Pool 14 Finally Slowing

It seems the walleye bite on wings in pool 14 has finally slowed. Spent a few hours working dams on Monday morning, with nothing but a few dinks and several rough fish to show for our efforts. Water temp has dropped 10-12 degrees in a less than two weeks, and the flow has also dropped off considerably.
With bait fish being plentiful, I would recommend trolling flats and sand for the best chance of catching bigger fish until the fall bite picks up, which could be early this year if we don’t get much more warm weather!
Rooster

I just returned from a week of pathetic walleye angling on Eagle Lake Ontario…(few small fish per day). At least the northerns were more willing…
Here’s your weather forecast for 14, for better or worse…
14 has dropped, and will continue to run low for some time now, as most of the rain coming in the next week will be spotty upstream of 14. Temps will climb a few degrees in the next few days, but will level off again or very slowly rise after Thursday when we begin another cool snap.

Anyone know when the fall bit usually kicks in, and at what temperature? Here at the NWS, I’ve got lots of data to predict exact temps and water/flow levels, but don’t know the significant breakdowns that might be useful to pass along.

Hopefully I’ll be on the water again soon,
Andy

Andy,
Last year I was doing well trolling in mid September, and wing dams really kicked in by early October. I think water temp is only one of the contributing factors though. I believe the amount of daylight, water flow, and water temp all impact the fall turn feeding binge. Not scientific, just my opinion based on varied conditions and times of the bite in the past.
John

Rooster:

Most guys I spoke with on Saturday thought it was slowing down big time. While we had a blast and caught fish using several techniques, it was a long day on the water with many short fish. I don’t know if you guys noticed in my original report, but we fished from ~6:30am or so until 9:30am with nothing so much as even a sheepie. That’s 3 hours of working wingdams and trolling sand dunes with the most excitement being the chicks jogging along the sea-wall! Finally, around 9:30am, in earshot of the PA system on the casino boat, I pulled in our first fish, which was the nice sauger.

Even with this August slow-down, this is still very much a quality pool, and if I come to call anything my home waters, I think this will be the one I concentrate on. Its closer to home to boot. I hope the new closures and slot limits help an already great fishery. We should start a Pool 14 walleye/sauger club, if one does not exist already. Sign me up.

Regards,

Joe Jiacinto

That’s a heck of an idea Joe! Seems like there’s a consistent group of folks on here interested in pool 14. It’s definitely my home pool, as I live in the Quad Cities area, and have to “borrow” passenger seats with buddies/family going out on the river (most won’t travel). Thought I’d get a boat this summer or fall, but just found out I’ll be a dad in March. That’s temporarly put a hole in my boat plan for now!

Sky:

Congrats on the pending arrival! I will be dad to #3 in late February. There’s always room in my boat for IDA guys. We’ll have to talk some more about this pool 14 club idea…

Regards,

Joe Jiacinto

Hey John,
Looking forward to some early fall fishing, when the bite starts again but right now it looks like a good time to start prepping up my treestands for bow season. When fall gets here I’m usually in a boat or up A tree, sometimes it’s a very hard decision. But I guess it’s better than being Up A Creek without a paddle!!

I hear ya Rick! I don’t bow hunt, but am getting shotgun stands ready and working on honey-dos so when the fall bite is on, I’ll be on the water!
John