You won’t believe what happened this weekend! I think we have a changing of the guard coming. Could it be a bass guy to a walleye guy? Did a bass guy really school me? Well, if he keeps catching fish like these he is not only going to make the bass guys cringe but he will have us walleye guys a little nervous.
Pool 5 is in great shape right now. Most people are catching their limit vertical jigging with a day on the water. Most are catching sauger right now, but for those of you that are looking for walleye they are there too. If you put your time in you will get exactly what IDA Pro Staffer and Bass Guide John Stears got this weekend on Pool 5, quality walleyes.
The hottest bait right now, for numbers, has been the Fisherflicks hair jigs my ol’ man produces. His homemade perch pattern is the color followed by a green chartreuse pattern. These colors have been the hardest ones to keep in the store.
HOWEVER, the best bait for quality walleyes this week still has been those stinking ringworms, again! For some reason I just can’t get away from using these. They just keep putting fish like the one John Stears is holding in the boat. It’s hard to shy away from anything else. The best color has been purple with chartreuse tail followed by Pro Blue.
The biggest key I saw this week was the time of the day and conditions of sunlight. The more sunlight that was showing the better the bite was. I can only think of one reason why that is happening. As the day progresses the sun is warming the water drawing the fish in shallow. That is going to be the warmest water and that is where you are going to find your most active quality fish. All the walleyes shown above were caught in less that 6’ of water, right smack in the middle of the day. Cloudy days have actually been a little slower, at least this week anyway.
Areas that have been producing fish? Sand flats for the quality fish and the main channel for the number game. When targeting sand flats try to key on points within the sand flat. Finding ridges and channel through these flats will increase your catching rate. The biggest factor on these sand flats is patience. If you don’t have patience than this type of fishing is not your game.
If you are looking for a place to get away from the crowds, pool 5 is the place you will have to check out. John I had a great time fishing with you and we will have to do it again soon. It’s too bad that other guy that was suppose to go with you couldn’t get out of bed!!
Hey Stop pickin on John…The kind of fishing you guys were doin was almost just like bass fishing….I didnt have any problem puttin fish in the boat on Saturday….Its just nice to be out there…I dont mind catchin them pitchin I just pertend there brown…….
I thought you went to pool five looking for Basss??????????
Looks like you two had fun……
Hey John,
Great looking fish…wrong color of course but for this time of year I guess they will do!
Congrats
Great fish guys!!!
Jarred,
Thanks, but every dog has his day and Sunday was mine. However, if there is money on the line, I’m betting on you!
That was the best big fish day I’ve had for years. Fishing in the middle of the day with warm sunshine; no gloves, no parka, how can it get any better than that! As Dylan alluded to it’s almost like fishing for bass. 
The water clarity on pool 5 is great; you can see your fish down 4’. The ramp is in good shape and the boat traffic is light. It’s kind of nice to have some space to yourself.
This winter I decided I’m going to stay shallow till I figure out how the rest of the IDA staff can consistently catch the quality fish. I’ve had some painfully slow days but I believe I’ve figured a few things out. As far as Sunday went, the only thing we could say that was different was line size. I fished 4 LB and Jarred 6lb. Sometimes the smallest details can make a difference.
Good Job John!
Too bad we couldn’t find those on Thursday.
Nice fish guys!
Jarad, every blind squirrel finds a nut eventually, plus its something us guides just have to do every once in awhile!
Riverfan and Jarred,
Sweet catches
!!!
You spoke of 4 and 6 pound line – did you still use the customary colored line?
I wish Pool 5 was closer to me! That solitude is a big part of what fishing is about for me.
Also where can an angler buy some of these hair jigs?
Keep catchin’
Turk
Do you think that the sunlight kept them closer to the bottom and or maybe they could see easier what’s above them since they feed up? If it were cloudier out they would be more scattered throughout the water column. Just my take on it. Or it could be that you guys were in the right place at the right time? And you guys are good???…….Nahhhh.
Turk,
I was using hi-vis Berekly Sensation and John was using Hi-vis also. Not sure what name brand he had.
The jigs you will have to contact the my dad at the Main Channel Bait Store, ask for Lee. I am sure if you want them he can mail them out. 608-685-4336. His new Firetiger jig is a pretty awesome pattern.
i was out with flick that same day. what a day to be on the water. i was actually wearing shorts all day it was so nice out. we didnt have the big bite like they did tho. course being the bass fisherman i am the lightest line i had on any of my rods was 12 pound test. maybe thats why. we still caught alot of fish though and we mostly used lees jigs in that same firetiger pattern tipped with a minnow. i agree i have never seen jig painted like that before and if that wasnt enough he ties a heck of a bucktail on the end to match. i sugguse getting a few. im going tonite down to 5 just from of shore i think but who knows them big fish can be ne where
Wednesday’s fishing re-enforces Jarrad’s observations about the sun this time of year. The Air temp never made it above freezing and we had to dodge ice flows most of the day but when the sun got high, the fish moved up on the sand.
All but 2 of the fish we caught came from less than 10’ and around 3:00 in the afternoon they were in 4’ of water and active. The 25” fish in the photo came on the first cast of the day.
Turk, I use “customer line” cause I’m old and can’t see.
I hoarded XT Solar several years back so I still have a little stock. I have trouble seeing line in the winter because the sun angle is so low. The sun is getting high enough now that seeing is less of an issue.
MNfish, the water is so clear and the fish are so shallow they are going to see your bait throughout the water column. I had a fish hit my worm before it got to the bottom yesterday.
John
nice fish john
last nite we were catching a few fish fishing below the the warm water outlet. we were pitching the rock bank and it was fairly shallow because i think most of the silt and sand settles there in front of that big pocket. but for the most part all the fish were like you said being pretty shallow. i caught a 20 incher last nite that being the biggest other than about a 15 pound carp that got snagged. few smaller fish, a few that went about 17-18 and a few little ones too. say what ya planning to do with that big white bench you picked up last nite from shore??
I hear CLF is coming soon. Let loose the dog and tie up the women or vice versa. I hear they like a little wind and cold weather too.
Good luck, guys.
Mnfish, When its early in the year like this an the water is still cold you’ll find the fish shallow when the suns out because thats where the warmest water is…On Sunday John an Jarrad got them in there because the sun was out….On Saturday you couldnt buy a bite there..Why? Because if you remember Saturday it was overcast out ..As the water warms and the year progress this will not hold true..As the water warms you will only find the fish shallow in early morning, late evening an overcast days.
great fish
Flick,
Thanks for your insight. I think you are right on. My experiences were identical, only on Friday when it was sunny, and on Saturday when it was overcast. On Friday, when the sun was out, I caught about a dozen eyes. On Saturday, when it was overcast I only caught two. This was in the same area with similar variables.
Don