DaveB wrote:

I don’t mind dragging some newbies out. Things change a lot, crystal clear right now, snow melt will bring flooding and dirtier water, flow generally slows down May into June (except for last year due to rain all spring) as the water warms up and things change again as winter comes. Different spots and techniques will bring success depending on river conditions.

Good news, fish are always biting, bad news (or fun part) is that conditions can change day to day.

Thanks Dave…I’ll keep that in mind if I get my act together before I get the boat out of storage.

buschman wrote:

Curtiss, there are a few launches that you can use on P2… Best advise is to find one of them and work specific 1 mile sections of the river near the launch. You don’t have to go far from any of the launches to find fish after May.. Till then it is a little tricky but focus on fishing after the first week of May and you will find fish in every 1 mile section of the river. After you learn one section good then move to another section and learn it as you did on the first area.

When you are new to the river and fishing in May…. Go with crankbaits. #7 shad raps, Storm smash shads and any good bass crank bait that runs 6-10 fow will catch fish. The river will be dirty. Use bright colors.. 10-20 pound braid and you do not need a fluoro leader.

Crank baits are your best search bait that time of year. It also allows you to get a feel for bottom composition while you are fishing an area. Just pick a section of the river and start learning it. May will bring high water so don’t go past your comfort level if you are not familiar with fishing in high water either.. Focus on shoreline current seams.. Areas that offer relief from the current. This will give you a good start.

There are many other baits to catch fish on beside crank baits but stick with the crank baits at first.. They work and will help you build confidence in what your doing. Casting and trolling both produce fish in the right areas.

Busch…this is all incredibly helpful. Thanks man. Having a game plan and a few tools is what I need to get going on this.

Thanks guys…Mike, totally get your point. Based on last year’s thread it seems like it was a wild season. Is it normally a little more consistent than it was last year? Matt, I am working on putting together a starter pack for tackle. I’ve got some jigs and plastics. Will start looking into a selection of cranks as well. What are you guys using for rod/reel/line setups? I used to fish smaller water with my dad and we were using ultralights! No way that is appropriate for the Miss. Would a medium rod and a decent spinner be ok? Spool it up with some sort of braid and then tip it with a fluoro leader? Or will that leader get destroyed by the rocks and hidden junk under the water?

I like that idea Beads. I’m going to look into that a bit as well.

Hopefully some of you will be getting out this weekend? Looks to be fantastic out there. I have a few family members coming up and we’re going to hit the ice in the north metro on Saturday.

Hey Guys…new to the forum. I was searching for info about Pool 2 fishing and stumbled upon this forum. Wow…you all are a dedicated bunch! I really enjoyed reading the 2019 thread and now I can’t wait to give P2 a shot. I think it will still be a couple of months before the the first outing since the boat is not stored very close to me(South Minneapolis) but wanted to get your thoughts on what a good plan would be for a first trip out? Which launch and which direction to head? I’ll have a buddy and my main objective off the bat would be getting familiar with the river while he fishes. What are your thoughts? Also, I would love to tag along for a few hours someday if anybody is willing to show me the ropes a bit. Obviously not looking for the honey holes but more so how things work on the river. It’s a bit intimidating for a rookie. Thanks in advance guys and gals!