Pool 14 Good Day – Bad Day

Launched Sat. at 25th Street ramp Clinton. Within the first half hour had boated three Walleyes. One keeper two shorts. Then it happened. I hooked something BIG, real BIG. I was fishing with a light action rod with 6lb test. After a couple of minutes it decided to come completely out of the water like a tarpon. It was a huge Sturgion. I fought the fish for about thirty minutes, at times running it down with the trolling motor. Finally managed to get it up next to the boat where my brother corraled it like a pig and rolled it into the boat. It was 54 inches long. We measured it, took a picture with my phone, and let it go unharmed. I’d post the picture if knew how to down load it, but I’m not sure how. The bad part of the day was when I pulled my boat out. The ramp is in such bad shape, I put a piece of re-bar through my tire. Do not use the 25th St. ramp in Clinton. It’s really bad.

Thanks for the heads up on that 25th St. ramp. Did you contact the City of Clinton so they know there is a problem? Good job releasing your dinosaur also. Good fish.

My uncle works for the city of Clinton… I was up there 2 weekends ago and it was so bad i called him and told him something needs to be done! He is supposed to be talking to his boss to get it moved up on the agenda.

I talked to a couple of fisherman at the ramp and they had heard that the ramp was supposed to be repaired soon, but they didn’t know when. Too late for me. It’s going to cost me $80.00 for a new tire. I can’t trust the one they patched. It used to be you could use the 30th street ramp, but that’s too shallow now.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. That ramp is a hazard all around, the north side drops off if you back in to far and the south side of the ramp has a “nice” rockpile 25 foot out, not to mention the broken concrete and rebar sticking out of the ramp itself. They are suppose to fix that ramp next year, in the meantime 9th Ave. North is the only safe ramp till its fixed.

Yep, that ramp has been going down hill for years. The south Clinton ramp, the 9th ave N. ramp, Albany, or a couple in Camanche are the best options for upper and mid pool.

Fulton is useable but having to park over the dyke 200 yards from the ramp is a real pain.

I bet that sturgeon was a BLAST! Great job on the release. I stuck a 35 pound flat head last time I was out trolling cranks, that was a real challenge, with a 10 lb test leader. I can only imagine the fight a big sturgeon would put up!

The City of Clinton replaced the ramp at 9th Ave. No. with great parking, four ramps and boat docks at the ramp. It looks nice and really works well. As for now this is the ramp that I would use. Tom Brown and myself have been working for two years trying to get the ramp at 25th Ave. No. repaired or replaced. There were permits required from the Iowa DNR and from the US Army Corps of Engineers. To help with the costs grant money from the State of Iowa was also applied for. The last two Clinton City Counsel meetings the Counsel has voted to let bids to replace the 25th Ave. No. ramp and add a boat dock. Hopefully we are looking at a new ramp that will be completed this fall.
If you use the 25th Ave. No. ramp the downstream side is very shallow and I would not use it. If you use the upstream side of the ramp do not back in very far as you will go off the concrete. When this happens the trailer frame will rest on the concrete and the wheels and fenders will hang up on the end of the ramp.
Let your Counsel Person know how nice the ramp is down on Riverfront Drive and encourage them to keep up the improvements with the other ramps. Steve Bromley