Saturday Bust @ DBQ

Winds were howling late into the night Friday, on a screaming high barometer. I decided to wait as late as I could on Saturday, in hopes of a break in the pressure ahead of the next storm system (the stuff that went through yesterday afternoon).

With my kitchen pass soon to expire, I left home around 1pm and was on the water by 2:45pm. The report from the guy at the Bait Shack was not good, either, him saying that it had been a very slow week. At least 20 boat trailers were are at the Hawthorne ramp, but as I rounded the corner out of the Peosta channel, the tailwaters were nearly deserted. Water temps were 44 degrees. The flow seemed about the same as last weekend-maybe a little bit heavier-only because the roil around the wingdams seemed to be moving along a little faster than last week.

There was a small group of boats working the lock wall and approaches, but they scattered when a big up-bound tow needed a lift to pool 11.

I made nearly a dozen drift in the tailwaters, at various depths and locations, but could not get a bite. I also tried several presentations-minnow-tipped hair jigs, ringworms, paddletail shads-to no avail.

I had to be off the water by 5:30 or so, so I made a pass on some flats just above the 151 bridge, when something wonderful happened, I got several bona-fide hits! This was on white/red hair jig tipped with a minnow in 20 FOW.

I had to be getting home, so I headed in. Most of the guys had not done too well, though those that did reported that the walleye were coming on within the last hour. This supported my observations, as well. Perhaps the barometric pressure was finally starting to drop?

I think many of the guys were down river, below the 151 bridge. So far, 0-3 (2 trips to DBQ and 1 trip to Guttenberg) this spring on the mighty Miss.

One of these days, I’ll have my day in the sun too!

In other news, while walking my setter yesterday, we found some awesome antler sheds. It was my first time shed hunting, and I didn’t start out the day with that in mind-just taking the dog for a walk! But we found one little set, that I thought my sons would like, and I decided to keep an eye open-then found some really nice ones!

Joe,

I made it out at DBQ for only about 4 hours on Saturday morning and was off the water before you got to DBQ. It was very slow. I caught only 4 fish and they were all small saugers. I started out fishing the Wisconsin shoreline below the Hwy 151/61 bridge. I was vertical jigging downstream and then pulling a double rapala back upstream. I ended up catch 2 fish there. I also had what felt to be a nice walleye on but never got a look at him. Then I fished a couple spots downstream further but was unable to find a fish. I headed up to the dam and pulled double rapalas on the Iowa side where most of the boats were concentrated. I caught 2 short saugers and had several other hits. I did see one keeper boated by a guy pulling rapalas and I talked to another guy who had caught and released a 22″ walleye. I hate pulling rapalas (boring) but sometimes this is what the fish want. I had a couple friends who stayed out until after 4pm on Saturday and they did keep a few nice saugers that were caught on Saturday afternoon. They were also up below the dam pulling double rapalas.

Things are really up in the air with the river right now. As you mentioned the storm fronts coming through every other day does not help the fishing. The river is on the rise and has come up almost 3 feet from what it was a week ago and it looks to rise another 3 feet or so with what is coming down the river right now. If we get a ton of rain here to the north in the next couple weeks we could have the river over flood stage within 2 weeks. The river is on a fairly steady rise which is a good thing right now because the spawn is also underway. The Iowa DNR said that the best years for walleye spawn is when the water is high. I should just stay off of the water for the next few weeks but I have a tournament in pool 10 next Sunday. In 2 or 3 weeks the first post-spawn walleyes will start congregating on certain structures and they will be hungry.

Eyehunter

I don’t have a lot to add other than to say it must have been slow all week. I fished Wed. morning and afternoon and caught 6 small fish and 1 keeper sauger. I mostly fished by the lock and dam but hit several other spots with no luck. I saw 6 keepers caught in 7 hours including my 1. Slow, slow, slow all week.

With all the high water I might hit the backwaters for panfish If only I can keep away from the massive numbers of seagulls

Mr Twister
Matt Harris