P4 Wed

We fished the y area from 8-930 using ringworms never had a bite saw one northern caught so we headed up to the dam, we fished away from the crowed in 12-30 fow and after not getting a bite and watching fish being caught in the deep hole we joined the party. From what i saw a plain jighead and a minnow was being used the most with chartruese followed by orange. I did see one guy using a jiggin rap and a jig on a 3 way and man he was catchin fish every time he dropped down and many times caught doubles, he even caught a paddle fish and a sauger at the same time seriously this guy had the hottest gig going from what i could see although lots of hook setting going on and i couldnt watch everyone and the action was steady.My best bite was on a 3.25″ paddletail with a chart tail followed by a plain jig and minnow, my buddys best bite was on a jig and minnow and a sonar which he caught bigger fish on.We ended up with 2 limits only one eye that was 19″. It was a great day to be out and everyone was having fun and above all everyone was Very curtious. Now as im making this post its snowing and reality has set back in, it’s winter again

With any luck, hopefully you were not fishing deeper than 28-30 feet at the most.
Jack

Sounds like you had a good time…JUST in time!

Quote:

---

With any luck, hopefully you were not fishing deeper than 28-30 feet at the most.
Jack

---

I love the report, but had to think the same thing.

Sure hope to make it up there early before the spring traffic flow starts up.

Quote:

---

Sure hope to make it up there early before the spring traffic flow starts up.

---

Pretty sure you’ll see crowds from now till mid April if the temps go above thirty. walking across the river in boats is a couple weeks away yet.

We were up there and it was packed at the scour hole. Didn’t look like you could get another boat in there. Never got close enough to see if they were catching much. Stayed down stream-2 of us ended up with 9 eyes between 15-18 inches. Let one go that was 22 inches. Great day to be out. We were dragging moxies and pulse’r in 12-22 ft. of water. Didn’t really see any color that stood out.

Quote:

---

With any luck, hopefully you were not fishing deeper than 28-30 feet at the most.
Jack

---

X2. Unless every fish caught was kept in my opinion it should be want and waste for any fish released in the scouring hole

In 30 yrs of fishing here i can only remember fishing it 2 other times, and i agree with you but it didnt and doesnt happen, to protect these fish we need to get the dnr to restrict that area year round.

Wonder if there’s any fish biting on Pool 3 below the dam?

Wonder no more

Quote:

---

In 30 yrs of fishing here i can only remember fishing it 2 other times, and i agree with you but it didnt and doesnt happen, to protect these fish we need to get the dnr to restrict that area year round.

---

Quote:

---

With any luck, hopefully you were not fishing deeper than 28-30 feet at the most.
Jack

---

Actually Jack, the depth the fish were being caught was between 60 and 70 ft.

The brother-in-law and I were there Tuesday, we fished down from the dam area and for just a very few boats had an area all to ourselves. Our dragging pass started close enough to see many pulling decent and small fish out of the scour hole. Throughout the morning it was a continuous parade of eagles snatching floaters down river below the hole. I second the idea of closing that area off to fishing.

Quote:

---

In 30 yrs of fishing here i can only remember fishing it 2 other times, and i agree with you but it didnt and doesnt happen, to protect these fish we need to get the dnr to restrict that area year round.

---

when the DNR was at our walleye searchers monthly meeting and their yearly review of pool four they said a restriction would be difficult but that they said they would try and make up posters and place them at landings and resorts informing people on the facts about catching fish from deep water, also they said they would try and get on fishing forums and talk about it.

Are they or have they ever had a downturn in fish population. If not then the floaters are just rejoining the food chain sooner. The eagles for one seem to love it. If the fish population is healthy why mess with it.

actually the fishery is down in numbers, not in dire straights but a far stretch from what it was. i don’t have the link to the dnr surveys but maybe somebody else can get it.

If indeed the quality and population are on the decline then the DNR should take appropriate action. I don’t want to sound like a person who advocates waste but I also dislike over regulation and intrusion.

Sounds like an enterprising if not hungry person could leave the poles, locators, and ringworms at home and just bring a long handled net to scoop yourself a limit downstream of the scour. Does it count as a limit if you don’t use a fishing pole?

Quote:

---

If indeed the quality and population are on the decline then the DNR should take appropriate action. I don’t want to sound like a person who advocates waste but I also dislike over regulation and intrusion.

---

pool four will rebound on its own…. it always has, but if we could convince every body to practice fishing techniques that keep the fish healthy after catching and releasing it will help. poor spawn years and heavy harvest has in my opinion caused a decline in numbers. and for the question of making changes to the rules and regulations….. it is very difficult for the WI DNR to make any changes to their regs and Mn wouldn’t make any changes unless they were changes that coincided with WI.

Pool #4

* 44 miles from dam to dam (the longest pool on the Mississippi River) of fantastic walleye and sauger spawning areas including many of it’s tributaries.

* More fishermen then ever fishing the dam area (with better electronics although they aren’t really needed for the “hole”.

* More fishermen know about delayed mortality now more then ever from fishing the “hole”.

* More fishermen are catch and release anglers.

* More fishermen are selective harvest fishermen.

* More fishermen that fish the “hole” are taking home every fish they catch.

* More fishermen are taking home limits.

Yet the sampling and creel surveys show nothing out of the normal fluctuation that we’ve been seeing for the last 20 years.

I’ve never been one to promote fishing deeper then 25 feet if a person is going to release the fish, however if they are going home for dinner, whether they are 10 inches or 20 inches, in 10 or 70 feet of water…what’s the difference?

My personal limit on sunfish is 6 to 10 and there’s more flesh on a 10 inch snauger then the 8″ sunnies I normally catch.

On a side note, I have to admit I will chuckle a bit if the winning bag for the FYB comes out of 50 feet of water.

Maybe if they put in that fish ladder that BK has been trying to get the DNR to install, the spawns would be better.

‘ell yeah! Now were talking kickbacks!!

Shoot, I promised myself I wouldn’t toss that in WI’s face anymore.

Thanks for pushing my button John.

Quote:

---

Thanks for pushing my button John.

---

Couldn’t resist. You haven’t gone off on that in a while and I kind of miss it.