Fishing Report late April

Mississippi River Walleye

A lot of the hits from the bigger fish will absolutely slam the jig.  This one made Jeff's day.  Nice one!

Giant Saugers

Bret with a jig and minnow sauger, a heck of a fight in nine feet of water!  fun

Big fish in places with little ones!

Here is another fish that slammed the jig and plastic.  Rob got this one, and I was proud to take out three generations on this half day trip. This fish hit first pass threw when earlier there were nothing but little ones.

Jig and plastic on the cast

A few trips have been tough after the warm up and cold front. Norb got this one out with his son.  Jig and plastic on the cast with a smooth steady "swimbait style" retrieve. No snapping in a cold front when, that spooks fish a lot.

Jigs must be sharp

Jig and a minnow calls for an even sharper hook than with plastics as the bites are lighter. Always check hooks, I keep two hook files on my dash.

Cold front

We had a long cold front after the 70 degree stuff, cold fronts find fish negative and relating to deeper water and cover.
One cold front key is to fish later in the day.

Fishing Report late March

Mississippi River Walleye

Dave caught on a blue/white jig head and a high contrasting body plastic.

Mississippi River is Sauger Capitol

Wayne got this giant sauger on a  green and white jig and minnow
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March is good fishing

John " the over grown leprechaun," got this eye on an orange jig and minnow

Minnows for a neutral to negative bite

I like minnows because when the bite is neutral or negative minnows will get more bites.  Sippi eater shown.

Healthy fish! Good eating

After years of fish frys, which i love. I came up with a cream sauce bake recipe that is really good. Email me if interested.

Sauger - Stick bait

Saugers and walleyes chomp! on stickbait crankbaits.  I chose a rattled bait on this day to make noise and be heard to help trigger a bite.

​Signed,
Charlie "Turk" Gierke

23 Year Professional Guiding experience on St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, USCG licensed OUPV Captain
5x Beanie River Rat Tournament winner,
5x Paul Koval Walleye Classic Tournament winner
2001 World Walleye Association Championship winner,
2009 Full Throttle Big Water Series Team of the Year

“The Lord is near to all who call on him…” Psalm 145.18, There is peace in the Fathers arms."

First Ice Time Mid December

There are dozens of anglers already on the ice in the Bayport, Minnesota  area of the St. Croix River, these anglers have walked on.  It appeared from a distance that there are also a couple ATV's on the ice as well.

​Anglers fish the Bayport area primarily for Crappies.  The area has no general weed line that covers the bank like many lakes have.

There is also a lack of sunken islands and mid lake reefs.  Therefore this section of the river that freezes over is deep basin fishing in the mid 30s for depth.

Jigging Spoons with minnow head will catch saugers and crappies. Bobber fishing for crappies with whole minnows is most popular.

If you don't know the river stay and fish with someone who does, it is a moving body of water.
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Transition From Late Fall Season To Winter Season

​After Thanksgiving

This time of year the river gets very quiet even in 2020 when I feel its safe to say the river has taken two times as many anglers as any year before.

Deer hunting and the cold keep anglers off of the river traditionally this time of year, plus other fun hunts like pheasant and duck.

​The bite will wind down as the northland transitions into winter and skim ice will start to form thicker.

Yesterday morning as the sun topped the Wisconsin side bluff I saw a thin veneer of ice floating on Lake St. Croix.

Geese that had not been approached yet this morning took flight as my boat neared within a half a mile.  I would imagine these are not the Canadian honkers that laze around a golf course in the Twin Cities but are the ones coming down from parts unknown.  

I also saw a Bald Eagle swim to shore by flapping its wings in oar stroked like form.  I stayed away but watched as it eventually dragged a nice fish to shore.

Fishing can be good this time of year and the part that is nice is the size of fish does increase.
Though they can be hard to find.

I did though catch fish away from of anglers yesterday in a short time and put two nice saugers in the boat. 

Another fun factor to the bite is the lures that work are wide ranging.  Blade baits, Jig N Raps, Jig and plastic, Jig and minnow, stickbaits, and even Buckshot Rattle Spoons!


