Pool 2 Action

I’ve been having really good luck lately on Pool 2 with the higher water hitting current breaks and slack water. The best action has come in the evening in 4-7 foot of water trolling cranks. The fish I have been catching haven’t liked a very fast presentation… my speeds have been from 1.7-1.9 mph. The really good news is that I have been catching more quality sized fish, including a 27″+ lost right at the boat! #5’s have been the ticket!

Thanks for the report. What section of P2 were you on? Upper, Mid section or the lower end?

I checked out the 494 ramp and it is open and the dock is still in. There was a lot of truck traffic, but the road and ramp are good to go. I’ll be getting out tonight. I plan to work the wing dams south of 494.

J.

Thanks for the update-also, what is the water like? Brown, lots of debris? I hope to get out tomorrow.

Any color patterns working better than others right now?
Like Dave mentioned, how is the clarity?
All quick action shad bodied patterns? Raps?

Have you tried pitching any plastics to these areas?
I cannot wait until September to get back down there. I will be wrapping up my Mille Lacs fishing withing a month and back to the upper sections of the Miss for some smallie tourneys and back down to Pool 2.
Thanks for the update Travis!
Nice report!

I have lived about 5 blocks from that launch for 5 years now, and never made it out there. (I have always said I’d go toward fall and then end up down on the Vermillion.) But now I am bound and determined to get out there! I am very unfamiliar with that stretch of the Sippi, so any hints anyone could give, as well as areas to watch out for, would be appreciated.

Greg,

I’m only familiar with the area from the confluence north to the Ford Dam. I’ve worked the Pike island area and done very well, this is the island on the left hand side just above the confluence as your heading up river into the Miss. Above there, you’ll find a no wake zone, above this area, on the left hand side I’ve trolled just about every inch of shoreline until the river makes a 90 to the right. At this point, I cut across to the other shoreline and work my way up to the Hidden falls landing. Again I cross back to the other shore until I reach where the Minnehaha creek flows in. You can’t miss this area, there will be lots of folks wading this area. I pretty much end my trolling run here.

I like to troll upstream since the current just rips through this area, if you snag, going downstream count that lure good bye and possbly the rod.

I haven’t been on Pool 2 this year yet, but in my opinion, the best bite will start in the next few days. I’ve had some of best days fishing down there when it’s as hot and miserable as can be. On those days, I’ve found trolling right in the middle of channel will produce fish at times. Here is a pic of the best looking 25″ fish I’ve come across. It weighed in at a little over 7lbs. It was caught as we crossed a channel. The light bulb came on and we fish the middle of the channel for the rest of the day, catching one after another. She was caught on 7/15/01.

My best lures down there are small chartruese walleye diver or #5 shap rap. Although anything with lots of vibration tends to do very well in the dirty water. Good Luck!!

Greg: You have been missing out on a good stretch of river right in your back yard. The potential for year round fishing is real good. Last year , close to this time , we were catching multiple species of fish by casting cranks to the wing dams and current breaks. The fall time can be fantastic and during the winter , if the launch is free of ice , the airport area and just north of the bridge offers good jig and minnow or jig and plastic action.
Dino

I was able to fish over the 4th weekend. It was pretty nice…. fishing ’till sunset then boating up to see the fireworks.

The water is muddy… I’d say the clarity was less than a foot. A lot of debris was stirred up by all the traffic this weekend… many of the jams were released by the constant wave action. I did finally ding the prop the other night.

It’s been a mix between #5 shad raps and shallow rouges. I have been working the raps more towards the first break, and the rouges closer in.

Firetiger has been a good color.

I pitched some plastics, but I was getting many short hits. I threw on a hair jig, and managed a couple by just swimming it.

Thanks for all the info, guys! I am pretty new to the site, and I really like it. It’s great to see so many people sharing the enjoyment of fishing. I am hoping to get out this weekend, either on the Croix or in the area around the 494 bridge. Maybe I’ll see some of you out there. Hopefully, I’ll have good news/pics to post on Monday!

Those pictures of nice walleyes got me to head down to pool2 on wensday night. Fishing was a little slow but the son and I had a great time anyways. I thought we where going to be in for some action when we pulled up on the first spot and I dropped a ringie over the side and let it sit just off bottom while I tied a line for the boy and we pulled in 2 eyes before I got done tieing the 2nd line. They where few and far between after that.
I did have fun trying to show johnathen, who is 5, how to pitch the face of wingdams. He did allright.
What size jigs have you guys been pitching lately. We where throwing 1/8 oz grubmasters with kalins and they where a little light. I would still make contact closer to shore but worth less farther out on the dam.
No trolling or pitching cranks last night but saturday morning I am going to give it a try.

I’m hoping to work the upper end of Pool 2 this Saturday morning. I plan to get out there really early to beat some of the traffic. I’ll be pulling cranks, most likely that’s it.

I was out on the upper part last night-conditions were good, water is running high, clean of debris but still a bit muddy. The bite was off for us, numbers of smaller fish and only one 17-18″ sauger. Everything else was under 13″. Just couldnt find any bigger fish of any species.

It was nice to have the river to myself though!

I think that Jon J will chime in later this morning w/ a better report from the 494 area.