pool 2 smallies

just north of the 494 bridge there are alot of rock walls that line the shoreline for hundreds of feet, and all along them shorelines i hammer smallies every year for the last 3 years. This spot can easily be shorefished as there is a walking path 30 feet from the waters edge. I usaully catch them 0-6 feet off the rocky shoreline by pitching plastics or small jigs tipped with live bait, or using slip bobber with live bait when the wind and current are calm. There is alot of big dead trees beached half on the shore, and half in the water which make great cover/ambush spots. I see alot of really big catfish in that area too that are basically in a foot of water right next to the shoreline, some prob going 30-40 pounds! Im guessing there are alot of crayfish and minnows all in and aroung those rocks because its consistent action almost all the time. Late summer early fall is when the action can get crazy. Dont be surprised to land a 5-6 pound smallie!

You talking the rip rap just north of the island?

Depending on the current, a lot of fish use that rip rap. As you said it’s pretty obvious so it gets a lot of pressure. The biggest Smallie I’ve seen come from there was about 15 inches long. A nice fish, but a long way from 5 pounds. We put a 15 pound flathead in the boat this summer that hit a trolled crankbait along there too, that was huge fun.
There are a couple of places where the rock has collapsed out into the river creating a flat area, key on those spots. Watch James’ DVD about using plastics on the river for a better explanation.

Hope to see you down there. I can’t wait for the river to open up again!

Rootski

The culverts on that rip rap can hold some pretty decent numbers of bass in the fall.

Welcome to the site.

I’ve caught decent channels. I think I wasted too much time down there with bullheads. Not fun lugging them around on shore down there. I was going to hit it last summer and try other species, but there was construction going on and I didn’t want to park where I would get towed. I’ll be hitting it this year…probably see many more people after this thread. Oddly enough I never saw anyone fishing down there but me every time I have gone there.

The rip rap on the western shoreline about a mile north of the 494 launch/bridge is the spot i fish. There is a big rip rap right at the 494 launch but that is much more shallower than the spot just north. I know it sounds silly to say 5 pounders but i promise they are there. lol im definately bringing a camera this season. The catfish i was seeing i could only see their tails and maybe a fin, and there is no way those fish weigh under 20. Has anyone fished or been in the little channel/inlet just south of the rip rap on the western shoreline by the log jam? How shallow/deep is it in there?

I believe the channel is pretty shallow under normal conditions. There used to be a website called “fishing Bandito” or something like that. They said it was shallow, but fish could be had. It is pretty much impossible to fish from shore once the summer growth gets thick around it.

We def. Need to get down there in the summer and catch those 5-6 pounders. So far just a Cat outta that spot, but those bass are definitely in there. Just North of the Gun Club you can toss top water off the Western shorline at the point from shore ” during the mayfly hatch ” and hit White Bass and Smallies ” fish the last 2 hours of dusk “. Grab your ” Cat ” rod and bait up a sucker. Alive or dead depending if ya want to catch a Flathead or Channel but, I have caught Flatheads on a dead sucker..just not as ” Routinely. Fish late summer where the barges load and unload from 3pm – 10pm for some MONSTER CATS.. Overall though both great spots

Caught this 18 1/2 this fall further down stream but same conditions. he was sitting in 2 ft next to a concrete wall close to some rip rap. Caught another smaller one close by and a nice 16 largemouth, too bad i was walleye fishing but i’ll take em!

There is also good shore fishing by the ford dam, bit of a walk though but i’ve heard of biguns hanging out on both sides of the river.

nice fish! mind if i ask, if you were using plastics or live bait when u caught that smallie?

Those same kind of shorlines down here produce well too. Smallies and walleyes but especially smallies, throw in a few willows right on the edge and you’ve got great ditty poles to catch very nice channels that run those rocky shorelines too.

I don’t remember what i was using i think a paddle tail