The walleye bite on the upper part of pool 4 continues to be very day to day. To be honest with you, I have not seen conditions like this in many years. This year has been a bit of a weird one anyway. One day an angler is able to catch a 2 man limit of eyes with 4-6 fish over the 21” mark. The next day you have all you can do to even put 6 legal fish in the boat. Very discouraging! But I guess if it was easy every day we would not admire the challenge that the sport of fishing provides us with on a daily basis. Then again, it is nice to have them jump in the boat once in a while 
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The walleye I have been putting in to the boat have been taken dragging jigs and bait as well as crank baits. Crank baits have proven to be better for me on most days in the last couple of weeks for the nicer fish. Bait has had it’s days as well but the number of biters in one particular area has not been overwhelming. Trolling cranks, covering water and fishing lots of different spots taking advantage of the active fish has been the way to go.
#5 jointed shad raps in the fire tiger, red craw and blue/silver have been best for my boat. With the low flows we have on the upper river right now focusing on any area close to the main flow of the river has been best for me. Looking for humps, clam beds, sand points or sharp breaks on the channel edge has been key. With the low flows, areas like this will serve as ambush points for ol marble eyes allowing them to feed themselves in short amount of time with not a lot of work involved. Putting the odds in your favor and being in the right areas to take advantage of those short and brief feeding frenzies, that seem to be very short lived as of late, will help put more eye’s in the boat.
Guys that are chasing Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass on the upper part of the river have said the action is fairly good in the last week. Not sure on the size or numbers of the catch but it sounds like they are cooperating when targeted.
Guys chasing crappies have been putting the hurt on them in the last couple of weeks. Jig/minnow, small plastics and hair jigs have all put some crappies in the boat
I have not heard much about the walleye bite on Lake Pepin other than it’s sporadic as well. But have heard several rumors that the white bass have been plentiful.
I know it’s a short report but there has not been much to report on other than one day the walleye bite is fair/good and the next will leave you feeling like your way out of your league even trying to put decent walleye in the boat 
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See ya’ on the river!
It sounds like you are out of the back channel. Must be tough getting in there right now.
Thanks for the report and one pic Dustin
That’s just not you pal.
Jeff,
Sorry but the last 2 times I was out I was all by my lonesome. I did have a 25″ and a 27″ fish on past outings but no one along to take a snap shot. Usually I can find someone on the water to help me out but the upper part of the river has been a ghost town lately
No big deal though. You don’t have to beleive me if you don’t want to
. I’m sure there will be plenty more in the coming months 
Dustin I understand.
Thanks for the report Dustin. Sounds like you are experiencing the same patterns we have down here. If you are in the right place when they turn on, fish can be plentiful for an hour or so, then it’s back to search and wait!
I’ve been experimenting with some high speed trolling on 14 with some success. As you suggested, covering as much water as possible in the hopes of hitting an active pod.
Good to hear that it can be tough all over.
John,
Ufortunatly the bite has been tough for even pool 4 fishing the last couple of weeks. When they do go, the fish are nice, but playing the waiting game is not a lot of fun
Last year at this time I saw a real good speed trolling bite take place. I have not had that work for me yet this year. The water is really dirty right now, more so than normal. Not quite sure why
! The trolling speeds for me have been in the 1.7 to 2.2mpg GPS. Any faster than that and I have not been able to get bit. I blame this on the dirtier water…….just don’t think those fish can see the bait at those higher speeds right now 
Dustin have you tried cranks that make noise?
Jeff,
Those Jointed Shad Raps put out quite a bit of noise
Lotta rainwater in the system the last couple of days! Drove through Northfield, and the Cannon was chugging again with a lot of stained rain run off. Vermillion too!
Tuck
It is good to hear we have water coming but we don’t need it to be dirty
. I was out most of today and the river was very dirty. At least the fish did cooperate for a few hours anyway. Stuck to dragging jigs and put 9 eye’s in the boat in the 17″ to 20″ class, had about that many short fish as well. NO big fish today…..had a couple hook-ups that could have been the one but never got um to the boat 
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You been out on pool 3 at all Tuck? Thinking about heading up there on Wednesday and fish some of those wingdams
Hey Dustin,
. Now on to my question. With low water and flow, what size jigs are you dragging? Right now we have a flow of about 20,000 cfm. and I’m dragging a 1/8 to 3/16th oz. jigs.
First of all, Congratulations on your marriage
I’ll be coming up there in November. Hopefully we can get together for a beer of two. See you soon.
Tony
Tony,
the flow is a lot less than that on pool 4 right now, almost half of what you have. I have been using 1/16oz jigs and will go down to a 1/32oz if in the 6′ and under depths.
Thanks for the congrats
. When are you going to be up this way in Nov?
Hey Dustin, are you dragging ring worms? With the dirty water i’m assuming are you using brite colors? Thanks for the report always look forward to them. thanks Robb
dustin, i see that they are dreging the chanel up hereon #3,i thought that mite make the water messed up .i was out with the kids on our tues. nite fishing trips we did get a 24.5 and a fat 22″ both eyes .come to think now the water was dirtyfor us to so the dreging cant be doing it
Robb,
I have not tried dragging ringworms. Never done to well on them in the warmer months of the year. The last 2 times I have been on the river I have pitched ringies and k-grubs in to areas that I know fish are holding(areas that I am getting them on bait)with out success. Shouldn’t be long now and they will start going on plastics really good. 3 years ago I had a great big fish plastics bite in August and Sept but have not had another late summer bite like that since then.
Dave,
Good to hear you got in to some nice fish. Was planning on hitting pool 3 for a bit yesterday but didn’t know what time the so called storm was going to move in. Stuck to pool 4, caught some fish but not in big numbers and nothing over 21″
Hey Dustin,
I’ll be up there the weekend of Thanksgiving. I’ll be fishing with Jarrad on Saturday and be fishing by myself on Sunday. I hope to see you.