Struggling with the p4 pitching bite

Hey guys I’m really frustrated! Last year we hammered the big fish pitching and everything else. Now this year we thought we had finally mastered the pitching bite down there, and it’s killing us. I read all these posts and guys are catching decent fish, but were getting nothing. The common thing seems to be that everyone is struggling, but what are you gods doing to actually catch some fish? By the way we have been going down there for 7 yrs avidly all spring long and would not consider ourselves amatuers at all, but we sure all looking like we are this year.

Not to worry, we all have had our slice of Pool 4 humble pie. Next year it will be fish in a barrel and we’ll all be “Pro’s” again.

Without a doubt,it isn’t near as easy as the past few years.
This year,unlike most,the river stage & flow came up very early before the water temps did.

In my opinion,having confidence in your spots and reading the seams and breaks with several offerings wether it be bucktail,plastics,blades or live bait and let the fish dictate the preferred offering.Jig weight is really crucial as well to get the right drift.

Hope this is of some help,hang in there and you certainly arent the only one to have struggled with the pitching bite.

your not the only one struggling. Although this is my first year fishing p4, I’m no begginer when it comes to walleye fishing. Ive been down there around 7 times my self and haven’t boated a fish over 19 inches. To me compared to the croix fishing walleyes in p4 is almost like fishing bass.

I’ve also struggled this year. I’ve been down to P4 four times this spring, 2 in my boat, 2 in others. I’ve seen three fish come to the boat.

It’s just not my year. Hopefully my luck on the Croix will be good this year.

ET

It’s been odd this year for me,some days think I’m hot the next I,m eating humble pie.Been changing baits every 15 min or so,will find one they hit and then it dies off and back to changing baits.
It still beats the heck out of working!!

It seems to be a hit and miss or a rite place rite time kind of year. I can get a report from 1 guy that had his best day fishing ever with a PB while the guy 3 boats down cant buy a fish and is having his worst day ever. Just a very strange spot specific kind of spring.

Dont feel bad the pitching bite has been tough for me as well as most of my fish have come on blades.

I just moved down here from Northern MN. I’ve been fishing the river for about a month now. We’ve had some limited success. I wouldn’t say I’ve been killing them, so I’d say the river has been challenging me as well.

I can honestly say I did not boat a walleye this spring, lots of sauger. I am not a newbe, or do I think an expert, as dean is, he gives the most accurate info. ever. I spent some time away from the crounds this year, south of the redwing bridge and away from community spots. this was a good year to learn and I did. starting in march different water levels, temp current no two days the same, this is what I love about pool 4, buy the way rapalafisherman is my kid, 19 ince walleye I netted for him, next year I might forget the net. by the way we let’em all go.

Try to maintain your confidence and stick to what worked for you the last couple of years. The pre-spawn bite has been a tough one this year. No one that I know has consistently patterned bigger walleye. Most of the bigger walleye that are being caught and posted on the site have been random catches from anglers in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing. Not trying to take anything away from anyone who has caught and posted a big walleye this year. It’s good to see the happy anglers that have taken information from this site and put it to use. Doing this puts the odds in you favor. Duplicating big fish catches two days in a row this Spring has been very difficult .

Everything goes in cycles on the mighty river, this was one of the years that will have most scratching their heads, wondering……what did I do wrong ? Nothing, I’d rater be lucky than good any day

Ah, how the humble pie of pool 4 gets served.

I have to agree with the guys 100%, spring on the river is an ever changing environment. I am sure the guys will agree , if you learn how to correctly read the river, it will always tell you where to fish–and this may change by the week, day or hour. Spots are only good if fish are there, a current seam shifts-the fish shift and the game is altogether different. Couple years ago I had the pleasure of fishing with the master coffee spiller and doughnut eater Dean Marshall. I was playing with my new GPS and did not have my head in the game, of which Dean promptly snapped at me to quit fussing with that crap and start learning to read the river–sage advice that I remember to this day. Like others would agree, if you continually learn to read the water and how the fish relate, your confidence in a spot will grow–plus, you’ll recognize when a spot is not right leading you to pull up the hook and move. Once again, none of us are too old to learn–hire a guide, read a book or pull up old reports.

To me, fishing for spring big fish is like bow hunting the rut–set up on a good spot and have confidence they will be there, certainly not always a numbers game—but then, that is why God made saugers.

Jeremy

Speaking of the river ever changing, Dean put it like this today

Quote:

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They dont put the same crossword puzzle in the paper every day

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Which basically sums up the ever changing river

I myself has had a poor year for numbers of big fish. 2 fish over 10 and a few in 6 range in my boat with countless days and hours fishing. patience is everything. All I can say is keep trying and it will happen.

This year has been a challenge for big fish but I feel that I am a better angler for fishing it. This year has been one of changes with patterns working one day and being dead the next. Stuggling is seldom fun but it has made me think and get outside the normal box at times. Some years a pattern has held for weeks at a time and it is fun but a guy can fall in a groove and stop getting better. Not this year I had the daughter out yesterday and we had to work for our limits of eaters and it felt good when we got those