team Bass Trail. Coming in Sauk Lake had a reputation for tough fishing, great looking water and big fish; would that hold true or would we find something else?

Sauk is basically a river/lake like the Horseshoe chain. The lake had a pretty good algae bloom and thus stained water.

Tournament Day: Sight unseen my goal was to get a limit and just hope it was big enough or that there was a kicker in there. My basic strategy was to put the trolling motor down and cover water until I figured something out.

Conditions: Warm, the morning with a slight overcast clearing in the afternoon. Wind out of the south 5 to 10mph.

I went under the bridge heading west put my self on the calm south shore and started fishing with a Bubble Gum Zoom Super Fluke. It didn't take long and I landed my first keeper, just under 2lbs. A little farther down I landed another then another and then I missed a solid 3-4lb fish on a poor hookset. These fish were all shallow related to wood. I went through I fairly long dry spell before I caught one and then missed a good fish on the fluke in a tangle of wood. I worked that piece of cover over pretty good and eventually caught that fish I missed on a jig. I then went through another long dry spell. I moved East of the bridge on the North side and started fishing slop with a frog and a jig.

The limit fish was proving elusive as I missed a few blow ups and bites on the jig. I didn't get frustrated, I got mad. With about 10 minutes left I nabbed a good 2lber on the Zoom Horny Toad. I felt really good at that point and headed in.

Stats:
For Sauk Lake
TLA: 1.000
LCP: 1.000
FWA: 2.11lbs
BBP: .000
TDWA: 12.69

12lbs 11ozs for 7th Place

After Thoughts: It's a good thing I got that limit fish or I would have been highly frustrated. I must have lost at least 5 bass before I finally filled out. Overall I felt good about getting 7th place as it could have been far worse. I was a ways out of the money but plenty close to falling far had I not caught that last fish.

I don't know if pre-fishing would have helped or hurt me in this one as that I feel I had a fairly productive day. I don't think the fishery has an overwhelming abundance of fish to begin with. Having that attitude that it might be tough helped me to keep my head in the game. My early success was a big bonus.

Mistakes: Missed fish just killed me in this one.

Final Thought: The big fish and big stringers just didn't show up, the tournament was won by wood pitching jigs.

Next Tournament: Horseshoe 2

Team Bass Lobster Lake June 25th

Pre-Fish June 24th- My research indicated that this was a Sylvia/Twin like fishery with clear water, lots of bass, but difficult to catch bass with any size. I got a late start and was not on the water until about 10am. Talked with Jack Kiffe briefly at the ramp.

Started out by running around the whole lake for a quick look at everything. The lake reminded me a lot of Clearwater in Wright County with lots of reed beds and bullrushes along with some good dock runs, and slop, there is also some good wood in the water. The day started out sunny and hot with only a little bit of wind. I started out by putting a tube through matted weeds and getting fish, mostly 12's except for a 4lb dogfish. Was observing lots of sunnies and carp.

I then went to Fluke weed flats and inside weedlines. I got a couple of nicer fish. I threw a topwater popper and got lots of little dudes. Threw in the slop and got a couple of blow ups. Started pitching a jig on rushes, reeds, slop and wood and got more bites mostly small. At some point it started clouding up pretty good. I hit some dock areas and got more dinks mostly. Ran into, Koronis partner, Nick Graupe and John Larson for some small talk as it was sprinkling a little bit. They reported lots of dinks deep or shallow.

A little while after talking with Nick and John, I found a little something by catching 3 quality mid 2 to almost 3lb fish in as many casts and went up to figure out why they were there and there WAS a reason. I just wish I hadn't hooked em to find this out. I decided this would be my starting spot.

I then went to check a similar area and had a muskie or pike steal a topwater frog but there wasn't much here except little bass. As the sun went down I did some fun fishing with the popper and some topwater frogs in the reeds. I had a quality bass jump me off in the reeds. As it got dark I went back to the launch and set up the boat which was my motel room and that worked out great.

Pre-fish Analysis- I like the lake and Sylvia/Twin knowledge experience would be a definite advantage. The key would not be just getting a limit (getting a limit would be easy, I succeeded at catching keepers every way I fished) or needing a BIG limit (getting a 3lb plus average probably is a very long shot), but finding a limit of 2lb fish and finding any fish 3lbs or more would be a big deal.

