Wapogasset - May 14, 2010

I started in the smaller lake. I rotated through a buzz bait, spinner bait, black and blue jig, a shallow crank bait, and a black stick bait. I got one strike on the stick bait, but it didn't get the hook. I then went back to the main lake and hit drop offs, flats, and points going up the western shore. On weed flats I nabbed a few short fish on the crank bait. I bypassed the slop at the north end because John B was there. Around the point there was a small marina at the resort on the north end. I got two more short fish in the weed flat in front of the marina. I swithced to a green stick bait and got two keepers, two short fish, and lost two more that might have measured. I worked the docks heading south along the eastern shore from there and picked up one more keeper and two short. I tried to pick up the two I lost, but they were smarter than me. I had a great time fishing and talking with my clubs members. Club fishing is the best and I can't wait for the next one.

Apple River Flowage May1, 2010

I ran to a small, shallow bay I pre fished two years ago. I caught some smaller bass on a spinnerbait in some pads. After fishing the whole area with the spinner bait, I pitched a black stick bait to a log in the same bay a caught the two five pounders. I pulled another keeper of a stump in the same bay. Later I caught two more keepers on a black and blue jig off a steep drop on the non windy side of a point. I also caught two more on a green stick bait going down the shore line on the west side. I did all my fishing south of the first bridge.
Usually, our WI tournaments are tough for me, It was a lot of fun catching over 14 lbs for my best four fish.

One Month to Go!

The boat has been in storage for 3 months now. It has one more month to rest. I've spent three months restocking, planning, and preparing for the new season. For years now, I have been fishing with a minimalist strategy. I have had moderate success with this but, large wins have eluded me. In this last off season, I have been adding different baits and more colors to my tackle system. In fact, I will be carrying four times more than I usually do. With all the rods restrung, all that's left to do is plan the boats escape from its winter prison.

Think fish

Pre-Fishing Chisago

Spent 4 hours taking my first look at Chisago Lake. Caught some nice fish. Found some good spots. Scum frogs, Senkos, texas rigged worms, and spinner baits, it doesn't get any better.

Think fish,
John

June 20th Prior Lake

Our club finally had a nice summer day to fish. Unfortunately, a nice day to fish isn't always the best day to catch, unless you like 10 inch fish. From one end of the lake to the other, on everything I threw, I caught fish. About 50, 10 inchers. Of the two I weighed in, I killed one on the hook set. Atleast I didn't kill my big fish, the 12.5 incher. The lesson learned was not to skip prefishing on a lake I've fished in the past. I spent a lot of time relearning the lake.

Think Fish,
John

June 6th on Independence Lake

Cold, windy and wet. I had a blast. The bass made me work. Caught 7 keepers and came in third again. They came on Senkos, tubes, and jigs. I love to go toe to toe with bass in the slop. I was able to work a short stretch of weeds all day.

That's all for now,
John

Season Opens In The Wind

My club, Lakes Area Bassmasters, began the season with the WI opener. A good wind out of the north made life interresting on Long Lake. As it is a north/south oriented lake, we were in the wind for most of the day. Which made the one western bay, the only place that was calm, full of boats.
I had a great day of catching......pike! I lost count at about thirty. Oh, there was the two bass, with only one long enough to bring to the scale. The 14" fish that brought me third place was caught on a minnow rap, on the 9th cast.
It was a great way to spend a day, on the unfrozen water, fishing for bass, against a great bunch of friends.
Think Fish!
John