Pool 2

Just got back from a few hours on 2. The bite was a little slower than 2 weeks ago but the action was still steady. Spent all of my time trolling near the confluence. Short trips equil no time to look for a new bite.
I managed 6 eyes, a few saugers and small white bass. I was suprised at the size of the eyes with only 1 being under 20″ The rest where between 20 and 22.
The river looks to be shaping up real nice. Not much of a mud line coming out of the MN any more. Water temps at 58 and still plenty of flow. There is also noticable clouds of bait fish showing up around some of the holes.
With this higher water I would think we should be in for a good fall bite on the river.

This the trip I passed on? Crap. Deck painting is going to wait next time.

ACK this post is killing me I gotta get out and fish sometime, I’ve been so tired, and now I stuck at work, on pool 2

Nice fish again this morning. Cant beat the weather. Jointed shads and deep diving husky jerks took the fish today. Hope to back again on sunday.

Also picked up some fish in the Middle of Pool 2 this morning – fished cranks on wingdams. Not blazing action, but put a few fish in the boat. Would have been real good without the ones I lost . Nothing huge, but the fish are really thick – puttin’ on the weight.

A sign at the 494 Launch indicated the road to the ramp would be closed October 12 (don’t remember if it was long term). The bridge construction is real heavy and it’s down to one lane crossing the RR tracks. May need to use South St. Paul Launch in a week or so.

Here are a few photos of sundays trip to pool 2. Emily, Christina and Jonathan are getting pretty good at cranking in pool 2 eyes.

1 more

again

These guys boated a dozen eyes in 3 short trolling passes. Then got bored. Go figure. So it was site seeing time after that.

Mike W
What a good looking and talented Crew

Can anyone provide directions on how to get to the South Saint Paul Launch.

Thanks

Fished lower 2 last thur. Tried working some wingdams and got blanked. Trolled some more, with same results. Can’t believe the # of Cormorants down there. Purely sick.

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A sign at the 494 Launch indicated the road to the ramp would be closed October 12 (don’t remember if it was long term). The bridge construction is real heavy and it’s down to one lane crossing the RR tracks. May need to use South St. Paul Launch in a week or so.

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There have been several 1-2 day closures since the work started well over a year ago. The road has been down to one lane for a year now. One thing to keep in mind. The Coast Guard and Sherrif need to have that ramp available for Emergency Access 24/7. (Rescues/Spill Recovery/Security and so on) I don’t see any log term closures happening. I may be wrong, but that stament comes right from the Policeman I talked to a while back.

My guess is they are doing some work directly over the road and don’t want anyone/anything hurt/killed/damaged while the work is in progress.

I’ll check on it after the 12th and if it is still closed I’ll call the City and get the scoop.

-J.

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Can anyone provide directions on how to get to the South Saint Paul Launch.

Thanks

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The ramps off 61 to SSP are closed. Need to get to downtown SSP via Cottage Grove or Newport. Ask the first person you see “Where is Lion Levy Park?” You should get the “It’s right over there” answer. Sorry I can’t be more exact on the street names……

Great Pix Mike!

Thanks. Spent last evening fishing the wiggies and some rip-wrap shorelines. Mustered up two silvers and one small sauger. Most of my fishing was on wingdams with a standard bomber 5A and 6A. My question is, as fall continues should I be looking at a different type of crankbait for effectie wingdam fishing?

We’ll my fishing time looks thin for the next couple days, but tomorrow I’m going to hit the water on P2 after work, probably be on at 5pm at the latest, red lund trolling, stop on by and say hi if you’re out there.

Mike you are the “number one” dad. That is the best for those younguns’. Teach them to fish, spend the quality time, and it will pay off later in life…

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My question is, as fall continues should I be looking at a different type of crankbait for effectie wingdam fishing?

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As fall progresses, you should look to hair jigs and plastics.

One thing you may want to do is go back to DeeZee’s (Steve Dezurik) reports from fall of 2003 and take note of the transition from cranks to hair/plastic and the relation to water temps.

Good Luck.

Didn’t get out, main motor battery was dead this morning sucks big time, gotta find a way to charge it… I need a charger… for that battery anyways

Just a quick pool 2 update……

I got out last night for 3 hours. Put 3 nice 18 inchers in the boat, so the bite was on the slow side for me. But happy to be back down there after being away for more than a month.

The water clarity was running about 4 inches at best. The flow was more than I expected and there was a lot of leaves in the water. Water temp was 58 degrees.

Cranks put all of the fish in the boat. I did go back over key areas with plastic and hair but no additional fish. I would have been better off staying with cranks and covering ground. Oh well…..

I put in at So St Paul, but noticed boats using the 494 access, so that closure must have been for one day.

Things will just keep getting better and I can’t wait to get back out!!

Good Luck,
-J.

I hit the confluence area again today. Would of liked to had fished the wingdams on the lower part of the pool but weather conditions did not look good for that.
Trolling cranks at the confluence is still a good way to put numbers of 15 to 20″ fish in the boat. Ended my trip with 20 eyes and alot of white bass. Largest eye was 21″. The big girls have seemed to have just disapeared from the trolling pattern. Spent part of my time looking for some larger fish and was suprised to find even more of the mediun eyes on the shorelines just south of the 35E bridge.
This seems to be a good area for numbers. Just no big fish.