I did a google rearch and answered my own question (Stren at LaCrosse). Interesting how the FLW has a different story than the papers. By the way, FLW has a tournament tomorrow on my home water, pools 13 and 14 (along with 3 other tournaments on pool 14). I hope FLW has got their act together for this one. This is my backyard.
RLK

I’ve lived over 40 years in Illinois on Pool 14, with my income supporting local businesses, restaurants, gas stations, etc., and my state taxes going to Springfield for all those years. Should an out-of-towner expect to get better Illinois fishing regulations than me just because he stays in a motel, buys a few meals in a restauarant, and fill his gas tank before he drives home? I certainly don’t expect to “buy” any special priviliges when I vacation in Northern Minnesota for two weeks each year, spending between 2,000 and 3,000 dollars on cabins, gas, food, etc.
I have no objections to this tournament, but don’t agree with the special rules. Part of fishing any fishery is to follow the established rules. It should be part of the challenge of fishing, to have a big fish pattern or a small fish pattern for what you want to catch, whether you are in a tournament, or fishing for fun (big fish or a few eaters). If I don’t like the new slot on Leech lake, I’ll either go somewhere else or enjoy the new challenge. If the tournament does not like the slot on these pools, go somwhere else or enjoy the new challenge.
Hats off to Iowa DNR for sticking with their laws to protect the resource.
Shame on Illinois DNR for caving in to money.
I agree with James.

Randy

Gianni,
Looks like 76 this morning. It was up to 79 before the last cold front, dropped to 74-75, now is starting to increase again.

So much for thinking small tournament. Just saw a walleye boat going back to the motel with a number on its motor, and unless my eyes deceived me, it was number 152. When you do some math (OK, assume the river is lower and fishing is normal), the number of dead walleyes can be pretty significant, especially if it is a multi-day tournament.

Thanks for the clarification Fishsqzr. I hate to wish a citation on anyone, but sometimes it is necessary to write some tickets so the word gets out that the the law is being enforced. I’m glad Iowa took a position and wish Illinois would do the same. With the nature of wallyes to bite so well in the cold water months, there is more than enough time to have tournaments September through May

I’d rate it fair to good. Fish have been running real nice size for me, just not getting big numbers. Catching fish in the 21 to 24 inch range , along with some 14 inchers. Not a lot of slot fish so far, which is fine by me since I don’t clean many anyway. Had a 6.0 lb walleye Saturday, but only had 3 fish in 3 hours. I’ve been fishing wing dams. A good spot one day is dead the next day, so I’ve been moving around alot to find fish. There was about 65,000 cfs of flow which was getting close to good wing dam conditions, but now we are seeing a slow rise, so I wouldn’t look for much improvement on the wing dams this week. I’m catching equal amounts on jigs and crankbaits. Another guy I know is catching a few on crawlers and leeches, but no more than me. Some fish being caught on clam beds, but not a whole lot. I’ve been in the Clinton area, perhaps they are doing better in the lower or middle parts of the pool?? Good luck

I also have a 115 merc 4 stroke and had similar speeds. I went with trolling bags instead of trolling plates. I was told the plates had poor handling and turning ability, if you are attempting a precise trolling run. I also heard complaints of shear pins, broken parts, etc… Also hard to dock or manuever in reverse when the plate is down. Depends on what style you buy. My bags work great. I use two. I attach one on each side(cabelas small size I think, blue 24.99?) on a short rope to each cleat near the bow. They stay out of the way of the motor and the lines. I can turn on a dime with them. The size I have gets me down to 1.5 MPH. Below that I use the electric motor. Larger sizes are available if you want to go slower. When you are done fishing, take them off the cleats and you are back to normal performance. If you are on a lake and want to slow your drift on a windy day, they have a dual function as drift socks. I have no regrets on what I bought. I have used them on lakes only, so have no idea how they do in the current. And didn’t have to drill holes in my brand new motor!

gass11,
I just drove by the 25th ave north boat ramp in Clinton and the north half of it is wide open (was iced in Saturday). The ramp in Beaver channel was open Saturday. A big sheet of ice was hung up on the north bridge, restricting travel past it today. Water was a bit murkier than usual winter conditions, but not bad. They are projecting another 1-1.5 foot rise by Wednesday, so that may cloud it up more.
Randy

John,
What do you think most of the guys will do after the December 1 tailwater ban takes effect? Put the boat away for the winter? or search below “the line”?
And how was the fishing Sunday?
RandyK

Has anyone heard if the Lowrance ifinder H20 is out yet? Or has the pricing at least been announced? I almost bought a PRO model (water resistant with waterproof bag) until I heard the H20 model was coming out in spring. Well, it is finally spring and I’m not sure if is worth waiting for the new model. Has anyone use the PRO model yet? If so, how do you like it ?

