June 26th, 2010 Fishing on the St. Croix is great for smallmouth bass. We have had nice fish including 18inch fish on recent trips and the garden variety 14 to 15 inchers seem to be everywhere. The smallies have responded to the high water, which pushed them up from the deep and they are locating shallower than they normally would if the river was three to four feet shallower. Smallies have been caught on tubes, jerk plastics, and other soft plastics on jigs, rigs, and unweighted 2/0 hooks. We have also caught many smallies trying for walleye on livebait rigs. Smallies are hanging in 3 to 10 feet of water on both rock and sand. These fish provide quite a thrill and are fighting twice as hard as early June now that the water temp is mid 70s. We keep no bass, as 18 inch fish are 12 years old or older, let em go, plenty of other fish to eat in the river.
Walleye have been on the move with the rising water and harder to find than previous weeks. Though an angler can scratch up a meal no doubt, two man limits are harder to come by, that can change fast once the water settles though. Walleye are being caught on livebait with crawlers, leeches, and fatheads in that order plus trolling cranks. For livebait Lindy rigs and spinners are working best. For cranks recommend Rapala Shad Rap RS and glass raps (firetiger and glass perch colors are working). I do think the rattle helps as the water warms. Walleye in 6 to 18 fow.
White bass are still lying low and feeding under the surface though the shad schools are growing in size and it is almost July when white bass will be taken on the surface on twister tails, poppers, and spinners). Sheeps are at moderate stage of their nuisance level. Channel cats are being caught for walleye anglers and putting up great fights when walleye fishing. I still say pound for pound channel cats are the top fighter in freshwater. Sunnies are everywhere it seems now and many are over 8 inches.
Attached: Mark Durban and croix bass.
Attached: Joey Snell out with Dad, good fighter for little dude.
Attached: Pete and Joey Snell with walleye for the fryer.
Attached: Dave Schotts – first cast.
Attached: Bob Sprague – last cast.
Attached: Steve Johnson – first cast. First cast fish like those are not the norm! ha.
Keep catchin’
Turk
