DIE!! Zebes DIE!!

there… maybe that will get a few more!!

in anycase…. good riddance!… hopefully it will lead to more than just a short reprieve…..

I agree with all you guys have said… I use blade baits quite a bit… usually a moderate approach for jigging (as described above) works the best…. but sometimes a good solid rip is in order… it almost seems the more negative the fish the harder I have to rip the bait… I have a special rod I use just for jigging these… its short and stiff…. I sometimes rip as much as 2′ but the key is staying with the blade as it settles, and sometimes the more you slow the drop the better… I think the reason a lot of fish get snagged is they get jazzed when they see “lift off” and they zoom up for a quick look…. if you settle it too fast its gets past them and they are sitting right over the top of it when you rip it up next time… and *bam* you snag them….. its a on two combo…. you attract them and you snag them….. I very seldom snag anything but walleye and sauger with blades… which tells me its not totally an accident I have rang the dinner bell and they have come….. however the law is clear… snagged fish must be released….. and you will greatly reduce the number of snagged fish by slowing your drop… if your still snagging them try slowing the drop even more…. it should result in more bites and less snaged fish…..

thanx CRR for your info….

perhaps I should take this to email? as I dont wish to bore anyone here, nor pump secrets that are not to be revealed

but if you dont mind I would like further clarification on some of your post

1. I understand about using various brands of cranks….

but I also understand that you would most likely have a

schedule of preference, perhaps based on time of year or other conditions….. I was interested in hearing some details regarding your thoughts for your choice at THIS time of year and on into iceup

what brands do you use?

and in what order would you try them…

larger sizes or smaller?

what is your color spectrum?

also your spinner tactic… Ive not tried anything like that… it interests me…..

what bait are you using at this time of year?

color/size of spinner

length of leader

3way, slip, or other weight system…..

once again I apoligize if this goes to far, but its a great chance to learn more about the mysterious croix and its large eyed denizens…..

personally I dont feel its an easy place to fish, with the exception of a few periods of time when the fish are generally available to most everyone, outside of that, scraping together limits of nice fish is a spotty undertaking…. there are plenty of small fish, but the supply of willing biters in the 17+ range seems small…… when I say limits I mean that only as a yardstick for success, I never keep an actual legal limit….

I practice C&R though… as it seems do most of the rest on this board…. I find that admirable… with great fishing skill should come great responsibility….. we owe it to this sport and to the resource to respect the environment and its inhabitants…..

on pool 4 you have merely to push close enough to the dam… you can find the scour hole before you get to the no fishing beyond this point signs…. and yes…. it ranges from 30-70+ on my locator… on the wisconsin side it extends a bit further down river than on the Mn side… and typically the Wi side is where they fish in the winter

from what I can see, those that fish the deep water (dam scour hole) are NOT concerned with the resource… Ive heard comments like….

“my license money goes for restocking, so whats the big deal?” or “the eagles gotta eat too ya know”…..

its saddening/maddening to hear that sh*t……

if only we could get the DNR to agree to move the no fishing area downriver from the dam far enough to cover the scour holes in the winter, its the only legal solution that would protect the resource… the fish are very vulnerable during that time, and its a crime when you see fish after fish going down river belly up….

Hi CRR….

nice post…. but I have some questions….

first… you state:

troll till you locate fish then use jig or spinner… I understand vertical jigging, but do you have a way to fish a spinner that is NOT trolling? If so can you fill me in on that? thanks!

2nd…

I assume you are trolling cranks, though you dont really say…

for this time of year, what brands, colors, sizes and trolling speeds do you use? could you elaborate please?……..

thanks in advance… and congrats to you and turk for your tourney win… Impressive…..!