Saturday Pool 2

Been over a month since I have seen pool 2. Was going to head out 1st thing Saturday morning but the heavy rains coming threw changed that. Finely did head down about 10 and think we arrived just about the time the midday heat did. So I got to say fishing on pool 2 was hot. Dang hot.

The catching was pretty good to. That kinda surprised me for a midday bite this time of year. We started out on the wing dams throwing crank baits and pitching crawlers. They where hitting both pretty well. Switched over to some long line trolling and it didnt take long to find fish there to. I was a little skeptical about trolling since some how my depth finder got left on the kitchen table for this trip. Guess the fish just decided to take it easy on us.

4hrs of fishing and we had all the heat we could take. Fish biting or not it was time to get out of there. Figured we most of caught close to 20 walleyes/sauger in that time. Most the 18 to 20″ variety but did get a few in the 23 to 25″ range.

The flow was still pretty decent for this time of year. With some rain predicted for later this week hopefully that will stay the same for a while.

good luck to you guys that are getting out. Stay cool.

Good to hear, Mike. Hope to get back down mid week. Been a while for me too!

-J.

Way to go Mike! I hoped in with Gary Friday morning and we managed about 8 or so in a few hours trolling. The biggest maybe went 21″ It was sweet to get out on the river again! Thanks Gary!

Joel

Nice report Mike…We managed about 5 pitching wing dams with crawlers and crankbaits Friday after work for a few hrs. We did get one close to 25″ and the rest in that 18″ to 20″ class.

Even with the lower flows the river still seems a little cloudy to me.

That was me at the dock when you guys were coming in. I wasn’t 100% sure it was you, that is why I gave you a funny look. The woman and I got out there for the first time since April. All our fish came on crawlers pitched on the wing dams, but they were running small. We did one trolling run with not a single hit. With that heat, we did not stay long either. Now I have to fix my trailer that someone smacked good at the landing. Bent the light bracket about 3″ and shattered the light. Not a light hit!

I did notice the wife driving the boat while you went to park the trailer. Sure wish I could get mine to do something like that.

Havent lost a trailer light at the landing there in a couple of years now but it used to happen a couple of times a year. Parking next to the center islands or away from the stairs does help. It would be a nice if they could at least leave a note apologizing or something.

Thanks for the reports, guys.

We were out on Sunday and experienced about the same. Good numbers of walleyes with lots of action but average size was running pretty small… at least for Pool-2 standards. Our biggest fish only went 23 inches.

Probably see some of you out there this weekend

Still a few fish biting on pool 2. The flow seems to be dropping since last weekend. That usually means the fish get more spread out and a little tougher to find. Trolling still seems to be a good bet for finding scattered fish. On the wingdams I still like pitching jigs and crawlers to the tips this time of year. Wednesday evening we got on a good bite and pulled maybe a dozen off of one tip. Today it was more just a couple here and there. One thing for sure its great to have some better fishing weather these last few days.

Doesnt seem like much has change from last weekend. Got the boat in around 4pm. Didnt take long to get the first few fish in the boat long line trolling. After about a hour of that Emily decided we need to go chase the sea gulls off the point for some reason and then take a long boat ride down river. Ended the trip with pulling a half dozen walleyes off the tip[ of a wingdam with jigs and crawlers. Emily managed two of them by her self pitching jigs. Pretty good day for me to see my girl figuring out how to pitch wingdams and sticking a couple of walleyes.

Man, I wish I was going out there today. Sounds like fun.

Just got in from a short outing this morning. This weather sure is a great change!

Fishing wingdams with a jig & crawler and crankbaits managed six walleyes and a couple cats, sheephead, and a few smallies.

Jig and crawler out produced cranks about three to one.

Great to get back out on the river again, may have to give it a go again this evening or tomorrow morning.
Can’t beat great weather and multi species fun!

DNR Inspection is at the 494 boat ramp again.

