Fishing out of Evert’s Resort

Used the first sick day of the year and it is amazing how a day on the water can be just the dose of medicine a guy needs to refresh and renew the spirit. Gary Harper and I drove up from Des Moines on Thursday the 20th to spend a day on the water. We left at 4:00 am and arrived at Evert’s at 8:15 am. We were on the water at 8:45 am and started at the bottom of the scour hole in 20-25 feet of water. Didn’t have much luck so we kept moving deeper. At 45-50 feet we were getting plenty of bites but the fish were small. We continued moving deeper and continued getting bites even in 80 feet of water. While in the deeper areas of the scour hole we did catch eight sturgeon. I thought we were snagging them but three of them were hooked in the mouth all the others in the nose so I think they were actually hitting our jigs tipped with minnows. Just before dark we moved up to the eddy on the west bank in about 25 feet of water and just hammered the fish for about 30 minutes. Nothing big but we did get 12 15-18 inch walleyes and saugers. What a wonderful day. Didn’t get back to Des Moines until 11:30 pm. It sure made for a long day but we will be back as soon as we are in need of using another sick day. Good fishing to all.

Sounds like fun. It sure is better than using the sick day when your sick!

Zamer, If you are going to fish deep water (more than 30 feet) you will kill too many fish, especially the depths you are talking about, 50-80 feet is unheard of. Catch and Release does not exist that deep. Every fish WILL DIE. if that is what you want to do, Please stay home. Jack..

Zamer, One more thing, just for your info. There is a closed Ban from fishing (any Species) 3/1 to 4/30, from the at the dam face to 300 feet down stream. Signs are marked on the shoreline, and the DNR will watch this area quite closely. They will sit on the top of the dam, with binoculars write down your boat number and mail your ticket to you. That does eliminate most of the deeper water in that dam area. Jack..

I agree that fishing the deeper water is hard on the fish and many do die. We didn’t spend much time in those depths due to the fish were small. All of our keepers came from 30 or less. Thanks for the info on the restricted areas of the dam. Hope to see you on the water.

Zamer, thanks for posting back. when talking depths 45-80 feet, not only most Walleye and Sauger will die, all WILL. You did find that most of the fish if not all of them were very small and not anything you;d want to keep. Use the experience of long time board members to your advantage. On this link you can go back 104 pages of posts to June 2001. Read the ones from this Spring and go back to last year. There are many references to deep water fishing and keeping the Eagles fat and sassy. Keep fishing 30 feet as a max, and take the time to explore shallow shoreline Walleyes, you WILL be surprized. The river, the fish and the ecology are resources that IS OUR responsibility to nurture,and to use wisely, so we can pass this treasure on. See you on the water. Jack..