Pool 2(3/11/16)

Few small males up near the dam. And I mean a FEW. Plastic for me.

Heading there shortly, will see what I can find.

How is the debris on pool 2? Is the flush ramping up?

Starting last fall and into this spring I have caught a lot of 12″-13″ fish,good to see.From what I saw the other day the flush is over

I will be down tomorrow morning to give it a try!

Where is the best place to launch into pool 2? I usually fish pool 4 and go out of Everett’s. Thinking about hitting pool 2 this eveing.

Lilydale and hidden falls are the most popular ramps right now.

What are the current water temps down on pool 2? I always seem to struggle to catch numbers of fish on the river until the water temps start getting into the 40’s.

39.5 – 40.2 degrees. Dead at the confluence. Not much at the dam either as of this morning.

A great March pre-spawn bite on Pool 2 is rare. When it does happen, it’s short lived. Best tactic seems to be minnows at the confluence and wait for the fish to decide to show up and/or feed actively. It does happen. All the standard river tactics can be effective of course.

The spawning locations seem to be pretty spread out (including in the MN river) which I blame for the inconsistent bite. That’s not to say that I don’t take a good run at it every year!

I am like you John, I make a good run at it every year. I usually do best catching the big girls right after ice out. After it warms up, the water muddies, and its bumper boat time, the girls are harder to find and catch. This year that window seemed very short. Hopefully the action will pick up again before the spawn.

Tried aggressive tactics all day with no eyes to show. Got a nice northern up by the dam that made my day.

Seems if a guy wants to catch some eyes go simple with meat and have at the smaller males. Not my cup of tea but saw several small eyes pulled in that way.

When do the bumper boats end? Don’t do crowds. Try to get away and you’ll have 2 by you within half hour.