Hidden falls is easy to launch from now that the water is low and flow is down. If you are really concerned about it, launch at Watergate marina and pay the $15.
If you plan on crawlers only, I’d head up by the dam and try dragging them on the bottom. Otherwise, look for any slack water spots and soak the crawlers with a jig like mike w mentioned. Should bring you a few fish that way. Good luck.
Say Mike, the mayflies hit hard tonight where you were the other day. Clouds of em at dusk for an hour or so snowing on my passengers. Bite sucked.
Maybe something to consider.
Which spot was that? Had seen photos of the hatches this last week down towards red wing. Was looking for them on pool 2 but hadnt seen any. In years past they can be thick down around spring lake. Learned down there that if you see branches full of them dont shake the branch to see what happens. Have also seen some good hatches up buy the st paul airport.
In the past when the mayfly bite happens lots of fish surface feed including walleyes.
This was north mpls.
Wrong Mike, Mike. 
Wow. Didnt know there are hatches up that way also.
Granted I don’t spend alot of time in the summer in the northern stretch of that pool, say north of Camden, but south of there gets decent ones every year. Nothing like the pics I’ve seen elsewhere.
Last night even though short lived, with the wind blowing looked like a blizzard for about 2-20 min stretches. Biggest I’ve seen, was pretty darned cool. My wife and cousins were amazed by it. I’d take a video but didn’t want to put down my beer.
I’m heading down to P2 tomorrow morning to give it a try for a few hours….I’ll let you guys know how it goes.
Any reports from this week?
I’m heading down to P2 tomorrow morning to give it a try for a few hours….I’ll let you guys know how it goes.
Any reports from this week?
I was out for a few hours on Monday morning and got skunked. I’m headed out tonight so I’ll try to post an update later on.
Same thing today….total smorgasbord of fish. Out from about 7 to noon and the smallies were on a tear. Just look for them busting minnows and throw cranks or plastics. Got a bunch of walleye but all small.
Took my brother from Omaha out and he got a double….pulling in a small walleye and snagged a broken line with a crank on it….sheepie grabbed that crank and he pulled them both in. Pretty funny but he was pumped about it.
Any bug action? Went to test the motor out tonight and they were 2x as bad as last time. This windshield was clean….
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Same thing today….total smorgasbord of fish. Out from about 7 to noon and the smallies were on a tear. Just look for them busting minnows and throw cranks or plastics.
I was out about the same time frame with similar results. Biggest eye was 21. Smallies were all small. Lots of sheep. Cranks and crawlers. Was cool seeing all the this year eagles out and about. Mom/Pop were always close by.
Nhamm….no bugs at all. Haven’t seen them on p2 at all this year.
Fishdale….i was between the dam and confluence in a white lund. We had one nice smallie that we missed by the boat. Probably in the 16″ range. Other than that, the 10 or so we caught were in 10″ range. Fun sight fishing for them though.
Same thing today….total smorgasbord of fish. Out from about 7 to noon and the smallies were on a tear. Just look for them busting minnows and throw cranks or plastics. Got a bunch of walleye but all small.
Took my brother from Omaha out and he got a double….pulling in a small <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye and snagged a broken line with a crank on it….sheepie grabbed that crank and he pulled them both in. Pretty funny but he was pumped about it.
I’m glad other guys are still doing well because I’ve been skunked twice in a row now, after 5 or 6 consecutive good trips I guess I’m due for some slow nights.
If that line had my firetiger reef runner on it I’d sure like it back 
I’m starting to wonder if I’m trolling too slowly for the weather we’ve had. I catch pretty much all my fish trolling against the current. The best my bowmount can do is about 1.3 mph, which was working great a month ago. Might need to use the outboard and suffer the fumes.
I’m trolling at 2.5-3 MPH GPS. Also, troll down stream.
We made it out yesterday with some decent action. Spent the morning focusing on the outside halves of wing dams pitching jigs with crawlers, leeches and willow cats with willow cats being the top producer. We also had some luck with #7 flicker shads. Depending on the dam, they either wanted bait or cranks, but for the most part we would only get bit on one or the other.
We found that if there were fish on a particular dam, they would usually hit within the first few casts. Bounce around and check out a bunch of wing dams with the right flow on them and bring a lot of live bait! Sheep head and small channel cats will keep you busy at first light.
Tight lines
P2F – it was a firetiger reefrunner that was snagged just south of watergate. My brother is now the proud owner of it! Is this it?
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I’m trolling at 2.5-3 MPH GPS. Also, troll down stream.