All,
Thanks for all the excellent advice so far. Keep it coming in!!! I hadn’t thought of the bunk vs roller question, but it is a good one. I’d always had bunks. The ramps I use are all decent. I also do some long distance trailering and was once told that the larger surface area of bunks spread out the weight better. I had heard that rollers occasionally make shallow dents in the bottom of the boat, if they happen to fall in between rivet lines (support beams inside hull).
While looking in the alumacraft website, I see they have a new model for 2004, a Navigator 175CS. Looks very, very close to the Lund 1700 Angler SS, they even changed the bow (where the trolling motor mounts) to look like a Lund. Hmmmm?
There is a Outdoor/boat show in my area next weekend and I hope to compare the above boats side by side and make a decision. By the way, I currently own a Lund 1600 bass angler with a 60 merc and have always been happy. But my kids are getting bigger and need more room and power (at least that is what I’ve told my wife). And yes, definitely NOT a full winshield. thanks again. Randy

James,
I’ll throw in my two cents while waiting for Jeff to reply. I’m a frequent visitor to Leech Lake over the past 20 years, and you’re right, the walleye fishing has been dismal. I think Jeff is right on the money when he says that Leech somehow missed out on the good 2001 year class. I would venture to say that Leech hasn’t had a good year class come through since 95 or 96 (the fish that grew into keepers and provided very good fishing in the 1998-2000 timeframe). But those fish are mostly gone (the few survivors are real nice sized), and nothing is coming up to take their place. I think things will get worse before they get better. Many consecutive poor year classes are the key reason to Leech’s current poor fishing. Cormarrants may (or may not) have played a role in this. The DNR used to say that slots would never be necessary on Leech because it had such good spawning success compared to most lakes (so much for that theory).
During primetime in late September, the lake was almost deserted of walleye fisherman (east side). I don’t blame them for jumping lakes, I would jump too if it wasn’t for my Leech Lake bass addiction. I would think that the resorts would be pressuring for a slot, to help extend the survival of good year classes until the next class comes through. However, the resort owners I’ve talked to are big believers in the commorant theory, not the fishing pressure theory.
I would say that over the past few years, my personal catch rates are about 10-20% of “normal”, whatever that is. It’s been TOUGH.
Until there is a good year class, killing cormarrants or establishing slots will not provide any significant improvement in wallye fishing happiness on Leech. However, I would like to see a slot in place now, so it will be in effect whenever the next decent year class emerges. And they might as well take out some of those worthless ugly black birds, although my opinion/guess is that they are eating mostly perch and only a few walleyes.

Now I’m really confused. I’m more concerned about the Iowa-Illinois border and the ban (state of Iowa) on immediate tailwater fishing below Dam 13. During the few months when the regulations are different, is the deciding factor a)what side of the channel you are fishing b) what state’s license you possess or c) both a and b.
I was under the impression that since I am an Illinois licensed angler, I can still fish the tailwater (both sides of the river) until the regulation for the tailwater ban goes into effect for Illinois. But in the first post, it would appear that it also depends on what side of the channel you are on??? Can an Illinois angler still fish the Iowa side of the channel below the Dam in the next few months? Can an Iowa angler fish the Illinois side and still be legal?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m basically a shallow water walleye guy who releases almost everything. I’m not out to capitalize and fill my freezer. But I’d like to legally catch some fish when the ice breaks up in a few weeks.
Help!

Rooster,
I’ve been out several times on pool 14. Walleye action has remained very good, averaging 15-16 fish per afternoon outing. Water clarity was poor, with all the winds, but should be improving. Looks like the corps was dropping it pretty good today, with flows dropping below 30,000 again. The last two trips (11-28th and 29th)found fish holding deeper on the same structures. maybe 8-12 foot instead of the 3-6 that was working most of the fall for me. Typical shift for this time of year, at least in my experiences. With the water temp down to 34, it could be tough fishing downstream with the floating ice about to start. I haven’t fish the dam yet, but might start if the cold weather makes it slushy. good luck if you make it out.
Randy

Rooster,
I got my deer today, nice doe about 1130, but did not make it out on the river. Hopefully Saturday AM, if not foggy. I’m in a grey 16′ Lund Bass Angler with a 60 merc and bow mount motor guide. Did you make it out Friday? Kinda windy in the morning, tree was swaying all over. Maybe thats why I missed the 8 point buck. I’ll keep my eyes pealed for your boat.
Randy

Rooster,
I’m a pool 14er also. Purple/white seemed to be working just fine until the big rain muddied things back up a few weeks ago. Since then the “blood red with black core” has been out doing purple in my boat, even at dark. I’m not sure if that one is still available or not. Although last winter when the water was clear, purple was a clear favorite for me. I’ve been strictly shallow water rock for walleyes this fall, haven’t checked out the tailwater yet. Since the full moon Nov. 8, they seem to be more low light oriented (despite the dirty water)than they were in October, when time of day seemed to not matter a whole lot. Bigger fish are showing up for me in my spots as well over the last week or so. Hope to shoot my deer early tomorrow and jump in the boat for the evening bite.

