"For 25 years, I've guided customers of all ages, working with schedules, weekday or weekend...to hook walleye, smallmouth, sauger, crappie, sturgeon, and catfish on these challenging but rewarding fisheries.
I will do my best on every trip to put you on fish too!"
Charlie "Turk" Gierke
I will do my best on every trip to put you on fish too!"
Charlie "Turk" Gierke
Spring Walleye Fishing Season
May 6, 2024
St. Croix River
Water temps are finally starting to increase from an extended period of a 50–52-degree plateau. The weather would cool and drop the water to 49 degrees, but now the sun and day length work together to click up water temps slowly and be about 55 in a week. When the water and earth heat up in spring, it is simply a good time to be on the water, especially for walleye as they have come completely out of the post spawn and are biting.
Post Spawn Walleye Fishing Season
April 19, 2024
Mississippi River
Water temps are 50 plus degrees and holding steady for over ten days, walleye and sauger are now in their post spawn stage with belly's flat and indented. White Bass are going very strong and they spawn later and hold plenty of eggs still. Many other species are being caught and it's time once again to catch freshwater drum, some smallmouth bass have even joined into the fray.
Water levels this year are anything but normal and very low. However, the water is 2-3 higher than winter levels though in relative terms it's still low.
Low water allows for a lot of fishing presentations to work (even trolling), the only technique that does not is the 1-2 foot depth targeting near shore with plastics.
Pre Spawn Fishing Season
March 29, 2024
Mississippi River
Nature seems to always even itself out, last February was hot followed by a cold March and now finds early April on track with air temps in the 40-50s and so the seasonal weather is right on track!
In the southern and middle part of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Walleyes will be in their yearly fish or natural season of pre-spawn soon transitioning to spawn once the water temps stabilize at 42+ degrees.
This is good news for anglers who do a traditional river run or two this time of year because stable temps seasonally speaking allows for past experiences to be duplicated as if everything was on schedule.
Two top techniques while drifting traditional areas anglers target on walleye rivers is a subtle hold with a jig and fathead, and a much more aggressive snap or lift with a jig and 3" fluke tail plastic (no bait). Drift with the flow and anglers in the back should use a size weight larger than the bow angler as the back of the boat sways often and the more weight helps vertical happen.
Winter Transition Fishing Season
February 27, 2024
Mississippi River
Fish are moving out of the winter depths and beginning migrations on large river systems such as the Mississippi River. This migration, as the name implies will move fish seasonally, there are daily movements too.
Daily moves find fish seeking a forage base to consume and find areas for rest or security.
It's a good time to fish as fish begin to transition and "go on a run."
at no time do all fish move at once some will run and others stay back. When they run areas such as Dams absolutely congregate fish and this draws huge packs of fish and anglers.
Spring is still a long way away but we are transitioning out of winter right now. Cold fronts will throw monkey wrenches into anglers catches, but warming weather will also arrive and stabilize the bite once again.
May 6, 2024
St. Croix River
Water temps are finally starting to increase from an extended period of a 50–52-degree plateau. The weather would cool and drop the water to 49 degrees, but now the sun and day length work together to click up water temps slowly and be about 55 in a week. When the water and earth heat up in spring, it is simply a good time to be on the water, especially for walleye as they have come completely out of the post spawn and are biting.
Post Spawn Walleye Fishing Season
April 19, 2024
Mississippi River
Water temps are 50 plus degrees and holding steady for over ten days, walleye and sauger are now in their post spawn stage with belly's flat and indented. White Bass are going very strong and they spawn later and hold plenty of eggs still. Many other species are being caught and it's time once again to catch freshwater drum, some smallmouth bass have even joined into the fray.
Water levels this year are anything but normal and very low. However, the water is 2-3 higher than winter levels though in relative terms it's still low.
Low water allows for a lot of fishing presentations to work (even trolling), the only technique that does not is the 1-2 foot depth targeting near shore with plastics.
Pre Spawn Fishing Season
March 29, 2024
Mississippi River
Nature seems to always even itself out, last February was hot followed by a cold March and now finds early April on track with air temps in the 40-50s and so the seasonal weather is right on track!
In the southern and middle part of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Walleyes will be in their yearly fish or natural season of pre-spawn soon transitioning to spawn once the water temps stabilize at 42+ degrees.
This is good news for anglers who do a traditional river run or two this time of year because stable temps seasonally speaking allows for past experiences to be duplicated as if everything was on schedule.
Two top techniques while drifting traditional areas anglers target on walleye rivers is a subtle hold with a jig and fathead, and a much more aggressive snap or lift with a jig and 3" fluke tail plastic (no bait). Drift with the flow and anglers in the back should use a size weight larger than the bow angler as the back of the boat sways often and the more weight helps vertical happen.
Winter Transition Fishing Season
February 27, 2024
Mississippi River
Fish are moving out of the winter depths and beginning migrations on large river systems such as the Mississippi River. This migration, as the name implies will move fish seasonally, there are daily movements too.
Daily moves find fish seeking a forage base to consume and find areas for rest or security.
It's a good time to fish as fish begin to transition and "go on a run."
at no time do all fish move at once some will run and others stay back. When they run areas such as Dams absolutely congregate fish and this draws huge packs of fish and anglers.
Spring is still a long way away but we are transitioning out of winter right now. Cold fronts will throw monkey wrenches into anglers catches, but warming weather will also arrive and stabilize the bite once again.