Got out last Friday and Saturday in the mornings. Still a slow bite at the damn but the fish were there. Shore fished Friday and went by boat Saturday. Caught a few from the shore and a few by boat. All males 13-20 inches. Still kind of a slow bite, but hit hard when they did bite. Water clarity was way down though from the rain.
Pool 4 was the same on Friday. You could find the fish but not a lights out bite at all. Largest was a 22″ female and she was ready to spawn. Kept a couple of sauger that we thought were male but had eggs in them.
Did catch a 35″ / 12# pike on a ringworm so that was a fun fight. It’ll be a couple of weeks before I get out again so I suspect the spawn will be wrapped up. Probably time to move onto trolling cranks by that point.
Probably time to move onto trolling cranks by that point.
Thank god! I can’t jig to save my life, it’s pathetic. I’d say 90% of my p2 fish last year were caught trolling cranks
Matt, you got any pics of that Pike?!
River pike look so sweet.
I really struggle jigging live bait. Mostly throw plastics and just slow roll them across the bottom with some jerks and lifts here and there. Is it the same with live bait or is the jigging different. I should say that I’m usually shore fishing not vertically jigging.
To keep the even pools going, I was casting from shore on pool 6 today. Very slow bite in sand, but once the sun came out the fish became real active on the rocky shoreline. Ended up catching a couple walleyes, perch, and crappie, made for a nice mixed bag to come home with. Biggest eye was 17.5. Fish seemed to be biting lite still for whatever reason. Real glad I made the move to braid this spring. Was pitching light jigs and minnows. No fish hooked further than 10 yards from shoreline.
Here you go….pretty fat for a river pike.
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Not sure what you use for equipment but it really matters when jigging. I use a 6’9″ medium light extra fast rod with suffix 832 braid…6#. You need the extra fast to feel the bottom. Even in fast current a quarter oz jig will usually do the trick. Limit creek makes a great rod for this for only $90 called the “smoothie.” Also works great for pitching plastics. Braided line is critical imo, too. I pair it with a florocarbon leader, usually 8#.
Nice!! Huge head on that thing. The fins are what get me everytime.
New guys jigging I’d really recommend staying shallow, less than 8′, more in that 3-6′ range. Allows you to get a better feel to keep bottom, and the fish are there.
If anyone wants some legitimate river reports, not saying us here don’t do a good job, but from Mr
Holst himself and others that guided go to the report page and start at the very back. This is from page 317, yes, 317. The largest amount of fishing info on line anywhere and not even a contest. One just has to dig for it.
https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/fishing/reports/55379/
Don’t forget to read the comment sections!
Nice river pike, Matt!
I will admit I’m not very well equipped for jigging. My only extra sensitive rod is a 7″ berkeley casting rod. I could use a rod upgrade on my spinning reel for sure.
Nhamm, I’ve never fished that shallow on p2. Will have to do some scouting!
Great thing about shallow water, everyone overlooks it, and you don’t need any kind of sensitive rod for it. When you literally have 4′ of line out and a walleye whacks it(which they whack it good, shallow equals feeding) you could feel it with a 12′ bamboo cane tied with cotton yarn.
A few fish to be had on cranks today! Strangely, all our walleye came in current. Nothing in slack water or current breaks.
Not sure what you use for equipment but it really matters when jigging. I use a 6’9″ medium light extra fast rod with suffix 832 braid…6#. You need the extra fast to feel the bottom. Even in fast current a quarter oz jig will usually do the trick. Limit creek makes a great rod for this for only $90 called the “smoothie.” Also works great for pitching plastics. Braided line is critical imo, too. I pair it with a florocarbon leader, usually 8#.
I use a 6 ft Guide Series rod, short I know but I’m shore fishing so it’s really easy to get around with. Also super sensitive. I use 20 pound Power Pro with a fluro leader and typically a 1/4 oz jighead. I struggle with the jigging technique itself with live bait. Do you let it sit? Crawl it? Or hop it?
Those who use a flouro leader in the river specifically, don’t you feel that after you snag up and give the line a pull that flouro gets stretched out? Knots just aren’t as good anymore? Weak sections of line?
That’s what I found when I ran braid with flouro leader. Just curious…..
When I jig I find the bottom, then lift and hold about 6 to 12″ off the bottom. If fish are aggressive you don’t need to be vertical. Sometimes let the current take the jig and swim back while lifting and holding.
To nhamm, I use the fluorocarbon leaders because I think finicky fish can see the braid, especially with finesse presentations. If I’m trolling or throwing cranks I don’t usually use a leader. Also, braid is impossible to break off. Fluorocarbon will break off. No issues with knots pulling off in the past. That pike was caught in an 8# leader.
I agree with Matt. I have to lose a cut a ton of braid when I snag because it doesn’t break off. Only have to lose a few ft of fluro with a snag.
Ive caught alot of fish with a jig and minnow rite over the side of the boat in 2-4ft of water.River is forcast to go to 9ft by this time next week so there will be some changes
I use a 6 ft Guide Series rod, short I know but I’m shore fishing so it’s really easy to get around with. Also super sensitive. I use 20 pound Power Pro with a fluro leader and typically a 1/4 oz jighead. I struggle with the jigging technique itself with live bait. Do you let it sit? Crawl it? Or hop it?
