Pool 2 29 & 30 October

I spent a good part of the day yesterday and also this afternoon after work on Pool 2. I’m coming to the conclusion that I have a lot to learn! I’m catching fish but not in any quantity. Anyway…

Yesterday the ticket for me was to ddddddraggggggg the jig slowly across the bottom. No hoppin’ or poppin’ at all. I was using an 1/8th ounce jig to avoid snagging up. The rod would slowly load up and that was a hit. Three fish: 18, 20, nd 24 inches. This was working pretty well until the wind picked up. The wind would blow my line and lift the small jig off the bottom. I tried a heavier jig but no dice. This was all on hair by the way. I haven’t done anything with plastics so far. Today I popped a nice 22 inch fish within the first 5 minutes again on a hair jig. This was a classic situation where the jig was slowly falling down the face of a wingdam and the fish just ate it. But that was it, the only hit I had. The wind was really howling up the river valley making boat control very difficult. I was using the bow mount in an attempt to “hover” in postiton but with no significant current and gusty winds it was tough. My anchor sucks so that wasn’t working either. It’s a mushroom type and it drags forever before it grabs onto the bottom. Time to upgrade!

I met a guy at the acess who like me is a rookie on Pool 2. He told me that the first time he launched at the 494 access, he asked a guy how to find the wingdams he had been reading about. The guy told him the first wingdam was “7 or 8 miles down river” I pointed at the log by the green can in front of the access and said “you know why that log is sticking there? That’s a wingdam!”. Pretty funny.

I got an order confiramation e-mail from BfishN tackle today telling me that my DVD is on it’s way. Time to do some studying (and buy a new anchor).

Rootski

One note on the road to the access: The stop lights under the bridge don’t work . They show red in both directions and never change. When I first got there today there was a bunch of people just looking at each other and nobody was moving. Then the longest train in the history of the world came by. After the train was through I just drove through the red light and everyone behind me followed. The sign on the road still says that it will be closed on 2 November.

Rootski

Nice report. I like it when an old timer makes a report. There is always some sage to it.

Quote:

---

I like it when an old timer makes a report. There is always some sage to it.

---

Old timer? Sage? Jeez Gundy you’re making me feel, well, old.

Rootski thanks for the report, I am starting to make my annual mental migration from thinking about Mille Lacs trolling all the time to thinking about P2 all the time.

I hear ya on the numbers thing Rootski, I was on P2 sat. 11-7 only 3 walleyes, a 22,25 and a fat 26. I must have fished 10 wingies, all on ringworms. Got into some nice white bass, man those things look healthy, good fighters too! All mine came on 3/16 jigs, tried 1/8 too windy for me. Every fish came off the tops 5-6 fow.

Good luck next time, I’m in a 620 ranger/225 evinrude, plan on being down there every weekend till ice-up, stop by and say hi if you see me. I would be happy to trade info, its easier to find fish with two boats than one!

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

I like it when an old timer makes a report. There is always some sage to it.

---

Old timer? Sage? Jeez Gundy you’re making me feel, well, old.

---

Steve… That pretty funny. He’s got a great point though.. thats a great report!!!!!!

Ice up? I thought Pool 2 was a year round endeavor.

Dave, indeed P2 can be accessed almost year round as I’m sure you know, but when Mille Lacs ices up, thats where you’ll find me. Only times I hit the river past Jan. is warm days with low ice flow.

Quote:

---

say hi if you see me.

---

Will do Matt. I’m in a red Lund with a Merc on the back, tiller boat.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to help much but I’ll try!

Rootski

Hey Rootski, we were the other guys in a red Lund w/ a tiller on Saturday.

I think I saw you w/ a fly rod out, any action on that? Ever try fly fishing for eyes on wing dams? I started to think that wouldnt be a bad presentation for fishing the entire dam snag free.

Hi Dave!

Yup, that was me! I was throwing a white Clouser Minnow ( a weighted bucktail streamer) along the rip rap looking for some of those big chunky White Bass. I figured that would probably be the last time this year that I’d get a chance to use a fly rod so why not? I caught one small White Bass and that as it. I also found out that the fly line I was using really doesn’t like getting cold.

Hope to see you out there next time!

Rootski

I bet you could get away with a fly rod and plastics on them wing dams. I have one of them white streamers you are talking about with at all time along with some rabbit hairs. I have actually caught fish with them while we were in the right spots for them. Up on mille lacs we were on a great bit with leaches while fishing smallies and them rabbit hairs (super leech) would have caught fish for sure!!! once there wet there is no problem working them with a 7+ ft spinning rod. One of them things on the list to try! Good to hear your twisting it up a bit Steve! You never know sometimes.

Joe,

I have no doubt I could simulate the action of a hair jig with some of the flies I use. The problem would be getting it deep enough. There are sinking fly lines but any deeper than 6 or 8 feet, especially if there’s much current running, you’d be much better off with a spinning rod. I just like using a fly rod and wanted to use it one last time before it got to cold out.

That leads me to a questions about wing dam fishing. Are you finding your fish on top of the dam, along the face, or on the bottom in front of it? I’m finding most of my fish in the deep water at the base of the dam. Not many and I’m sure not catching any monsters.

Rootski