Like a lot of people here, I’ve been reading reports for the past few years from Steve DeZurik about the great smallie fishing on the upper Mississippi. So I decided to give it a try this year with my former pheasant hunting buddy from Iowa. I say “former” because he’s since went to the dark side (took up bow hunting deer) and no longer hunts pheasant but a few times a year. I borrowed a friend’s 12 foot jon boat and threw it in the back of the mini van along with a couple of batteries and a transom trolling motor.
The advice was to put in at Clearwater and float down to Monticello. But I thought instead taking two vehicles, we’d just put in at Monticello and go as far upstream as we could on one battery and then float down on the second battery. BAD IDEA.
We put in at Terrace Park campground and received some advice to fish the rocks just downstream of the park. Things were going fine until we reach the shallow, faster water about a quater mile down stream. Wow, I had no idea the water was that fast. I just paddled to avoid boulders as we were sweep downstream. The water was too shallow to even try to use the trolling motor. We had to get back upstream somehow so I jumped in and just pulled the boat back upstream. When we returned to the deeper, slower water, the trolling motor worked just fine. We managed to catch some small fish on spinners. We tried going upstream but soon reached another shallow, fast section. I pulled the boat a long ways and still couldn’t see the end of the shallows and there was some lightning moving in so we just head back to the ramp as it started to rain.
I was told the water is very low. I can’t imagine how fast the water must be roaring when it’s up a couple of feet.
I’m looking forward to another trip but it’ll definitely be a one way, downstream adventure.
Two vehicles is the best mode of action. Of course a river pro would be my #1 option.
