Pool 14 Bust?!

I’ve made it out on 14 twice in the last week or so, and have had very poor success on eyes and sauger. Cannot seem to find any active fish. I managed three short walleyes and one small sauger fishing a variety of areas from rip rap, wing dams, sand flats, sand banks, creek mouths, deep holes and shallow bars. I’ve pitched jigs, vertical jigged, pulled 3-ways with minnows and cranks, pulled double raps, and every other trick I could muster, with no success .
The big river can sure feed a guy a big slice of humble pie from time to time! More often than not for me of late! In the past, if down river fishing was treating me rough, I could always head to the dam for some sauger action. Now, I have to continue searching for a pattern down river. I am still strongly in favor of the dam closing here, but am discovering a real need to hone my mid winter fish finding skills!
I’ve seen a few boats out here and there, but suprisingly few for the weather we’ve been having. Those I’ve talked to have had similarly dismall results. Anyone been doing well in this neck of the woods?
I’ll keep plugging away and find them sooner or later!
John

I might get my boat over to the Quad Cities this week–no closed areas there… I have never fished below Dams # 14 or 15, so I have no idea what I will find. I haven’t heard anything from that area, either.

You’ll figure it out John! If we couldn’t fish by the dam at Red Wing I’d be hosed too. But it would make me get better at the jig pitching and 3-ways and all the other stuff I suck at

Martin V and I were at the dam yesterday and picked up a few nice sauger and a lot of little hummers. But we did try to pitch for walleyes early with no success. Next time we are down we should make ourselves fish anywhere but the dam so we can start gaining some confidence in other methods.

Happy New Year John!

dd

Bummer John, I hear ya.

Keep us updated, I hope to make it back out to the river weather permitting mid Feb. Between there and the IL I hope to stay busy.

Hey John, the DNR should force everyone to hone their downriver fishing skills a month longer and keep the dam closed until April 15th better yet May 1st to protect the egg laying females from the meat hunters. The law is working to a tee right now with the weather we are having. Sorry meat Hawgs….. Your the reason for the closed season…………….

I agree with you BFT on the closing, should be until May 1. In fact, I’d like to see it started a month earlier as well. Nov 1- May 1 would be perfect!

While I occasionally keep a few fish to eat, I really frown on those who feel the need to pull fish from deep water, catching and killing dozens of small fish to fill their limit of eaters. The slot limit is also proving to be a great boon to fishing in our area I believe. Lots of NICE fish out there that are safe from the frying pan!

John,what’s the river conditions on 14? as far as ice coming down?
Rick,

I am not sure if my meaning was clear on my first post, but I want to make sure everyone knows where I stand. I like the closed seasons below Dubuque, Bellevue, and Clinton, because too many small fish were apprently being caught from deep water and released to die. I also support the 20″-27″ slot on the IA-IL section of the Mississippi, because those fish need to be protected from over-harvest. They are the key to spawning success, which is critical on the Mississippi.

My understanding on the closed season below the three lock and dams, though, is that it was not done primarily to stop the harvest of trophy fish; it was done to cut the harvest of eating-sized walleye and sauger, and to halt the mortality rates that resulted from releasing small fish that were pulled from deep winter habitat below the dams. I spoke with a USFWS agent at Bellevue last fall, and he said that the closed season was having the desired effect in boosting sauger populations on those pools. I am all for that, and will support continuing the winter closed zones if it demonstrated that the walleye and sauger populations are benefitting from them.

I am no fan of people who scoff at catch and release, but I am not sure that extending the closed season to April or May is a good idea. I would rather see the slot limits and minimum size left in place for a while, and see how effective they are in improving the quality of the walleye fishery on the Mississippi.

I wil continue to fish the water below the dams where it is legal to do so in the winter, and I have no problem with keeping eating-sized (15″-19″ for walleye) fish. I do not fish the very deep (40′-50′-60’+) plunge pools where small fish are often found, because they are too small to keep, and I am convinced the mortality rate of such fish is high when they are released. Ideally, only such deep areas would be closed to fishing in the winter, IMO, but there is no practical way to do this without banning fishing in the shallower water below the dams, as well.

VikeFan, sorry if it sounded like I was knocking fishing below dams, or those who do so. On the contrary, I very much enjoy fishing tailwaters as well. I see your point on not extending the closed season. Let’s see what effect the current regs have on our fishery first. Well put!
I think it would be great if we could count on all fishermen to put ethics in front of creel counts. We would not need these restrictive regulations if that where to happen. You are also correct on the reasoning behind the closed season below the dams. This portion of the regs was to prevent the slaughter of thousands of fish pulled from deep, cold water in order to fill the limits of eaters. I have seen a noticeable increase already in the sauger population on this pool, as well as the quality of saugers making it to the boat. The slot limit on eyes is not really designed to protect or produce trophy fish, but to protect the most prolific and viable breeding females in the 3-7 pound range. I think it will provide a great fringe benefit of providing us with a much larger population of true trophy fish as well.
I’ve heard the fishing has been fair below 15 and 16, with some very good bites from time to time. Do not have any specifics though. If you go, try pulling sticks or bait on three ways on the channel drop near the mouth of the Rock river, on up to the marina on the Illinois side.
From a fellow southern Vike fan!

Rick,
The ice flow has slowed somewhat since I was last out, althought there is still plenty to watch out for. I do not think there is so much piled up along current breaks as there was on my last outing. The river is very manageable with a little caution and moderate speed. I hope to go out for a bit Wed. afternoon, and will post results if I do!

Thanks for the update John,and hope you have good fishing on Wed.