When the flow slows…

What types of areas to you move to?

Main channel wing dams? Dam areas?

Or, just the main channel?

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Main channel wing dams? Dam areas?

Or, just the main channel?

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Yes, yes, and no. Not “just” the main channel anyways. I look for current and baitfish. When the water’s low and hot here, wing dams are where you find both. If there is good current near a wingdam along a woody shore, then that’s a bonus, but just the wingdam is enough to attract me. ‘Course I have crappy Augusts, so I don’t have any magic formula.

Matt, when you say “bait fish” are you talking about minnows, shad or some other type of baitfish?

Hey Brian,

I was out on tuesday night to try a few spots. I might have seen you down there. I came back up the river about 10pm and had the dog with. Did best of the front end of a wing dam. It was the first one on the upstream side and still has some deeper water running right up to it with a good flow(about the fastest I could find). Caught 2 channels on the shallower side to shore and 2 flats in the fast water on the end and missed a few as usuall .Even picked up a few bass on top of one of the wing dams tossing raps(a little bass fishin keep a cat guy undercover ).It was a great night to be down on the river.

The dam area has been slow for me with the water down. But usually we are fishing eddie areas that need a little more water than we have right now.

Something i’ve found about thats a rule of thumb down here briank is that when the waters lower than usual and its warmer look for the deeper spots with a little current. The fish stay in the deeper cooler water. I know thier a cold blooded spieces but when its warm they do slow down and so does the baitfish. Instead of fighting the current looking for food they lay in areas where theres a little current to feed when they need too and not exert as much energy. Its not winter and they do eat more than winter, a minnow a week will last some fish. But when it heats up, i use the term they look for shade too and slow down. Right befor dusk and all night long until the hours around dawn are my best productive times to fish when its warm. Again some things come into play here too but ive found the fish bite best when theres a little current and some deeper water too for them to stay cool to keep thier systems fairly active. Im sure this is why the downriver sides of wingdams right on the bottom and the deeper troughs are fairly good this time of year.

Much of my fishing now(August) usually starts to be more productive than July. I cant put any weight behind this yet as I havent had a chance to chase fish lately.. But for the years behind us I usually am finding fish near, or in the rocks with current around, but not swept. I can recall many cats this time of year burping up crayfish at me… Keep in mind, much of this info is based on MN river success.. Another place I have had success is the shoreline edge of deep holes in the mid-day hours… sometimes its easier to find them deep by day, than it is shallow by night.

I used to fish the MN river 90% of the time, but still fished the missis enough to keep on them, now the tables have turned… what I stated above is where I will be looking for fish from past experiences that were noted from another river.

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Matt, when you say “bait fish” are you talking about minnows, shad or some other type of baitfish?

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I’m talking about flathead bait, so about any fish under 5 pounds. Walleyes, bass, bluegills, sheephead, mooneye, etc…

When August dog days come. Those fish are very active and travel a long ways every night. I do best finding a long weed edge anywhere. I especially like rocks to be involved because they feed heavily on crawfish this time of year. 5 feet of water with rocks, weeds on my right in 3 feet of water. The fish will find you. Sometimes they come in waves.