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October - Leaves Off The Trees

The Calendar Says October The Weather Says Winter!

It is very interesting as not only are no two days ever the same it seems from year to year no two seasons are ever the same.

Cold weather has touched down on the border waters area of Wisconsin/Minnesota as a cold front has hit.  If you looked out the window and thought about fishing you would get the idea to bring your Clam ice shack and not the Alumacraft boat!

We are far from ice though on the border waters as my guide trip yesterday found waters from 52- to 55 degrees still!

I always prefer a slow cooling steady temperature profile where days after day it cools but warms in the day, but last I checked I can't create the weather patterns. I can fish either with them or against them.

The extended forecast shows the temperatures staying cold and this will drive the water cold fast.

Right now it could easily still be a trolling bite but during a cold front I go slow and steady to help catch fish as they don't seem aggressive in this non stable weather pattern.

The longer a cold front lasts and stays "on" the more the fish get used to it and eventually the weather for a fishes activities becomes stable again for intents and purposes and they can get more aggressive than when the cold front is "on."

In other words they just get used to it over time and get less finicky.

Jigs and minnows this week have been best, plastics are getting fish as well. Each day is different you get a new hand every day your on the water.  I have found the more I can adjust and play the factors that exist the more fish we get.

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Signed,
Charlie "Turk" Gierke

22 Year Professional Guiding experience on St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, USCG licensed OUPV Captain
5x Beanie River Rat Tournament winner,
5x Paul Koval Walleye Classic Tournament winner
2001 World Walleye Association Championship winner,
2009 Full Throttle Big Water Series Team of the Year

“The Lord is near to all who call on him…” Psalm 145.18, There is peace in the Fathers arms."

  September Fishing Report

Summer Fades

 The Tiger Lilies of summer have all fallen, fading their green leaves begin to yellow, brown and slump over and hang near the soil.  Few leaves from stressed trees have fallen, but color changes have not began yet.

Underwater the fish begin to feel the effects of the shortening days and the cooling of the water from air temps.

Cooling waters start to begin to confine the depth ranges that the shad will be in.

Shad are such a delicate fish that in the fall a fast plummeting water temp will actually cause many of their kind to quiver and die.

Deeper waters are where there is a lot more stability from the fast cooling top water.

This fact that the shad go deeper in the fall and the fact walleye, saugers, cats, bass, sturgeon you name it start to be caught deeper as well.

September is a time when season #9 "Hot Summer" begins to end as the water temps reach 69 and lower.  

Right about now the shad are at peak levels and start to grow beyond consumable size for many game fish and they also start to drop in population number from being eaten for ten weeks.  The cupboard does start to become bare.

There is no doubt there is an inverse relationship between good catching and baitfish populations.  The higher the population the harder the catching.

The next season to arrive is season #10 the "Cool Fall."  Crankbaits, jig and minnow, Lindy Rigs and crawlers and minnows have traditionally done best for anglers and I expect these presentations to catch fish again coming up in the "Cool Fall."

​In the last two weeks the river had become much more less fished and fishing pressure has been light.

Pics:  This is still a time of year a wide range of fish species will be caught and the size ranges are all over the board.  Big numbers of keeper walleyes have been hard to achieve, and this is traditionally just the way it is. 

Late July Early August Fishing Report

Late July Early August Fishing Report

Mid summer fishing conditions prevail on the St. Croix River where a couple keepers per spot is good. Fishing requires anglers to cover a lot of ground. 

​There are also many fish marks on the sonar but not as many fish willing to bite as during the late spring and early summer.

Walleyes are not on lock jaw but are hard to come by in terms of keepers, many smaller walleye are very willing to bite.

Mid summer is a period where on the St. Croix plan on FISHING vs. catching.  There are times of the year catching is much more to be expected.

Saugers will hit, and crappie and cats too. It is not a bite where you wont catch fish. It is a bite where limits of fish are hard to come by.

​Large fish are in the system, so the fish are there for sure.
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White bass pods can be seen from time to time and will hit a spinner or twister tail.

