Hello IDO! Got my butt handed to me on pool 4 today. I fished from the can line to deer island with nothing to show for it. My family is joining me tomorrow afternoon, I’d love to be able to put them on a few fish. I pulled cranks on lead and fished spinners on bottom bouncers today. Walleyes would be great but panfish would be good too! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Seems like there’s bait everywhere!!
I can only help you feel better that it isn’t just you. I got my butt kicked last weekend as well.
There is a ton of bait in the water right now. I didn’t see many boats for a Sunday afternoon which is a good indicator it’s a tough bite right now.
Good news it’s only gonna get better!
/panfish would be good too!
Try the Minnesota side between La Cupolis marina and the Chippewa River for crappies at this time of the year. Drift a controlled drift and throw small jigs/plastic along the weedline. Work it both directions. The key is to keep the jig and boat speed to near the same. 1/6-1/8 heads. Lighter line, like 4 pound mono.
The wingdams in the channel between La Cupolis and Wabasha should have some great sunfish action on them right now. Fish above, atop and behind as well as the entire length of each dam. Personally, I like the last half of the dams towards the channel. Small jigs/ plastics, maybe a piece or worm on the hook as enticement.
There are a ton of wingdams in the area mentioned but the ones in the channel closer to Wabasha may be your best producers.
Thank you guys!!
Pool 5a is loaded with sunfish. Edges of main channel with this low flow. I should run over there again with a kid just for a pile of eaters
Not even the drum were playing on the crawler harness ? Not much better for me 2 weeks ago . Just drum and small walleyes . Seemed they liked the smile blade and slow death more . But 12 inch max on the walleye . Got tired of the drum and went and casted the wing dams with only a white bass to show . Good luck – report back !
still beats not fishing kind of. it took me one summer on P4 to discipline myself until the temps and traffic have time to cool off. sure you can pull lead all over the lake and get on some here and there, but those eyes are pretty scattered and until the temps take a dive, its typical dog days like any other system.
FYI October to mid November can be really good……..shhhhhhh
Glad you didn’t mention Dec, Jan and Feb! That’s still a secret!
Low water levels, low flow, high temps and at least around the Harbor Bar, a gazillion minnows in every foot of water.
It’s going to be another banner year for shad! (shad = sturgeon and cats)
Hardest fishing on sippi is low flow in a warm water period. Not because fish aren’t eating… they are more than ever, they’re spread out everywhere because there’s no flow to concentrate anything.
Best odds typically cover some ground one way or another
Glad you didn’t mention Dec, Jan and Feb! That’s still a secret!
Low water levels, low flow, high temps and at least around the Harbor Bar, a gazillion minnows in every foot of water.
It’s going to be another banner year for shad! (shad = sturgeon and cats)
Don’t think it’s a big secret, it’s just that not too many people want to sit in a boat in January. Mine gets put away by Thanksgiving and then it’s the best season of the year!
There was a day when any day 20 degrees or more drew crowds.
Oh, and the mid winter night bite…but those all are long gone.
Cover water like FBRM said. Fish are scattered and food is everywhere. I personally wouldn’t mess with anything other than leadcore pulled 3mph +. Anything else just doesn’t let you cover water. Sitting on wing dams can be productive for some bigger lazy fish this time of year too.
Dinner plate bluegills are the target of most river anglers I know from the start of August until water temps start to drop. Some of the ones sitting just out of current on the wingdams are legitimate trophies
Was out this weekend . Fished from 1-4 about pulling cranks from north of the rush to maiden rock .Caught 2 nice 20inch walleye at 3.5-3.8 mph . One flicker minnow one flicker Shad . Ran up to the harbor bar for a drink then tried casting for pike at the rush with no one wanting to play.
Did see a dandy walleye dead floating . Had to be 28-30 inches .
Monday looks beautiful so will probably head down to pull some cranks for the first time in a few months. Any report from this weekend would be much appreciated!
I might go play around tomorrow . I’ll let ya know if I do .
I’m off worky starting on the 19th. I will be out at least 3 times? probably pull some lead around and burn off some gas that I put in this spring…..can’t wait!
Tried today, head of lake. Muddy and not a single bite. Tried everything I had from slow to high speed trolling to slow bait.
Tried today, head of lake. Muddy and not a single bite. Tried everything I had from slow to high speed trolling to slow bait.
Same . Not even a sheeps head . From Frontenac to the head 7-18 foot of water ha. Saw the guide up there aswell thought I was onto something . Nope lol
I spoke with several people out this weekend. They were all working on panfish. Reports varied from 6 to 41 gills in the boat.
Some used bobbers over a piece of crawler while others just dropped a line over the side of the boat. Pretty much fishing any wood sticking out of the water in the main channel and back channel.
We have White Bass busting frequently in the Harbor Bar Marina. The “river shiners” are as thick as I have ever seen them in the river.
At least it was a beautiful day. Just one white bass is all today. Lots of fish on graph. Threw every crank I had at them.
Got fiddled for two hours and trailered the boat on Sunday mid day. Switched to trout and cleaned up. Gotta wait for the bait fish to get eaten up before trying that again
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mnfishin wrote:</div>
Tried today, head of lake. Muddy and not a single bite. Tried everything I had from slow to high speed trolling to slow bait.Same . Not even a sheepshead . From Frontenac to the head 7-18 foot of water ha. Saw the guide up there as well thought I was onto something . Nope lol
As most of you know, I don’t know a walleye from a sheepshead (although I can use sheepshead for bait in MN), but it’s a little early to be looking for any amount of fish on the upper end of Pool 4 in my opinion.
The MN DNR tracked walleyes for a year and put it into a report a long time ago (1999) but it’s still relevant today as they have an annual migration through out the 44 mile pool.
If your interested in improving your catch, you might want to read or at least skim though (it’s a long read) their report to see where the walleyes are at now. They will start filtering into the head of the lake but that’s normally closer to the end of Sept and many times in later Oct.
I’ll post a link in the next post if anyone has an interest.
There’s a good read on Continuous Fishing in P4 and a link to a Pool 2 study in this thread as well.
To date, there has not been an update that I’m aware of.
Warning. Start a POT of coffee first. There’s more info here they most care to know! 
There’s a good read on Continuous Fishing in P4 and a link to a Pool 2 study in this thread as well.
To date, there has not been an update that I’m aware of.
Warning. Start a POT of coffee first. There’s more info here they most care to know!
Thanks for the read . I enjoy looking back on posts on P4 being new to the area . So much knowledge it’s hard to soak it all in !
Anyone been out cracking them ? I had nothing to show today for 4 hours of fishing . Trolled deep shallow and did some casting . What the hells all this on my side imaging as well ? This was in the can lines at the head of the lake. I assume Shad . Lake was 63 river was 61 .
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I’m not sure what it is but I doubt its shad. They are normally balled up. If there wasn’t shadows, I would say clams.
Slow today. I’m seeing a trend of folks running big planer board spreads in the crowded head of lake area. Not going to tell someone what to do but really messes up other guys ability to maneuver.
Slow today. I’m seeing a trend of folks running big planer board spreads in the crowded head of lake area. Not going to tell someone what to do but really messes up other guys ability to maneuver.
I tried trolling that area for about 5 minutes Saturday, between tuna boats and guys running the can lines I quickly aborted that mission .
I was in that area the last few days. I didn’t do very well but a friend had it figured out. Cranks and planer boards to get the bait away from the boat worked best, and yes not much room there.
I was in that area the last few days. I didn’t do very well but a friend had it figured out. Cranks and planer boards to get the bait away from the boat worked best, and yes not much room there.
How fast was he pulling them ?
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