Summer Fishing Picking UP!!

Hey Guys,
I’ve been out serval times the past couple of weeks and the fishing is picking up. I went out with my girlfriend a week ago and caught some nice eyes by the Red Cedar Bike Trail Bridge. Also caught some nice catfish there too. I found out that there are a lot of little ones in there too. We were also lucky enough to start catching some bass later on in the day around some stumps. Most of the eyes were caught on crawlers on a lindy rig or carolina rig.

I went out this last weekend and did awesome on the bass near dark with surface baits. I caught 15-20 bass in a matter of an hour or so. I caught some really nice stripers and a lot of beauty smallies. I’ve been fishing around stumps and logs with crawlers during the middle of the day when it’s hot and have been lucky enough to catch a lot of eyes and bass. I’ve been having a blast out on the river. Heck I havn’t even hit anything yet with my motor. Has anyone else noticed a lot of pearch on the river this year. I noticed I’ve caught more of them than sheephead this year WEIRD!!! How’s everyone else doing?

Im doing ok with bottom fishing. Where you git them stripers at, and what with, if you dont mind spillin it.

I have no problem giving up some of my secrets. I’m fishing just above Durand. I go up as far as the Red Cedar. I’ve been fishing with Rapala Skeeter Pops. I like the silver and blue one best. I was just out tonight at dusk and caught 6 stripers and 4 smallies. All keepers!!! I’ve been fishing breaks after logs and drop offs. It has been working pretty good.

Thanks alot!

Krisko,
does anybody rent canoes around that area?

They do rent canoes in Downsville just a few miles away and in Eau Claire. I think one of the bars here in town may rent them too. I’m not too sure. If you want I can do more asking and looking around.

that would be great

Krisko,
a buddy of mine has a nice little 14’er with a 25 on it. we are planning on explorung the Chip on 7/24 Sat.
Could you guide us to a boat landing in your neck of the woods? We’re just doing a day trip to do some exploring and fishing. Any muskie in that area?

SteveO, That’s what I have is a Princecraft 14′ side counsel with a 25. The best place to put in is Durand. You can run up a long way to the Red Cedar River. I don’t suggest going down river far if your boat is as big as mine. If it is a plain old river boat you will have no problem. Just run the channel and use common sense and you won’t have any problems. I have to work until 6p on the 24th otherwise I would show you guys around. I haven’t been able to catch anything for Northern and I haven’t even seen much for Muskie being caught either. I know a couple of guys have been hitting a spot down near the mouth of the Chippewa on the Mississippi. I don’t know where it really is though. If you need any more help or anything let me know. I was out tonight again and hammered the bass. I even caught a few nice walleyes trolling the timber on the sides of the river in the deeps. I love low water Chippewa fishing.

Big K,
We are venturing out at 8AM this Sat. Heading up river. If we are still around at six I’d like to buy you a beer for helping us out. Hopefully our arms will be tired from catching and releasing all the smallies.

Sounds good to me SteveO. I went out tonight and did OK. I didn’t do nearly as good as I had been doing. I’m gonna hit it in the morning and see what happens. Me and a friend each caught 4 bass. One striper that was nice 18″. I got it in the boat and some how my line got caught up in the trebbel hook and broke and the fish hit the side of the boat. I tried to pick it up by my lure and it flopped in with it right into the water. I lost my “lucky” bait If you guys bring live bait bring a lot of crawlers. Everything has been hitting them. I’ll post on how the morning fishing was. I’m looking forward to that beer too

What kinda lure did you use?

I’ve been using a blue and silver Skitter Pop and crawlers too. I usually leave the crawler sit and cast. I’ve been catching them on just about any top water bait. I’ve even had luck with purple spinner baits. Purple seems to be the color or the blue/silver colors.

We planned on using crawlers. How are you rigging them? Lindy’s? Bare hooks and split shot? Jigs? I’ve got lots of plastics. Senkos, tubes etc…

I’ve mostly been using lindy rigs. I also use just a small sinker and a floating jig head too. That really seems to work best. It eliminates a lot of suckers and sheephead I think. If you find a few spots that are slower current I use a floating jig head with a larger split shot and jig it along the bottom that works good too.

Don’t forget about one of my favorites on the Chippewa. The rattetrap. They work great !!! I’ve also caught walleyes on ring worms but I have to say a 3 or 4 inch mister twister exude in the chartreause flake is my go to bait and I have one on a rod all the time. Should I hide ya a map?? : Steve

rattletraps, eh? exude twisters, you say? Guess I have to pick a couple of things up b-4 Sat.
A map would be great but I couldn’t ask you to do that.

No you wouldn’t have to ask but there’s no pic-nic table to stable it under down there. Hey have a great trip. Where are you guys meeting up at for beverages just in case I’m in town. Steve

I guess I could leave my GPS for you to find the holes. Ah you guys will find them. If you got a good depth/fish finder you’ll do just fine. I may have to work late on Saturday….but I’ll keep my eye out for you guys.

We’ve got a good depth finder so we should be fine. Experience fishing the Flambeau should help. I think we’ll hit any blow downs or wood we find and search for deeper water.

You won’t have any problem finding wood. Watch out for the wood that finds you. Don’t be How long will you be on the river and are you going to have a cell phone with? Steve

The man is right, if you don’t watch it it will be like this with the logs you find. There is lots of timber to fish around. The rivers a little low but fishing has been good. If you are going up river Once you leave Durand you go around the first little bend and then on your right you will see a bunc of rocks and some trees in the water. There is a good deep hole there and I fished it the other day and caught a couple of eyes…only problem snags. If you go all the way to the railroad bridge you’ll find a bunch of nice places to fish. I know I have luck by the railroad bridge (25-30′ of water) or just up from there on a little point. Watch for rocks though. Just take your time and you’ll do OK. GOOD LUCK. If you need any help I’m working at the Sheriff’s Office in Durand. Just call 911

Krisko,
thanks for the tips. How far up is the r.r. bridge? Snags are where the walleye are. If you ain’t snaggin’ you ain’t fishin!

I thought if you weren’t loosing lures you weren’t fisin’ The R&R bridge is about 20-30 min up river on a non stop trip. I would say it is 3 or so miles up by River. I’m not sure if I don’t have my GPS. You’ll find the honey holds they are all over. “USE STRUCTURE AND DROP OFFS AND YOU WILL SUCCEED” I just read that in Field and Stream. Good luck BUD

thanks for the good wishes. I just went and bought ratt-l- traps and chartruese flake 3″ grubs. I should catch all the fish in the river, right?
Love small river fishing. Structure and drop-offs = success

had limited success on the Chip. unbelievable algae bloom going on had something to do with it. caught 8 or nine smallies and just one legal. some of the locals had said that it’s been tough since the water dropped so low. hope to try it again when the water is up and the algae is down.

Algae Bloom? The last time I was down on the Chippewa is was nice and clear. That was just a week or so ago. Did you get above the Red Cedar River near the train tressel? Steve

That must have happend fast. I was out only a couple of days before you went and didn’t have any problems. Sorry that you didn’t catch much.

it was really green.
some of the locals were commenting on what a weird color it was. our luck….

I’m going to have to go look at it tomorrow. I wonder if it’s just a short time thing. I sure hope it dosen’t last. Red Cedar is sure green and I hope the Chippewa doesn’t get that way. Steve