Dragging ring worms on pool #4

Just returned from a great fishing trip at Evert’s resort. We arrived on Friday the 24th around 10:30. This was only my second time fishing this pool. We got some valuable information from Dean there on what the fish were biting and when to be there. Now I’ve been fishing for walleyes for a long time, and I’ve read about you guys dragging ring worms up here, but when Dean told use we had to drag 3/32oz. jigs up stream in 8 to 10 FOW I was a little worried because I had never fished this way and didn’t have any confidence in this tecnique. I did listen to what he told us and we drug these ring worms up stream at .5 to .7 mph. The best bite came at dusk to about an hour after dark. The best colors for us were oyster shell, char/pepper, and firecracker. The quality of saugers up here is amazing. We caught a few walleyes but most were big fat saugers. We caught fish during the day also but the best bite came late. If you happen to venture up that way be sure to stop in to Everts and talk to Dean and LISTEN TO WHAT HE TELLS YOU. It was great to be out on open water in Febuary with eagles flying over head and thumping walleyes on the mighty Mississippi. I think we are going to make this an annual trip. Thanks again Dean we had a great trip with lots of memories.
Gaylen

Welcome to the site Gaylen!!!!!

Glad you had a great time and caught some good fish!!!!!

That draggin is a very effective method, huh?

Welcome to IDA 192-Fazer

Is the water high right now? Any debris? Any rough fish?

Nice report…

Look forward to more good reports.

People think Dave Koonce is CRAZY for producing all those small and odd sizes like the 3/32 & 3/16. You just experienced why that small weight difference can make such a huge difference in catch rates. Did you try using a 1/8? Usually that size is too heavy and you just pound bottom as you pull upstream.

I’m more excited about the addition of the 1/16 ounce heads to be honest… I’ll get a chance to fish them tomorrow for the first time.

For anyone that hasn’t seen the small BFT heads, here’s the link >> BFT Precision Heads

when you guys are dragging upstream, do you use the trolling motor or a kicker? how fast do you usually go? I’d like to try this at guttenberg next weekend.

Thanks for the report and info.

Andy

If you aren’t using the 1/16th oz to drag down river……..well…….SUCKS to be YOU!!!!!!

I learned from a very good fishing guide on P4 (I won’t say initials—-JAMES HOLST) that using that little 1/16th oz jig for dragging down river was KEY to boating fish!!!!!

This picture says it all……..

Andy,

In my experience it doesn’t matter which motor you use just so long as you’re moving upstream very s-l-o-w-l-y (<1mph). I do usually use my trolling motor this time of year with the slower current, especially in shallower water.

John

Another key factor is getting the rod/jig AWAY from the boat. This especially applies in skinny water (say 12fow). The boat will spoke the walleyes in that shallow of water, so stick the rods out the side of the boat and you will also catch more fish…….To the point where I watched 2 out of 4 rods catch ALL of the fish. All the rods had the same setup but the two rods that were stuck out the sides, and not straight out the back caught the fish.

Gary:

Your post above says “downstream”, the other posts say “upstream”???? Does this work both directions?

Eric

Draggin upstream is an easier tactic for an angler to learn. Downstream is a little trickier. Dustin and I rarely if ever drag upsteam. Upstream is a great way to boat numbers but we consistently catch more big fish going down.

Either way catches fish.

The water is low and clear right now according to the locals.We didn’t catch any rough fish. There was a little ice coming down every now and then so be careful. We seen a guy catching more coming down river than we were trolling up river. We caught several at night going down steam with the 3/32oz jigs, I just moved out to about 10-12 fow. This was my first time using this technique and felt more in control going up stream. I was using my trolling motor and gps to keep track of my speed.

How do you guys keep that light of a jig on the bottom are you fishing that shallow and are moving that slow, UP or Down Stream to keep that jig by the bottom? Do you want the jig to dig into the bottom a little or do you want it to ride just above it? When you are dragging a light jig like a 1/16th oz. are you using live bait on the rig or plastics,or both? Are you dragging a H20 jig tied directly to the line or on some kind of dropper rig?It would sure be great if one of you guys would give us a post on DRAGGING 101 I know we would all be very thankfull for something like that. THANKS GUYS!!!

We never use a dropper. All jigs are tied directly to the line. Your boat speed is very slow going up stream… using a small diameter line is critical to making this work. This technique works best in water less than 12′.

your jig will tap bottom occassionally but should not DIG.

You can drag plastics or livebait but most of the guys that I know that use this technique use ringies almost exclusively.

