Pool 2 Report (2019)

Does anybody know if Hidden Falls is open? I’ve been down there when the water was high, but don’t know if/when they close the ramp.

Thanks folks,

My guess would be no. It was closed last Monday and the water has actually come up a bit. You could call watergate as they might be open.

Barricades are in place and there is no portion of ramp that isn’t under water.

That said… I was down there this past weekend to check and saw three empty boat trailers in the lot, despite the barricades. There is an area by the picnic tables where there is a gap in the pylons wide enough to fit some boats thru. It seems sketchy at best to me, all sorts of stuff hiding under the surface right there including the stone wall that usually divides the picnic tables from the sandy area just upstream from the ramp.

At this stage I wonder if those barricades will even be taken down this year. The parks dpt is weird like that.

I wish we could have some normal conditions for a while. High water is one thing, but not being able to use the ramps is a bummer.

Just need to go to where you can use the ramps.

Cody Meyers wrote:

I wish we could have some normal conditions for a while. High water is one thing, but not being able to use the ramps is a bummer.

Do you only fish on the north end of the pool? Ramps are open south of 494….fish that stretch or make the few mile run up north. Like I mentioned, watergate marina might be an option, too. Probably cost you ten bucks if they are open.

I usually launch on the north end because those ramps are closest to my place. I’ll probably follow your advice and launch down river a ways.

I appreciate the heads up.

Who’s getting out this weekend? I’ll be out on Sunday. I’ve been launching at Spring Lake for the last month. Just need waders and a 4 wheel drive to launch there. I’ve also launched at River Grove harbor many times. Otherwise Willie’s is a great option. Does the launch fee still come with a beer?

Last weekend I found a launch I had never even heard of before – Nininger’s launch at the bottom of the pool. Looks usable but deserted.

You have been fishing south on the pool 2 find that landing. From what Ive heard that is a public ramp. Been 3 or 4 years since Ive fished down there but at that time we seen people use it.

Good luck to everyone getting out this weekend. Not sure if Ill make it back down now til after deer hunting. Sure has been fun chasing those high water walleyes. Im off to the Rainy river this weekend to chase them.

I will be down there today and hope tomorrow as well. We were going to head north but opted to hang out close and chase a 30 in marble eye. Good luck up north Mike.

Launched at Willies tonight. I don’t fish that end of the pool much but we managed 4. All of them took a hair jig with a shiner on it.

The fish were deeper than I thought too, we caught them in 14-17 feet. We hit rip rap too but didn’t pick up any fish there.

Nice night out, wish I had more time.

Was out today for about six hours. Launched at spring lake. Water was 40 deg and clarity was good. Blanked on plastics. Caught all my fish on stickbaits held in the current near rocks/timber. Not a lot of fish but all fat 23-25″ers.

My usual spots from the last 3 weeks did not produce at all – fish are on the move. Found shad stacked in their typical fall locations. Its feedbag time.

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That is a tank. I love when they are fat as they are wide!

Here is a 27 from Friday.. They really put some weight on this last week and should continue to get heavier!! Forecast sucks looking into next week.. Sure hope we get a good run of warmer weather behind this…

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Saturday looks balmy

I’ll prob try and get out again then.

Update: blanked on Saturday. Water temp 36 and not a bite! Looking like this Saturday will be good again.

We blanked Saturday as well. ☹️

BrianF wrote:

We blanked Saturday as well. ☹️

X3 here… I ran down after the gophers game and fished till 6:15. I planned to stay out longer but just tucked my tail and called uncle.

Was hoping to hear someone caught something!

X4

Got one decent eye and a pike on Saturday. Missed a couple more fish and covered a lot of water.

This Saturday wasn’t as hot and heavy as the weekend before. But still managed a few decent sized eyes. Seemed as though the pike moved into the spot the eyes were stacked in last weekend because I couldn’t keep them Slimers from biting dang near every cast.
The best bite window has seemed to be 6pm to 8:30pm.

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Forcast is looking fantastic for the next few weeks. Still got my hopes up that we will be out there til the end of December. Now I just need to bag a deer and get back to fishing.

We were wondering if the bite had switched to low light. Water clarity at the bottom of the pool was well over a foot.

Hidden Falls was back open this past weekend, ramp is useable.

Thanks for the heads up on HF.

Too bad it was a slow weekend on the river. I’m potentially eyeing this coming saturday to get out as well.

X5 on the getting blanked thing. I put in at Lions Levee about 3:30 and fished to about 6:30 but came up empty. I was hoping the bite might turn on around dark but it didn’t for me.

Boone, you had some good looking bait in that well!!! I am surprised nothing took it. I am assuming the fast cool down has something to do with it. When this happens it really shocks the bait/shad. My guess is that the eyes have some pretty easy pickings going on right now. When they do get back on the chew they should be some much heavier fish than what we saw a week or two ago. That’s just my guess…..

buschman wrote:

Boone, you had some good looking bait in that well!!! I am surprised nothing took it. I am assuming the fast cool down has something to do with it. When this happens it really shocks the bait/shad. My guess is that the eyes have some pretty easy pickings going on right now. When they do get back on the chew they should be some much heavier fish than what we saw a week or two ago. That’s just my guess…..

A lot of them the last 2 weekends have looked like they’re bellys are ready to explode! The few spots I have been getting eyes have been loaded with Shad. Look for the large pods of seagulls dive bombing the water and Shad & eyes will more than likely be there.

During the day The most productive tactic for catching fish has been kietech plastics 3” and 4” easy shiners Or swing impact 4.5” paddletails both in White pitched to shorelines that have rock along them. slowly lift, pull back and drop to bottom all the way back to the boat, there’s a lot of fish sitting on bottom of the first sharp drop offs that go from a couple feet, down to 8’-10 fast. But once I get back to the boat.When I get vertical I’ll bounce it off the bottom a few times and let it sit for a few seconds, then bounce it off the bottom a few more times and let sit. ive been getting alot of fish right below the boat that way, and most of them pin it to the bottom while it’s sitting still after the drop. I’m convinced they’re not super aggressive mid day at the moment and are following it but needing some coaxing to get them to bite.

At night large shallow sand flats in 4’-6’ Fow have had larger, hungry and aggressive eyes hunting Shad on them.
#5 and #6 rippin raps have Been working well. Some of them hit the rap so hard they almost rip the rod out of the hands!

I’ll be out again Saturday hunting down where they spread out to During the week while I was at work.

Water levels starting to go back down yet? Sure doesn’t look like it going over the bridges the last couple days.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Water levels starting to go back down yet? Sure doesn’t look like it going over the bridges the last couple days.

yeah they’ve gone down a lot. I would say it dropped a good 3feet from 2 Saturday’s ago to this last Saturday and still going down. The fishing for me was a little better when it was above action stage at around 11.5, It’s at 7.5 right now.
I know a lot of people hate high water but I kinda prefer it! fishing can be tough, but once you find the current voided area they are hanging out in, there is usually a lot of them in a small area. Once the current level starts dropping the fish seem to spread out a little more from eachother.

I’ll be out Saturday in the silver/bronze reata.

I think I’ll work deeper during the day given the clear and dropping water. I love having the big fish thump baits when you are moving slow in cold water. Should be a good day out there.