Crawler fishing is a fun way to catch many species including gar and drum and perch and sunfish.

If you like to fish and try new stuff this is the time of year to hone your skills.

Smallmouth are available as well on Senkos, tubes, and finesse worms.

Walleye from 9 to 22+ feet deep.  How? Rapala's, livebait rigs, Jigging Raps, and spinners.

​​​​Fishing Report

Mid July

River water conditions on the St. Croix are now good and clearing after a huge rain event seven days ago that found 8 and 9 inches of rain flooding Western Wisconsin.  These rains churned up the Willow River and the Kinnickinnic River to such a degree that the outflows into the St. Croix had water clarity reduced to less than one foot for large expanses of the river.

At the confluence of the Kinni and the Croix there were a dozen full sized trees washed down into the Croix, and here the water clarity was 2"!

2" clarity means if you drop a white jig down 3"it is now NOT visible.  Very unusual stuff.

BTW I feel there is no good reason to fish in that dirty water.  I advise you to get out of that mess.
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The water temps are 80 degree and this is a temp normally in late July/ early August not July 10.  

​Fish need to eat and eating they are, they are chasing shiners and shad and feasting.

Thursday we caught 45-50 walleyes in one trip alone.. but only one was legal sized! lol.  The guys on board had fun setting hooks though!

I was fortune with white bass surface blow ups where the clients took advantage of this fun bite.  Lots going on now.  Crappies we had some good crappie catching recently as well.

A good client of mine Micaiah is pictured above with a 25 pound flathead that hit a gold bladed Cowgirl Muskie bait!  Don't mess with the Cats, they fight back!

We have seen some good smallie action and happy to get the kids on fish this way. Kids of ALL ages. :)

Walleyes in 18 to 28 feet and crawlers are working for my boat.
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Have fun fishing!  Turk

​​​​Fishing Report

Late June

Water levels recently have been as low as I have seen in mid summer for several years.  The Corp of Engineers in Red Wing MN regulate the St. Croix River Water level at Lock and Dam #3, where the Corp maintains the St. Croix at a level no lower than 675.5.
675.5 is where the river was for little over a week and it was nice to see all the sand shoreline beaches up and down most of the river.

Recent much needed rains will find the river rising a few feet which is not uncommon.  It was nice to have the water level stable for a week and this makes finding fish on an up and down water level river much easier.
Water temps are normal and warm for this time of year and the river water is a balmy 74 degrees.
There is also a water clarity decrease not from rains alone but from the algae in the water.
I am not sure why we get this algae bloom, but I 
suspect fertilizer run off from residential lawns.

In the near future small clouds of bait will shown up on your finder and this is a great aid in locating gamefish from crappie to walleye.
There was a recent smallmouth tourney on the river so if you find the bass fishing slow in the recent future I would guess that is a factor to why these home body fish might be hard to catch for a while.  I personally would like to see all bass fishing non livewell as these fish live in set areas and shouldn't be hauled miles away.
Maybe this last tourney was a catch and photo tourney. I don't know. Just adding my 2 cents on my own website.
Livebait and cranks for walleye, depths are all over the board from 13- 28.

Signed,
Charlie "Turk" Gierke

22 Year Professional Guiding experience on St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, USCG licensed OUPV Captain
5x Beanie River Rat Tournament winner,
5x Paul Koval Walleye Classic Tournament winner
2001 World Walleye Association Championship winner,
2009 Full Throttle Big Water Series Team of the Year

“The Lord is near to all who call on him…” Psalm 145.18, There is peace in the Fathers arms."

​​​Fishing Report

June 7

June is a transition time as the water heats up and rises to summer water temperatures.  June is not the spring nor the summer, this is a time fish leave spring locations and relate to shorelines and other structures that are near shore. 

The St. Croix River has very few " offshore" structures that are common on many classic walleye lakes.
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I mention this because this makes June a bit hard to simply find good spots like small humps or islands offshore-but nearshore-like you commonly find on other lakes.

