Pool 5/5a

Havent seen a post from 5/5a isnt anyone fishing these pools any more?

I got up to Pool 6 yesterday and fished for a while in a running slough where I had very good luck around Memorial Day. The water levels were about the same, so I thought I would give it a try again, but the action was slow. I got one decent sauger, a couple of sub-legal walleye, and assorted other fish, none of them noteworthy. Crawler harnesses got what fish I caught.

As an aside, I post info on Pools 5a and 6 on this site when I fish them, but I am getting a little tired of getting a hundred views of my posts, but no responses. The same goes for Pools 17 and 18, down where I live now.

I fished 5A for walleye both Monday and Tuesday nights. I didn’t get many and the ones I did get were running small. One 16″er Mon and a 19″er last night, all the rest were short (did lose a decent one over the top of a wingdam last night though ).

All the fish came from main channel wingdams on cranks (bombers) or K-Gurbs (white)…….couldn’t get anything going in the back channels .

Great point regarding no responses. I will be in Winona and at least get out once within the next few days; most likely Pool 5A.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Have to agree on not getting responses on this area. I fish it a lot in spring and fall below the dam and do quite well there. Summertime has been hit and mainly miss for me as I am still learning the river there. Will be there this weekend and if I have any luck at all will let you know. How does the river look around the Winona area? Thanks

Keep posting guys and they will come. I have never fished the area down there. Most of my time is spent on pool 2. Looks like in sept. I will be spending some time on the river around winona. Just printed off maps of the area a day or so ago and my first thought was wow. There is alot of water down there. Here on pool 2 it is like winona with not a fraction of the back waters. Here are a few of the questions that first came to mind.

Where do you guys spend most of your time chaseing walleyes? The back waters or main channel? Here on 2 it is mostly the main structure on the main channel for me.

My first thought at fishing the river around winona would be to go after the wingdams on the main channel. Throwing crankbaits, plastics and hairjigs at them. Do you guys have any other areas or technics that I should maybe take a look at while down there.

Like it said it looks like alot of water down there. Looking forward to fishing the area. Hope I have anough time to locate some nice walleyes there.

I haven’t been out much lately, but when I have it’s been rather hit and miss. I’ve caught some smaller fish trolling both banks and wingdams, more smaller fish throwing cranks, with a couple of 16″ mixed in here and there on the wingdams on the main channel. I’ve heard decent reports with willow cats and crawlers on the wingdams but haven’t tried live bait lately. The river level is still high and the clarity was getting better then dropped off again. Good luck

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Looks like in sept. I will be spending some time on the river around winona.

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September ehh……sounds like somebodies fishin the FLW

It’s gonna be interesting to see what guys come up with for that tourney. I would think any 5 fish limit would put you right up there that time of year (but what do I know)….5A, 6, & 7 are not necessarily known for there great walleye populations ……and you’re right, these pools have a TON of water to search (5A and 7 especially).

As far as advice, I don’t have much. I’ve been able to find decent fish in the spring, but once summer rolls around the nicer fish have got me miffed . I would think main channel wingdams would be an execent place to start that time of year. Rigging Willow Cats on the dams seem to be big down here throughout the summer.

Bombers and white K grubs? My 2 favorite lures on the wingdams. Is it the 6A bombers you are throwing. I just picked up 20 more on clearance at gander yesterday.

Yep. Fishing the FLW. My first thought with it being held on the river would be that at least a 5# average would be needed to win. Of course I am not familiar with what those pools down there can put out. Fishing as a co angler for the event it realy does not matter much on what I find for fish down there but I am still coming down for the week before the event and most likely one other time. Just looking forward to learning a new streach of river.

The river’s the river, right……well, I guess we’ll see about that. I wouldn’t be a bit suprised to see weights as low as 14-16#s a day take it.

Only time will tell…..I know there are some good river anglers fishin it, maybe (hopefully) they’ll prove me wrong

Tried to post this last night, but my ISP was acting funky…

I lived in Winona for seven years, and still fish 5a and 6 fairly often. From May to September, the walleye are found out on the wing dams and current breaks on the main channel during normal water levels, which is to say a couple feet lower than they were last weekend. Willow cats and crankbaits produce the most walleye most of the time, although crawlers and leeches have their days. Last August, when the river was very low, I was having good luck in front of wing dams in only five to six feet of water on crankbaits, and this was on sunny days.

When the river comes up in the summer, like it was Memorial Day and the Fourth of July weekends, I look for walleye in the sloughs and side channels with a little current going through them. This worked very well for me Memorial Day week, and not as well this past Tuesday. I should note that I have a small boat and motor, so increased flow makes working the wing dams a chore for me. This past Tuesday, there was a good breeze blowing straight down stream in Winona, so I didn’t even try the main channel wing dams. That doesn’t mean the wing dams won’t work during higher water for someone whose boat can handle them, though.

A local tournament this saturday took 21 lbs to win with a four fish limit. It will take a decent weight to make the cut for the championship. Fishing is usually very good down here in the fall.

Fished 5a Sat.& Sun. Was slow for us. Eyes we caught were small. A few decent smallies. Had minor problem with boat so didn’t get to fish a lot of spots I wanted to. Talked to a lot of people and most reported real slow on the eyes. Looked like there was a big mayfly hatch Fri. night. It was great being out. Boats fixed so will be out again real soon. Good luck.

Speaking of the FLW Walleye League Championship, I will be fishing it and have never fished Pools 5, 5A, or 6. I don’t know if there will be any boundaries (usually not), but I will be down in August to check out the waters.

If anyone might be interested in filling a seat in my boat for a day, drop me an email or PM. I could certainly use some ‘local’ knowledge to get me acquainted with the waters and fishery. I am a sponge…

Tim

If you want to catch some bigger fish don’t be scared to fish for bass. Have fished pool 5 for 15yrs and the big walleyes like Rattle Traps and back waters, but it will completety depend on where the pool elevation is with the drawdown. If you can’t fill the seat I might be able to help you out, if my son will let me get out of a day of topwater bass fishing that time of year. Also, don’t underestimate the minnow, I have found them to out produce worms and leeches.

I was out last night on 5a willowcat fishing and ended up catching some nice walleyes, I usually like throwing out a nightcrawler, but didnt have any with me. With the water finally down they have really moved out on the wingdams.

Can you be a little more specific on how you fish with willowcats bobber,size of sinker,size of hook,how do you hook the willw cat on. Do you jig with it or just how do you do it? Are their stingers on willow cats to be carefull of? Thanks

I either troll willow cats on a three-way rig in front of a wing dam, or I anchor above the dam and fish them on a slip-sinker rig. On a three way, I give the ‘cat a couple feet of line below the swivel, and use a #4 Aberdeen hook, usually in red, which seems to help sometimes. Some guys jig them, but I don’t do this much.

The stingers on willow cats pack a dose of venom, and if one stings you you will know it! I would almost compare it to a bee sting, and like a bee sting different people react in different ways. When I get stung by a willow cat, it burns like !@#$ for several minutes, and then gets better–nothing more. Some people’s hands go numb, and I have heard, but not seen, of people who cannot use their arm for the rest of the day. There are special scoops you can buy to handle them. I personally use leather gloves when handling the little beasts.

Thankyou, for your insite and for now I just have one more question, How do you hook the willow cat: through the lips or back or exactly how ?

I hook them through the lips. This is because it has worked for me in the past, not because I think hooking in the back wouldn’t work. Willow cats are tough, and can take a beating.