3-way rigs on p2 right now

Question: How long will you typically stick with one presentation or location before you make some kind of change? — shorten the dropper, try a new color, try a new bait altogether, or pull anchor and try a new spot?

Hoping to find a quieter spot on pool 2 this weekend where i can drop anchor and relax with a 3-way rig. don’t much enjoy jockeying for position at the confluence with 10 other boats while trying to fish solo, and i don’t think the pack of drifters much enjoys losing jigs on my anchor line.

I’m planning to try a variety of stick baits and cranks — thinking #7/9 floating minnows, shallow running flicker shads, husky jerks in whites, yellows, pinks, etc. possibly some spinners or plastics if the plugs aren’t working.

Thanks folks!

pool2fool wrote:

Hoping to find a quieter spot on pool 2 this weekend where i can drop anchor and relax with a 3-way rig. don’t much enjoy jockeying for position at the confluence with 10 other boats while trying to fish solo, and i don’t think the pack of drifters much enjoys losing jigs on my anchor line.

I’m planning to try a variety of stick baits and cranks — thinking #7/9 floating minnows, shallow running flicker shads, husky jerks in whites, yellows, pinks, etc. possibly some spinners or plastics if the plugs aren’t working.

Question: How long will you typically stick with one presentation or location before you make some kind of change? — shorten the dropper, try a new color, try a new bait altogether, or pull anchor and try a new spot?

Thanks folks!

Water is still a little cold for 3 waying with stick baits. That bite usually heats up when the water is in 39-42 range. At least thats when it has been best for me.

is pool 2 open for ‘eyes?

Ill be out three waying this weekend. With the rise in water spots we long lined on are to deep now. 32 degree water temps and the stick bait bite was good to go. Just needed to go real slow.

Mike W, say hi if ya see me (pic of my boat <<<)

So, I love this place and everyone’s been really nice, but it seems many guys read the subject and fire off a response without even looking at the actual post. So I’ll repeat the question :

How long will you typically stick with one presentation or location before you make some kind of change? — shorten the dropper, try a new color, try a new bait altogether, or pull anchor and try a new spot?

Pete S wrote:

is pool 2 open for ‘eyes?

p2 is open year round for everything. catch & release only for most species including eyes/sauger, pike, and bass. since it’s C&R I don’t use much live bait on p2.

I’ve never anchored and used a 3-way; do people do this? 3-way fishing is one of my trick ponies I rely heavily on too.

I’ve ran handlines in extremely high current. Often, you don’t really move much and just let the current works the bait, but typically in that situation, I’m keeling my boat back and forth within a certain area. I could see anchoring working, but don’t think it’s common? I’m often wrong, but want to learn too, so maybe this is done more than I know?

If it’s not working right away, I prefer to move or change my rigging. I feel my attention defecit dynamic is my friend.

______________ wrote:

I’ve never anchored and used a 3-way; do people do this? 3-way fishing is one of my trick ponies I rely heavily on too.

I mostly anchor out of necessity. Heavier glass boat and no TM. I live right on top of the river so I force the issue even though it’s not a great river boat. So I kind of have to go unconventional. That said, I got the idea from this article — to quote “Crankbaits — Undoubtedly the most underused though superb three-way option for rivers. Cranks that are run behind a three-way swivel wiggle and wobble in current, even when the sinker is at rest in an anchored position. Troll upstream, and they go nuts in the current. They also perform well for trolling downstream; move along slightly faster than the current to make the bait wiggle. From an anchored position, a crankbait will wobble in place if current is sufficient.”

I figure the current right now is definitely sufficient?

______________ wrote:

If it’s not working right away, I prefer to move or change my rigging. I feel my attention defecit dynamic is my friend.

Thanks for the input here. I actually have diagnosed ADHD, but I’m also stubborn as hell, so the two fight against each other. I’m going into this weekend with a plan and a schedule. Going to pick 3-4 spots and give each a fair amount of time, but definitely going to try to change baits, dropper depths, etc., more quickly than I typically do.

Dropper length never seemed to matter to much for myself, usually always about 6-8″, but lead length can be important. Depends on water clarity.

I’ve also become quite effecient at anchoring and all the presentations one can do from them. The best all around catcher is a simple lead with plain hook and fathead minnow. Maybe a bead attractant for dingy water. Heavy bell weight keeps constant control, and gives the presentation more of a dropshot feel. Cast it down current and drag er up real slow, or even upriver and back. Fun figuring out where those bottom eddie’s are located when you feel that line go a bit slack.

No more than 6# test for dropper line, makes breaking off that weight easier. Tried plenty of this with sticks but just never had much luck. Hope yours is different and good luck!

p2 is open year round for everything. catch & release only for most species including eyes/sauger, pike, and bass. since it’s C&R I don’t use much live bait on p2

got it, never been up that far. Good luck

Time spent on a spot depends on the spot and the feel I get from it. If it seems real fishy and I want to catch a fish there I’ll spend some time. Not feeling it and might move pretty quick.

So how quick do you write off a spot if you haven’t caught a fish there? If I feel fishy about a spot I’ll keep stopping back to it over and over again. Have had to hit some spots for several years before hitting it right and figuring it out.

nhamm wrote:

Dropper length never seemed to matter to much for myself, usually always about 6-8″, but lead length can be important. Depends on water clarity.

I’ve also become quite effecient at anchoring and all the presentations one can do from them. The best all around catcher is a simple lead with plain hook and fathead minnow. Maybe a bead attractant for dingy water. Heavy bell weight keeps constant control, and gives the presentation more of a dropshot feel. Cast it down current and drag er up real slow, or even upriver and back. Fun figuring out where those bottom eddie’s are located when you feel that line go a bit slack.

