Shore fishing bust

Went down by the train station today and fished for an hour and a half or so with nothing to show for it. I was throwing 1/8 oz jigs with moxi’s and pulse-r’s. Had one short strike. And that was it.

Better luck next time!

Welcome to the club. I have not had a hit yet this year.

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Went down by the train station today and fished for an hour and a half or so with nothing to show for it. I was throwing 1/8 oz jigs with moxi’s and pulse-r’s. Had one short strike. And that was it.

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Maybe next time try 3/32-1/8 oz jig with meat or down size your plastic to a paddle tail or twister tail

I wouldn’t classifly that a bust..more like giving up you barely got the cob webs and dustbunnys off your rods..

Trust me when I say this your are fishing prime realistate right there..especially from shore

did you see any bait in water..don’t be so quick to call it good

Most people start off with too large of plastics in that area. Bait might be the best option if you aren’t a confident plastic angler. The flow is low right now so lighter heads will serve you better as will lighter line.

Consider too that the water is still fairly frigid. You might be amazed at what 3 degrees can do along that wall. Now that you know where, go back in a week and try it again. An hour and a half isn’t a real long time so don’t give up the ship.

Keep at it and take trumars suggestion and try meat and downsize
When the water temps Starr coming up you’ll get em
Keep picking the brains of all the guys here.
They are very helpful

how deep is it along that wall? it didnt seems to be too deep in spots.

Sun up and sun set should be prime times right now to. Water is pretty clear for a shallow mid day bite. I dont know that area to well but think if you find a rock hump or some piece of structure sticking out a little. Come back and try targeting it at dark.

There’s plenty of water in that area. Barges have to be maneuvered in there so the water needs to be at least 8 feet. Out a ways its deeper yet. Regardless, there’s plenty of water to support the fish you want.

Shore fishing walleye is all about feeding times. If they aren’t feeding then they won’t be up in the “shallows”. Try a cloudy day or early morning/evening. Right now they are probably feeding on dead/dying shad as I doubt the baitfish are running yet. Live fathead on a light jig will mimic a dying baitfish rolling downstream. Once the baitfish start running and the fish start chasing they will go after your plastics bouncing around. Just toss it at a 45º angle upstream and keep a tight line letting the current roll it downstream, when you feel it stop hop it up and set the hook if its a fish. Take lots of jig heads with you!

I thought this was going to be a Cuffs and Collars story.

Keep at it, better than sitting on the couch.

-J,

I think that when the fish have gotten that far up-river they are feeding whenever food presents itself. These fish are wanting to lard up in preparation of the spawn. Just about every walleye/sauger I catch at this time of year will have bellies full of food and still eating. After the spawn and when the water warms up its not uncommon to see feeding periods develop but right now these fish are thinking of nothing but food. If you put something in their way that they construe as food they’ll hit it.

Where the river runs right along the levee wall the water gets slack and its not unusual to hit fish right tight along the levee. The fish will use the slack water to rest, but they still will eat in spite of being at rest. Where the mooring posts are located there is a concrete wall on the outside, or current side, of them. In a boat you can slip along there and get fish tight to that wall, but the only place to really get outside of it from shore is downstream from the last post. This wall is very much submerged so you won’t see it if you’re not right atop of it.

When I hit this location I generally carry hair and plastics. The Gulp minnows will work good in there too.

The study BK provided about pool 4 had a theory that a good majority of the primary forage, gizzard shad, keep to the upper parts of Pepin during winter, due to the thermal effects of the power plant.

Countdown rapala might sink a bit too fast, but a husky with one or two suspendots might be able to hover just as effectively as a plastic, and something different than what they are use to seeing. Usually after snagging up with a few jigs you get to know the area, depth,snags,bottom content. If you can’t I would upgrade the rod to tell what you are fishing. Then out comes the raps, those things are spendy, don’t waste em finding snags.

I personally like the husky jerks for walleyes. Good bait!