In recent weeks I have been finding myself more and more along the shores to the Mississippi River snooping for crappies and sunfish. This generally raises the assumption of backwaters fishing…..not quite though.
Save for one total flop at Lake Zumbro last Saturday, I have been in Red Wing, fishing the docks in the harbors. I was there today and came home with mixed results to think about. I caught fish, yes. The bigger crappies just weren’t what I got. Plenty of 7 to 9 inchers, no eaters. The sunfish were equally mixed in size and a couple largemouths and a perch rounded things out nicely. This was just “one of those days” for me.
Most of those who are pacing the docks are toting their Marcums or Vexes and are doing the fish with ice rods. I have a hard time putting the long rods away when the water is still open, but my next trip will be as the others are doing. OK, I might have the long rod along too.
Today was definitely a day for precision bait delivery. My fishing partner ha d the short stuff and he was well into the fifty fish count when we packed it in. Glow red was his color on a JBlures bait. Waxies were a must for tipping. I did the jigging spoon thing with a Frostee jigging bait in the red, but switched to a ratfink in pink/white about half way thru the adventure and did just as well using that.
The use of the Marcum soon showed the benefit of being able to target specific water and fish. It became painfully apparent to me that without that tool at least, I was fishing pretty much blind and those fish today were wanting to be spoon fed. The hits were solid, but you had to be on the nose to spark a hit. And those short sticks were just the tool for that kind of control.
The Lake City marinas are pumping out fish as well from the docks and fishing there is done like-wise with the ice tackle. For those with that “serious itch”, this might provide some relief and at the same time this winter’s equipment can get a “once-over” BEFORE the actual ice season starts. My next trip to Red Wing will likely be on Sunday and I can promise that the tackle in my hands is going to be different than today’s. And if the fish don’t cooperate again, well, I’ll know the equipment is ready for when they do.
My last three trips to Red Wing though have been very productive on some seriously large crappies and sunfish. Today just wasn’t my day.
That day sure turned ”my lights on.” 
Sure some days they will hit bigger lures but a guy always needs to have some ice jigs along with waxies to be on the safe side. 
Could resist Tom. [just don’t tell anyone that we are probably the same age, 
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