So a fellow IDOer and I are getting out on the Minnesota this weekend to chase cats. He checked out the launch in St. Peter this morning and said the launch was almost completely under water.
With the high water, what sort of tactic should we be using? Should it be like in spring? The only think that throws me is that the water temp is up and the water is high, as opposed to it being cold and high. What areas should we be focusing on this weekend?
Any input is appreciated!
I had a hard time a couple years ago with high water. The regular places I fished just weren’t producing.
I started fishing tributary’s and feeder creeks, mostly just inside the mouths placing my baits in the slower water up and down stream of the higher flow going into the main river.
I don’t fish the MN, but there should be some locations similar to what I mentioned. I’m sure there’s others that fish that area that can give you what works for them.
Good luck and let us know how you do! 
Thanks BK. Was this for channels or flats or both?
Flats sir!
Can I ask how you’d target channels during the day in high water?
Use cut bait or stink instead of bullheads and plan to fish between 4AM and 10AM or between 7PM and 1AM. 
Their still catching flatheads in the current down here and nice ones too but their not getting alot of them, less now then a few weeks ago, in the calm water right next to the swift. I’d pole fish any shallower area next to deep current and snags where they lay during the day.
The Channels that we have been catching is no diffrent then a good bite of bluegills around fallen snags and timber in a lake. I look for an area that has anywhere from 3′ to 6′ of water and no current for channels, a very slow current is ok, just enough to keep the water fresh is about all. If I was fishing the wingdams on the Mississippi Id fish any water that was at a 2′ to 6′ depth and next to shore, especially if there was minnows close to shore. In the backwaters its around snags and anywhere you’ve seen minnows or an area where they might be there. Bait like minnows like to stay out of the current and deeper water especially when the waters high. Find an area thats out of the swift current, preferably a cut, creek mouth or anything like that and you should get a bite.
Well, it looks like a moot point now. My sources tell me that the MN is in the trees all the way up past New Ulm and the launches are flooded. Looks like a rough fish multi-species trip instead.
DFresh, we’ve done really well in the higher water fishing the channel just off the edges of backwaters. Dropping the line a bit from directly behind the boat (up to 90ยบ even) and letting the bait drift into the current break up against the backwater, casting right into the current break, or just inside it on the fringes of the backwater have all been good.
Just sayin… high water isn’t really a bad thing. We caught more cats (and bigger!) in one session Tues night than I ever have before.
J
Looks like we can’t even get the boat onto the water down there. The ramps are all flooded out and even shore fishing looks dubious. We are tenacious though and we will get out and fish will be caught. Pictures will follow, most likely in the roguh fish forum!
DFresh, down this way when the waters up the catfish have the feedbag on. If you can get your boat in fish those trees but along the shoreline. Catfish by the hordes look for something to eat like crawlers and whatever that are now plentiful from being washed out of their holes. Times like this they also go way back up into creeks and feed, even a few miles. As soon as the water starts to drop they head back twards the river, high water in creeks is a good place to fish for not only channels but flatheads.
About 5 years ago there was a gal that was fishing in one of the local creeks where theres normally maybe a foot of water and with the creek up she got a flathead, a 40 lber,,,by herself! Highwater in areas where theres normally no water is the dinner bell for catfish. Fish any creek where the waters up now or any shallow spot that looks good.
Well, I am going to cross post a pic here. IDOer SwollenGoat and I have been fishing the stretch between New Ulm and St. Peter for the past few years. Never seen water this high at the beginning of July before.
So we went down to the Judson launch at about 10PM with a few nice bullheads on Saturday night. There was about 5 feet of the launch exposed and the river was flooded up into the trees. At this launch, there is a steep 15 foot bank that the launch cuts right through. We fished right on the launch with our bullies.
Swollen goat got the majority of the action with ‘Ol’ Whiskers’ which I believe is a 50’s era Mitchell 300 combined with a pretty stout rod. We were getting really good action and used all our bullheads that night. He landed 2 fish and the big one of the night was glimpsed but threw the hook just as we were about to land it.
Ended up with 2 flats including this 12-13lber:
w00t! w00t!
Decent fish!
I had no idea cyborgs liked to fish. I suppose they need a hobby to unwind while trying to rule the world. 
Yes, world domination is quite taxing, especially with those pesky humans destroying the planet even before we can take over, We need to pillage and plunder the resources for our own use. Oh, and it was a great day fishing!
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