Fastest Way We Caught Fish

Was out fishing on pool 4 today with Mike Smith owner of Hooked On Fishing in Rochester, Mn. We were up at the dam and also fishing the Y just like everybody else. We were jigging sonars and jigs with the rest of them and it was a slow bite. Everyone complained about how slow it was compared to the hot bite that took place on Friday. The biggest one we had was 21 inches, nice green walleye, the rest being smaller. We ran into Dustin and Mike Little from B-Fish-N Tackle about ten minutes before we had to leave as Mike had plans for the latter part of the afternoon. Dustin, knows I’m bigger into hair jigs and also love to troll 3-ways and livebait or 3-ways and cranks, which is just what we had switched to, talked us into throwing some B-Fish-N Tackle plastics so we hurried up and changed lures and started casting ringworms and bam I had a nice green 17” eye on. After bringing him to the boat Mike and I looked at each other and both said ”why didn’t we do this earlier.” Alllllll that time we spent jigging and having to work for the fish we caught and we switch to B-Fish-N plastics and right away catch fish. We both learned something today, [who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks]. That sold me right away. For a guy who didn’t care much for casting baits I sure got sold quick on casting those plastics. Yep the ”PLASTIC BITE IS ON” when even I can catch em quick on them!!! Thanks, Bill

wish I was on the river instead of at work all day. should have been lots of boats down there today, too mild not to go. did you catch more than one fish casting, was hoping for a big fish story and a big picture. There are alot of us old dogs out there. Roll over BOY. thanks Jack.

Mike towed my boat today and my camera was in my Blazer at home so didn’t get to take any pics of guys catching fish. Was a great day to be on the water. In that 10 minutes I caught one and missed one. By far the fastest action we had today. Had a blast fishing with Mike, warmer weather, and caught some fish and learned to ”start” with the plastics next time. Thanks, Bill

Bill, good to see you get that one. The only bad part about it was you and Mike were right behind me so that means we missed that one that got to your boat . .

We fished that spot bit later and had 3 more come to the boat. The ringworms were really good for me today. My boat saw 18 legal walleye by 11:00am with 2 piggies that my gal caught, before I picked up Mike (mudlnthru) Little. Those 2 the gal hooked will be featured in my next report .

The afternoon bite was really slow for my boat with only 6 nice fish coming in . for a toatl of 24 legal eyes and one 19″ sauger.

I pitched plastic all day an never caught a fish deeper than 12′ of water. With the cloudy conditions we had today the fish stayed shallow thruout the day. Purple/white tail or chartreuse tail did the trick for me on the ringies.

Yep you missed that one. When I caught it Mike hollars over ”thats my fish” and I hollared back ”nope, its not a sheepie.” For those of you who don’t know the inside joke on that one: there use to be a pic along time ago on FTL with Mike having a sheephead stuck in his mouth head first and I’ll never let him [sheephead king] forget it! OPPS, Sorry Mike, didn’t mean to tell everyone. lol. Thanks, Bill

Bill

Buddy, what I’m about to type I type with a smile on my face…

What rock have you been living under for the last 2 years?

You’re just starting to give the plastics a shot? Bill… we gotta talk!… lol

Just teasing, of course. Good to hear you enjoyed some sucess with them. The purple chartreuse and purple white ringies have been darn tough to beat lately.

James, what has your water clarity been like there? I have been having great luck with chart/pepper rings and dos down here, but the water is stained enough that you can only see a bright bait down about 6″. Most of my fish have been coming in 8-15′ of water, and I wonder if the purple is as visable at those depths. I have had some success with blue with green flake super dos, but I do not see them offered any more at the bfishin store. Some really promising looking new colors though!
Thanks,
Rooster

Hey James, The rock is called ”stubbornness” and ”old fashionness”. lol. I have bought the baits but never given them a ”fair” try. Last spring I gave the doos a good try in a club tournament and they worked very well. I love to troll and with what you could call permanent carpel tunnel [surgery didn’t get rid of it] and bad disks in my neck I don’t cast alot due to the repetative cranking. [old work injuries]. So I’ve been slow to jump into the casting part of fishing. But that is going to change as I had toooo much fun in the short 10 minutes of life so to speak. I did order a couple new rods, St Croixs of course,[the best], for just that purpose. So, you see, there is still hope for me! lol. Just like everything else, I’m a slow learner but once I learn it I learn it good. Dusty, YOUR fish are in for trouble now! Thanks, Bill

I think Bill is serious about using plastics! He was just in the store and bought about every color known to exist.
I guess we can now say that Bill is ready “in-depth” when it comes to plastics…

Good Fishing,
Mike

I guess it takes some of us a few more hits in the head, before we come to our senses….. plastics & hair RULE

Hey Rooster

I’d say we’re pushing 18 – 24 inches of visibility now and our standards of purples, blues, etc. are working well most of the time. That being said, our biggest fish yesterday woofed a chartreuse pearl K-Grub. I do use much brighter colors for the saugers when fishing deeper than I would usually do when pitching shallow for the walleye. When you read about the darker colors you can about bank on us using them in shallow water and after the walters.

I believe that color was Junebug… which the BFT store does carry. If that’s not it, shoot me a pic of what you have and if it’s one of your “bank on it” colors I’ll dig through my stash of old colors and see if I don’t have a bunch to spare. I’m trying my best to limit myself to about a dozen colors, not having much luck, to get rid of all the extra weight I carry around in my boat…. she’s getting slow!

