Lower Mississippir

You guys post great reports on the upper pools of the Mississippi. However, I just moved south to pool 19. I formally lived on pool 18 and practically lived on the river in the summer. Caught largemouth and smallies all the time. My question for you guys is this: can I catch fish on the Mississippi this time of year? If so, what kind, and what techniques? I live two hours from the river (near the Peoria, IL area) so if you guys could educated me, I won’t feel like I’m wasting a 4-hour round trip. Thanks.

You can catch them this time of year but with the water temps dropping so quickly it makes it rather difficult. I would go out and look for wintering areas and start there. Fish with slower baits and you should be able to get something going I fish pools 10-14 but I don’t think it would be much different in 19.

You should be able to fish the tailwater areas below the dam for walleye and sauger during the cold weather months. Unless we have a really cold winter the river usually stays open that far south. Pools 12, 13 and 14 all have closed to fishing tailwater areas from Dec 1st to March 15th but that won’t bother you. Vertical jigging with plastics and pulling 3 way rigs with rapalas are a couple good ways to fish the tailwater areas.

Eyehunter

I grew up on both of those pools and yes you can fish the river now and be productive. Never really targeted bass this time of year down there but I’ve come across a few, mainly walleye/sauger.

Most of my luck, like eyehunter said, happened below the tailwaters of L&D 18&19. I would imagine that you would still be able to pull bass off the wing dams along the channel down there though now.

The river, boat ramps at the least, will ice over in the winter there, but up doesnt seem to happen until the end of Dec or so.

Dont ever remember getting out much after December comes around, too much ice.