Report 02 –27-10 With the present winter water conditions of low flow and high water clarity, it is no surprise that the best bite in the day is found vertical jigging. Last Saturday Joe Rule and Tom Schultz wanted to learn as much about how to fish the spring on the Mississippi as possible on their guide trip. We started the day catching fish vertically and did well catching good numbers of sauger with the biggest being a big belly 20-inch sauger. We vertical jigged for roughly two hours and caught fish on most every drift plus a few doubles on drifts many of fish where keepers between 15 to 17 inches, and mainly sauger though a legal walleye was also caught vertically. Best depths where 24 to 28 fow. The fish that are active are not wide spread and are in small little spots. This will change soon and all the good sauger holes will fill with very active fish. When will this change you may ask? When the flow starts to increase.
Joe informed me weeks ago that he wanted to see as may productive presentations as possible versus just go and catch fish. Why was that smart on his part? Because in early spring as the water level rises, what works one week may not work the next. Not only for spots or places to fish, but how to fish (i.e. presentations).
The big four presentations I feel an angler needs to know down on pool four are vertical jigging, casting jigs, dragging jigs, and trolling crankbaits. We spent most of our time casting jigs and dragging with a little trolling mixed in. Casting and dragging are also working very well now but during the low light and after dark periods. A huge 13 pounder was caught last Friday. In the day it is tough to get a lot of action casting or dragging, but that will change soon.
Best baits for vertical jigging was plain jig and minnow plus ringworms, and jr. flukes. Good luck.
Flow 8,700 Water temp 36 Stage 3.0 @Red Wing Dam.
(this report is from 02-26-10)
Almost the last day of February 2010. The morning started out a bit cold on pool four of the Mississippi River, in fact my boat was frozen to the trailer fro the last time on the water. With a few ins and outs and one big push on the bow the boat came a float. I tied the boat to the dock, and let the Yamaha get good and warm over coffee in the shop at Everts Resort. For those of you who do not know Dean Marshall, he runs this angler paradise of a resort with the best river bait shop you will find. He talked about river flooding specifically this year, and what Dean expects will happen this season and he thinks it will be a big push of water causing much trouble. On a lighter note Dean pointed out a hot lure that has been working lately and that is a jr. fluke. More on that later.
On the water we hit a big patch of fog, normally this would not be so bad, but the fact that considerable ice sheets were on the water, I decided to fish a dependable sauger hole that is out of the fog (home page image). Unfortunately the sauger spot was a poor producer and not so dependable, ha (with more flow they stack in their thick). The fog lifted and the fishing hole I wanted to try would be clear to access.
I was scouting for upcoming trips, so I had two friends along Bill Libansky and Craig Saeger along for; we found good luck fishing a vertical jig spot in 20 to 28 feet of water on using these jr. flukes and minnows both on jigs tied with six pound suffix elite line and using Limit Creek LCS69MLF rods. We caught ten nice fish (15 to 17 inches) in about seven drifts. Having that spot well in the back pocket. We shoved off for another spot to a jig dragging spot in shallower water, a spot characterized by hard pack sand with a steep breakline where mainly walleye should be located. Luck was with us, though fishing was slower fishing the two best fish of the day came this way. We tried three more spots and they were slow.
This is a good start to the early spring guide season that runs from this point for weeks until nearly May. Once the water temp warms just a bit and the flow increases ever so slightly the good fishing starts. If you have followed this site over the years you know the real BIG walleyes come in the upcoming weeks plus there is a period of fishing for very good numbers of fish. Keep Catchin.
GOOD LUCK!
Eleven years professional guiding experience, Six 1st place finishes in St. Croix River fishing tournaments, and many repeat customers!
USCG Licensed Captain
St. Croix River Fishing Guide
Mississippi River Fishing Guide
Report 02 –27-10 With the present winter water conditions of low flow and high water clarity, it is no surprise that the best bite in the day is found vertical jigging. Last Saturday Joe Rule and Tom Schultz wanted to learn as much about how to fish the spring on the Mississippi as possible on their guide trip. We started the day catching fish vertically and did well catching good numbers of sauger with the biggest being a big belly 20-inch sauger. We vertical jigged for roughly two hours and caught fish on most every drift plus a few doubles on drifts many of fish where keepers between 15 to 17 inches, and mainly sauger though a legal walleye was also caught vertically. Best depths where 24 to 28 fow. The fish that are active are not wide spread and are in small little spots. This will change soon and all the good sauger holes will fill with very active fish. When will this change you may ask? When the flow starts to increase.