2 boats, 3 days, 200 walleyes… If anybody is looking for the best walleye fishing in the state, it’s off I35 just south of Duluth. Team Hawg Hunters was back in action this past week, on a very rainy, Wednesday thru Friday stretch. Once again, the St. Louis River leaves no one disappointed when it comes to numbers and size.
We hit the water Wednesday morning with conditions cloudy and cool, and the threat of rain looming just hours away. With the access surprisingly empty, Bob Bowman and I opted to head up river, and start our first trolling run just down from the small island below the 23 bridge. Within in first forty-five seconds Bob scored the first fish of the trip, a 29” Musky, his first of the year and a great indicator of the good things to come. By 10:00 A.M. the skies opened up and the rain began to pour, literally! It rained for 32 straight hours, which made camping on the river for the next couple of days a true test of how bad we wanted to catch fish. Our first day we stayed up high, never going to far from the first bend down from the 23 bridge. We trolled Down Deep Husky Jerks on line counters on our forward rigs, at times with no more than 10’ of line out on the side of the boat. And short wobble style baits (Hot n Tots, Thundercranks, Fat Raps) medium to long lined out the back. The combination was deadly, with the bulk of the fish taking the stickbait shortlined right next to the boat. We were running anywhere from 3’-11’ deep, over rocky shoals and along mid channel breaks, it really didn’t matter the fish were everywhere. Mid day we slowed it down with some jig and minnow drifts, but size and numbers declined so it was back to trolling plugs to finish the afternoon.
Thursday’s weather menu was rain… with a large side of rain. With temps hovering around the 45 degree mark, we again opted to cover water and pull larger baits attempting to target some of the bigger fish on spots. The Husky Jerks again where the star performer, with just about all color patterns working. It was also the first day you could up above the bridge, so the first and second pools up were prime targets for uneducated fish. The current really rips up there so you basically have two choices; anchor up, or troll through the maze of boats anchored up with shortlined baits. Trolling was the ticket. Bob scored two fish back to back that afternoon a 29″ pictured above, and the stout 27″ pictured here. The big gal came on a Char./Chrome Hot n Tot and the other fish took the DD Husky Jerk. If a guy was strictly looking for numbers; jig and minnow, or jig and plastic is the way it is done. If you are willing to sacrifice (and when I say sacrifice, catching only 50 fish instead of 100) numbers, trolling large profile baits can really improve the quality of the fish caught.
Friday was a busy day on the river. With a tournament on deck for the weekend the river was packed with the Ranger brigade pre-fishing, and all the locals looking to dry out in the warm sun that broke through mid morning. With the sun came the disappearance of our crank bite. Fishing really slowed down for the rest of the day, and jigs drifted slowly down current produced all our fish. We finally hung it up late in the afternoon, packed up and headed for home. We are headed back up tomorrow for a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday? trip. If you see us say hi. As a side note, saw James Holst and his crew up there too, be very interested to here how those fellas did??????
How’d we do? We had a blast! We had big motor troubles right off the bat which left us running around on the kicker during our stay up there but it really didn’t matter. Like Dan said… fish EVERYWHERE for EVERYONE on any technique imaginable. We had 125 – 150 fish for 3 guys the first day. Most in the 18″ – 22″ range. We anchored on current seams and pitched ringworms and had a ball… even if it was raining cats and dogs. This fishery is likely one of the best choices going if you’re looking to get new anglers into walleye fishing due to the consistent size and aggressive nature of the fish.
I will be headed back to the Lou a couple times this summer and wouldn’t miss the opener up there next year for anything!
Nice meeting you Dan. We looked for you off the water but it was dark and we were wet and cold and that hotel bed was screaming out to us. I will look you up when we head back up in July.
Nice report and awesome fish Dan!
Sounds like you guys had a wet
, I mean great time! 
A buddy and I went up Sunday morning. My buddy was up on Friday and slaugtered fish with just a jig/minnow. So, I packed light with 2 jigging rods and a handfull of jigs…..
Launched at 6am and fished till 10am. Caught one little smallie and seen about 6 eyes caught out of 50 boats. We were just jigging with a minnow and had about 10 bites, but they would just lip the minnow. Did try pitching bucktail jigs for awhile, but to no prevail.
Guess a day late and a crank short. The fish are there, but they shut down yesterday……..I would have paid $100 to borrow some cranks and trolling sticks!!!!!
see what you get for fishing with Dean!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gary next time drop me a quick email if your coming up this away.It was a little tougher bite on sunday.Still catch about 25 walleyes and 1 5# smallmouth bass.River gets a little tough when wind blows more so with east wind because it blows lake water up the river.In the morning we pulled bottom bouncers with crawlers late morning we moved way up river and jigged.Different colored blades in muddy water than clear.Fish are all the way down the river maybe to lake but to much mud to fish lake.Soon as mud clears up ill try the lake.Let me know when your coming up next time.
Jigmaster
Thanks Jigmaster!!!
I will take you up on that offer!!!
I was impressed with the fishery and do plan to chase some muskies on it this summer!!! I have also heard it is a great smallie water???
My problem was that I listened to my buddy and only brought up 2 jigging rods and a handfull of jigs. We found fish, but they just wouldn’t bite for us. I too, felt that a crank or bottom bouncer/spinner rig would have put fish in the boat, giving an aggressive presentation to trigger neutral fish…
How long does the fishing stay good for? You guys have peeked my interist. Any one want to make a weekday run up there next week? Thinking I will put it on the schedual for next wensday or thursday.
I live in Duluth and love the river, I can put you on fish all summer contact me if you are interested. The size is consistently nice but the strategies shift as fast as the weather in Duluth…
Welcome FishinDoc!!
Please post all you want with fishing reports. We especially like pics!!! 
Welcome Aboard FishinDoc!
It’s great to have a resident of the river up there. I know a few people here are itching to try that river up there, including myself! As Kooty said feel free to post reports & pics. of your time on the water!
Good Report and good fish, and the numbers, what can I say, WOW. Keep’ em reports a coming.
Welcome FishinDoc.
May have to make a road trip one of these days. How long does this last before they move down out of the river.
thanks Jack..
Welcome Troy. Great to have you with us. Please feel free to share and post all you want.
You and Steve Vick, former Everts Resort Manager on pool 4 Mississippi River and DNR guy before that, will have to get together for a fishing outting. Steves a great guy who just moved to Duluth as his wife just finished school/residency and is now a Doctor working in Duluth. After working 7 days a week for several years at the resort I would think he might just wanna be a fishin bum 
for awhile before looking for work and would love to go out fishing with you.
Thanks, Bill