Pool 2, Burr.

After watching the weather all day saturday and most of the day today I managed to back the boat in to pool 2 about 3 this after noon. That was about the time the rain/ice started falling. Couldn’t see getting to the landing and not fishing so down river I went.
The best part of the trip was that there where still a few eyes looking for something to eat. Started trolling ith what worked last trrip for me and took 2 very small fish and missed 2 agressive hits. After switching a few baits and changing speeds and depth a little the fish became more willing to hit the baits. Slam the baits was more like it. Todays bite was the most aggresive I have seen these fish hit a crank bait since the spring. About half of the eyes came in with only the maybe a bill of the bait sticking out of there mouths. Not what you would think on a day like this. Manage a dozen eyes and 1 nice sauger for my 3 hours of trolling this afternoon. Nothing over 20″ again. The brown crawfish pattern was the hot bait again today. Last trip it was firetiger. This bite changes a little ever time I fish it.
Brian. Are we still on for monday?

Mike W, Good for you. I was pulling out at the 494 ramp at about the time you were going in at I assume hidden falls or Lilly dale. I sure didn’t have much luck. After getting blanked on the wing dams with Kalins and ringworms I headed to the confluence area to try trolling some #5 shad raps. Didn’t have any luck on firetiger. Switched to perch and immediately got bite by a couple a smallies (one pretty descent one) but never did get any eyes. I came home set my VCR to record the Vikes and just tried to watch the game only to find out that it wasn’t on channel 5 as advertised but on channel 45. I guess that’s just the way my day was meant to be.

I was out on Pool 2, confluence area on Saturday afternoon and thought things were a little slow. I obviously wasn’t in the proper depths or something although I tried to change things up a bit. I managed 4 eyes, 1 11 inch, 2 13s and a 17. They hit on #7 firetiger jointed shadraps.

The confluence area was dead for us today. First slow fishing I have had there in along time. Chartruse/white #5 shad raps with a slight modification to are few fish there today. But still again one 16″ eye came in with the entire shad rap in its mouth.
A better note for pool 2 was the action on the middle section of the pool today. At the first wingdam the white bass where on a tear. 5 casts equiled 4 bass and a 16″ eye. After taking bass on several different lures I needed to check out some other areas for fish.
Tryed trolling the rocks with out even a tap. Found some fat saugers roaming the sand. These fish would nail the DD husky jerk and then come un hooked. Ended up taking fish on one other rock pile in the airport area.
I think I am done with trolling the confluence for a while. The wingdams on pool 2 look to be primed for holding fish. Hope to check them out more later this week.

Has the water cleared up at all, the last time I was out it was pretty muddy?

It is looking real good now. You might have to deal with the leaves but thats not even that bad.

Yeah, before the confluence was pretty clear I thought, minnesota is kick out it’s usual mud, but I didn’t think it looked too bad.

I trolled a lot today and caught 1 fish , but it was a very nice smallie who went somewhere are 17 or so, I actually lost him as I went to lift him in the boat, but hey it is catch and release anyways I tried lots of cranks fish seemed to be marked mostly in the 12-15 foot range. I did come across an area by the marine that looked nice on the graph, but didn’t get time to get back since it got darker out there quicker than I expected.

The water was moving at a pretty good clip I thought today. Kind of tough lauching and loading. I think tomorrow I’ll either try the croix or P4, haven’t decided yet, I have the whole day off so it doesn’t matter anyways.

I was out on 2 this afternoon. Water temp was 49 degrees and the wingdam bite is starting to pick up. The fish couldn’t decide between casted cranks and plastics, so I gave’em both. The bite should only continue to get better. The water has cleared up considerably as well.

See you on the water.

You guys are getting me excited! As soon as the second I get my boat home from Mille Lacs at the end of the month, I will be running down there as fast as I can!

Good to hear the river is shaping back up nice. By early november, the bite should be in full swing and ready to roll! Man am I excited to get back down there…..did I mention that?

Was able to spend a good part of the day today back on 2. Fished the middle section of the pool hitting wingdams and a few trolling patterns. Started the morning trolling some sand looking to hook into a few saugers. Fish fish in the boat was a nice 21.75″ sauger. After figuring out that my kids filled up the camara and drained the battery back in the water it went. Hopefully there will be more of these big girls in the sand next trip out. We ended up with around a dozen saugers trolling the sand today. Many different crank baits took these fish.
Spent most of the rest of our trip checking wingdams. Found a ton of white bass again and just a couple of eyes. Largest eye hit the 23″ mark. Both of these eyes hit a ringworm. A southern wind sure did not help our windam fishing today. Im looking forward to getting back on them soon. Saturday morning I hope.

Mike, I saw your trailer at the landing but we must have gone separate directions. Ran down river and trolled some cut areas as well as fished a few wingdams. Nothing trolling, but I did get two 19 inch sauger fishing chartreus ringies of the front side of wing dams.

Moved up river and pulled one more walleye of a wind dam, again on a ringie. I am new to plastic fishing so I probably spent more time then I should have trying to figure out how to best fish these. For a newbie, was satisfied with the fish I caught, but is it ever enough?

Ended up the evening pitching Bombers by the airport. Caught two walleyes, with the largest running about 22 inches. Hope to get out again Sunday.

I do have a question about sauger fishing. I have been reading about trolling cranks on “sand”. Its a big river, can anyone provide any advice on what I should look for to get started trying to learn more about this pattern.’

Thanks

This sauger/sand bite I have been fidhing is new to me. We are just long lineing crankbaits across large sand flats. on the 2 times I have tryed this we have found many different crankbaits they are willing to hit. I have a feeling they might even be open to some live bait, 3 waying, or even jigging. Who knows. We keyed in on the edge of the channel yesterday but took fish both on the shallow edge and on the deeper side. They just seem to be roaming the area. One thing I do know is it sure is fun finding new fish. Almost as fun as fishing old fish.