The bite on Pool 14 wingdams has been productive for those willing to keep moving in search of active fish. My partner and I got a late start Thursday, hitting the water around 9:30 a.m., hitting a few riprap areas with limited success. Around midday, we began working wings. With the 20 plus mph winds, we opted to slip the wings with the electric, working jigs and 3ways with cranks across the face as slow as the wind would allow. This 22" fish came from 4′ near the top of a dam, smashing a stick bait on a 3 way.
We found most of our fish on the upper 1/3 and top of the wings, with no more than 3 fish caught on any given dam. This next 23" fish came on an H2O jig with a 3" twist tail and small minnow. The wind on this particular dam was forcing us upstream, so we opted to let our jigs drift behind the boat, slipping side to side and letting the varying wind speeds move us up and down stream. It turned out to be our most productive technique for the day, with or without bait, on a variety of plastics. Keeping the jigs on the front face of the dam was critical, and required constant adjustment line out as we moved up and down the face, but was well worth the effort. Several nice eaters as well as some bigger slot fish, like the second photo, where the result.
As the sun settled low, we decided to work my favorite riprap area once more, and found a several fish hanging on the drop from 2′ to 8′. These fish hit H2O jigs and Kalins, with the best patterns being firecracker and Pearl Blue S & P. This 18" eater was our last fish of the day, falling to the Kalin on a sharp drop from shore. This area has a high current flow, so 1/4 oz jigs got us the right drop rate to trigger strikes. Smaller jigs simply drifted out into the current.
The shoreline is beginning to develope ice in many areas, so time is getting short to take advantage of the feeding spree these fat fish are exhibiting. Remember to keep moving in search of the active fish, and you will be rewarded!
Thanks for the info. Keep it coming.
Great report John
I wish I was out there, but after that last snow storm early Dec. I but the boat away. I hope to get out this spring on 14, I will be on the ice on 13 after the Holidays. Do you cut holes on 14 anywhere?? I know of some popular short walks on 13 that I will hit this winter.
Nice report John! Brrrrrr…
Thanks for the report John. Nice details on what worked and how it was done with each change in presentation.
Thanks, Bill
DMan, I’m not an icefisherman any more. Since I caught the walleye bug, I chase them almost exclusively. Not many places here to catch them trough the ice, so I’ll be fishing pools farther south when this one freezes over!
Hey john, have you ever fished the dams around keokuck or anywhere around there. I talked to a guy a few years back that said he got over a dozen nice saugers one day that the biggest went to 5 pounds. Ever heard about any catches like this or was he just pulling my leg. Theres a big diffrence some winters on the ice conditions between the lynxville area and southern iowa. Iced up in one area and completely open down in southern areas.
Great report John! Those are some healthy looking fish. I’m leaving for Jersey on Monday, when I get back we’ll have to hook up again, either up your way or down here.
Dan, I have never fished below pool 16, but I am sure the fish are there in the lower pools. A 5 pound sauger would really be exceptional. My guess, it was probably a saugeye, although not necessarily. I’ve caught a few large saugeyes that, without close inspection, looked like saugers. It is really tought to tell sometimes.
Tony, have a safe trip and we’ll definetly have to get out when you get back. With this cold weather coming in, it looks like we’ll probably have to be south of here! The fish here have been really healthy. The first fish photo was probably pushing 4 pounds at a hair under 22″. Found a lot of bulging eyes.
I just noticed on the last photo, if you look close at the fishfinder in the background, you can see how sharp the drop was that we where pulling fish from late in the day!