Getting anxious

I am beginning to get anxious about our annual trip up to Pool 4. A group of friends and I have been coming up every year for several years for a camping trip in memory of a close friend that died of cancer. We all stay at the county campground just north of Alma for several days and fish pools 4, 5 & 5A. We will be up on September 10 and stay until the 15th. The last couple years the fishing has been mediocre and I realize this is not the best time of the year for fishing. Two years ago the bass bite was good but the walleye bite was slow. Last year the bass bite was slow and the walleye bite so-so. The striper (white bass) bite is always good and provides great action. I am primarily a walleye fisherman but enjoy catching your football sized smallies very much. I have even been known to throw a buzz bait for large mouth once and a while.

I am looking for any advice as far as where to fish. I have fished up there at least once a year for several years and have spent the most time on lower pool 4. I have gotten to know some of the 100 wingdams on lower pool 4 very well. I have spent time on the lake as well as the upper stretches of pool 4. I know the upper part of pool 5 and we always spend a day down at Fountain City mainly fishing for bass. Is there an area that I should be concentrating on to find numbers of fish (mainly walleye)?
Last year the river was low as it is now. We found spotty concentrations of greenies out on the ends of a few wingdams and on rockpiles, etc… The majority of the walleye were caught casting crankbaits but a few were caught on jigs and a couple on nightcrawlers. Any advice (bass, walleye, northern) would be appreciated. I can always return the favor should any of you be headed down to the Dubuque area.

Eyehunter

Drive safe and watch for deer.

eyehunter,

I am by no means a lower Pool 4 expert but for that time of year, consider finding yourselves some live bait (locals prefer willow cats) and sit on the ends of the wingdams and wait out the walleyes. Up here on Pool 2 produces some mighty nice fish this time of year on the wingdams. Look for wingdams with the most flow right now to help up your odds. Be patient and you should score some nice fish! IF you want to stay mobile, pitching cranks to these wingies should produce some fish as well. I like throwing Bomber 6A’s in the firetiger color pattern or Bill Dance’s Fat Free Shads as well. These cranks excel in the rocks!

Sounds like you have a great trip tradition and wish you the best of luck!

Hopefully you will get more help from the guys that frequent the area more than I.!

Steve,

Thanks for the information. I can’t wait to get up there.
Last couple of years we did catch several walleye casting cranks. It is a good way to cover alot of water. Cranks also produced many large white bass, smallies and northerns.

I was out here at Dubuque both Sunday morning and Monday morning with better than average results. My buddy and I caught and released 5 fish over 20″ on Sunday with one fish being just short of 27″. We did manage 4 nice eaters and released about a dozen short walleye. On Monday we caught and released another fish just short of 27″. Maybe it was the same fish. Both weighed in within a couple ounces of each other (6-13 & 6-11). I had a friend ask why we would drive 4 hours to camp and fish the Mississippi when the fishing has been so good right here at Dubuque. It is obvious this person has never fished pools 4 or 5.

Thanks again!
Eyehunter

Drive safe and watch for deer