Ringy’s on the Croix

I managed to get my first Croix eye on a ringy last night.
It was a whopping 9″er! I did get another one bit/broke off
right behind the hook. But the jig and minnow clearly outproduced 7:1. They were so active before dark last night I just had to try a ringy. 5 legals out of 8…it’s the best I’ve done this year and all are still swimming. Something bit off another jig on the same point. I think there was a nasty slimer hanging around! Caught a muskie on the same point several years ago. I wonder if he’s still around? I also managed another crappie over 12″ that’s 5> 12″ this year and I haven’t been trying for them. The Croix ROCKS!
Ferny.

Did you get any of the legals on the ringy?? I have been out around Prescott every weekend since the opener, and after sorting through hundreds of fish of all kinds, have managed only 2 legals (5# each, though). Seems like there is an abundance of 14 inchers! 90% of the time I use a jig/minnow, so I’m wondering if maybe the ringworm might be a better idea for table fare (other than sauger).

The first walleye I got on a ringie was a nice 17″er. Had a nicer fish break me off on Monday. You should definitely add them to your arsenal. No secret sauce there just something else to try whent he bite is tough.

No legal eyes on the Croix on ringy’s for me.
I think they work great when the fish are stacked up like in Redwing but If they’re spread out your better off going with live bait or cranks. I would love to be proven wrong though!

Ferny.

I have seen some people troll plastics looking for fish with some decent results also. A three way with a lagre jig and plastic on bottom and a plain hook and plastic on the side. This is one of those rigs a guy wuld have to build some confidence in.
My results on plastics on the croix this year has been pulling up on a spot and pitching a combo of different plastics and live bait and pulling in a few eyes on each. I dont think I have caught a sub legel fish on plastics yet but I am also not pounding any great numbers on them either. That is most likely due to the nature of the river I am fishing. It is interisting to sit on a spot and pitch live bait for a while with limited results and then switch over to plastics and pull in some decent fish. This is what keeps me throwing them. But then last trip out all my legel eyes came on live bait and only hits on plastics. Go figure.
Looking forward to trying this again in the morning. 5 am. Cant wait.

Well, me and Benny are gonna be out there early tomorrow morning, hitting the water about 5, in order to get off by 10 and home to the kiddies. I have heard rumors that the crawler bite is starting to pick up, tried them last weekend with no luck at all. Is there any place around that a guy can buy the ringworms, or are they only available through EFN?

Greg,
they are in the Gander Mountain Stores. Try the purple with white tail. I’ve had the best luck with that pattern.

Im still getting the feel for using ringers on the croix… Ive limited with them once….. and caught some nice fish with them other times….Ive not often had small fish on them… but they WILL chomp em sometimes… I caught a micro sauger on one yesterday on pool 4 ….. its suprising what species of fish will jump on them sometimes….. ferny and MikeW are correct in that its best to have a precise spot to fish them…. as Ive done best fishing structure like rocks, docks, bridge pilings, points, wood, and other places Ive discovered a concentration of fish…. you CAN use them as a search tool while trolling… Ive done it on Pool 4… but Ive not tried it on the croix… there I usually either troll cranks or spinners/crawlers…. then precision fish with Jig/leech Jig/crawler Jig/minnow… and ringworms….. not in any particular order… the kewl thing is that if Im NOT carrying bait… and I want to precision fish a confined area that Ive discovered is holding fish… I can now use ringworms… and they do work….
sometimes I fish eyes on the croix by casting shoreline….. and Ive had some luck using cranks as a search weapon… and switch to ringworms after I pull a fish from a spot with the crank… many times you will get another fish or 2 that way….

I also have used ringies casting to shore but the darn smallies just drive you crazy. I like the cameleon (sp?) for the Croix. It works well for vertical jigging in front of the Steamboat too. The sauger seem to have a preference for it at times.

yeah those DARN smallies… and Ive had a bit of trouble with Muskies and pike too…. nothing big so far (well an 8# pike is decent I guess)…. even sheepers….(big suprise huh?)… plus big carp…. and chameleon w orange tail, or just plain chameleon is my go to color on the croix… but Ive done well with smoke/chartruese tail too…. and sometimes other green colors…. greens and blues can be good on the croix… though Ive not had any lucky with blue ringers yet…. but I suppose its just a matter of time….

Been getting some real nice Eyes on Ringies the past few weeks. The trick is to really rip’em. Cast then POP them back in towards the boat, using real heavy jigheads. With motoroil being the best color so far.
Good Luck
Erik Haslund

yeah… thats worked for me really well too.. heavy head.. and pop em good…. eyes pick em up off the bottom.. and next pop is a hookset….