I’ll second that request Bigjigger. I tried this technique last year and felt very uncomfortable with it. Either I was not confident that I was anywhere near the bottom or my line was taken so far back by the current that I didn’t feel in control. If I switched to a bigger jighead, then all I caught was wood.

Thanks James,do you also have to do this in real low to all most no current areas? This sounds like a new fun way to fish,I think I’ll have to see if I can get this to work for me. James heres a different kind of question,have you ever tried snap jigging on the river?

Cougareye,when you went with the heavier jig,and you were snagging wood did you have any plastics on it to keep it floating over the wood?

Listen to James guy’s….Small jigs! 3/32 and smaller. Your only in 10-12 feet of water and the walleye’s are feeding up.Your moving so slowly up stream,It’s giving the fish plenty o’time to find it. I’m maybe 50-60 feet behind the boat.If you feel the bottom winf it in a couple cranks till you don’t feel the bottom.

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This especially applies in skinny water (say 12fow). The boat will spoke the walleyes in that shallow of water

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Gary, What is “spoke” the Walleyes? Is that the same as “spook” the walleye’s.

What High School did you attend????? Etter Tech????

Gaylen,
It was great to have you guys back again here at Everts.I wish I could take a picture of peoples faces when you try to share some of the most current bite info…sometimes that look is priceless,however worth it when people use it and have a successfull outing.Look forward to having you back again and posting in IDA,we all appreciate your post!

I also tried this dragging technique for the first time last year. It was weird at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is a very productive way to catch walleye and sauger. In our pools that water is a little faster, flow wise, so you just need to go a little heavier on jigs. It is also effective in the deeper water on sand flats below the dams. I fell in love with dragging and can’t wait to get out on the open water to start dragging the ringies

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Thanks James,do you also have to do this in real low to all most no current areas?

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Yes. And you want to be fishing this type of area if your goal is to catch larger walleyes. Inside current seams and up on sand flats out of the current is the place to be.

Snap jigging? Oh baby, yes!

Just before and after the spawn snapping a ringworm on heavier heads can be the bomb. But it beats the heck out of your forearms and wrists over the course of a long day on the water.

I “cheat” when dragging, I bring my flasher along, I can always maintain 6 inches off the bottom (comes in really handy in front of baypoint) though I think it would take a pretty big (heavy) jig to still be able to see your jig moving upstream. Works great, you get awesome hook sets, and you can see how the fish react to your jig and color choice. The only downside (if you want to call it that, most would) to this method is you will probably need to fish a heavy jig than normal even drifting downstream.

When we’re draggin our baits are 50+ feet behind the boat. In shallow, clear water hovering over the top of pressured walleyes just doesn’t cut the mustard. At least not for me anyway.

The trick is to know that your 1/16th ounce jig is 6″ above the bottom 50′ behind the boat.

Hey James!
So, if I am understanding you correctly, you want to be using light enough line and light enough jigs that you have to have about 50′ of line out behind the boat to get it to the bottom. Are you keeping a tight line and checking bottom constantly? Or are you watching your line for any jumps? I like a lot of guys have been brainwashed into thinking you have to be as vertical as possible all the time.

dd

How do you know? Do you slow the boat and touch bottom once in awhile?

Ya got me Chappy!!!!! LOL!!!!!

By the way, yes, I did get some “schooling” once or twice down at “Etter Tech”!!!!! LOL!!!!!

I’ll check for bottom and then speed up slightly to keep the jig off bottom. Once I have things set up I basically can forget about checking again unless;

I get over deeper water.

I have to speed up the boat to maintain speed which indicates a change in current speed. Then you need to re-establish jig position.

I remember I used to longline troll jig/minnow combo with the trolling motor on the Rainy River in the mid 90’s and had some excellent success in the 7-10 FOW with some really big fish, doing exactly what James is describing. Since then, what did I do? Forgot all about doing it again until about 3 years ago when Dustin and I were draggin plastics down on Pool 4. Nowadays, I have been periodically dragging plastics and hair on Pool 2 and have done well!
Thanks to IDA, the draggin jig technique was another eye re-opener for me!

Its funny how we forget presentations.. I use to slip bobber during the day all the time on Mille lacs in the mid 90’s on my launch trips and we caught boat loads of fish. When I started fishing tourneys, I refused to do it and actually forgot about all the fish we use to catch on those trips..

drewsdad-One thing about dragging, there is no mistaking a hit. Most bites are a viscious attack I am not sure why, but they hit the bait so hard most of the time, you had better be holding on to the rod.