Pool 8

How has the fishing been? I will be heading over to LaCrosse this weekend and I am unfamilar with the area. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I wish I could say its good but it rarely is for me. Too much boat traffic for my liking. But I always hear how guys that I never see out there are drilling them on pool 8 so at least someone is getting fish. Im fishing pool 7 this week and will try to report. Any particular species your after?

Steve Hougom – FTR Webstaff

I am usally fishing for Walleye, but I am willing to try anything that will

bite. I have never fished that pool before it looks fairly trecherous from

the Onalaska side. Any suggestions on where to put the boat in at.

This week the eyes actually moved to the channel edges and a little away from the wingdams??? The current was so low that I was using a 1/4 ounce hair jig where I usually use 5-8ths, and the walleye seemed to be out by the channel more. Hougie fishes 8 a lot more than I do and he’s right, like pool 9 it seems to be feast or famine. Don’t overlook the closing dams though. A week ago you didn’t even have to move from wingdam to wingdam, once you found them on one or two you could spend 8 + hours right there. I talked to a guy who slipbobers with a leech on top of wing dams almost like a reef and he said if he spends all day eventually he gets some nice eyes. Not just in the early AM and PM either. Other than a 44 inch snake, the only fish I caught on the wing dams Monday was a nearly all black 15 inch sauger. After I saw all the marks by the channel I didn’t spend a lot of time on the dams. If you come down the best bite for me has been from the railroad bridge, down to running slough., and more specifically from the Joe Lynn to 7th street landing. I stopped using 7th street landing Monday. I got sick of plowing mud to get out to the channel. Be very careful the low current really fools you about the depth of the rocks. Last year at this time we changed over to live bait on wolf river rigs and stayed there till end of August and it started working Monday a little. Crawlers worked better, but you have to wade through the sheephead to get to the walleyes, especially anchored in front of dams. Lot’s of the guys around here use willow cats , but I still don’t notice much preference for one or the other, but then crawlers are free in my backyard and willow cats I haven’t learned how to afford yet. Won’t somebody show me how to catch them please!!!! Lawrence

GTR, just got in tonight from pool 7 and struck out hard. Ran in to an old buddy of mine Zach Boudreau who is as good as anyone down here and he didnt have much to report either. (It was great chatting with you Zach! ) If you do fish pool 7, you will find lots of wing dam opportunities but you almost have to fish them all it seems to find fish! If you want to try pool 7 you can put in at Dresbach Park off of I-90. Its a couple miles north of the pool 8 Lock on the MN side. Take the Dresbach exit and just keep going straight. You will see the signs directing you to the park. The launch is down in the park over the railroad tracks. (WARNING – Be sure and park up on the street as only locals can park in the park or you could get a citation from the local lawman!) You will be in the main river plenty far from Lake Onalaska so dont worry about that. I agree with Lawrence about pool 8 overall its a good pool for walleyes BUT, there moody and seem to move around alot. You can have the best day or the worst day on that pool. Fish the dams with the most current on them and give the channel edge a shot. I echo his comments about Green Island/7th St. Landing, its so darn shallow there now that you have to throw mud just to get out in to the main river. Safest bet would be Clinton St., I was there the other day and scraping bottom there too but not as bad. Have fun and let us know how you did.

Steve Hougom – FTR Webstaff

Pool 7 was brutal, I was out there last night for the first time since Catfish Days 2000 and the dams just seem vacant. Talked with Dale Radcliffe and Troy Patterson and they have been having a similar lack of success on pool 7 dams.

I have been doing OK on pool eight, but I have only found a handful of dams that have fish on them, so it’s not exactly on fire either. Green Island launch is a little dicey, but I was able to get out through the south opening no problem with my motor trimmed up … never bumped bottom. Another few inches lower however and you probably would not be able to get a big boat out of the cut. I’m sure I’ll see you out there over the next few weeks Hougie.

Zach

Yup, I got shut out on the walleyes on 7, too. I tried my usual tactics, cranks, jigs, etc. on the dams and they do seem empty, damn empty. I salvaged the trip by messing with the bass tight to shore (see the bass thread in the bass forum).

Hey guys, Dustin made a post about clam beds on 4. Does 7 and 8 have areas like these to try? Sand flats? Just curious and trying to help feed ideas. I’ve had a couple of skunks this year and identify with the “bummed” that comes with it. :O)

Just really curious when the mayflys hatch over a mud type bottom. Do you think some of the Eyes have moved to the mud flats or are they just full from the mayflies floating in the currents? Do we maybe need to make a move?

Tom P

hey guys where m i fishing when i’m fishing goose island?Right now i can tell u the eyes are near the rocks,been doing great between 7 & 9pm.Had bad luck the other day,tangled up with a group of gar on rooster tailes.