2022 reports

Struggled out there yesterday between the kinni and bluffs landing. Marked lots of fish and bait in 18-40’ especially around the thermocline in 30’. Tried to get them with a jig vertical but only came up with one short sauger. Trolled shallow after dark with only a couple swipes at my cranks.

Anybody else been out lately, and if so how is it going?

I’ve been out between Sand Creek Landing and Highway 70 Landing (quite a bit further north than you) twice over the past 3-4 weeks, and have caught more smallies than I ever have in my life (~15-20 one day, at least ~25-30 the other.)

Ninety percent were 1-2 pound little fellers, but the others were 3-5lbs+ including my PB smallie (21″ and fat!) If those little fellers keep growing and getting released over the next few years, things are going to get crazy!

I’ve been trying for walleye also but so far no luck; i saw one swim under my kayak but no bites, and not sure if the eyes are typically that far up on the river where it is more shallow.

Well the fall bite should be starting to pick up more and more with these temps. Water was down to 67

wade wrote:

Well the fall bite should be starting to pick up more and more with these temps. Water was down to 67

I’m going to give it a try this weekend. You’re right it should be picking up soon if it hasn’t already.

Hopefully the recreational traffic has calmed down a bunch with the cooler weather!

Well I got out there last Saturday evening on the lower end. Fish still seemed to be in summer patterns- lots deep and suspended. Tried trolling reef runners and vertical jigging/sharpshooting with glide baits and jig/crawlers during the daylight. Couple shorts on the reef runners. All in all pretty slow. Trolling shallow after dark did boat me this bonus fish on a #5 flicker shad-

Anyone else struggling on the Croix in October? Didn’t go out this past weekend as I decided to try P4, but previous two weekends made that decision easy. Notta.

Is this cold weather kicking them into gear or have I just not put the pattern together yet?

ET

Struggled last 2 sundays near 94 bridge (9th & 16th), marked fish in quite few spots, nothing to bragg about, cranked, jig & plastic, jiggin raps, I’ll try again this weekend they have to go sooner or later ?

Last couple times I was out there, early October, I struggled. Marked lots of fish in deep water, both suspended and near the bottom, but only managed a couple eaters after dark trolling cranks. Tried jig and minnow also with only a few short strikes.

I would think it would be getting good now with the water cooling fast. But then again i feel like I’ve heard the croix is infamous for not having much of a “fall bite”?? What gives man?

I was out there on Saturday. Marked many pods of fish up shallow for once(12-18 fow) on a sand flat and right away nailed one on a 7 flicker shad. Just shy of 15” but getting chubby. After a couple more passes, decided to drift lindy rigs with minnows, w/ and without blades, through there. No takers. Switched to jig and minnow and got a short sauger and a handful of white bass. Did not even try plastics. I’m sure they would have worked.

All in all another slow day out there. Hope somebody else is finding them