What was the hot bite

Even got a couple on a scum frog today in a shallow bay with last year’s reed skeletons. Kinda fun.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
That’s awesome Bearcat! Nice start for your nephew.

He was complaining that the first tourney was on Chisago and he hates Chisago there isn’t any nice fish in there.
I told him it’s my favorite lake for a reason, after his 20th bass he was like ” uncle ronny I love this lake.” I was very happy to captain him last night. I gave him all the advice I knew to give. It was awesome watching first hand the advice on what to throw where and not to bail on a spot until he threw everything at it from fast to slow. It payed off to watch his smiles

That is definitely a great feeling. Especially when it is a kid. And yeah, Chisago has some good ones in it.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Is uncle Ronny anything like uncle Rico. Just curious.

Nice work getting him on some bass.

I just need to record my self throwing a football over the mountains lol.

Finally get to get out for bass this afternoon! It was a painful week not being able to get out for opener. Of course it’s cold and windy on the one day I get to fish.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Finally get to get out for <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass this afternoon! It was a painful week not being able to get out for opener. Of course it’s cold and windy on the one day I get to fish.

Our next tourney is Monday on n s Lindstrom. So I will be out pre fishing all day Sunday. Hopefully put together a good plan for the boys for Monday evening

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
That’s awesome Bearcat! Nice start for your nephew.

He was complaining that the first tourney was on Chisago and he hates Chisago there isn’t any nice fish in there.
I told him it’s my favorite lake for a reason, after his 20th bass he was like ” uncle ronny I love this lake.” I was very happy to captain him last night. I gave him all the advice I knew to give. It was awesome watching first hand the advice on what to throw where and not to bail on a spot until he threw everything at it from fast to slow. It payed off to watch his smiles

Teach a kid to fish and you will have a fun time fishing with him. Teach a kid to tourney fish and you will have to buy him more and more expensive equipment and spend a lot of your free time pre-fishing. Partially kidding, But once someone becomes hooked on Tourney fishing it can get all consuming. I spent a fair # of years doing the tourney fishing thing. I really thought I would miss it when I stepped away. I thought I would getting back into it in a short time. Ended up not missing it all that much. Its kind of nice to be able to fish when and where you want rather than when and where you have to. I hope you both continue to have a fun and successful season.

My Father and I had a pretty good day yesterday. The wind on Mille Lacs finally cooperated and I could fish where I wanted to in my 17.5 foot boat. My Father tied a PB with a 21 inch smallmouth, and I caught two over 20 inches. We did not catch any under 18 inches, and also 3 accidental walleyes, including one in the keeper slot which was a stroke of pure luck. The water was still only 49 degrees and it may have honestly gone down even more today.

I want to thank a couple of members on here for some of their advice they have recently given me. You know who you are, I appreciate it.

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This past week the hot lure was a PB&J Swim Jig with a Strike King Rage Bug hopped along the bottom. For other lures (chatter, jerks, craw tubes, and Dark Sleepers, I would get bit a few times, and the fish would wise up quickly. They just kept hitting that jig. Also, a topwater bite is beginning to develop. I look for that to get stronger as this nice weather arrives.

No big ones last night but caught a helluva lot of fish. Went up shallow because that’s where I got second in our championship derby last fall with 18 lbs, but only found short males up there and it wasn’t much action. Figured the cold front must have pushed them out deeper and started throwing a jerkbait in 10 fow on the edge of a main lake point and I must’ve caught a bass every other cast. It was a ton fun. Can’t wait for the big girls to start moving up shallow. 62-64 F on the lake I was on.

I fished prime time for topwater tonight on Platte Lake and didn’t have so much as a swirl from anything. Pike and bass were in the area as I caught both on spinnerbaits and chatters. I fished topwater long enough to realize it was not gonna happen. Bizarre! After this year’s bad winter kill, I am grateful to be catching anything in Platte. I only had an hour of sunlight to fish tonight, so I thought I would give Platte a chance to show me something, and it did.

You are a top water junkie!

Weekend was a mixed bag for me. 2 lakes the males were shallow one day hammered them on Beetle spins. Next day only on Wacky’s. 2 other lakes fished they were in a funk after the cold front they actually bit better on the cool windy days. Some were scattered and very spooky got a few on a small bass jig and plastics. Temps 63-68 from what I’m seeing, almost all are pre spawn. Saw a few females staging but still roaming.

