Pool 4 -Jan.1

Had a good day. Nothing big but steady action most of the day. 10-25 ft. Biggest was a 20 inch sauger. Lot of them in the 12 to 16 inch range. I stayed with plastic but 2 guys I was with kind of kicked my but with hair jigs. Had a youngster with who has only fished for eyes one other time.He was catching a few but went through a 2 hour period without anything. He switched to a straight jig with just a minnow and started hammering them. I notived he was hooking the minnow in the middle of the back. Dragging it sidewise. Was going to say something to him but he was catching more fish this way then we were. I’ve always lip hooked minnows on a jig. Guess I learned something new. Don’t know if it was just luck or if at times this is a presentation the fish want. Good luck.

Thanks for the report Art. Wacky rigging minnows. Now that is something that I’ve never heard of. It has been my experience that anytime you do something a little different than everybody else it is likely to turn out good.

Gator Hunter

Particularly when you fish “in the herd” around the dam. One of my standing jokes is that the fish can spot “one more fireball n’ minnow” and recite the paint code and model number from seeing that presentation day after day, hour after hour. The smaller fish still don’t know better but the larger fish have undoubtedly been conditioned to not eat that item or been caught a LONG time ago.

Something different is sometimes all it takes to outfish the guy or boat next to you. A minnow looking like it trying to swim but really struggling [going sidewards] appears to be an injuried and easy meal to a fish. Same meal and doesn’t have to work hard to get it-a fish’s delite. Thanks, Bill

Hey, guys, help me out. Where is Pool 4? I’m up in Hastings (just moved from Michigan) and my brother is near Beloit and we’re looking for a “halfway” point to put the hurt on some winter ‘eyes.

Thanks!

Captain Cat

Pool 4 starts at the Redwing Dam and runs down thru Pepin.Where abouts in Hastings do you live?