Pool 9 report

Kevin and Julie and their guide went out yesterday on pool 9. The forage running around is unbelievable. But anywhere you find it the bass are there, too. We caught a bunch of bass yesterday. Several over three but really nothing much size wise to back it up. Highlight of the morning was first keeper on. It did aerials for us twice once only a little ways from the boat , just to swim very agressively while ripping drag right into a tree. All I can say is Julie Bass fishes a lot and she was just sick with us losing the size fish we had on the line. The first time it jumped almost in unison three people said something similiar to “my is that ever a large member of the bass species”. Okay Okay those weren’t the exact words but you should get the picture . If I had it to do over again in that particular situation I would leave the boat and follow the line down through the tree and untangle the bass so it could be brought in. Might sound like a stupid thing to try, but this fish was worth getting a little wet for. Safety in that particular location really wasn’t a big issue and the tree was mostly larger wood , so I’m reasonably sure the Bass was just rapped around a large branch or two. The last two times a bass swam into those branches they swam back out but the line finally broke on this one after about 15 minutes of trying to get it loose. Sometimes the bucketmouth fairy just doesn’t smile on you.

Anybody that is looking for a honest to goodness trophy Bucketmouth has a pretty good shot right now on the Mississippi on either 8 or nine. Don’t misunderstand we aren’t catching tons of giants, but we are getting or in this case loosing about one fish most folks would call a Miss River trophy nearly every trip out. With the food congregating the bass are too. We sat on one wing dam where we actually had bass rolling and feeding steady around the boat for over an hour and the schools of dinner size bait were clouding the water. We couldn’t get the huge ones to bite , but had nearly constant half out of the water looks at very Large fish steady for 10 minute spurts. Finally left to half, make one last try at the critter that got off on the tree and half out of frustration that the larger fish we were seeing would not touch anything we offered.

Probably sounds stupid to say it since I am a guide, but anybody with a good knowledge of the two pools and where fish school up this time of year and a little ingenuity in lures and presentation has a good shot at a large fish right now. Only advantage I might have is “Time on the Water” Like Boardman says “sooner or later everybody runs into a blind one” and the more time you spend running around the better your chances are of “Accidentally” finding one. LOL You can believe me or not , your choice, but there are a lot more fish over 5 lbs in these two pools than I ever imagined, and I bet a bunch more of you are connecting with them , than are telling.

Lawrence:

Please take a video camera along for when you go diving into a tree after a bass!!!!

When you do pack the video camera, dress up like Steve Irwin and shout “Have a go at this bugger! What an awesome specimen!” in your best Australian accent.

Come to the Bobs bait and tackle weigh ins Sunday the 17th to see all the 5lbers I won’t have…. Well maybe one, god willing. I haven’t seen many this year, like maybe 2 and those are best guess fish.
jc

Hey who took 2 of the five stars off that I put on my own post. Let me see …movie of an overweight bald guy looking like a wet rat, I don’t think so. I really felt bad that I didn’t try afterwards. Just as a point of reference Jeremy the big BM was on the first place we stopped in the Team Supreme tourney. Still only a one or two fish spot, but every once in a while a nice one. All joking aside though I really wished I would have had a camera along on that wingdam. I was always was taught that the bigger fish weren’t much for jumping out of the water while feeding like the dinks are, but it was just driving us nuts trying everything in the boat with the porkys jumping around us. I wish I would have had a live nightcrawler along to see if it would have made a difference. Most interesting part was it was sunshine in the middle of the day. They were pushing the bait up over 6 inch deep rocks in some parts of the wingdam , but they were coming out of the water away from the rocks , too.

Do you remember the second place we stopped??? I pulled a 4 and one close to 5 off it last weekend. I need those fish in 2 weeks but after that hooks away!!!
jc

What tournament is on the 17th?

Bob’s bait and tackle out of Lacrosse.
jc

I am heading to 9 on Sat. and was looking for any fresh info. I talked to a guy at my trap league that fished the wingdams above Lansing last Sat. and caught allot of largemouth and whites when they shad were busting. He said they would move up on the busting shad and throw twisters or cranks until the frenzy was over and then move to the closest weeds and catch the largemouths. They did get into a stretch of big bluegills also. I’ve always fished downstream from Lansing and have done well with the smallies but I want to venture upstream to check it out early. Thanks and see ya on the water.JD

There is such an abundance of fish on nine now that any place you have fished previously will probably be fine. Make sure you check out the corners and the structure areas close to your spots, because the water is quite clear from Lansing to Desoto so you will probably spook the fish quickly, but they dont go far. The little ones up to 2.5 lbs will hang in there , but the hawgs better get caught on your first few casts or you might be out of luck.

You mentioned the busting fish, so I will remind you of something you already know….normally bigger forage jumping means a bigger or many fish following. Pin minnows right now seem too be to small with all the 2inch shad and baby bass around.
Good luck and if you see a 17 foot crestliner with a tiny 30 Evinrude on the back thats me.

Thanks, Lawrence. I’ll keep an eye out for you. I’ll have three guys fishing out of a old Starcraft with a fifty merc. I’ll report next Tues. River here I come!JD