I have a 1992 Lund 1600 Bass Angler, had the same problem, and fixed it. This boat has the tank under the rear deck (not a belly tank). I inspected the fill and vent hoses right where they enter the tank. The vent hose actually dipped down about 3 inches after it left the tank and went under the fill line. So it was actually making a loop seal in the low spot in the vent line. The low point would accumulate gas and venting would not happen, until enough pressure built up in the tank while filling. At this point, the pressure would blow the accumulated gas out of the low spot and out the vent (and into the water or ground). By filling slow, the fill line functions as both a fill and vent. What I did to fix it was disconnect the vent line, and loop it over the fill line. By doing this, there was no longer a low spot. Did this about 3 winters ago and have not had a problem since. Can now fill at normal flow rates with dribbling gas. It was easy to get to because of my tank location. Not sure why it was originally set up that way. This problem also occured while trailering. Always soaked part of my boat cover with gas after pressure built up, then blew out the accumulated gas in the vent line.
RandyK

H20,
Down here in pool 14, we had a similar thing happen last summer, with the 2000 year class. Early summer saw a ton of 14″, late summer and by fall saw them grow to 15-17 inch. As far as this year, I have seen some, but not as many of the 14-15 inch fish (2001 class) as last year. So from my “one man creel survey”, I would say our 2000 class was better than our 2001 class. You are right when you said the southern pools were lacking on earlier year classes from the late 90’s.
The good news is that the 2000 fish are still in good numbers and are 18-20 inch or so. We also finally had a good class of saugers, which should be coming to a nice size this fall.
Randy

heard that the sauger bite was on over the weekend at Clinton.

unfortunately, the size was still down with a lot of sorting. the river is up about 2 1/2 ft, but clear. Expect to see it start dropping tomorrow.

Randy

Rooster,

Yes, I’ve noticed the same increase in smallmouth numbers here since about 97 or so. I’d like to think they are on a long term upswing due to the improved water quality. etc as you mention. But I remember having 4-5 good consecutive years back around 1979 or so, we thought the smallies were starting a comeback back then. However, they kinda seemed to disappear for about 15 years. Hopefully this time they stick around

Rooster,

We did pretty good Saturday AM with a couple of smallmouth and a nice pike mixed in with the walleyes on wingdams. I haven’t fished the spot just north of Albany yet this year. But like you say, I usually don’t hit it until wingdams fade. All we have fished so far is cranks. I tried jigs last week and had slow action. No live bait yet either.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. James, thanks for giving me some confidence to continue to fish in the mid 80’s (I used to start my honey-do list at 83 degrees). What may have happened to me a few times is that the end of the good wing dam bite just happened to coincide with extended hot weather. This year should be a good test. Our good wingdam bite typically lasts 4-6 weeks. This year it is starting so late (this week ). I’ll see if it continues right through the hot weather 95 degrees predicted next week. If it dies, I will check out other patterns, rather than taking a break and waiting for September. Thanks again for the advice.

I work at a power plant on the river and we are quite intersted in the river temp for making electricity. I personally have made several hundred temperature surveys from a boat, checking at ten locations across the river and at 1,5,10,20, and 25 foot depths. The 1 foot depths (representative of what your boat electronics would measure, range from 0-4 degrees above the 10-25 ft depths. (Early in the morning = 0-1 degree, late afternoon on a sunny day with low river flow=3-4 degrees) you can figure that as the water moves downstream and goes through a dam, it becomes thoroughly mixed and nearly identical in temp from top to bottom. As it continues to moves downstream on a hot sunny day, some heatup of the surface will occur, and some of this surface heat will be transferred to the depths through conduction and mixing (mixing is dependent on river flow). Without making a long boring post, there is a slight bit of short term stratification in current areas, which disappears each night as the sun goes under, air temps cool, and water mixes. The hotest temp I’ve ever seen was 87.1 (average of all depths, shore to shore) in the late 80’s. Thanks again!

marbleyes,

As far as color and visibility, I use either chartruese, firetiger, or orange(with black back walleyediver) when visibility is poor, say less than 10 inches. If I can see a bright lure more than a foot down, I will take it off and put on crayfish in summer or shad/silver in late summer/fall. Side by side tests with a fishing partner has taught me this, at least way down here on pool 14, where it is rare to see more than 18 inches down (except in the dead of winter). Maybe the guys in the upper pools have better guidance for clearer waters than I encounter. Good luck!

There are a number of good cranks for casting. I like deeper ones like mann’s deep 10 and 15 and the stretch 20, as well as bomber model A . Sometimes they can be on top of the wingdam in 3 ft of water, the next day will be hanging at the base in 10 ft. Almost any crank will do when they are on top, but it takes a strech 20 or rapala down deep fat rap to get them out front. If the water is on the clear side, defintely use crayfish, shad, or other subtle color. If dirty, use comthing brighter. The slower the flow, fish more to the channel side. Find 2 or 3 wings holding fish and jump back and forth for constant action, rather than sitting and waiting. There are defintely times to 3-way vs. cranking, so experiment.