Need some help, please?

I have fished lakes for the most part of my life and would like to get more invovled in river fishing, but I am hesitant due to posts like fishing scouts minor run-in
If anyone would be willing to jump in my boat with me to help me learn how to read the river I would be very greatful!

Reading the river is not as hard as you think. If your in the main channel just stay between the markers. When you go outside the markers watch for anything that disrupts the current,take it slow and keep your eyes open and you will do fine.

Bucky.

The basics are easy to learn. You should stay inbetween the markers.

Watch for “boiling water”, because that is a rock. A line of boiling water is a wingdam.

Key note to the boiling water on wingdams. The boiling water is about 5 feet back or so from the rocks. That is the turbulent water turning at the back side of the rocks. So, if you are going down stream into a wingdam, you will hit rocks before you hit boiling water!!!!!!

Sandbars! Sand bars are on the oposite side of the turn on the river. Meaning if the river has a bend to the east, there will be a sand bar on the west, or the “point”. The cuts always have the deepest water and the points always have the shallow water.
This is your basic set of rules, which we all know they can be broken.

To really learn the river and where the fish are at……….You honestly need a guide. And a good one. I know it sound like an advertisement. But here is the scoop. A guide is going to teach you about the river in one day, what would take you to learn in 30 days. PLUS he is going to teach you how to fish the river.

I spent the last 4 or 5 years going to the dam to fish saugers and an occasional eye in the spring. Always used a jig/minnow. Sometimes a three-way/live bait rig as a dead stick when I jigged.

I never ran three-way cranks.
I never used ringworms, k-grubs, or superdoos.
I never traveled from the sauger hole at the dam.

I went on two trips last year with James. I learned an awefull lot!!! I know where the fish are. (Still doesn’t mean I can always catch them), But I know where they are and what the basic tools are to catch them.

Now, when I go on the river, I have confidence. And where it gets more extreme is learning the river, as to where are the clam beds, where is the rip rap, where are the wingdams, where are the “current seams” and “subtle eddies” that tell me what is below the surface????

These are the important things that I learned that I never knew before. And not everyone (by all means, including me!!!) know where these are all at, all the time.

The average “joe” has the base line knowledge. But it takes time on the water to learn it.

So, with that said. Yep, find someone who can show you the basics. Or pay a couple of hundred bucks and save yourself a TON of time.

One last bit of advice is find a book from In-Fisherman. It is called Critical Concepts. It is for walleyes. Book #2 talks location of fish. It covers river info VERY WELL!!! Book #3 talks about presentations and that too covers presentations very well.

Good luck, and if I can be of anymore help. Let me know!!!

Oh, by the way……..The only people that don’t crash into something on the river at one point or another are those that don’t fish the river!!!!!!!!!

When you run the river [going from one place to another] you will be safe by staying between the bouys which are green on one side and red on the other side of the river. The channel is in between the bouys. Always watch for any floating debre floating in the water as when the river raises [higher water] it pulls branches etc off the shoreline.
Thanks, Bill

Hi bucky12pt,

Welcome to the best site on the web.

The river is a great fishery, and has a learning curve.

I would recommend you get a copy of a Minnesota boating guide and read it Rules of the road etc.

This is the Father of all waters..and named that for good reason, It is continually growing and changing.

I would hire a guide the first time out…can save you lots of head aches and boat breaks.

I started fishing the river in the late 70’s and hired a guide called Harry Stiles for the first three trips.

Than I joined a walleye club. They held tournaments on the Mississippi. There are still many fishing clubs which would also be a way for you to gain more knowledge of this great resource we live next to.

Well that is just some of my ideas.

Good luck and safe boating

Great advice guys thanks!
Vandy, what does your schedule look like?
I was thinking sometime around the middle of march ?

when would you suggest?

Thanks again fellas!

Hi buck12pt
I sent you a PM.
Lets see if we can hook up.