Now it is common to fish on shorelines, the trouble is shoreline fish are here and gone the next day. Thats fishing - right?

The offshore structures that do exist are getting pounded by anglers fishing everyday seven days of the week so I prefer finding new spots.

These community holes are good to fish at times, and when they are hot are a wise choice to fish even if its bumper boats.

Walleye can be found in depths from 12-20.  They will also hold deep in 19-25 feet.
Crawlers and leeches with Spinners are catching fish.  Plus Rapala Crankbaits.  

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​​​Fishing Report

Early June

Smallmouth bass action has been best.  Bronzebacks hit many many lures from soft plastics, to topwater walkers to buzzbaits!

Bass right now are still shallow and easy to catch.
Super fun fish and they are jumping upon hookset and going airborne.

Walleye keepers are coming in but a bit slower than years past for my boat. Crawlers and leeches will catch fish in 10 -20 feet.

Leland caught this very nice channel cat, first of the year on a bobber!  Its a hoot, when the float goes down and you set the hook and the fish just sits there, and then decides to fight.

The single walleye is pictured because I was amazed at how white and "northwoods" the fish looked.  It looked like it just came from Cass Lake or another Northland waters- not the river. 

The eyes do get this color late in the fall when the water clears, but early June a bit strange, though the water is clearer than ever and the clarity is 6'!

On a side note I have never seen so many anglers fishing this year. Theres a lot of people on the river fishing these days.

​​Fishing Report

Mid May Back In Biz!

The river has fallen fast since the opener two weeks ago. Whenever water falls fish move.  This is a time you have to fish a lot of spots or fish presentations that cover a lot of water.
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Top baits are crawlers followed by crankbaits.
Depths from 12- 21 have been good. The water clarity is very clear.

The bite has been a bit up and down with fish moving so much.

A tuned crankbait of the wrong color is better than a untuned crankbait of the "right" color. Everybody has a very best crankbait in their box, it runs as straight as an arrow.  it is "tuned."
​
 I feel Rapala makes the best product.

Water temps dropped down to 52 from 59 and are almost back up to 59.

Looks for crappies to spawn in the 2-5 feet soon in about a week they should be shallow.

White bass where hot then the water dropped and they left.

​Fishing Report

Croixsippi is laid off due to Covid-19

Quick Repo Croix Opener

Looking forward May 2020
 
The St. Croix River opens on May 2 this year.  All of April had high water mid to late April had no showers and the water fell.  The river should be about four feet high in early May.
 
This means it will be easy fishing and being able to read the water and fish in the seams or find “just right” water flow won’t be in play.
 
Anglers can simply drift the main channel, as I would guess the river velocity should be great for that.
 
With four feet of extra water you can drift and vertical jig with a half crawler or minnow. ¼ ounce will work easy if your boat captain can drive straight and not swing the back of the boat all over the place on you.  If they do turn endlessly while you’re trying to vertical jig from the back go to a 3/8 or a ½ ounce.
 
Back boat anglers will catch more fish that way-trust me I’m paid not to turn guys around, (well I was before Covid-19, Lol!).
 
Trolling Rapala Shad Raps is always pole bender in May. Use #5 or #7, go with Chartreuse in the bright sun and Firetiger in partly cloudy and Crawdad when overcast.  Work very near the bottom.
 
Walleye fish depths are good in 15- 19 feet deep as a base starting seasonal point.
Walleye are past post spawn and in the “Good May Bite Season.”
 
Good luck,
Turk

Some April Eyes From My Files

Kurt with a real trophy, super long walleye.  Caught on a fathead minnow and #4 Gamakatsu Hook.  This time of year the boat moves very slowly as fish are absolutely sluggish by summer standards.

Here is Lowell and its one of my favotire pics tis fish came on a tough bite overall but fish like this makes for good memories.  This one was caught on a 1/4 ounce jig and minnow. Presented vertically. BTW vertical means vertical- dead vertical.  the best jig anglers do this well!

