Pool 4 11/9

Quick report from Red Wing on Friday afternoon. Did a little jigging around the dam area and caught some really nice saugers up to 19 1/2 inches. The fish were right on the current breaks. Caught a few walleyes, but they were all small. I wish I had a lil more time to go looking for bigger fish down stream, but I really needed to get bit bad. It has been a while since I have had the ooportunity to hit the river. If the weather stays this nice I might have to play hooky from work later this week. Any current updates from this weekend would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

~~~~~~~alkfish

Hey alkfish

I spent about 45 minutes total for the weekend fishing up in the zoo at the dam. We did fairly well on the sauger pulling rigs just up from the “Y” to the first wingdam in about 13′ – 16′ of water but we didn’t do or see anything that kept us around long given the really good bite going on further south.

Down near the head of the lake and out into the bouy line we did real well on the walleye pulling 3-ways and crawlers. Very few saugers there… I think we only had 2 – 3 in the entire time we were down there and two were over 18″.

There’s a good shallow bite going again off of rip rap, I’m pretty sure Dustin will be doing a report on that bite (its his turn!) in the next day or so. Many of those fish are 20″+ and coming on plastics.

Thanks for the report.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Hello all,

I spent the weekend away from the crowds. Was pretty much alone down close to the lake. The fish were scattered but mostly walleye. Nice fish ranging from 19 to 25 inches. I did some jigging but most of the fish came on 3 ways and crawlers. ( thanks for showing me this method on labor day James). See you guys on the water this weekend.

Don

Hey James,

Just curious as to how you run your 3 ways..Are you running a sinker on the bottom of the 3 way or using a jig??Down here around LnDam 16 we will use a jig anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/4 ozs. depending upon where we’re fishing and the current flow..We plunk a big ol’ crawler on that bottom jig with a stinger (at least a #8 hook size) and run a floater or plain hook (I like the Gamakatsu red Octopus) and run either a shiner or the biggest fathead I can get on that plain hook..Is this similar to what you are running??

Thanks for the reply..

buzzer IA

I actually use both. I stay away from using the jigs as weights around wood, for obvious reasons, and I don’t usually use crawlers on the jig… I go with plastics instead and do well. On the end opposite the weight/jig I’m usually running a floating jighead and a crawler…. rarely minnows. I use the jig as a weight method quite a bit in the winter. Works slick. Lately I’ve been running two rods/man with a bell sinker as a weight. Either way you really can’t go wrong.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Isn’t that what they call a Dubuque Rig? Curious…

I fish them often. Just don’t fish two of them at the same time!!

J.

A couple questions on this rig…How long are your drop and trailing lines? Do you run them on wingdams also or just on flats?

Thx,

Pete

rvvrrat,

When using the dubuque rig do the same as if you are running a 3- way and floater. Dropper length should be any where from 8″ to 18″ and the leader line with your floater or plain hook can run any where from 4′ to 7′ in length. I personally have better success with the longer leaders. This rig can be used on the face of wing dams and sand flats.

Dustin

Dustin, I like your new photo. A 2 fisted fisherman! Bill

Thanks Bill!

I would like to think of myself as multi talented person. Other people on the other hand might disagree!

Has anyone been out on pool 4 to expeirience the great shallow water bite the beginning of this week? I know on sunday the bite was very good in less than 6′ of water on rip rap.

See ya on the river!

Dustin

I only wish I could be out on the water during this week. Something called work always seems to get in the way. Thanks for the report. See ya on the water. Bill

Dustin…….I told you if you were gonna use my fish in your picture you had to give me the credit for them!!!!

Steve Vick Everts Resort Manager

Hey guys, Dustin’s right, the shallow bite is really starting to cook again after a slow down earlier last week. The warmer weather is actually raising the water temp so much now that casting cranks is again the best way to go. Spent half the day today casting cranks with Dave “ecnook” Koonce and we stuck 19 ‘eyes on the plugs from 18″ – 22″ in 2′ – 4’ of water. Lost quite a few as well. Did poorly on hair but did manage a few on plastics late in the day.

I’ll post a more detailed report tomorrow after I get in from the water but if you make it out in the next couple days stick to the shallows for the best bite.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Steve,

If you were ever lucky enough or good enough to catch fish like those I would gladly take your picture!LOL! You should have went out with us today like I asked you to we had good numbers of walleye with the biggest being 24″ fishing big plastics shallow, less than 6′ of water. James was right the crankbait bite was on today too in the shallows, as we had better numbers on cranks but the bigger fish came on plastics for me today. We caught a lot of 18″ to 20″ fish on cranks color was not that important caught fish on just about everthing and man the smallmouth were on fire today no 4 or 5lbers but they were willing to hit anything we threw at um. I spoke with a lot of boats out there today that did not do very good fishing deeper think shallow for now! I spoke with one guy that did real well on the bottom end of the river rigging crawlers shallow. So if you are not getting fish go shallow!

See ya on the river!

Dustin

The same thing happened earlier this year when the fish were shallow. When FTR posts say shallow they mean shallow!! Why do guys stay out on the first break and catch few, if any, fish? I guess it is the thinking that that you have to be out in deeper water and not next to the bank. It makes you want to go out and tow some of those guys that are fishing behind you in towards the bank. What is the mindset?

I talked to a number of boats today myself and ALL spoke of a very tough bite with few if any fish. I guess I don’t understand the hesitance to work shallow but that reluctance sure exists as even after I would offer a word or two of advice to neighboring boats they’d continue working well out into the channel.

You can lead a horse to water….

Another good day today for my boat on the plugs but the largest fish (7.5 Lb’s +) came on hair worked tight to downed timber. It cost me about 20 hair jigs to stick that piggie but it was well worth it once she hit the bottom of the net. Like Dustin stated, we also did well rigging but those fish are coming shallow now as well too…… 7′ – 8’….. well up and inside of the channel breaks now.

To really get into the fish now a guy needs to fish like its spring…. its just not jig and minnow time.

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

Please dont’t go shallow and don’t go to any of the spots where I like to fish…… I see a couple of you there once in a while……(wink) you know who you are….(just kidding). but just think of it, …..if all the boat traffic from the dam was at the shallow spots(back channel) (vermillion) (bluffs) ( any rip rap) I would be back up near the dam……. so I guess I would not leed anyone to the shallows……. stay at the dam and jig for sauger …… they taste great and it is fun………I have a buddy coming up tomarrow and this next monday, tuesday…… he will insist on going to the dam and he will use minnows and is 53 years old and you or I will never change him……. so I will be in the crowd with him because he enjoys it…… fishing sauger……… to each is own…

I was out for most of the day yesterday and worked the shallow rocks in main channel. Several smaller ones but only one nice fish and it came unbuttoned. The smallies weren’t in as thick either.

Was a day to pay to Walleye Gods. Lost close to 10 shad raps and nearly wiped out my hair jig supply.

The dam bite must have been off too since we pulled in there near dust and everyone had headed for home. Managed a few on the breaks pulling bait.