Big Minnow Bite

I’m a relatively inexperienced fisherman when it comes to the Mississippi river. Wondering if there is much of a big Minnow/chub bite in pool 4/Pepin in the fall?

I’m sure there is but I haven’t had much luck with chubs over the years. Maybe someone will chime in? I know jigging raps and blades work and now I am even gaining more confidence in hair jigs so I will stick with that this fall. Let us know if you have any luck with the rig. I got a creek loaded with them right behind my place.

Ive been trying to get more familiar with the river, it seems it’s harder to figure out than one would think. Do you tip your hair jigs with meat, or just run them bare?

I always look for 50 degree water or cooler in the tall, which signals for me to start fishing plastics on jigs. A bit later on when the water has dropped to around 40 degrees is when I’ll start tying on hair jigs, but I seldom tip them with anything. Right now there’s a ton of young Shad in the water and walleye/sauger are having no trouble finding food. Wait a couple weeks and watch water temps as they drop. Look for that 50 degree mark.

I’ve been told 50-60 run more reaction based bites , blades , jigging raps , cranks . Very limited on experience there but have lucked into a few fish . I do know some people pull chubs especially post spawn , I’ve heard a few in the fall as well but it’s a pretty quiet bite . I could be wrong but I think the ones that know how are greatly rewarded .

I got a wife on the night shift so I’ll be out playing this weekend and many to come if anyone wants to bounce info back and forth via pm .

Gilgetter wrote:

Ive been trying to get more familiar with the river, it seems it’s harder to figure out than one would think. Do you tip your hair jigs with meat, or just run them bare?

I don’t tip them with anything. just like jigging raps and blade baits. drop em on bottom and rip em up. eyes will see em and most of the time try to pin the bait to the bottom. that is why you get them under the jaw a lot of times.

couple more weeks and it will be prime time on the river. still 70 degree surface temps. i like to see at least 60ish before i get excited….soon!

I don’t know why big minnows wouldn’t work…. In the fall down there I usually reverse the spring procedure…. trolling cranks ….. blades/plastics….plastics/minnows…

with that theory (as Andy mentioned) rigging chubs would work… common post spawn method. they certainly would be the size of the shad that run back up river.

I have had better luck with small suckers vs creek chubs