Fishing Report

​Saugers and walleyes open on Mississippi River  03. 18. 20.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lion, oops a lamb.  This March looks to be going out like a lion and the weather is on a lock down winter hold it seems with some milder weather here and there.
​The good news is saugers especially and walleye readily eat even in the cold 36 degree water.

Some saugers are coming up stream from Lake Pepin, but the big push or "run" hasn't happened yet and the fish are still many many in a pre pre spawn mood, and gathering before the run.
Almost on the drop of the warm weather the whole system will bust open. when warm weather shows up in about ten days. It should be very good.

In the mean time eaters once found come in easy sometimes even when its cold and Mike and Lori got their fish quickly in about 1.5 to 2 hours fishing. We fished at least six spots to hit the fish, so the bite is not hot, but there are already some good fish up in spring spots.

Jigs and minnows, jigs and plastics are working best right now. standard stuff.

Hope all are safe and Remember Fishing is THE Original Social Distancing.

​Saugers and walleyes open on Mississippi River  02. 23. 20.

Open walleye Fishing

The Mississippi River is a quality fishery and one of the BEST there is in March and April .

Saugers and walleye

River fish grow fast - the eaters are younger and not older fish making them safe and good to eat.

Thud! Jig hits

Some days a steady hand is all it takes to get a THUD! or WHAP! hit. Fun for sure.

​March 2020 Red Wing Pool 4
 
The walleye and sauger Season is OPEN on the Mississippi River below Prescott WI and on southwards down river to Iowa
 
With average to above average temperatures this Februarys, and along with a forecast of normal temps coming the spring run should be on tie where the fish staging in Pepin will make their big train ride north about Mid March.
 
March is a transition period of pre melt to post melt.  Techniques before the melt are often much deeper and more main channel than post melt when currents increase and fish are forced out of the heavy flow.
 
In early March the venerable jig and minnow is a great bet to catch sauger and walleye from 18 to 34 feet deep.  Walleye must be a minimum of 15” to keep. Saugers have no size restriction.  Often anglers follow their conscience and release the clearly shown full of eggs females to spawn. Jig sizes in the ¼, 5/16, and 3/8 are often all you will need.  Instead of a minnow a smaller plastic worm will often produce great and better results than minnows. Ringworms, flukes, and twitch tails in natural colors are proven producers.
 
When the water rises everything changes. Fish shallower in 8 to 18 feet.  Often trollers working a three-way rig and original Rapalas cover ground to find fish in the main channel here its 20 to 24 fow.  Also this is when the casters like to work plastics and blade baits to shallow holding walleye.  Pool four is a very dynamic fishery in March it’s a fun and challenging fishery to test your skills on.
 
You won’t be alone.  There are normally one or two hugely busy weekends, where anglers are getting their boat out to make sure everything is operational and too enjoy the bite.  The scene settles down and becomes more fishable after this.
 
Everts Resort  (www.evertsfishingresort.com) located in Hager City, WI is always a valuable resource in bite conditions and river tackle with well kept launches that stay open despite below freezing temps.

Signed,
Charlie "Turk" Gierke

22 Year Professional Guiding experience on St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, USCG licensed OUPV Captain
5x Beanie River Rat Tournament winner,
5x Paul Koval Walleye Classic tournament winner
2001 World Walleye Association Championship winner,
2009 Full Throttle Big Water Series Team of the Year

“The Lord is near to all who call on him…” Psalm 145.18, There is peace in the Fathers arms."

Saugers and walleyes on a strong bite before ice up 11. 17. 19.

Lets keep this sport alive - take someone fishing!

I have said it once and I will say it again. 

"All it takes is to get a kid with the passion for fishing to land one good fish and they can and often will see themselves as an accomplished angler!"

Its been a great year for seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I am honored and privileged to guide you my customers! 

Thank-you!

Signed,
Charlie “Turk” Gierke

Saugers, walleyes, and white bass on an up and down bite.  11. 01. 19.

Saugers and walleyes are hitting various presentations bite up from great to slow.

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Saugers, walleyes, and white bass on a nice bite.  10. 18. 19.

