P4 Techniques on the St. Croix

The post about Jimmy’s picking up BFishN tackle has raised a question I’d thought I’d get others opinions on.

Has anyone had good success using typical P4 techniques, (pitching ringworms, dragging ringies, jigging superdoos) on the St. Croix? Last year was the first time I tried and picked up a few here and there, nothing to indicate a pattern.

What has worked/not worked for you with these presentations on the Croix?

I can’t see a reason why they wouldn’t.

I fish a dark-water, river-fed impoundment (Lake Wissota), where some of the riverine portions are quite similar to many of the stretches of the St Croix. We POUND smallies and walleyes all summer and fall using BFT plastics, particualrly the paddletails. For photos and more info, check out some of the 2006 reports in the Lake Wissota forum.

good post… I’m still very much a New-B on the Croix but we had some luck this year. Springtime: did best on good ol’ jig/minnow, jig/leech, either jigging or slip-bobbering. As the season went on, I switched to Lindy rigging mostly, pulling leeches, crawlers, minnows. Tried the crankbait bites a few times, on three-ways, leadcore, etc but never really got it to work. Come fall, switched back to the old jig-n-minnow.

Never really tried plastics much, other than to add a Captain America to the jig once an a while to try to add something a bit different but I also have some ‘real meat’ on there too…

According to many customers who fish both here and there,myself not included,very similar patterns.Good Luck!

I tried some last year with success in certain areas…..I think the key ingredient was the current. For the most part P4 has alot more current than most of the lower St. Croix. In areas with little to no current the presentation wasnt as effective. In the high current areas I did manage a few walleyes on BFT jigs with 4″ tomato ring worms and did really well dragging a BFT hair jig tipped with a minnow !
I didnt consistantly light it up but I did catch enough to tinker with it again this year.
Is the ice melting yet
Mark

I have had some success also on the upper river with ringworms , super doos and paddletails. Done real good when we have found good concentration of fish. The concentrations of fish is most likely the biggest difference between the 2 areas. The upper river part of 4 holds huge numbers of fish for a good part of the year due to the dam. If the croix had a spot like this I would guess the success rate of the plastic would be about the same. Makes it a little hard to compair the 2.
In short yes they work for me over there but I sill fish alot of meat on the croix to..

Speaking of the croix is it opener yet. When can we put the boats in.

Thanks for the responses. Yes, there is no dam, far fewer wing dams, but I too think that if you’re in a current area you can pick up some fish on plastics.

Jason, I’ve read ALL your posts on Wissota. I need to get over there and try out that lake, its not that far from Hudson. And thanks for the detailed article on the art of dragging. It answered several questions I had that was keeping me from trying it. I have it printed and ready for use next time I’m on P4.

Any one else with tips on using plastics on the Croix?

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Speaking of the croix is it opener yet. When can we put the boats in.

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Not soon enough Mike!
My wife caught me sitting in the boat tying up lindy rigs at 10 oclock the other night!

Cougareye, anytime you’re ready to hit Wissota, drop me a line. Opener is a mere 3+ months away.

I’ve actually had some banner days early summer for smallies with a cotton candy ringy. The water was high and I was pitching points preferably windswept,also neckdown areas were good like the swingbridge and I94 bridge. I’ve caught a few walleyes but nothing to brag about, itls not like on pool 2. Later on th k grubs work better.

I have to tell you, this fall was not anywhere near the bite of last year. I used ringies (Black/white or Chart pepper) last year (2005) and killed’em on the Croix. This year I had a terrible time connecting with fish. I had a really good summer and was so pumped for the plastic bite in the fall…NOTHING. It seemed they never turned the feed bag on on the Croix. I did do pretty well on P3 though. From the many posts I read during this fall, it seemed that most found it hard going this year as opposed to past one…who knows? This year is a new year! However, plastics on smallies, they are dynamite on the
Croix.

Tuna

Tuna:

So were you vertical jigging, pitching to rip rap, or dragging in 2005 with all the success? Don’t have to say where, just in general.

Thanks,

Eric

I agree the Fall bite wasn’t what it was in ’05. Eyejacker and I had a good leadcore bite going that year that was non existent this last Fall. I’ve caught excactly 3 walleye using ringies on the ‘Croix. I prefer t-rigged Senkos and tubes for the smallies.

Hey Cougar,

Mostly verticle in 05. Seemed that gold jig and black ringie w/white tail was my best…never hear to many people talking about black for some reason? Chart peper was the next best. Didn’t long-line much but did well with 2oz bottom bouncer and crankbaits too. In 05 fished mainly Kinni-Prescott. Hope the bite is better this fall…must be that “global warming” stuff.

Tuna