Grand Rapids Panfish and Bass 5-24,25

We decided to head down to grand rapids for some panfish action, with warm sunny calm weather, it looked good for a good bite. We tried a few different spots that jack had got em in the fall with not a bite. Finally we tried some reeds on top of a rock reef in a narrows area and found some presawn crappies getting ready for their big event. we got em in two to four ft down on small leadheads with a JRs stubgrub being the best bait. They were nice sized 10 to 11 inchers good keepers, no really huge slabs though.
Then I hooked into something bigger just outside the reeds that really made my drag sing. thought I hooked a bass at first, when I got it up it was a jumbo bluegill! Now thats what i am looking for! we got a few more of those,the biggest at 10.5 inches! Monday the weather was much different with strong winds and overcast skies.
The water temps went down from 62 to 57 degrees, and the crappies were tight lipped, but the bluegills were still pretty active. I downsized to a ratso finesse plastic tipped with a chunk of gulp leech that seemed to do a number on those big gills, Jack still did well with the stubgrub though.
After we worked that spot enough we decided to check out the other side for a while. We stopped at an area where there was a shallow flat with some rocks and reeds out of the wind, and Jack gets a nice smallmouth bass on the first cast on his panfish rod. i decide to target bass with a 3 inch gulp minnow. I nail 3 rockbass and a couple of hammerhandles. then i hook into something big, this aint no rockbass! She stretched out my 4 # line to its limits and through the reeds, but I get her in, a nearly 4 pound lunker bass! Pretty soon the wind got to us and we headed in, but what a great weekend of fishing action it was!

some jumbo cow and bull gills!











jack boats a gnarley looking rockie














Big ol bucketmouth



red eye


Darth crappie from the "dark" side








release those big bluegills !!!

Upper red Lake Walleye action

Me and jack headed up north in search of some monster crappies. First stop was Upper Red Lake. We motored all around trying different spots looking for the famous slabs of URL, but none could be found. Most everyone said that we were a couple weeks too early because of the cold water. i think they would bite if you found them, but we didn't. Decided to try and get some walleyes for supper. We started throwing plastics, Gulp! and Rapalas and got a few bigger fish. Jack got the biggest at over 26 inches. We couldn't get fast action or eater sized though. We saw that the boats using minnows were having lots of bites, so we went in and bought a scoop of fatheads. After that it was easy as hooking a minnow and dropping it over the side on a 1/8 oz leadhead in 9 ft just off the drop off. we caught tons of slot fish 18 to 20 inches, and enough legal keepers (they have to be under 17 inches) to have a good fish fry

Nice fish from the big pond!


Jacks big one


typical slot fish about to hit the water











a rare glass calm URL! We decided we had enough slot walleyes and to head out to some other lakes for panfish...

First entry for the bloggers bass Derby!

i got my first entry for the Bass Pundit Minnesocold Bass Bloggers Derby
! a respectable largemouth of 18 7/8 inches! I could get it to touch 19 but only with its mouth open! Hopefully I will have a good year for big toads and I will be culling her soon!

16th ounce leadhead with a 3 inch Gulp alive chartuse shad. 4# test Suffix florocarbon line.
Depth 3 ft. water temp 56 degrees prespawn.

Lake, Bass lake near grand Rapids.





I did lots of fishing with jack this weekend and got tons of fish! more reports and pics in the next couple of days!

Fishing with CK sunday

Got out for some fishing fun with CK sunday, and had a great time. we got quite a few fish too, though keith says he usually get lot more, I was happy, already have plenty from the GEM outing the day before on waconia.
It is worth driving up to get out with CK and his friend greg who brought his boat.
watching them launch it on those small lakes is interesting too hehe




A couple of very pretty colored sunfish





Smiling bowfin, i got him on 2 pound test!


some pics from shore.

Wisconsin Opener

I got out with the fishers of men club for some walleye and bass action. Bass pundit dave Maas brought my little bass boat down for some bassin' he has the full report HERE
I had guessed the fishin would be tough with the cold clear water. I thought finesse tactics like 4 pound mono, and light weights with small plastics would be the ticket. I was partly right. I got a few smaller fish on that and pike, but my only two keeper bass gave in to a 64th ounce plastic jig with 2 pount test!
No one in our group got any walleyes.
My trip was saved by old reliable panfish! I got plenty of good keeper crappies and bluegills up to almost 10 inches.

nice sunset on the cruise up friday night




BP get the first largemouth



He also caught the most zzzzz s


First pike, I thought it was a walleye when it stayed deep but no dice..



First keeper bass, 15.5 inches


big gills!!