Walleyes/sauger else where?

In continuation of my life long learning process and natural curiosity, I wonder if anyone ever goes “outside the box”, fishing the river in places uncommon this time of year? Or maybe it is common? I find it hard to fathom that the fishing is only good up by dams or with in a couple miles of dams.

HOw about Lake Pepin in December? Backwaters? etc. Anyone have success with wall and saug dogs outside of the dam areas?

Thanks always!

Jim W

Back when I lived on the Mississippi, about a decade ago, we rarely ran to the dam if the back waters were open. The area we fished was in the mid pool area, about 8-10 miles downstream. The area was the old river channel, the Whinnsieck (sp), and the sauger and walleye were just as plentiful as at the dam but without all the company. The danger was if you had problems, motor died or ??, you were kinda on your own..

dan

Out in Oregon land where the walleyes grow bigger and the Columbia doesn’t freese all winter long…

Well, Dan, you must be one of the few who venture away from the “norm”. Thanks for the reply though!!!

well Jim…. I know there are a few lone wolves that stay away from the pack…. typically they are very experienced fishermen….. often guides or locals….. Ive seen quite a number of away from the dam action mentioned…. if you read what James, Dustin and Turk have to say they all check waters away from the beaten path…… you just have to have a good amount of self confidence…. I always find the hardest thing is if you start to struggle while away from the dam, quite often I find myself returning just to find some action….. thats not a good way to learn…. but its hard to try new things when you are flopping big time….. its just like techniques and tackle…. you have confidence in the tried and true….. the new stuff is on trial until it proves itself……..

you are quite correct in wanting to think outside of conventional wisdom…. this is the path to greatness….. its just not an easy path…..

Jim, the lake will have ice on it soon, but there are fish to be caught all the way to the ice. Last year Mavsner and I caught some of the biggest saugers of the year well past Collville park. Personally I would rather have 20 fish to myself than share 200 with 9 other boats. Just tougher finding the 20 sometimes. There are some great places to pull cranks all winter away from the dam. Also great places to throw plastics for the occasional piggy eye. But on really tough days, that dam sure is inviting! Keep it vertical.

I would have to agree 100%. There are almost always active fish somewhere downstream. The nice thing is when you find these fish they haven’t been seeing 1000 jig and minnow combos go by and are eager to bite. The average size and walley to sauger ratio is also usually better.

Jim,

I have a learning system I started last spring that works great for me so far. I usually plan to fish one or two spots downstream from out dam before heading up to join the crowds. I try new areas that I believe may hold fish as much as possible. I don’t spend a lot of time on them unless they are productive. I mark my fishin journal with spots that work and conditions when they were productive. It has been working quite well, I have 3-4 spots where I never see anyone else fishing that are often good for some fast, aggressive action. I find record keeping to be very important because my memory fails me far to often. Wing dams, current breaks, rip rap shorelines, and slough mouths are my general targets. Good luck and give it a try!

Rooster

Rooster has a good method. I’ll have to find a journal, too. The breaks are productive. Sometimes, it’s just nice to wander around and watch the graphs. Not really fish, just look. Learning the river is a frustrating experience, but it’s also the most rewarding fishing that I’ve ever done. No better fishery that I can think of or even imagine. It’s kind of like playing solitaire or doing crosswords or learning anything else. Success is often rare, but when it comes, you tend to push a lot harder to find it again.

I went out with James a couple of times this year and grilled him as much as possible. It helped. I’m beginning to learn a little bit about the river and also how to use different fishing methods to find the good ones. Looking forward to more of the same throughout the year. That’s the secret. It makes the trips that much more enjoyable. Besides, just being out on the water makes the experience worthwhile.

Mike

I went out to the dam today and spent 4 hours working to catch 3 fish, and they were nothing to brag about. I moved down stream to one of my out of the way spots and pulled 7 fish in less than an hour, bigger fish and no bumper boats. The spot was an eddie below a wing dam right on shore, with a 35′ hole. Fished the outside edges of the hole and caught fish. Most of what I did to catch these fish I learned here. Thanks to all for helping make me a better fisherman!

Ya Hey JimW I’ve taught a fall Walleye fishing coarse for our local Comm. College here for 10 years now, and that type of question has been ask and discussed 10 times !

The real answer boils down to fish biology and Mississippi pool location. First from a simple biological standpoint : Walleye and cousins have Salmon instinct (spring or fall water cool down, they need to move forward against current to ready themseves for pawning). Here lies their character !

We’ve learned to head to the Dams (or a barrier or impediment to the fishs upward movement) and fish for them. All eyes don’t necessarily move completly up ! The fish will stop at anything that fills their biological needs. Wal’a now we’re fishing down stream !!!

This gets into the second part of the answer : Miss. Pool location). Remembering that they move to barriers that meet their needs. This is arguable, but from Dubuque, Ia. possibly Cassville, Wisc. you start the “Industrial” pools. Pools that are basically straight tubes, highly diked, highly industrialized, and probably contain on average 100 + wing dams to divert current. The highest consentration of Eyes this time of year and Spring would be the dams.

BUT WALLEYE ARE WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM !!!

Good fish’n OkeyDokey Gofish

Kensyl Reading FTR Field Staff

Ol’ Miss Guide Service

It’s funny from one river body to the next…The Vermillion for instance, the walleye and sauger go to “Lake” mode, and behave much like their lake dwelling bretheren. The fish in the St. Croix do as well. They are very predictable, and bite mostly during low light conditions. Catching them during the day can be difficult. Mississippi fish can be enticed throughout the day, and presentations can be “Easier” knowing that the fish tend to hold into the current. Different lures and presentations help, plus, in a boat it is easier to be mobile, and attack fish from many different angles. Each has it’s advantages. I love them both. I would like to be sitting on a bucket sometime soon, catching some of those sewer cap sized crappies from North Lake!!!

Tuck