Pool 4-5 Photo Gallery

Well I messed up and forgot my camera in Wabasha so a report right now would be history. The other option is to do a photo gallery. The session starts with fellow IDA staffer, Glenn Walker (BassBoy). I had two guide trips and was looking for someone to help with scouting. Glenn and I looked at some wintering areas, some spawning areas and a couple of smallmouth spots on pool 5 with no results. What did work was a dark-bottom area with clean water. The water temp was about 5 degrees warmer than anything else we found. We worked through the area with swim-jigs and picked up 3 fish. I decided to fish our way back out and someone flipped the switch. We tripled or quadrupled the production and actually had fish blowup through the slop.

The next outing was a guide trip. Based on what we learned on pool 5 we went to a similar area on pool 4 and mopped up. The picture is of Dave Stanley of Proctor MN with one of the many nice largies we caught. The fish came on swim jigs flukes and buzzbaits

Same spot with Steve Riederer’s best of the day that took a fluke.

The next day I wanted to expand on the pattern and find new areas. I ran into Cal McCraken at the launch and invited him to join me. We found a ton of new water and cooperative buzzbait fish. The picture is one of Cal’s nicer fish. Cal is the MNBF Secretary and does a lot for everyone in the Federation. The trip was my way of saying thanks.

By the way I did catch one

Saturday’s guide trip was with Steve Haumersen and Dan Jasper. Both were interested in learning more about the river. The fish god’s were good to us and they got to see a small of the Mississippi River spring basin. The photo is the results of three consecutive casts to the right spot. Steve named the photo “nine pounds in 60 seconds” and that’s an accurate description. It’s tournament season the the photo hase been sanitized!

What a strange year. I’ve gone over 20 years sense I’ve seen a Mississippi River musky and here is the 2nd one this year. This fish was on pool 4, the first came off pool 5

This Friday I asked fellow IDA staffer, Mike Cayford if he wanted to help me scout for Sundays tournament. We found the “spot” that I needed and Mike caught a fish that he thinks may have been his largest smallie ever. Unfortunately, the fish didn’t go on Sunday.

Very nice photo gallery John. Best of luck in all your tournies coming up and hopefully we can get out again soon

Nice Pics John. Some beauties in there

nice fish john

Thanks again John for a great day on the water and putting me on a bunch of fish. And if that wasn’t enough, you traded your famous tournament-strength tunafish sandwich for my dried-out version of a ham and cheese!
Cal

tournament-strength tuna

nice fish

Nice report John. But of all people to fish with you picked Ca l?!?!?