Fished pool 2 lastnight from 8-11pm. Started off in a side channel where it meets a back channel and seen thousands of minnows swimming around getting chased in 1-3 fow. Caught 3 bass in there, 2 on crawlers and one one a jighead with no bait lol with the biggest around 13 inches. Had a few other hits but nothing to show for so i moved out to the mouth and gradually into the main channel with a few sheep and missed bites out there. By this time it was pretty dark so i scooted back to the 1st spot and rigged up a few leeches on my cat rod and caught some fat channel cats back there. Drag slow and pause was the key. Soon as the moon hit the tops of the trees i was tired and headed in but the bite definately was still goin. Hope to get out tonight and chase some eyes, but if they are slow im sure ill be returning to the side channel for some channel cats. They sure do put up a fight in 3 feet of water!

Seems to me pretty much the same bite as last weekend continued on pool 2 this weekend. Decided to check out some areas and wingdams near spring lake this weekend for a change of scenery. The flow was down pretty good with a slight green bloom on the surface Saturday morning. Pitching a variety of H20 jigs, Draggin jigs with either leaches or crawlers on them was the plan for the morning. Pretty good variety of fish biting on them with sheepheads and channel cats making up most of the bite right now. Did manage about a half dozen walleyes for the morning. Pretty typical bite for this time of year.

Here is a photo of a nicer walleye we found Saturday morning. Im guessing 23 to 24″s. Most everything else was in the 18 to 20″ range.

Never did get the crank baits or trolling rods out this weekend so not sure if that bite is still going or not. Would imagine there are still a few fish to be had this way.

Finaly got back on pool 2 after 2+ months of not getting out. Managed a few small eyes on Jigs and crawlers. Sheephead are crazy hard to keep them off the jig. 7 different species.

Catfish where the hot ticket for us this weekend on pool 2. Not sure if it was a leaches we where pitching or if they where just actively feeding in the areas we where fishing but the channel cats where nuts. Nice size ones to. Pitching a jig and leach to rock piles with some current on them. The cats where up on these rocks to as most would hit very quickly after the jig hit the water. Would of had a mess of great eaters if we had been wanting some catfish. Would guess we caught at least 20 decent channel cats this way.

We did find a few walleyes to but they kinda took a back seat to the channel cats on Saturday. Jon picked up a nice 26″ on a crankbait on the face of rock pile. Other than that it was just one here one there with most running in the 18 to 20″ range.

Sure couldnt beat the weather over the weekend for fishing. Starting to feel like a tinge of fall in the air but I know its way to soon for that. Pulled into Mississippi Pub after the day of fishing just as the band was getting set up and they where throwing corn and sausages on the grill for their customer appreciation party. That was defiantly a nice way to end the day of fishing. Best patio on the river and the food is good to.

So who else got into some fish on pool 2 this weekend?

I got out for about a hour on Sat. Fishing trip started out by finding that the fridge froze all my crawlers so I was left with mush. Managed one eye and a nice crappie and some misc fish then ran out of usable bait. Regarding catfish only one small one.

Not that I fish for them but did manage to get my yearly flathead the previous trip. I have caught exactly one a year since I started fishing pool 2. This one was realy small.

Mike – How do leaches campare to crawlers on the river. I just fish crawlers when I fish live bait as I do not have to drive far to get them. If the leeches are out producing I may have to actual make a trip to the bait store.

Another fun trip, Mike! Those cats hitting jigs on light tackle were a blast. Here is a pic of that 26er. Nice to see some better fish starting to show up.

-J.

Fish eat them both. Not sure if one is better than the other. I do miss a lot of fish on leaches. Not sure if its my set up or maybe I need to switch over to dork rigs for better hook ups. Medium sized work well. Large are good to but the fish really steal them.

I too found some cats on Sunday. I got 2 trolling cranks and 2 more pitching cranks to wingdams. All 4 channels from 2-4lbs or so. The walleyes were few and far between, but managed a couple. Both were 20″ give or take an inch, the same as every other walleye I’ve caught on 2 this summer. I’m sure finding a lot of 18″ – 22″ fish this year! Where is this Mississippi Pub located? I’ll have to check it out.

Its just down river from the 494 landing in the back channel.
Mississippi Pub.