That would certainly prolong my battery life, but I’ve always been part of the “jig down, troll up” school of thought. Any tricks for getting more comfortable trolling with the current? I’m strictly long-lining crank baits.
I learned to troll almost exclusively upstream because I was limited to just a 50hp outboard with no trolling motor, and it couldn’t get slow enough going downstream.
If you’re trolling at 2.5 mph GPS, that can’t be much more than +1mph from the natural current flow, so I’d think the lure action wouldn’t be wildly different than my 1.3mph against current?
P2F – it was a firetiger reefrunner that was snagged just south of watergate. My brother is now the proud owner of it! Is this it?
Hahah. WOW, yes that’s more than likely it. I lost it Friday night right in front of Watergate. Tell your brother to enjoy!
Made it out for a few hours last night. Caught this guy and a 10″ Smallie.
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Nice walleye Taylor!
I also catch most fish going downstream. I shoot for about 3.0 mph. If I catch a couple on a spot, I might troll that upstream or spot lock and pitch. Upstream is usually about 1 mph.
To get comfortable, just pick low current spots. Pretty easy this time of year with low flow. It’s a different ball game when the current is moving fast. Same spots you are fishing upstream now will work downstream since you should know the depth changes and any possible shallow spots.
Just be prepared when you hook a fish or snag to turn into the channel to land fish or deal with a snag. I run braid so usually can get turned around and save the crankbait. Only snagged once last weekend, though.
I was out ’til almost midnight last night, first time staying out late on the river. Very nice night to be out!
Caught just one walleye, a 20 incher. Trolling a big Husky Jerk downstream. Nice sassy fish.
Now for the sad part: I hooked my first ever GAR, and I lost it at the boat going for the net. I had it all the way up the surface and I could clearly see the snout. I’m pretty sure it was a longnose. Womp womp.
Hi,
I am on pool 2 a fair bit, failing repeatedly to figure it out. First time post, caving and asking for help. So when you troll, how deep are you running, and do you drive around the wingdams or are you staying near the channel. I’ve trolled on the non-dam side of the river with one tiny walleye, but I don’t get how to get around dams without going across the grain and back.
Or do you just go over and reel in?
Thanks
Trolling over tips of wingdams can be effective this time of year. Some good areas have no dams at all. Rip rap, dunes, rocks can also be good areas to troll. Where ever it is make sure the lures are contacting bottom.
Trolling over tips of wingdams can be effective this time of year. Some good areas have no dams at all. Rip rap, dunes, rocks can also be good areas to troll. Where ever it is make sure the lures are contacting bottom.
Second this. I’ve been working mostly outside of the wing dam areas. Not killing it but doing OK.
Hi,
I am on pool 2 a fair bit, failing repeatedly to figure it out. First time post, caving and asking for help. So when you troll, how deep are you running, and do you drive around the wingdams or are you staying near the channel. I’ve trolled on the non-dam side of the river with one tiny walleye, but I don’t get how to get around dams without going across the grain and back.
Or do you just go over and reel in?Thanks
What section of the river are you targeting?
I don’t troll wing dams – usually pitch to them like has been mentioned.
When I troll I usually run long stretches targeting different depths (usually 4-12 feet). I try to move in and out and dial in a pattern based on depth and bottom.
I don’t know if there is a secret sauce…just keep moving and change depth and color. This time of year fish seem to be spread out. They’ll stack up as the water cools.
Thanks! It worked! Well it was the only one of the morning, but better than none.
I think I need to spread out and hit more water, my pontoon only hits 15 mph and there is only so much water I can cover.
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Awesome to see you get one this morning….you’ll continue to dial it in everytime you get out there.
Spent 3-4 hours pulling cranks on Saturday and found my first p2 smallies of the year — along with 5 wallies. Bass were both around 10-12″, eyes ranging from dinks to 18. It’s been so long since I’ve had a smallmouth on the line, forgot how much fun they can be even at that size. The first one hit nice and hard — good times!
7 fish in 4 four hours is a pretty good pace for me with just 1 line in the water. If my fish count is roughly twice the number of cans of Hamm’s I’ve consumed, I’m a happy guy.
The river was really chaotic on Saturday. Many big pleasure craft and houseboats out in the fat part of the channel, paddlers hugging the shoreline on both sides, and at least 50 people shore fishing between Watergate and Ford Dam. I got snagged up with someone fishing from Pike Island. I always move out into the channel to give the shore guys some space when I’m trolling the edge, but he must’ve had his line out really far. Thankfully I was able to hover in the current and feed enough line so the other guy could untangle us from shore. We both laughed it off and wished one another tight lines for the rest of the day. That was a refreshing interaction compared to some of the run-ins I’ve read about.
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