Pool 2

Pool 2 is open,drove over bridge and there were two boats up river from the bridge.It did look like a little ice was coming down but nothing terrible.Also on the way home the Croix down from bennies there was a boat out and 20ft away some nuts standing on the ice,that was open 2 weeks ago.Wow is all I can say.

Say again. Are you talking 494 bridge? I will be swinging in there on my way to pool 4 in the morning. Too cool.

Mild temps in the low to mid 40’s on thurs and upper 20’s to 30 on Fri, things will start to look real good and soon. gets cool again an sat and sun and gets back to warmer the end of next week. Spring time fishing in ernest is right at the doorstep. Jack.

I was going over the bridge at 5:30 pm on my way home from Red Wing and saw a boat up by the Red Rock daymark. I drove to the ramp for a look. The City , or someone with a plow , had the ramp open and sanded. There was a bit of shore ice at the waters edge but getting a boat in would be no problem. It is hard to believe that what I looked at for ice 4 days ago is now gone.
Dino

Thanks Dino for the heads up here,
I feel a little cough coming on today here at work, I think there is only one cure!

Thats great news.
Besides the ramp, how is the shore ice up and down the river?

There is quite a bit of shore ice but it will only take a few boats and their wakes to break it up and get it moving. I feel the need to take more time off but don’t think it will happen today for me.
Dino

WOW. Would not have thought it possible. Goes to show you that when there is a will, there is a way!

J.

This could have been discussed already, as I have not been on much the last months.

I was buying bait today at the Spur station on Old Shakopee in Bloomington. They have a pic of a 32+ inch eye that was caught on Pool 2 last Oct. The guy working there said his name was ‘jim’ or ‘jimmy’, and that he supposedly guides Pool 2. What a beauty.

Put in at 494 about 8:30 this morning right after I thanked the city worker with the front end loader for clearing the ramp. I heard reports of guys heading out of there for most of the week. Broke thru some ice this morning but most of it was cleared out by this afternoon. Heard that it is still iced in up stream of down town. Looks like alot of ice down stream from 494 also.
Fishing was a little slow today but the quality of more than made up for it. I caught 2 dinks and 10 over 18″ the biggest being a very fat 22″ eye. All of my fish came on plastics. It looked like the minnow fisherman may of had better luck than me today. I would consider bringing some with. I also heard of two 27″+ eyes being caught today.
Good luck fishing.

Sounds like you had yourself some fun Mike. Glad to hear the report from ya. Were you mostly vertical jigging with plastics or did you pitch any jigs for those eyes.
What depth were you having you most luck?

I am boatless for the last couple weeks here and this weather has been just killing me hearing access to Pool 2 being open.
Thanks for the update, I hope to be out soon!

I was staying vertical. Think I might of had better luck pitching.
The minnow guys where doing a little more dragging of the minnows and where catching some fish.
20′ to 25′ put most of the fish in the boat for me. I did one drift down the main channel at the airport and caught 4 nice fish tryed it again and put nothing in the boat.