Pool 4 . Yeah, they are biting!

By chris-tuckner 0

Ok, it is starting to sound like a broken record! Yeah, they are biting on Pool 4. They are kind of specific right now though. It appears the bigger eyes are staying out of the higher current areas as usual. But we are also finding the big sauger sharing some of the same locals. This one hit in about 12 feet of slack water over sand. This sheeba went over the 20″ mark.

As most people may or may not know, I am a dragger. Don’t get me wrong, I love to jig, and cut my teeth on that type of presentation. But dragging is much more of a challenge, and in my belief rewards the angler with bigger fish. Fish that may not be caught by jiggers. Dragging keeps the bait in front of walleye a touch longer that a jigged offering. You can also get by with using a larger bait that may be more appealing to the larger fish in the area. Here is a walleye that blasted a BFT K-Tail as it was being slowly dragged up a sand drop in 13 feet of water.

Jig selection to me is very critical in this presentation. My go to jig for dragging is the Knuckleball jig. At this time the 1/8 oz. balls are working well in the low speed current. You can see how the jig design covers the leading end of the plastic, and has a forward tie point. This is the draggers dream jig. It acts as a ski when hitting bottom debris, and many times skips over it. The design, being weight forward, keeps the jig from spinning. The hook is always in position for a perfect set.

Many of the fish we are finding right now are relating to certain structue, or lack of it. What I mean is most of the bigger fish we are contacting are relating to small points, wingdams, and in early and late conditions, sand flats. Sand flats offer no structure, but act as a highway to feeding areas, and offer a break from main channel current. The transitions of these are where the bigger fish are. Jiggers are getting plenty of fish, don’t get me wrong. That is a time proven technique to boat a lot of fish. We may not catch as many as the main channel jiggers, but we do tend to boat bigger fish with this technique. Ask Brian Berle of Whitecap manufacturing! Brian made the splashguards for my boat, and paid me a visit to see how his kids were performing. He is also a pretty good stick in his own right! Give this a try if you are looking for something a little different.
Tuck

Profile Photo

chris-tuckner

Guide, speaker and tournament fisherman. Member of the , B-fish-N, St. Croix Rods, Marcum Technologies, Topline Controls, Lakemaster.

0 Comments

  1. i have also had the good fortune to fish with tuck on a few times and WOW what a humbleing experiance. its is hard to believe that you can try to copy someone exactly and he still gets the majority of the fish. tuck youve got the touch. every time i hear from you your arms are sore from rippin lips. just one question WILL A SLEEPING BAG FIT IN YOUR ROD LOCKER. see ya friday wallerbass1

  2. Great report and pics Tuck. Thanks for the explanation on dragging. I’ve tried it a few times, but will definetly give it more effort this spring!

  3. You know that’s not true! Joe caught just as many….no wait, I guess he didn’t did he? You would think catching eyes would be easier than selling cars!?
    There is a lot of touch that goes along with dragging though. There is a feel you develop, like the perfect swing in tennis or golf. You know when it is right, and you also know when you are hitting the sweet spot. That comes with practice. I can sit here and tell everyone “Use Ringworms and these jigs, this pole and this line…That does not mean you will catch the same fish! Practice is the key. Feel is something you develop over a period of time. Look at James, Dustin and Dee Zee to name a few. Guys that consistently put nice fish in the boat. There are many of you out there who have that “Touch” using different techniques that work. I could get in their boat, using their techniques, and they would school me!
    Practice makes perfect. Although, I probably could walk into Hastings Ford and sell a car! (Just kidding Joe!)
    Tuck

  4. Tuck,
    I heard about dragging after visiting the Fin-tech booth at the sport show a couple years ago. Looks like I should spend some more time at it! I was always impressed at how that knuckleball slides along bottom with that hook point up.
    Just wondering how much line you need to have out to maintain good bottom contact and if you actually feel your jig dragging bottom much? Do you ever drag downstream slightly faster than the current? Thanks for the report and any extra info when you get a chance.
    Chris

  5. The key is to not feel the bottom. With lighter jigs, it is harder to tell if you are on or near bottom. With heavier jigs, when you drop the jigs back, you may feel it contact the bottom. The key is to run right above it. Fish feed up. Going downstream, I shorten the amount of line I have out because the resistance is less from the current.
    Good luck!
    Tuck

  9. Vandy, I agree! There are times here lately where the fur would be nice! Brrr!
    I have been using 6# Berkley Sensation, and XL. With 1/32 to 1/4 oz. jigs, I prefer the drop rate of 6# test. For that matter, I am teaming it up with a 7 foot St. Croix Avid rod, medium action with a fast tip. This is very sensitive, bordering on over sensitive. I may try the same rod with a slower action tip. I have had a lot of short strikes lately where if I had a slower tip action, I may have had some of those fish.
    Tuck

  12. Great to see you out there setting hooks Tuck!
    I was supposed to get out with Don Hansen Saturday but darn B.U.S.I.N.E.S.S. keeps getting in the way.
    I learned how to drag jigs with FireFlick…it is awesome when they nail a dragging Nuckleball! You are soo right. Everyone excels at certain techniques and presentations…and there’s no substitute for TIME ON THE WATER!

  14. Chris, do you ever run another presentation, such as 3waying a stick bait, along with the jigs, or do you move too slow for that type of presentation?

  15. Not when the fish are this concentrated. I save that for when the fish are more scattered, and you can move faster. Here, a lot of large fish are concentrated on a spot. The slower you go, the better chances you have of contacting them. I have seen guys pulling three ways and cranks now out there. Maybe they could chime in and say how they do in an average outing.
    Tuck

  16. Is pool #4 right in the town of redwing?I am coming up in a week or 2 and I wanted to fish pool#4.Thanks

  17. Quote:

    Is pool #4 right in the town of redwing?I am coming up in a week or 2 and I wanted to fish pool#4.Thanks

    Welcome to the site .

    Yes, pool 4 is Redwing. There are several reports for this pool in the forum right now. The other pool 4 reports in this forum, and up coming reports, should give you a good idea of what presentations are working and what to expect on your trip.

    Good luck and let us know how you do

  18. Thanks for answering right away Dustin I appreciate It.I look forward to using this sight for fishing reports.Thanks again

  19. Hey everyone!
    I have been to red wing once this year. We went a lot last year also. We were there about week ago and caught our limit, but they were all 14″ – 16″. I was just wondering if the bigger ones aren’t up to the dam yet or is there a trick to catch them. I have heard that ring worms produce the bigger fish. We tried that but only caught one 15″ in an hour. Any advise would help!!!!

    *RIP SOME LIPS*

  20. Welcome to the site WalleyeMaster! I believe the bigger fish are there, or close by. The lure of warmer water, and current breaks mandate that. I am not sure if it is just because the plastics are bigger that they attract bigger fish. I think it is more a deal of putting the lure in front of a bigger, wiser fish for a tad longer that gets you a bigger fish. Some techniques mentioned on this site are designed to do just that at this time of year. Pitching, dragging, and just hanging a Super Doo in the current can accomplish this.
    Good luck!
    Tuck

  22. Is it worth giving it a try farther down river or not?? And by the dam do you fish right up by the dam or farther down a little bit by the second and third wing dam? Most people fish right up to the dam, but all we see is little ones caught. We just want to caught some bigger fish and we have had a hard time finding them. Cody

  23. Wow great site and great people …. I am thinking of coming up there to try my luck … is there plenty of lodging there in Redwing? Where does everyone recommend staying?

Leave a Comment