Saugers and walleyes are hitting various presentations.

Wacky weather delays fall bite, saugers, walleyes, cats, and white bass starting up.  10. 06. 19.

Gwen lands a 21" smallmouth bass! GIANT !!! on a swim jig.

Bob with a 18" saug dog, and Tony in the back ground, Ron was there too. They call their friend group F.A.R.T. Fishing And Recreation Team. Yes we had fun.

Lori with a spinner rig channel cat. Pole bending action. Well done Lori.

Nathan with a PB 27" walleye. This is a whole family sur name PB family best, as his father informed me.

A little fish fry of saug dogs and eyes.

Ed with white bass on hair jig. WHACK, the rod tip just pops and then set the hook.

10.06.19 Lots of action with smaller eyes and saugers, some keepers, white bass, and others keeping clients interest.

Walleye still in late summer dog days, more saugers though, crappie active - weather dependent, and white bass starting up.  09. 22. 19.

Slabs!!

Sauger. Seeing more saugers lately.

Mark is clearly one who likes big crappies...

Mike with a keeper sauger caught on a jigging rap. Son Dan in the back.

White bass have starting to turn up. Evan white a nice one.

After fighting this sturgeon during a walleye fishing trip, Jim gasped, " I'm good on sturgeon for a while!" Mark was there for emotional support.

River walleye are hard to find (keepers that is), saugers - ok, other fish providing pole bending  09. 22. 19.

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 Walleye elusive, sturgeon starting up, white bass starting up, and smallies provide an opportunistic bite.  09. 09. 19.

Sarah - super gal sky diver - and her dad John, wanted some big fish. St. Croix Sturgeon

Jeff got his gals Hannah and Emma on the water and we got bass, buffalo, a sturgeon, plus small walleyes and had some fun!

a keeper walleye - been hard to find lately... probably going to be a nuts fall bite.

Skipper Dave with a nice white bass he snapped up on a jigging rap!

Dave with a stout smallmouth bass scrappy fight.

A triple play on the bass, before I could unhook the each fish another one came in for a triple play.

Tim - claimed he wasn't an avid angler but looked like one. fun trip with the Dave M. crew.

River walleye, sauger, and crappie coming in.  08. 26. 19.

Omari with a trophy river walleye. It was his first fish ever!

Crappie time! Crappies are a bonus catch when going for walleye.

Evie and Eli with a slab crappie, a bonus catch.

Gizzard Shad, the baitfish that dominates the forage base on the Mississippi and St. Croix River. Image courtesy of A. Otto.

Steven with a smallmouth

Lance with our biggest and last fish of the day. the bite can be tough this time of year.

River walleye, sauger, and crappie coming in.  08. 26. 19.

Anglers fishing the dog days of summer and early September can find a tough bite for limits of walleye and sauger.  Large fish can be caught this time of year especially when using larger lures to trigger a strike, but as far as finding active groups of fish that are biting on livebait and hitting for an extended period has been a challenge and is a challenge most years. 
Popular walleye and sauger techniques include spinners, slow death hooks, and trolling crankbaits.  

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This is also the time of year soft plastics worked aggressively can catch fish!  The plastics bite will continue to become more of a fish catcher as time goes by in the fall.
​Some of the early and late season presentations involving bait on Lindy Rigs is not as good as the gamefish are actively chasing the gizzard shad (please refer to the picture above).  The shad is a high fat meal and its the fat from these fish that accumulates in the bellys of a late season walleye or sauger and seen upon cleaning these delicious gamefish for a meal.

Smallmouth are deep and so are the white bass.  The catfish have not been as active in the day with the lower flows now that the river has fallen.
This is also  the time of year muskies will increase their activity.
The fish are not so much in a set depth as near the baitfish as last week I caught a white bass in 29 feet and two days later caught one in 13 feet of water. The walleye are just like this too.  With the lower water walleyes are shallower in the low light of morning and like lake walleyes will leave if there is no cover. Lake walleyes will stay shallow near weedbeds but on the river in low flow they don't have much cover.

Quality Walleye!