Tough day on Pool 2 today

Just got off the water and wanted to give everyone a quick update on the gorgeous day I was able to spend on the water with 2 of my buddies.

We fished south of 494 all day, and managed to only catch a couple of walleyes all day. This was a far cry from the fishing we had experienced last weekend. Water temp was about 62 degrees, and the flow was almost exactly the same; the big difference to me was the tremendous amount of pleasure boaters out and about — but who could blame them. It was awesome out there.

We tried pitching jigs on wing dams, trolling rapalas, and dragging jigs with limited success. Our limited success came on minnows on the inside edges of wing dams. But don’t base your fishing plan off of this, as we only had 2 walleyes all day.

How did everyone else do? With the weather changing this week, should make the GTG interesting next weekend.

Caught some smallies and largemouth near grey cloud with a few sheephead and missed a nice walleye at boatside. Plastics were taking the bass, crawlers the sheephead and sucker minnow and jig for the walleye. Tons of boats out today. Goin backk out right now

I hadn’t noticed that weather change…till now. That’s gonna make for some tough fishing saturday I bet.

We were out yesterday and were on a fish finding mission not so much a fish catching mission…and we caught about 7 as we moved from spot to spot covering almost the lower 2/3 of the pool. Our best luck came trolling. I think we only caught one fish pitching.

jp

I had a pretty decent day but I had to work for them…I found a pretty good trolling run and caught mostly saugers in 11 to 13 fow; most were pretty average but did get a handfull over 20″.

I then tried casting wigdams w/ crankbaits at sundown and caught 5 with one 24″ and another 25″; I found the tips and faces were the most productive.

I agree, tons of pleasure boats and also barges. I don’t think I have ever seen so many barges up and down the river.

I was out solo for a few hours this weekend. It sure was nice to get out. I ended up with 13 eyes. All in the 15-19 in range. Jigs and crawlers/Gulp.

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I had a pretty decent day but I had to work for them…I found a pretty good trolling run and caught mostly saugers in 11 to 13 fow; most were pretty average but did get a handfull over 20″.

I then tried casting wigdams w/ crankbaits at sundown and caught 5 with one 24″ and another 25″; I found the tips and faces were the most productive.

I agree, tons of pleasure boats and also barges. I don’t think I have ever seen so many barges up and down the river.

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KWP..those P2 saugers over 20″ are a really cool fish. I like the mottling on those beasts. They seam a lot feistier than walleyes. If you get a big sauger in the boat with a mouthful of crankbait you gotta watch out for those hooks.

Tuna boats are trying to use up the gas in the tank before winter. This weeks cold front should put a damper on recreational boating. Although when I was out with Mike a week ago we saw some cigar boats racing down to Hastings and back and it put a big smile on my face to see those boats going 70mph down the channel.

jp

^further proof i suck at fishing lol i caught only 1 walleye all weekend.

It was a healthy 25 incher though

My brother and I were out earlier in the day between about 8:30am and 11:30am and it was absolutely beautiful out on the river. I think we beat most of the recreational boaters, too, because almost every boat out there was fishermen.

We’re still relative novices, but we did okay. We caught a smaller Sauger, channel cat, and sheepshead on jigs with 1/2 crawlers on a wingdam south of 494. When we moved up to the wingdams near the airport we caught two quick Walleyes — 17″ and 18″ — on crankbaits pitched right to the tips. We didn’t have enough time to keep working the crankbait plan, but it was exciting to see it work. I’ve never really had much luck with crankbaits, so it was good to get some faith in them (we were using Bomber 6A in the Citruese color).

Fished pool 3 over the weekend. Finely tied on a hair jigs. Been telling my self its the time of year to do this. Ended up picking up two walleyes with this. Some guys like to tip their hair with a crawler or minnow. Its just plain hair jigs for me occasionally tipped with a walleye.

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KWP..those P2 saugers over 20″ are a really cool fish. I like the mottling on those beasts. They seam a lot feistier than walleyes. If you get a big sauger in the boat with a mouthful of crankbait you gotta watch out for those hooks.

Tuna boats are trying to use up the gas in the tank before winter. This weeks cold front should put a damper on recreational boating. Although when I was out with Mike a week ago we saw some cigar boats racing down to Hastings and back and it put a big smile on my face to see those boats going 70mph down the channel.
jp

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I got one sauger close to 3 lbs. I should have taken a picture of it but kind of hard when you are by yourself. Even some of my bigger fish were saugers trolling flicker shads. I agree those suagers do put up a better fight than walleyes.

As for the tuna boats, I had one almost swamp my 16′ Alaskan. I was trolling and had to stop, face the bow into the wake and still took in water going 2 mph.

The cooler weather should put the tuna boats away soon.

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Fished pool 3 over the weekend. Finely tied on a hair jigs. Been telling my self its the time of year to do this. Ended up picking up two walleyes with this. Some guys like to tip their hair with a crawler or minnow. Its just plain hair jigs for me occasionally tipped with a walleye.

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Interesting tip. Might have to bring the special bear hair Dezurik jig box along Sat…