Am I wrong in thinking that pool 3 isn’t actually open for fishing yet? Pool 2 is catch and release all year. Pool 3 opens during normal Minnesota inland water opener, fish can be harvested then. Pool 4, and I’m not sure how far down stream is open for harvest all year. Am I not right?

No, sorry, the boat and motor are both gone. I’m going to miss that old boat.

Hate it when these companies come out with a great product and then discontinue it. Many years ago, I use to buy the pink fireline, which was a high viz, and I could see that so well, but they discontinued it. Haven’t found a decent hi viz braid since.

Nice fish guys.
On the first shot it looks like you are using a high viz line. That looks like something this old guy could see easily. What brand line is it?

The Mariner is no longer for sale. The new price is 400 for the boat, trailer, and well used but usable accessories. The boat is rated for a 35 horse.

Be sure to click on the photos to get a fully enlarged view.

The damage at the bow happened many years ago (red can on the river at night), but it hasn’t hurt the boats performance at all. The deck saved the day on that one.

I do want to mention that the boat does leak. Your left foot will end up being in about an inch or so of water. I’ve tried to repair the leak, but I think it might be in a rivet along the keel. I used to keep a block of wood down there to rest my foot on. Also, once in a while, pull the plug as your moving to drain water. Or you might be better than me in repairing such things.

Also I forgot to mention the trailer does have a spare tire.

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I was out for just a couple hours this morning. I spent way too much time on a wingie that was good to me last time without catching anything. Once I moved to a different dam I got a 25″r in the first couple of minutes on a shortened up firecracker ringworm, but that was it for the day. I had no live bait with me. I did check a total of 5 wing dams.

The cute dnr gal that checked my boat at the landing said that the guy who got off just before me said he caught two 8lb fish. She thought they were walleyes.

Suzuki,
I had a hard time getting confidence in hair jigs. I had read all these hair jig posts, and I know they are true, but had a very hard time accepting how deadly they are until I actually caught a fish or two. Plain hair jigs just don’t seem right! It truly amazes me the size of the eyes that will snap at these things. Fish them just like plastics.

I was out this morning and got a total of 6 eyes 17 to 24″ off of 2 different wingdams. Firecracker Kalin tail took all but 1 fish, that one took a ringworm firecracker/chart. tail. Black hair jigs drew a blank for me today.

Rootski,

I too was lacking something when it comes to numbers of fish on the wing dams. but I did figure something out last year that has helped, and it has proven to be true again this year in the couple of times I’ve been out. I’ve discovered that I tend to spook fish when casting cranks, not sure why. I have found that I’m much better off to either not crank at all, or to stop casting after the first fish, and set up the anchored position, and cast hair jigs or plastic. I’ve gone from 1 or 2 fish at most to occasionally 3, or 4, sometimes 5 fish per wingdam. Another thing is to don’t be afraid to go back to a productive dam after an hour or so.

Gotta love these kind of days Mike. Looking at the weather forecast, tomorrow is suppose to be very nice also. Have fun out there, and catch a bunch. I’m on my way to work, and won’t be able to go tomorrow.

Whatever effect the rapid temp rise may have had, the fish are re-acclimated now. I was on the river this morning. It was fairly slow early, got one descent fish, and some short bites early, but by 11:00 a.m. got three good fish that totally inhaled a black hair jig. Going barbless saved a couple of those fish. Total of 7 eyes 17″ to 25″ off of three different wingdams. Firecracker Kalin tail got a couple fish too.

Oh yeah, water temp was 66 degrees.

I ended up going monday morning instead of tuesday and found it to be 59 degrees. I did get a few fish off a couple different wingdams which wasn’t bad considering how windy it was. How has the warmer temp changed things for you?

Thanks Nick!

Thanks Mike!

I think riverfan has it right. I measure the water clarity by my wing dam marker-A&W root bear bottle, 8′ twine, & white sock filled with rocks. I’ve started recording in my fish book diary the clarity. Hopefully, I might start to see a pattern of which wing dam puts out at what clarity (& flow rate).