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James, what has your water clarity been like there? I have been having great luck with chart/pepper rings and dos down here, but the water is stained enough that you can only see a bright bait down about 6″. Most of my fish have been coming in 8-15′ of water, and I wonder if the purple is as visable at those depths. I have had some success with blue with green flake super dos, but I do not see them offered any more at the bfishin store. Some really promising looking new colors though!
Thanks,
Rooster

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I tried hoisting your jig box from the back of your suburban once and almost dislocated my shoulder

Yep, I sure was in there like a kid in a candy store except I was getting fish catching candy. Mike does have a very good selection of B-Fish-N plastics and I did save everyone else some, but only after I filled my bag. I am guilty of only playing with them once in awhile but when I spend a half hour per fish fishing the way everyone is and then turn around and get one fish and miss one all in just 10 muinutes with the plastics then its time I put the other toys down and give the plastics a real good workout as theres just too much good fishing happening to just about everyone who uses them regularly. I guess you could say its time I quit and start the plastics in the eye’s face. And yes Nate, the old man now believes you when you say to always start out casting plastics. Thanks, Bill

Don’t feel bad, Bill. We spent the weekend at Everts and were out all day Sat.and Sun. After reading all the articles on hair jigs I tied some up and guess what I used Sat. and Sun. morning. Caught some fish but nothing real great. Have a container full of plastics. Put on a purple with chart. tail about noon Sunday. What a difference. Must be something about age.I think after you hit 50 mark you need a Just read the reports from our great guides before I left and they almost all said the plastic bite was there. It’s the photograpic memory I have. The trouble is no film. Good luck.

Hey Art, And no flash either to go off to wake us up either. You would think we were creatures of habit or something. Oh well, just need to change the habit to plastics is all and leave the other toys at home for awhile should do the trick. Between what I bought the other day from Mike at Hooked On Fishing plus the other plastics I bought from him before plus from B-Fish-N Tackle a year or two ago I should have enough. Nay, never enough. Colors might change too and of course we need the right color no matter what it changes to so gotta have em all you know. Gee, wonder if I’ll need a bigger boat between all them plastics and catching all those fish that Dusty misses. Got them plastics in the boat yet Art? Thanks, Bill

Rooster,
I’m a pool 14er also. Purple/white seemed to be working just fine until the big rain muddied things back up a few weeks ago. Since then the “blood red with black core” has been out doing purple in my boat, even at dark. I’m not sure if that one is still available or not. Although last winter when the water was clear, purple was a clear favorite for me. I’ve been strictly shallow water rock for walleyes this fall, haven’t checked out the tailwater yet. Since the full moon Nov. 8, they seem to be more low light oriented (despite the dirty water)than they were in October, when time of day seemed to not matter a whole lot. Bigger fish are showing up for me in my spots as well over the last week or so. Hope to shoot my deer early tomorrow and jump in the boat for the evening bite.

Thanks Randy, I have 75 or so of the Blood/Black left, and have not tried them lately. I’ll give them a shot. Good luck with the deer, if you suceed, maybe I’ll see ya on the river Friday afternoon. I got a second season only permit, so I’m planning a full day or fishing tommorrow!

What kind of rig are you in? I’ve probably seen you out there. I’m in an old Sea Nymph Fish n Ski with 60 Johnson.

James, you are right on, I was refering to the Junebug do’s. I see you do still have them, guess the eyes are not what they used to be

John

Hey Guys, Thanks for the reports on whats happening in your area. Keep em comin! Thanks, Bill

Rooster,
I got my deer today, nice doe about 1130, but did not make it out on the river. Hopefully Saturday AM, if not foggy. I’m in a grey 16′ Lund Bass Angler with a 60 merc and bow mount motor guide. Did you make it out Friday? Kinda windy in the morning, tree was swaying all over. Maybe thats why I missed the 8 point buck. I’ll keep my eyes pealed for your boat.
Randy

Randy,
Congrats on the deer. Nice to get one before the weather gets ugly! I did make it out today, but bite was really tough. I went to the dam first, but it was really dead up there. Talked to several fishless boats, tried for an hour myself, then went down stream and worked wings and then hit the rip rap from 3 till dark. Picked up a couple decent walleyes on the wing dams, and one on rip rap, all with the red/black ring worm! Thanks for the tip.
Just before dark, I hooked into a REAL pig, got her to the boat twice, but my partner could not get her netted, and I lost her . I got two good looks at her, and I’m guessing, conservatively, that she was at least 28″, and I think more like 30″. She hit a Kalin, I believe it is called Pearl Blue Metallic. Not sure if they are sold on the site or not, I got them at GanderMt.
Gotta run,
Rooster

Bill, the bad part is I had a big plastic tub full of plastics in the boat with me. Thought I had all the colors of ring worms but just read James report. Looks like I will have to go see Mike again and get some fire and ice ringworms. Good luck.

Since its the walleyes that determine which color they want each day a guy just has to have em all. Kind of like us in a way I guess-we don’t each the same thing or color of food everyday either so I suppose complaining won’t do any good. Just have to go see Mike again at Hooked On Fishing. Thanks, Bill

Was out to Hooked On Fishing this morning and picked up another 15 packages of ringworms. Now I’ve got the natural colors too. And yes, Mike still has alot of ringworms left as he bought a ton of em to keep all you guys stocked up in plastics. Thanks, Bill