Tournament Day:
Think I had a take-off number in the low teens. Not that it mattered even with boat 1 my run was long enough that almost any boat was gonna beat me to my starting spot if they wanted. I was happy to see that no one was anywhere near that part of the bay where my "something" was. I started out catching fish immediately on flukes and a popper. Within 15 minutes I had 5 fish in the well but they were all disappointing 12-13.5 inchers. Finally I got a solid hit on a jig but it turned out to be a 2.5lb pike that only fought like a solid bass. I hadn't even seen a pike the day before and so I was disappointed. Left this spot with 5 dinks in the well.

I then headed for quick stab at a reed point, nothing. Then to where I lost the big one in the reeds, nothing. On to the far east side, tried this good looking deal but it didn't have anything. Fluked an inside weedline and filled my limit also had a walleye follow of all things. Decided to keep on the inside weedline in the other direction and I ended up missing a solid fish somehow, but I changed to the "Smoke" fluke and luckily I think I hooked it, a 15"er. I didn't get anymore and headed to the outlet were I got a bunch of little one's.

I then headed back to my morning spot and culled up 2 fish with 1 being another quality fish at or around 2lbs. I stopped by some wood in the slop and missed an opportunity for something that MAY have been a good fish because I wasn't paying attention like I should have been while pitching a tube into holes. I then tried around some docks and wood but didn't get anything there.

I then went to area I pitched mats and tried that but nothing really was going on. I did eventually manage a couple of culls with on 14+ fish off some slop. When into the last 2 hours I headed back to my starting spot and got another quality 14+ fish. I then ran for the NE "Claw" but screwed up and was in NW "Claw" so I decided to run that slop quickly and managed to luck into a 14+ bass. I got another solid strike which turned out to be a 4lb pike, doggone it. I then headed to the NE "Claw" which looked awesome with the wind blowing in stained water and carp playing playing but all I managed was few dinks. I then spotted something that I had not noticed in my lake scouting. Time was running short and I wanted to get back to my starting spot one more time and so I didn't have a chance to explore. I ran to my morning spot and got yet another good cull out of it. I had to quickly head off to the weigh in spot on the East side. I figured I had the 2lb average I wanted and had a solid shot at fishing in the money, I figured I was 1 quality 3lb+ bite out of the win.

I was disappointed that my cookie cutter bag of 14.5 to 15.75" limit was only good for 11lbs 5ozs. I thought I was much closer to 12lbs than that or even over 12lbs, Damn skinny fish! My big bass 15.75inches was only like 2-6. I ended up in 7th Place just 2lbs even out of 1st, 14oz's out of 2nd, and 7oz's out of the money in 4th. Dropping to 7th place was an Ouch! cause I thought my bag was better.

After the tournament I decided to check out that little deal I spotted there at the end. It took a bit of effort on my part to figure it out but when I did immediately I was greeted by my first 3lb Lobster bass and then another and then another within 12 casts. If I had found this in pre-fish, I would have won going away, darn it. I ended up with 4 at least as big as anything I had in the tournament and a shot at a big dogfish too. If only...

I guess one can only hope that Lobster is drawn as a TOC lake and the two things that I have there hold up as that they are not quite the same but similar.

After Thoughts: Frustration! On my starting spot, I burned some of it's better fish in finding it and not thoroughly scouting enough left a gold mine untapped when I really should have found it. I could have had a 15+lb limit, but that's the way it goes.

Looks like Clearwater, fishes like Sylvia Twin.

Mistakes:
#1: Missing what I missed in my pre-tournament and pre-fish scouting.
#2: Lack of concentration and good technique for a moment that may have cost me a good fish.
#3: Catching that 3rd fish in a row in the same spot pre-fishing, two in a row should have told me something was up and I should have checked it out a little closer.

Stats: Lobster Lake
TLA: 1.000
LCP: 1.000
FWA: 1.89Lbs
BBP: .000
TDWA: 11.31Lbs

For Season Stats and Next Tournament See Horseshoe Chain Above...

(TLA-Tournament Limit Average, LCP-Limit Catch Percentage, FWA-Fish Weight Average, BBP-Big Bass Percentage, TDWA-Total Daily Weight Average)