No more than 6# test for dropper line, makes breaking off that weight easier. Tried plenty of this with sticks but just never had much luck. Hope yours is different and good luck!

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll start the dropper around 8″ and see what happens. I’ll grab some worms in case I’m getting skunked on the sticks. I grabbed a pack of floating chewy jigs, those might work well on a 3-way, tipped with a worm.

Mike W wrote:

Time spent on a spot depends on the spot and the feel I get from it. If it seems real fishy and I want to catch a fish there I’ll spend some time. Not feeling it and might move pretty quick.

So how quick do you write off a spot if you haven’t caught a fish there? If I feel fishy about a spot I’ll keep stopping back to it over and over again. Have had to hit some spots for several years before hitting it right and figuring it out.

I’m notorious for staying too long. Really gonna try to work against that this year. So when you’re feeling fish about a spot but not yet landing fish, will you try a different color bait after 15-30 minutes?

Good chance Ill change baits. Pitching dams I usually have 3 or 4 rods rigged up with different lures to switch through. Some spots not all the fish want the same lure. Three waying pretty much just putting a different stick bait on. That or moving over one way or another on the spot Im fishing.

We have been side scanning some of the spots we three way on lately. Putting way points on the fish as we go by then coming back and running those way points. Fish laying in the bottom of dunes in the river are hard to pick up with down scan. Side scan they stick out like a sore thumb. Some of these dune areas are rather large and the fish seem to use one area more than others. Its interesting to see on the side scan how in a rather large area that seems the same fish will pick a spot maybe as wide as the boat and to line up on.

You’ve got me so excited to get that side scan on the river this year. Blew my mind on lakes last year but for river structure it’s gonna take the cake.

Great info

Below is a pretty solid article about 3 way riggin. About halfway down Marty talks about adjusting the weight which is something I rarely do.
Remember you will need to modify these for MN rules
Also if you scroll through Marty’s reports from about a year ago you will find some useful pool 2 nuggets along with some pics of the general area (a few are community holes and likey not exactly where they were caught).
http://www.mississippiriverwalleyes.com/stick-bait-rig.php

nhamm wrote:

You’ve got me so excited to get that side scan on the river this year. Blew my mind on lakes last year but for river structure it’s gonna take the cake.

Great info

Yeah, sidescan sounds like the bee’s knees for the river. I’m stuck with DSI for now but I’ve gotta check that out.

Johnie Birkel wrote:

Below is a pretty solid article about 3 way riggin. About halfway down Marty talks about adjusting the weight which is something I rarely do.
Remember you will need to modify these for MN rules
Also if you scroll through Marty’s reports from about a year ago you will find some useful pool 2 nuggets along with some pics of the general area (a few are community holes and likey not exactly where they were caught).
http://www.mississippiriverwalleyes.com/stick-bait-rig.php

Yes, I read that one yesterday when I was googling the subject. Will take a peek at the reports from last year.

Again, thanks guys. I’m getting out hopefully around 630-7 tomorrow morning!

Would flourocarbon be too heavy (as in, it sinks?) to use with sticks in a 3-way? Just thinking about line visibility, and I have a spool of it handy. I have fresh 10/4 fireline on the main, 6 lb mono on the dropper.

Mike could you explain how u r using your side scan. New to side scan. Are you using it to see fish in the trough in front of the wing dams? If so are u using it running parallel to the front of the damage to see the fish u mention marking or are u going up steam perpendicular to the dam? Sorry if I explaining hey question poorly. Thanks in advance

Dont think the weight of fluorocarbon line on a 3 way will have much effect on anything. That or mono seems to be better for leads than braid. Can get some nasty twists in braid if used for leaders.

Havent used my side scan on the wingdams yet. Just using it for fish in the low part of the dunes on the river. Once again yesterday scanned the area we wanted to fish, put way points on the pods of fish we seen off to the side of the boat and then came back and trolled those way points. As we trolled with down imaging we never seen a single one of those fish marked with the side scan. This was a good approach that has worked on other trips but didnt produce much yesterday.

skunked today. got a late start too. got up at 6, got the boat outta the garage, went to tilt the motor up and. . . click. trouble shooting didn’t take long, terminal ring on the lead had snapped right off. no terminal rings or suitable substitutes on hand, had to wait 2 hours for Home Depot to open. bad way to start the day and it never got a lot better.

pool2fool wrote:

went to tilt the motor up and. . . click.

Better to have it happen in the garage than on the water. We’ve all been there!

-J.

pass0047 wrote:

Mike could you explain how u r using your side scan. New to side scan. Are you using it to see fish in the trough in front of the wing dams? If so are u using it running parallel to the front of the damage to see the fish u mention marking or are u going up steam perpendicular to the dam? Sorry if I explaining hey question poorly. Thanks in advance

Every direction has its advantages.

Get good and you’ll even use it anchored, and when spinning in a 360.

You cannot spend too little time trying to understand your side imaging… Amazing if you understand it.

pool2fool wrote:

Mike W, say hi if ya see me (pic of my boat <<<)

So, I love this place and everyone’s been really nice, but it seems many guys read the subject and fire off a response without even looking at the actual post. So I’ll repeat the question :

How long will you typically stick with one presentation or location before you make some kind of change? — shorten the dropper, try a new color, try a new bait altogether, or pull anchor and try a new spot?

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Pete S wrote:</div>
is pool 2 open for ‘eyes?

p2 is open year round for everything. catch & release only for most species including eyes/sauger, pike, and bass. since it’s C&R I don’t use much live bait on p2.

Pool 2 is open year-round, catch and release only, for large-mouth bass, small-mouth bass, walleye and sauger. “Unless otherwise specifically mentioned, all general regulations, seasons, limits, border water regulations, possession, and transportation regulations apply to these waters.”