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You might want to go to a lighter braid as it might help with sensitivity. I use 6# Suffix 832 and it’s very sensitive and I’ve never been broken off. When I was shore fishing alot I had a 2 piece rod which helped a ton.
As far as depth, it’s rare I fish deeper than 12 feet. Very early in the year I look for some deeper water but most fish I catch are in 6-10 feet. Biggest fish so far this spring was in 3′ of water. When the clarity is low you can catch them in a foot of water.
What are you guys using for braid that you cant break it or have to cut the line? I typically run 10# for jigs and 20# for cranks. No problems getting lures hung up or breaking them off with those lines. Just hold onto the spool and pull straight away from the snag pops them every time.
Its been years since Ive fished up river much but high water in May used to be a fantastic bite above the confluence. The walleyes would move tight to shore and stack up in areas. Trolling cranks shallow or pitching shore lines worked well. Got the look a few times for casting to close to people sitting on shore. As close in as some of those walleyes where those people must of seen them sitting there.
I just wrap a couple loops of braid on my pliers grip and pull. I mostly jig with mono but pull cranks with braid. I never use a fluro leader on the river
I just wrap a couple loops of braid on my pliers grip and pull. I mostly jig with mono but pull cranks with braid. I never use a fluro leader on the river
That’s a good idea. I use 20 # for trolling and it’s hard to break off. I usually don’t use fluorocarbon trolling.
Anyone targeting crappies at all? I don’t usually target them but catch quite a few with plastics. Might give them a shot next time I’m out.
Say Mike when I was using PP 10-12# there was no way I was barehanding to get a snag out. It would dig the line way into the spool, or would cut through my callouses on the fingers, which takes alot.
Took me awhile to get the right knot, think it was the improved trilene that held up well. Palomar, improved clinch, etc just didn’t seem to hold up for me. If I recall your a Palomar guy ain’t ya?
More of a leader guy myself just bc of that, 8# sensation to 10# PP when I ran braid. All Sensation now so maybe braids changed last couple years.
Anyone targeting crappies at all? I don’t usually target them but catch quite a few with plastics. Might give them a shot next time I’m out.
If I catch a couple walleye fishing I switch to a smaller jig for a while to see if there are more around. I never start out targeting them.
Some of those crappies will smash the jig.
Yep. Palomar for me. Just leave my tag ends a little longer. Havent had any problems. The line will dig into the spool when holding the spool to break off but havent found that to be much of an issue. Usually works its self out in the next cast. Think most guys learn the 1st time you try to break braid with your hands not to do that again.
Seems like a lot of guys on the lower pools use fluro leaders due to the Zebra mussels cutting lines. Havent found to many spots on pool 2 yet where that is an issue. I feel confident enough with the dark water on pool 2 that the fish are not paying much attention to the line. In that dark moving water it seem like when they feel something come by its time to get on it or what ever it is will be gone.
Same thing here. I think you can find schools of them certain times but I usually catch them mixed with walleyes. I have seen guys targeting them by the dam in the fall.
Yep. My buddy loves crappies. When the walleye bite slows down, around noon, we sometimes will pitch crappie jigs to them. There are three spots that we know of where they hang out, depending on the current. They smack the jigs and they average 12 inches.
There is a consumption advisory on them. No mercury but PFOS A I believe, so limit your consumption.
I just wrap a couple loops of braid on my pliers grip and pull. I mostly jig with mono but pull cranks with braid. I never use a fluro leader on the river
Nothing beats A small wooden Dowel for wrapping up and breaking a braided line.
I used to know a good cat fisherman who tipped me on that.
I feel confident enough with the dark water on pool 2 that the fish are not paying much attention to the line. In that dark moving water it seem like when they feel something come by its time to get on it or what ever it is will be gone.
I’m with you on that one. Broke off my leader last week to find I was out of fluro in my bag, just fished with yellow high vis PP straight to the jig and caught three more. They definitely don’t care. Just a matter of breaking snags off easier for me. I’m going out again this morning and will report back when I get home. Hoping to have a better morning than the past few. Been SLOW. Ran into some smallies last time out so I’ll be bringing a baitcaster with a jerkbait and a crank. Bass season is almost here (what I live for) but I gotta say my first Spring fishing the river for walleyes will have me coming back for years.
Quick update, the water on the upper part of Pool 2 is pretty high and getting higher. There is lots of leaves and sticks in all the slower water where the fish are, but if you can keep your line/lures clean, they are biting. I thought the water temps would be warmer, but I was still seeing 47 degrees.
Quick update, the water on the upper part of Pool 2 is pretty high and getting higher. There is lots of leaves and sticks in all the slower water where the fish are, but if you can keep your line/lures clean, they are biting. I thought the water temps would be warmer, but I was still seeing 47 degrees.
Pretty dirty water too, Dave? I have’t had the boat in the water in almost a month due to repairs, but I’ve run around Pike Island and down in Crosby Farm and the water seems high and thick from the banks. Lots of wood for the eyes to be hanging out in!
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