Root River Smallies

You people are all just fantastic! Now I can hardly wait for the darn rivers to clear up. The South is really running this morning. I’m sure the northbranch is also. I’m either going to lower pepin on sun. or some southern lake. What’s the big river going to be like? Should I opt for the southern Mn. lake? JLK

MNFish

About your last post….. darn funny! I was having a ‘less than humorous’ morning prior to reading that.

I’m smiling now.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Who knows, maybe it was a teridactal(sp?)????

A Pileated one!

Maybe I’m lacking ambiguity, but why the humor about the pileated woodpecker? A very shy and wonderful bird!

Pileated woodpeckers aren’t as common as sparrows or anything like that but they aren’t that rare. Heck, hougie’s got one outside his back door most days I visit.

Caught me funny that MNFish is now willing to join the rest of us and accept the outside possibility that there exists at least one 10 Lb smallmouth bass in a tiny little river flowing through agricultural MN…. but highly doubts ANYONE saw a woodpecker! Cummon now, that’s good humor! If that’s where you were headed with that MNFish, well, then its even funnier!

Or, maybe it was just me. Regardless, I LMAO this AM.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Seen plenty woodpeckers. Couldn’t tell ya the difference between a regular and a Pileated one. They’re bigger than a normal one????? All I knows is fish. Birds is birds. That’s what aahh’m talkin’ about!!!

yep… a pileated.. thats one big pecker…. lol…… but for once the Ivory one is BIGGER!!….. too bad they are also extinct!….

oh well enuf of my poor attempts at humor!

My, haven’t we strayed from the subject!

Here’s a bass…. neither pileated or 25″ long. But a nice one regardless. Pepin’s been giving up quite a few 18″ – 20″ smallies lately. They’re relating to the base of the rip rap along the shorelines and very willing to munch light hair jigs, plastics, etc worked slowly away from the shoreline. Most are coming in 5-9 feet of water with the largest fish coming from the deeper water.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Okay, never intended to claim I spotted a rarety or anything, just trying to capture the ambiance. 10lbs!?? I had to delete my next response, not going there! No 10 pounders(bass that is) in there, but a high average of trophy fish!!!! At least on most days we can see the bottom!!!LOL

NIce Bass James!!! I guess what impresses me about the ROOT so much is there are a lot of fish like that caught fairly regularly. I’m surprised there aren’t more “25” inchers caught out of the Miss!!!

Edited by Jim W on 06/15/01 03:03 PM.

Ok. If I were to go to the Root and start for smallies (you can keep the trout) where would I go? Too secret a spot? E-mail me. Nothing too warm or to cold for me to fish. Too much water? Different story. Too dirty? Same thing. But like James says, “They’re bitin” somewhere!”

mnfish, what’s your e-mail? I checked your profile but it wasn’t there! I’ll put you on some good spots! You might have to wait a couple days until she’s ready to fish! If you have waders, you’ll have no problem!!! Jim W

Otherwise, if you have a map of the root or a road map I’ll give you a couple great spots to start at! If you want to canoe a section, I recommend starting at PArsley’s Bridge SOuth Of Chatfield on higway 52! Put in there and canoe to Lanesboro if you really want! Otherwise there are several smaller take out spots along the way. The DNR has a wonderful Map of the canoeable stretch of th Root River.

FOr serious smallmouthin'(wadin’ action) Check your map. You have a choice between the MIddle Branch and North Branch of the Root River(literally miles of smallmouth fishin’) Try fishing the North Branch starting at Fugel’s Mill on COunty 1 Approx. 5 miles South of Simpson. Fish either way up or down from the bridge!!! This is one of my favorite spots! No it didn’t hurt telling you! Now, it’s up to you to catch’em!!!! Keep the rod’s bendin’!!! Jim W

I have never had much luck fishing dirty water for bass. Maybe I don’t know how. It really is’nt necessary to find a real deap hole. A little depth is nice and a little current. As Jim said just get out and go. When you come to good looking water work it over well. I like the big boulders-rocks in the hole. Usually that means a nice rock bluff close by. It also means lots of snags. You can work your bait a little faster now, or in warmer water. In the fall the water current in that same hole will be slower, work the bait real slow. With jigs I like to just barely pick it up and let fall. If a smallie takes it you’ll feel that “throbbing” . Than have fun. The northbranch will prabably remain muddy for a while now. The farther up river you can get the quicker it will clear. Good luck! JLK

I read an article last fall about migrating smallies……………does the Root experience this at all or does it defy the claim? Or is it the other guys further north just don’t know how to cold weather fish the little lippers? Mnfish, your post is still funny 3 days later!!! LOL!