I do have a little different take on the situation that no one has mentioned. I fish with 10lb crystal fire line, and do tie on about a 6ft mono leader-8lb triline xt. The reason is that I’ve lost a few very big fish with braid only. Even with a soft tip rod, I’ve had my precision jig straighten out. The mono leader gives cushion, and I believe it has paid off for me.
I do fish lakes for bass with the same set up on deep weed lines, and it works well.
I tie my leader with a blood knot, and add a dab of super glue and it holds well.
Just another opinion to consider.

Thanks! That fish was caught on 8/5/07 at about 7a.m.. She bit on a 6″ culprit worm, shad, rigged on a 1/8 oz mushroom head jig. She was on the tip of an underwater point.

Hey Mike,

Yep, that is a pool 2 fish. I would of loved to have gotten reacquainted with her last month myself, but it just didn’t happen.

I guess I got carried away with the number of pics I was showing. Here’s my best bass of the year. She measured 20.5″, and was out of a metro lake. She certainly was a fattie for this region of the country. She’s not the best bass I have ever caught out of this lake, but she was the best for 07.

Good fishn’ to ya!

I guess I got carried away with the number of pics I was showing, and they certainly were not fatties.

This fish is not the best eye of my life, but it’s the best eye for this year-28.5″, and I don’t think it’s a bad fish. In fact, I think it’s a beautiful fish, and am proud to show it. I bet she is a fattie now (May vs. November)!

Good Fishn’ to ya!

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Post deleted by Jim K

Nice fish! What a pig! I was out this morning (sunday 11/4) and found it to be a tough bite for me. I did get one 24″r. I took a picture but am still using 35mm film, and I’m on #8 so……….. The fish came on a firecracker/chartreuse tail ring worm with 5/16oz jig on the deep front base of a wingdam close to the river channel. Early in the morning I went with purple Kalin tails with no luck. Hope to get out some more this week.

Thanks Mike,
You described it well-I got it! I think you are making your own “luck” by doing a number of things right. I hope to get out next week a few times. Hopefully, I can find a piggie or two myself.

Bummer on the pics, but congrats on the two piggies. Good to hear the bite is on. Care to share any details on presentation?

Well, I just got back from a tough morning on the river. I’d say the river isn’t terrible but it’s definitely up. I didn’t see billowing clouds of mud in the main channel but did see some of that in one of the side channels I checked out. I use a white sock filled with rocks to weigh down a marker, with that I could see the top of the sock 6″ down, so that’s the clarity. Water temp was 55 degrees. There was plenty of junk floating down the river, so watch out.

I tried several different wing dams with no luck. Throwing different color Kalin Tails on various jig weights. Tried drop shotting a Smithwick Rattlin Rogue on the top of a few dams with no luck. Tried throwing Kalin Tails to a rip rap rocky point with no luck. Tried jig dragging in side channel with no luck. Didn’t have any live bait to try. Did see a few others on the water, hope to hear if anybody had better luck than me.

Thanks Big E. Well, it’s about 5:30a.m. Sunday morning. I am going to head down to the 494 access here before to long. I’ll try and post what I find by this afternoon.

Hey Mike,
Yeah, things are picking up on pool 2. Before the pool came up a little with dingier color water, firecracker was working best for me. Today, all my fish came on purple. Those were all morning fish. My hit and misses came late morning-maybe should of been a hint to try a different color, but early am was definitely purple for me.

I was on the water this morning, almost didn’t go because of rain threat, but was glad I went. Turned out to be a pretty descent day. My first wingdam produced a fish on, but lost it when it headed into some wood-felt like a good fish. My second wingdam produced a 19, 21, and 24.5″ eye, along with a couple of 15″ range silvers. Tried several more wingdams with no fish. Went back to the second dam that I had some luck earlier-got two more hits, one was on but came unbuttoned, the other was a hit and miss. Kalin tails, ringworm and a hair jig all got bit. Water temp was 55 degrees. Flow was very fishable. Floating debris was minimal, but as always pay attention. Water clarity was 6″ or so. Got off the water in time to see the second half of the Adrian Peterson show

No, I missed this one, but I work at night. I drive a truck to Madison Wi. and back every night. In my 8 years of driving this route I’ve seen a lot of cool stuff, including a meteor that hit the ground. A normal meteor is a pin of light streaking down. The one I saw was more like 1/4″ wide and when it hit the ground there was an explosion of light. Very cool!

Good to hear there are some poles getting bent on pool 2-by a few eyes even!