Pool 2 bass?

I hear very little about bass fishing on P2. Is there any significant summer action on this pool?

Largemouths? Smallmouths?

It’s been a strange summer for fishing and it’s so damn hard for me to get on the St. Croix on weeknights when it’s quiet enough to fish.

Just interested to know if anyone’s fishing it and what’s happening this time of year.

Grouse

P2 is most notable for its walleyes. It draws a bass crowd every spring just prior to the inland opener, and then those folks mostly disappear again. I have never heard or seen of any truly large fish being caught. I have only caught two incidental largemouth in 5 years…the largest being 18″. SMB are much more common but also small in size compared to other stretches of the river. Spawning habitat for either species is very limited, and what remains is highly degraded. The only person I know who fishes for bass regularly on P2 is Rootski. He can certainly weigh in better on the fishery and tactics/locations to try…but if you want to enjoy fishing P2, my advice is to fish for walleye or catfish!

Good Luck

JP

All those largemouth and Smallmouth bass caught each spring on pool 2 don’t die or go anyplace else. The summer fishing does get a little tougher due to the lack of backwater areas with much or any flow. The late summer and fall bite on or near the main channel can be real good at times. You are correct most bass fisherman head other places in the summer. Those that do fish pool 2 have decent luck and have the whole pool mostly to themselfs. I am one of those who fish it a fair amount in the spring but go elsewhere during summer. Come fall I’ll be back down there for sure.

I catch some smallmouth every fall with hair jigs. Rip rap shorelines or backwaters have worked for me. Ive seen some big bass in pool 2. Atleast to me they are big(3-5 pounds). Lost a monster smallmouth on the 4th jump 2 years ago.

There are indeed some monster large and smallmouth on pool2. And yes indeed some very large walleye sauger and saugeye. I fish there a couple times a month minimum, but have had years of 2 to 3 times a week on this pool. Throw bright colors! Bright green in particular. Crank crank and crank away. This is the best way that I’ve found to catch them. You will find schools of 3 to 4 pound smallies. And do yourself a favor!!! When you see the whitebass anhilating the shad on the surface… get in there and catch the heck out of them. The smallies will be along shortly