Nope, the Root river Smallmouth do NOT defy the claim. Smallmouth, especially in a river system can migrate many miles in one day. I read a study done on the tagging and radar tracking of smallmouth in a river(can’t remember the name of the river), one fish was recorded to have traveled 12 miles of water in a 24 hour period!

Smallmouth, especially in the Root are on the move more so than you would imagine. However, during the peak temp months of the year, they will hold tighter to specific holes and cover areas, ie. log jams, under cut banks, moving in and around their hiding places to feed! Smallmouth are extremely territorial and competetive. They always will try to make it back to the same wintering hole each year. Now keep in mind the changes in a river like the Root with all of the flooding the last couple of years. Holes frequently change, getting filled in or moving a tad! This can make wading and exploring for Smallies a BLAST! The NOrth Branch was running nice yesterday before the advent of additional rain. Now I’ll have to wait a couple days! Can’t wait! Smallmouth that haven’t seen a soul for over a year!!!!! Keep therods bendin’!!! Jim W

Do you know when the smallies were introduced into the river?

I’m not sure on the exact year, but I do know that the smallmouth were introduced via the railway systems. The smallmouth were transported by train from the East Coast, I’m guessing the early 1900’s. They were transported in large barrels and periodically dumped into river systems that ran adjacent to the railway! This was not a “true” conservation project from my understanding and a lot of guess work and hope was involved in the early days of the smallmouth. If you have an exact year, I would like to know as well. Jim W

This post is getting so large it should be it’s own forum!! Anyway, trying to remember and I don’t have a map in front of me, does the Root flow into the Mississippi? Eventually? The migration article I read last fall mentioned people that fished Croix tribs, all of “their” fish were out of the rivers by the end of October. I’m wondering if the smallies have access to the warmer winter waters of the Mississippi, will some of them still stick it out in the Root and why there, but not the Croix tribs?

The Root flows in SOuth of LeCrescent, Mn down stream(on the Root) from Hokah. I’m not familiar with the tribs of the Croix, but, if there isn’t a lot of deeper holes or if the tribs run too cold in the winter, that might explain why you can’t find them. Smallmouth are very hard to catch in the winter as well. As far as the Root river becoming it’s own site, it should, but I will be providing Root River reports as much as possible on FTR! Look for the reports on the front page!! Keep the rods bendin’!!! Jim W

Stillakid,

It dumps into the Mississippi River on Pool 8 just south of Green Island on the MN side.

Steve Hougom – FTR Webstaff

Your posts on this river are definitely intriguing and I’ll be looking forward to future info and stories, woodpeckers and all! LOL! Might have to set up a little adventure one of these days!

Your points regarding holes sounds like that might be the deal. I don’t know of any Croix tribs that are famous for having any “deep” holes and I’m sure the ones that exist are few. They need another few decades of erosion! Thanks for all the info!

Sounds good let me know if your interested in Some Root River action!

Hey Rivereyes,

Where are you from that you fished all those NE Iowa rivers?? I grew up right in the middle of that whole mess and haven’t heard of anyone catching smallies in the Buffalo for a good 10 years now!

Craziness,

Gianni

*wow*… my friend….

your words almost make me want to cry…. I was born and raised in cedar rapids, my grandfather had a farm near Cogon, I fished the buffalo in the 60’s and it was one of the best SMB fisheries Ive EVER known… it was a beautiful ripple pool habitat, gently winding through forested pastures, quick flowing crystal clear water, From the Cogon dam down for about 5 miles it was Fantastic!! many many fish in the 2-3 lb range… and 4+ fish were not uncommon…. I know of a number of 5# class fish that came out of that stretch (caught one myself!)… then another stretch down towards Monticello by a tiny town called freemont….. this was limestone bluff country, it was beautiful and also full of SMB… with the addition of channel cats….. back in those days there was no such concept as catch and release… and way tooo many fish were harvested… but even worse.. agricultural practices changed drastically from the conservative efforts of the farmers of my grandfathers generation to the fence row to fence row policies of today, along with heavy use of fertilizer and pesticides…. I remember by the early 70’s the buffalo was almost dead, it became difficult to catch ANY SMB….. let alone the beauties that used to grace its waters…. then I had to move farther NE, to the upper Iowa, Turkey, Yellow, Maquekota, volga….. those rivers were still awesome…. for the sake of everyone, I hope they have not been destroyed as well…. and if they have, I hope that someday soon they will be restored…. first it will take a change in agricultural practices… fence row to fence row with heavy use of chemicals will insure that these riverine ecologies will NEVER come back…… the buffalo last I saw it (after years of absence) was loaded with silt and some kind of slimy gray algae and I dont even know if carp could live in there…… I did cry on that day….. the love I had for those rivers.. and that ONE in particular.. where I grew up and learned to fish for SMB… well… its hard to explain….

