Hello,
My parents are coming to the area mid April and we’d like to try to catch something. I’m new to the area, but not new to fishing. Just looking around the Anoka/Coon Rapids area, I see the Anoka dam, Coon Rapids dam and where the Rum/Mississippi combine, any chance of catching something this early?
Not picky, just looking for some catch and release fun from shore.
Thank you for any suggestions!
Your gonna be limited to fishing for panfish, channel cats or rough fish. I would recommend trying any of the places you mentioned and throwing out a gob of nightcrawlers or a small piece of cutbait. You will more then likely hook into some carp or some channel cats.
Tight lines!
Suckers are starting to show up, but the few I’ve caught are super light which tells me they are just starting to come out of their wintering holes.
Cold clear water they get finicky. Their eyesight is phenomanol IMO. I had to use a 2oz disc weight to keep the bait where I wanted. With that said those weights are shiny, I was getting nothing on a 12″ leader. Jumped up to a 24-36″ leader and started hooking up. Get yourself some Owner mosquito hooks, #4 or #6, these things are super sharp and penetrate the flesh of their lips better than anything out there being a fine wire. Half a crawler, or a smaller whole. They will show preference to the head/tail section, with the head the majority of time for me.
Set it on a slip rig, don’t like fixed weights for this time of year. Good thing though is if they around they’ve hammered it almost right away. Move every 15min until you find one and usually a couple in each group.
Pretend the plastic is a worm. I start the hook halfway into the crawler and push as much I can onto the hook inside its body before coming out again. Leaving a longer tag end of line on the hook, 1/4″ or so, you push the crawler onto the line above the hook. The hook essentially just dangles there, when they suck in, or blow it out that thing is free to catch on whatever. Plus you have two ends of worm wiggling around, like nature would have it. Not to many worm balls I’ve seen around in the water.
Its a lazier version of a hair rig but I hook up easily 80% time, and well worth trying.
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Thanks for the replies so far, great information
Interesting rig, nhamm. I may have to give that a go this spring.
I am going to ask a favor if anyone catches a bullhead on the river up this way this spring, pretty please give me a heads up on it. I’ve taken a keen interest in them last couple years. Thanks so much 
Thanks again guys, I’ll give it a shot and let you know how it goes
Got this one tonight. Didn’t know it was on until I reeled it in BC we were leaving.
I think its a spring where we want the fish patterns to be ahead of where they actually are. Last couple years I’ve had this problem with suckers nibbling at it, and once they feel anything out of the normal they sit on it. Leaving me only to find out they are still there by reeling in a bit.
Got to find the deep holes and stick your lure in them or on the slow moving side. I’ll be experimenting more with different style rigs to see if it makes a difference, BC the only bite you get all evening you want it to stick. Although hard to argue with the results I’ve had, even if you can’t tell if theyre there or not.
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I haven’t had any luck, but saw that others pulled in some smallmouth and pike recently in the area.
I’ve been trying a simple 3 way rig. A 1oz weight + 12″ leader + floater + hook/crawler.
I’m Not sure where I should be throwing it in the river to be honest, deep, shallow, etc but I’ll let you know if I start catching something.
I’ve been trying a simple 3 way rig. A 1oz weight + 12″ leader + floater + hook/crawler.
In a couple weeks that rig will be OK, but until opener that float might get you a ticket. No sucker guys I know that put a float on their rig.
But with that said if you want buoyancy get a worm blower and stick the tail with a puff and might work
I’m Not sure where I should be throwing it in the river to be honest, deep, shallow, etc but I’ll let you know if I start catching something.
Now that the waters warming look to the deepest sections with this low of flow. Front of holes seem to be most productive for me. Even just a drop of a foot can be sufficient for holding fish in areas.
In a couple weeks that rig will be OK, but until opener that float might get you a ticket. No sucker guys I know that put a float on their rig.
Good to know! I’m honestly just hoping for whatever, never actually tried for suckers before. I kept the crawler/hook pretty small but floating it does seem walleye-ish, I just wanted less snags.
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