Friday’s cold front really moved things back. Water temps were low 60s on the small lake I was on and there were barely any males up shallow even. It we get a good stretch of 70s, which it looks like we might, we should start seeing beds pop up in a week or so.

I fished green lake yesterday in Chisago. Wasn’t ideal to begin with launched at 10 am, fished until 2. We only caught pike. The kid did land a 37 but the rest were short snot rockets. Lost 2 jerk baits to those buggers. Went home early saying screw this I have chores I’d rather be doing. We did not see a single fish shallow and we threw everything at them.

Bearcat89 wrote:

The kid did land a 37 but the rest were short snot rockets

37 inch pike is a solid fish for around here. A rare catch indeed. I got a 29 incher over the weekend and I thought that was pretty sizable compared to the rest of the 21 inchers that were snapping.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
The kid did land a 37 but the rest were short snot rockets

37 inch <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike is a solid fish for around here. A rare catch indeed. I got a 29 incher over the weekend and I thought that was pretty sizable compared to the rest of the 21 inchers that were snapping.

It was 36 and 7/8 close enough to call it 37 for him. But that is the 5th or 6th we have caught in that area over 35 in the last 2 years.

Last night was 2nd tournament. It was a tough day. We bailed on shallow 1 pound fish and searched for bigger females. 8 to 12 ft of water. We did not do great. But the one kid in my boat did get big fish of the night at a little over 4 pounds on a lipless clackin rap

Still only seeing little males up shallow but started to see some giant beds being made this morning. Only a few had fish on them (also males) so I’d think the females are still staging but we are getting close.

Got out at the beginning of last week and was treated to this 5.4, with a couple more over 4 as well. Water temps were 65-66 and I was already seeing fish on beds. Caught this one on a jackhammer, of course.

Haven’t been out since, but I’d assume that those fish are almost done spawning with the weather we’ve had. Might have to sneak out there again soon

picture didn’t load, we’ll see if it works this time

Bass fishing for me this week has been disappointing. The topwater bite never materialized and the fish have abandoned me on the historically good pre-spawn places.

How’s the season shaping up so far BC? We’ve done well first three weeks with a second place, and two first. Kids got a good jump on total season points. Did well Sunday ripping fat raps over the weeds. Weeds are grown up 4’ in 10 FOW. Except the standing cabbage is higher. Crank down to the weeds and give short rips back to the boat. When they run into the cabbage stalks give it a sharp rip. I normally don’t fish bass much, but hoping that pattern works for a couple more weeks.

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We have been on a very good bite, 2nd place again last night. And big fish again last night. So no complaints from the boys in my boat. We can’t hit the 1st place bracket. But our competition is very very strong. Being I’m fishing in Frankie’s bait bass world, I have by far the ugliest and crappiest rig on the water.

Bearcat89 wrote:

We have been on a very good bite, 2nd place again last night. And big fish again last night. So no complaints from the boys in my boat. We can’t hit the 1st place bracket. But our competition is very very strong. Being I’m fishing in Frankie’s bait bass world, I have by far the ugliest and crappiest rig on the water.

You don’t need to outrun the other boats or look better than the other boats. Just out fish them. For many years when I was in a bass club. A guy with the slowest, oldest, and ugliest boat, almost always won the year in point standings. There we guys in the club who’s boat was worth 20X more than his and would go 3X faster.
Funny story. One year we had a tourney on Calhoun which was a trolling motor only lake. The guy with the older, ugly boat showed up with 3 trolling motors on his boat. The bow mount and 2 transom mounted ones. He said this was one tourney where he was going to be the fastest boat. He was. I drew him as my partner in that event. There was 3 guys all wanting to start on the same spot. We beat everyone to it and ended up winning the tourney and never left the starting spot.

My 1994 16’ Lund explorer with 40hp
Merc is all I need for these little lakes. I wish I had a little better electronics, but 2 helix 7’s and a Lowerance elite 5 gets the job done.

Bearcat89 wrote:

We have been on a very good bite, 2nd place again last night. And big fish again last night. So no complaints from the boys in my boat. We can’t hit the 1st place bracket. But our competition is very very strong. Being I’m fishing in Frankie’s bait bass world, I have by far the ugliest and crappiest rig on the water.

Took out a few HS kids for their summer league. First time doing it. Had no idea what to expect, had to teach them the basics of casting and spinning reels. They missed a few bites but were able to capitalize on a few for good points.

Gratifying experience and I came away from it realizing I take alot for granted. Looking forward to doing it again.

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