S L O W Saturday on P4

*yawn* Though it was good to get back out on the river I’m now considering heading out on hard water tomorrow rather than revisiting Pool 4 after a dismal performance Saturday afternoon. I don’t discount the theory that operator error played a part in the results but I’ll be waiting a couple weeks before pulling the boat out again. My fishing partner and I didn’t find any takers either jigging or pitching shallow sand and rip-rap. There were a half dozen other boats up by the dam and it looked like it wasn’t going any better for them than it was for us. C’est la vie.

On the plus side it was quiet and peaceful, and the ramp at Evert’s was in great shape. Not a ton of ice floating downstream and the water clarity has improved to about 2-3 feet of visibility.

Thanks for the report Southerner. I was wondering how it went down there today. Good luck if you go icefishing tomorow.

It was pretty darn slow today. We managed 8 fish (5 eyes up to 20″ and 3 dogs up to 18″) in a few hours, but we had to work for them. There were a few fish shallow towards dark, but it was way too windy to fish them effectively. No one color or bait produced more than two fish, but ringworms and paddletails on 3/16-1/4 H20 heads caught all the fish. I just cleaned the three that I brought home and they were full of shad. If anyone gets out tomorrow (I had been planning to…) I’d love to hear the results.

When you consider that the DNR says that it takes 8 hours per walleye of fishing on lakes I’d say that you did pretty good with the fish you caught. Now I realize that pool 4 is a VERY hot fishery compared to those figures the DNR has for lakes but not all outtings will be super hot. The fish are very well fed right now with all the shad but its just like any report/outting you hear-hot one day and slower the next and back-n-forth sometimes. Still great to be out.
Thanks, Bill

I fished on sunday along with about 14 or so other boaters. The wind wasn’t bad and I caught some fish. I started fishing around 7 am and picked up two walleyes right away and thought it might be a banner day. It slowed down from there and I quit fishing around 1:30. I ended up catching a dozen fish, missed a few other bites and had one break off. I fished plastics all day catching half of the fish on ringworms and half on paddle tails. The good thing was that all the fish I caught were over 15 inches long which all were released to fight another day.

I had one Walleye in the boat for only 2 hours on the water before having to go home for a holiday get-together. Weather was warm, I was not at work…

Considering I would go 5 trips to Lake Casitas (Southern CA) for each fish caught, I’m thrilled!!!!!

My father-in-law and I were out for the day on Sunday. We had enough action to keep us interested but it was not a slaugter by any means. We took a 50/50 mix of saugers (up to 19″) and eyes (up to 18″) vertical jigging with oystershell paddletails and firecracker ringies rigged on sour grape or purple precision heads. The bite was very subtle; I had only one fish come up and crack a bait that was suspended off the bottom. Every other bite came with the bait at rest on the bottom. Worked rip-rap and shallow sand for several hours early and late with only one legal eye to show for it.

The sun and the lack of wind were great even though the temps never broke 30 F. Now I have to thaw out my boat and gear and start waiting for another mild day to enjoy my next December open-water adventure.

Slow for me on Sunday as well. Had 10 nice eyes and a 5lb saugeye. Hit the water at 10:30am fished until dark. All fish were caught pitchin firecracker or pro-blue ringies on black 3/16oz precision heads.

Dad and I tried dragging jigs for a couple of hours. Rigged jig/minnow on one rod and 2 rods with ringies but no takers until I sarted casting the plastic.

Nice to get out even if it was chilly.

hi Dustin,
you talking “dragging” as in way back of the boat, and going up river, or just drifting “jigging” ????
did you do any jigging?????
would like to see a pic of a 5 lber Saugeye..
thanks, Jack..

Sorry Jack,no pics. I was all by my lonesome and live well lid was frooze shut.

Tried dragging up river and down river to no avail. Jigs way behind the boat. With the clear water and shallow eye’s jigging right over the top of them just isn’t going to get them to bite in the shallower depths. To much of a spook factor going vertical.

Did not try any vertical jigging.