Pool Four - Mississippi River – Walleye - Mississippi River – Walleye

The last five days on Pool Four for my boat has been challenging. The one factor that helps piece the puzzle together is that “all the pieces (fish) are there.” In other words the places I fish ( these places are probably the same places you fish too ), I know the fish are down there so it is just a matter of trying to get them to bite, and that is challenging…

Some background. Since last Thursday, the flow started out at 10,600, then went to 16,500 yesterday and today is 19,000. The water yesterday was still very clear and walking across the arched walked way to the big dock at Everts with a birds-eye view I could see the bottom at three feet deep! Wow, that’s clear for mid March.

The bite late last week was very light and subtle it seemed to match the flow still low and gentle at 6,500 then Thursday went to 10,00cfs. Anyway the fish would hit the bait and drop quickly.

My maiden voyage this month was was a week ago, I found that dragging downstream was best. Then for my two guide trips on Thursday and Friday the fish would not hit dragged downstream and vertical was the only way to go.

As soon as we went vertical the fish instantly started hitting. Pretty amazing how the line angle matters so much with what the fish want. Maybe that’s why its called “angling.”

So as stated above, the vertical very light line presentation approached worked Friday very well. So my trip Tuesday comes around and, that is for sure what we were going to do… So after about two hours of “sticking with the plan,” I gave in and changed it up, because we had only one in the box.

I decided to scrap the light line and go old school Dubuque rigs, still heavy on minnows as yesterday I had little faith in plastics (not enough flow). Well we got lucky again because a combo of the vertical Dubuque drift and then the slide cross ways and pull into the current started to put fish in the boat. We went heavy on the jigs and in fact the jigs caught the most fish for us not the plain hook.

As the current increases and the water clarity decreases the plastics will produce! Period. In high flow and low light the shape and vibration of the plastic tail fools the walleye very well and they SLAMM the plastics. Such clear water, I would guess is the reason the plastics have at least for me been not a viable option.

Best depths for size has been 22 to 18 and numbers has been 24 to 30.

Water temp 37 to 38 steady from last week.

Todays readings
Flood 7 AM 7 AM 24 HR 7 AM 24 HR Flow
Location Stage Pool Tail Change Stage Change CFS
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Mississippi River
Dam 3 Red Wing MN 674.52 669.72 0.25 19500

Pics:
Lowell Borgen with a dandy, C & R, minnow caught.
Jon Mutschler with a fat female, C & R, minnow caught.
Me with a nice smallmouth, C & R, minnow caught.
Wilson Mutual Group Stinger half day trip, hot grease release, all boxed after going vertical.