Awesome day on pool 2 even though it was slow. we were rewarded with a 24” and 27” eye. Caught them on deep edges of a wing dam and lumber 18-22’ on live creek chubs. Mega 360 is key when you need to sit right on a deep transition!
IMG_1183-scaled.jpeg
Nice fish!
Couple days on the water, bite is good. Going south from lions and getting to know wing dam fishing better, and new water, quite scenic down there first time venturing south.
10′ seemed pretty key no matter where we went with pink or white being the colors. Minnows caught lots of 12-20s, plastics got bigger 22s. Have to find the smaller fish before I find the big fish I’m hoping
Got out this evening. Water temp is down to 58 degrees. Squadrons of Pelicans headed down the river valley. Fall.
Found several bunches of active fish. Couldn’t buy a bite on a crankbait, most of them came on a hair jig and the rest on a moxie.
SR
Was out yesterday from just about sun up to sun down. Most fish were scattered on sand flats in 7′-12′. Getting them to eat was a chore. Ran cranks up and down those flat areas with nothing to show. switch over to wing dams and those were pretty quiet as well. Managed a few fish on cranks and the rest on jig/moxi. Half dozen fish caught all day with one just over 5lbs. Overall pretty slow and had to work quite a bit. Water temps still 58-59. Another week or so of cold weather should help get them going.
Out this morning. Found fish but it was one here and one there. Did a lot of running and anchoring. Did find a pile of decent sized Smallmouth in one spot. Water temp is down to 53 degrees, and the flow is up considerably. It’s looking and acting like a river now instead of a long, skinny lake. I think the fish aren’t settled into this yet.
Crankbaits are still working as well as hair jigs and blade baits.
Yes, I caught a Walleye on a blade !!! And I didn’t lose the thing either !!! I’m still amazed.
SR
Yes, I caught a Walleye on a blade !!! And I didn’t lose the thing either !!! I’m still amazed
Did somebody alert Randy! 
Glad you had a good outing sir.
Went out yesterday afternoon and into dark a bit. Can confirm the 53 degree water tamps but had to grind for a few bites. LOTS of baitfish being chased around on the surface and I’m wondering if that has something to do with the bite still being tough. Has anyone else had any decent success after the water temps fell below 60? I’m just a bit surprised its still as tough as it is right now but I suppose thats river fishing. 
N2iOcOk8, there is a bite out there but might have to change up what it is that you are or were doing two weeks ago.
I was out on Saturday and a couple hours on Sunday last weekend. The Bass are really stacked up in some areas of the main channel right now!! Large and Smallmouths.
The walleyes were deeper than they were a week ago. Not sure why but had to look for structure along deeper water and found them. It took us about 2 hours on Saturday to get our first walleye. We caught a few on crank baits but meat and plastics were best.
pool-2-10-14-2023.jpg
Way to get ‘em. Your boat gives me anxiety.
Oh and beer down. 
Your boat gives me anxiety.
My boat is a mess and I love it. Lots of blood, fish slime and beer stains under those baits. You should be around when it gets wet. haha.. Can smell it from a 1/4 away.
Dude what the hell is sitting on your gunwale?
Hope it isn’t something trying to get in!
That is one of Buschman’s wood carvings. Very talented! Check out this video:
-J.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Your boat gives me anxiety.My boat is a mess and I love it. Lots of blood, fish slime and beer stains under those baits. You should be around when it gets wet. haha.. Can smell it from a 1/4 away.
Dude what the hell is sitting on your gunwale?
Lol I thought the same thing. Is that a bear cub sitting there?
Obviously its a wood carving of his, now revealed.
That is one of Buschman’s wood carvings.
Ah I forgot he was famous. We are lucky to have him! 
The walleyes were deeper than they were a week ago. Not sure why but had to look for structure along deeper water and found them. It took us about 2 hours on Saturday to get our first walleye. We caught a few on crank baits but meat and plastics were best.
Nice fish! Deep water checks out. My last few outings I mostly concentrated on the shallower end of things. Also I almost never bring meat with me to Pool 2. I can usually get it done with hard baits/plastics. Appreciate the response, buschman!
Lol I thought the same thing. Is that a bear cub sitting there?
Gimruis got it right !! My kids asked me to carve it and mount it to the boat. So we did and left it there. I want to do a different one that can hold a rod. Would be kind of funny. I get some weird looks driving down the road too. That was the idea at first. Been on the boat for a few years now.
boat-bear.jpg
While you are at it Joe you need one that can hold your beer also…
While you are at it Joe you need one that can hold your beer also…
You are a wise man
I get some weird looks driving down the road too.
Ha. Ya that would make me look twice too. 
Now that you can have two rods on Pool 2, you need to craft a rod holder into the bear!!!
Now that you can have two rods on Pool 2, you need to craft a rod holder into the bear!!!
You know it!! Its on my list of things to do. Will be on there by next year for sure.
A quick report from yesterday. I tried pulling stick baits but there is a lot of dead weeds, I was loaded up every 30 feet. Drifting downstream with a Dubuque rig produced a few fish in 14 feet of water. Otherwise it was the thing as I’ve been seeing all year, one here and one there. Wingdams and rocky points both produced. Most fish came on a jig/moxie and one fell to a blade bait. Water temp was 43.5 and the flow is slow but noticeable. I did not see minnows and Shad popping the surface like they were doing all summer, however they were stacked up in Chemical Creek and the gulls were going nuts. I was out during the middle of the day and when the clouds went off and the wind came up it all came to an abrupt stop for me. I have a reliable report that there was a flurry of activity right at sunset.
SR
Thanks Steve for the report! Looking forward to hitting pool 2!
It was good to meet you on Sunday night Hunter. It wasn’t fast and furious but I was able to find some cooperative fish if I was in the right place at the right time. Might sneak up north for a final trip this weekend and then back down to the river for the Holiday weekend.
Quick report from yesterday. Got out in the afternoon with Sharon. Water temps are still hovering around 44 degrees and the flow is still minimal. The spectacular warm weather had a lot of people out on the water, it was tough to find a spot that didn’t have one or two boats on it. So we decided to stay away from wingdams and other obvious spots and hit some corners and edges out of the way. Moxies and 3/16th ounce jigs were the ticket. I also popped one nice Walleye on a blade bait, and then promptly lost that bait on the very next cast. As always fishing with Sharon is a lot of fun.
SR
399956819_1009750023476639_3345033069680005880_n.jpg
395575437_24558116237135635_2287402010307246337_n.jpg
368087136_874263324358038_7277273880982717038_n.jpg
Nice fish and even better sunset, Steve and Sharon!
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
