Cold water Croix fishing

Hello Guys!

Once the water temperature reaches 60 degrees and below many jigging techniques will catch fish. Here are three I love to fish:

Vertical jig and minnow. This presentation catches mostly drum all warm water season until the water gets cold, then for water ever reason once the water is cold it will boat walleye and sauger.
Jigging Rapalas. This “new” presentation is an old standard on the ice and used for over twenty years by some in open water. It is very popular now, for my boat it is a BIG hit meaning successful or a big miss, no real in between here. The fish either want it or ignore it.
Jig and plastic. A very top top producer. Many styles work – ringworms, paddle tails, Gulp minnows, small Flukes, twister tails. Also it is worthy to note that from my experience a constant jigging is not really the best way many times a jigging motion and a hold will work better than constant jigging. I almost always and constantly tell my customers to be just off of bottom.

Does trolling Rapala’s still work? You bet! I am simply letting you know that now the water is cold the above three techniques will also work, and if you are like me you enjoy variety and the challenge of catching fish numerous ways.

Good Luck!

Turk

image: Dick Edstom with a nice St. Croix walleye this fish hit a jig and plastic. Dicks group caught a dozen keepers on his outing, plus a handful of 13 to 14″ saug dogs. Fun trip!

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River newbie question: Does the river have a thermocline, and turn over this time of year, like a lake?

You can see the skillet in the background of the pic. Love it!! I need to get one of those at some point.

@Nice Fella – http://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/croix_533732/

thanks for the tip Turk!!!! You’ve got mail…

FYI – We caught eight keepers (six saugers above 15″ and two eyes) vertical jigging from 7am to noon today. Jig and minnow caught them, simple fishing with 3/8 ounce jigs in 20 to 30 fow.
I would guess we have at least three (maybe four) weeks where this presentation can work. In regards to the time frame when its over on the Croix for walleye, December 6th is the last date or latest date fishing for walleye doing well. I remember then I went out again on December 7 and it was clearly over, no bites, that was a bitter cold windy day. That year we had an indian summer for much of November and the warmth kept the water temps high.

I try to feed the white tips plastics, blades, and jigging Raps on trips from here out, but if they want meat – its meat they get!

Good luck!!
Turk

The boats were thick south of the 94 bridge at 3:30 yesterday.

Boats still stacking south of 94 but nobody ever says a peep on here about that bite.

Nice Fella wrote:

River newbie question: Does the river have a thermocline, and turn over this time of year, like a lake?

Yes, has not turned over yet

The panfish are snapping. Spent a morning pulling crappies and lots of them. Good Luck all!

suzuki wrote:

Boats still stacking south of 94 but nobody ever says a peep on here about that bite.

When are you going to get down there and try fishing there so you can let us know what’s biting?

She’s turned

fish-them-all wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
Boats still stacking south of 94 but nobody ever says a peep on here about that bite.

When are you going to get down there and try fishing there so you can let us know what’s biting?

Boat is in storage. Bird hunting now.

the bite is fantastic and everyone is out hunting….

3 days ago, 7 keeper eys and no shorts in .5 Hr

SHALLOW

the bite is fantastic and everyone is out hunting….

3 days ago, 7 keeper eyes and no shorts in .5 Hr

SHALLOW

Figures.

The water temperatures are 49 to 50 degrees.
Finding fish in 20 to 30 fow.
The bite is off and on during this last week, meaning they go strong and then shut down. Today Dick Tollerud and I boated over a dozen keepers and most were walleyes. There is a strong class of 19″ fish in the river biting now. Plus saugers with size.
You can find peace and quiet on the Croix right now, a few anglers, dock movers, gulls, and a couple loons.

pic #1 caught on a jig and Moxi – love the plastics right now.
pic #2 pig sauger 19″ shallowed a hair jig and minnow – hair is very good in the fall.
pic #3 D. Tollerud with a nice walleye stringer, great clients like him make guiding fun. – some of these caught on Shad Raps.
pic #4 a nice eye caught on a Pulse-R from wed.
pic #5 a hog white bass – one of my favorite river species.

Turk

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Found this nice 22″ during a good bite window this afternoon. Had three fish in about 20 minutes then nothing.

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Nice Tim!