when I return to Iowa, it seems an alien landscape… I remember a land full of fields and pastures, lots of fallow ground, butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians were everywhere….. now its all gone….. I cant even recognize the land where I grew up…..

well…. enough of the depressing….. arent you sorry you got me started?

I grew up about a mile east of the Buffalo just north of Winthrop. I still bowhunt right along the creek about 4 miles south of Aurora. Up that far, there’s very few spots where it’s deep enough to support smallmouths, but people would still catch one every once in a while. We spent most of our time catching suckers out of Prarie Creek about 2 miles east of there.

The Maquoketa is still a top-notch smallmouth hotspot, and I’ve been catching a lot more along the Wapsi in the last couple of years as well. We fished the Upper Iowa a few times when I was in school at Decorah, and I’ve heard that the Turkey and Volga are coming back strong.

I think that no-till farming and more judicious(sp?) use of farm chemicals has really turned things around. There was a piece on the news that nitrate levels were still high in the larger rivers, but overall it wasn’t harmful to the wildlife like herbicides or pesticides were.

Didn’t mean to induce an onslaught of depression, but I’m glad to be able to inform you that things are really turning around.

Gianni

ahhh well…. once in a while when I think back to the way things were, it can be depressing… its great to know strides are being made to bring back the old days…. and I truly hope it can someday happen….. that would be a wonder…….

I had a couple of friends up in your area…. Sven Bauer, who lived on a mink farm along the buffalo there, just north of Winthrop….. and I cant remember his first name, but his last was Forester, who also lived north, but then west a ways, on a farm….. took me up there pheasant hunting once when I was in college at ISU…. it was awesome!…..

I’ve been pheasant hunting there since I was 6, and it is truly awesome. The last few years have been extremely tough due to the heavy spring rains and summer storms. I can hear cocks crowing in the morning when I’m bowhunting, but finding them is a bear. Only made it out a few times bird hunting last year, and the weather wasn’t very cooperative. We saw as many coyotes as roosters, but I have a few friends working that problem.

Back to SMB, a friend of mine bought a conoe this year and we’re hoping to hit the Maquoketa below Delhi sometime this summer. I’ve caught a few really nice ones crappie fishing right below the spillway, so I’m expecting it will be great.

When I worked for the Iowa DNR, I spent a month one summer canoeing the maquoketa and writing the DNR canoe guide for that river, at the same time I also got to fish for smallmouth and take scale samples…. the best strecth I found was from the Delhi dam to the first bridge below there…. the first big hole on the first bend below the dam is a great hole for SMB… and one of the biggest bass I ever saw came from there…. we shocked it out one day and I would guess it was 5-6 pounds easy…. I also did pretty good below the Manchester dam…… shocked a 12 # class walleye not far below the dam at backbone, in the pool under a bridge….. this was years ago of course, in the mid 70’s…..

I canoed the Maq in august, it was low and clear.. in some pools you could see the schools of smallmouth, and watch them react to your lure from the time it hit the water until they nailed it……. what a hoot….

glad to hear the pheasants are still good around there….. I doubt I know any landowners down there by now……. I suppose the bauers and foresters are gone……

How about getting in on some action this fall when the Root clears up? Ain’t no jungle thick enough to keep me from gettin’ through it! (It doesn’t have any of them woodpeckers, though, does it? Them things give me the willies!) I’s the one that teached Harry-n-Charlie everythin’ they knows about backswoods fishin’! Gotta get them hawgs anysways you can!

Doesn’t take much to convince this guy to fish for some hard core rod benders like the Root river smallies!!

Through thick or thin, I’m in!!! Sometimes over my head! Let me know!!

PS. The root should be on fire as we speak!!!

Edited by Jim W on 06/26/01 02:37 PM.