The bite the last couple weeks on my “big fish” pool has been slowly falling off the pace, but we are still able to boat some nice smallies by days end. I have mainly been fishing 2 different sections of river up here on the Upper Miss. The upper pool has a better shot at quality fish, but lacks the overall numbers on most days, while the lower pool offers more numbers but less likely for a true 20” + fish. Most of my customers when faced with the decision of numbers versus bigger fish, they most often choose the “Big Fish” route.
With that being said, our numbers on the big fish pool have been declining to about 15 fish for the day, but most often will have a couple fish in the 19”-20” range.
The past couple of days I participated in our annual summer smallie tackle sponsor photo shoot on the Upper Miss with various freelance outdoor writers along with a few of us Pro-Staff anglers. Sunday’s weather was a drizzly cold day of fishing. The area had some string thunderstorms the night prior with a constant rainfall from Saturday night all the way through Sunday. Needless to say the fish were a little sluggish. This time of year I find weather plays a huge role for these temper mental fish in transition.
Started out with the basic search tools and found a poor response and decided to slow it down and try finessing these fish. After throwing a bunch of small light plastics, we quickly got results from a 4” Yum dinger rigged wacky style and unweighted. Pitching these light offerings up underneath all the overhangs and tight to the banks, we were able to muster up some good fish throughout the day, but each time a fish was caught the rain continued to fall and made photo shooting near impossible.
Monday we got to the big fish pool once again but with beautiful blue skies and plenty of sun and light winds. We all know this is too good to be true after a front rolls through. Picking up where we left off on Sunday, we took to the banks and starting pitching the wacky rigged 4” YUM dingers in around the cover and were able to pull some quality fish here and there throughout the day. These fish at times would let the dinger sit in front of them for nearly 10 seconds before they gingerly grabbed a hold and started to swim away with it. I would work this approach tight to the bank and out to about 10 feet away from shore and crank it up and pitch it back up in the next little nook. This can be a painfully slow approach, but it was the only game going for me. By day’s end, we were able to shoot a couple 19-1/2” fish and a 18-1/2” fish for pictures through the day.
A little off the smallie subject, but note worthy none the less. Saturday late afternoon, I got a small 2 hour window to run down to Pool 2 to do some scouting for some writer trips coming up. Probing the wingdams with my usual techniques of Bomber 5A’s, YUM Croaker tails and Jimmy D’s hair jigs, I found a walleye here and there upon about 4 wingdams that I like to fish this time of year. My last spot I was pitching a ¼ oz chartreuse hair jig and stuck a huge walleye. My heart skipped a beat and I soiled my shorts all at the same time. Low and behold, I pulled her boatside and she hit the tape at 31-1/4” long. What a brute. Of course I forgot my camera, so no camera, but what a beautiful specimen! I would love to see her again in a month or two after she has got the feedbag on!
See you all on the water!
Great report as usual, Steve.
I wonder if that is the same walleye I caught almost exactly a year ago? I also forgot my camera on that trip.
I don’t think anyone believed me…. Oh well!
-J.
Jon,
How did that fish get so camera shy?
Not sure if anyone believes me either…but doesn’t matter I guess!
I called Holst and Stewart immediately afterwards squeeling like a little kid!
With a hat like that Steve, you have turned to the dark side!! I’ll let BrianK know he must now include you in the bass-hole club whenever her refers to “them”.
Great report. I’m going to be moving to the Monticello area, so I may need some advice on that part of the river come next year.
OH, one more thing. We don’t believe bass guys catch big walleyes!!!!
Ya lucky dawg! Trying to convince the wifer to move to Elk River. I think I almost have her nailed now
Alvin, Alvin, Alvin….This is a family site.
We are going to build a house in Otsego actually, but I’ll only be 3 miles from Monticello and 45 minutes from the pond. Can’t wait. I am going to be further from P4, which stinks.
With comments like that on my AWESOME hat, I will steer you in the right direction…..don’t you worry!
Great report and fish Steve.
Nice fish Steve
Does that mean you will be walking over to Bob Bowmans house and giving him daily choke slams?
Nope, he will be too busy golfing!!!!
You know….Otsego is just a short skip and a hop from me….Maybe I can get in and throw a couple sleeper holds myself!
The Claw!!!!!
Mack, do you have a rocking chair by chance?????
Have rockin chair will travel
I fully plan to bring down the value all homes and land in the NW quadrant. Yes, it’s on a golf course. However, I don’t plan to use it much, but if it keeps the wife happy, so be it. I will be inviting BrianK over for sleep overs since he is such an avid golfer!!!! As for kicking Bob’s
, I’m all for a good royal rumble!!!
I got the KEG
come on over boys. YOUR GONA WALK OVER BUT YOUR GONA LIMP BACK 
Yeah, Bob probably isnt a guy you want to drink beer with, based on his last story, it appears he is like the family black lab, lifting his leg on every tree or piece of furniture that he can find
That one
stands alone
you are either
A: one of the best bass fisherman i have ever seen
or
B: You just dont report your bad days.
(I think its the first one though)
Man those are some great fish
Cade,
First off, I am definately NOT the best bass fisherman you have ever seen. I think it might be a little more of the #2. I am just fortunate to grow up on a couple pools that I know real well and the smallies up here are plentiful. One last thing….. Thank god smallies are home bodies!!
I have got plenty of off days in my day…believe me. But Thank you for the nice comment!
Guys,
I got the feeling that if you throw a few brew-ha’s down Bobby’s throat….he may just throw us all a beatin. One punch to this guy and I fold like a cheap lawn chair!
Oh, I don’t know. I’ve seen you take a lead pipe to the ankle and keep right on skating… lol You tubed with me and kept coming back for more when most DO NOT.
I would think a former hockey jock would be required to take at least a couple good pokes before going down. 
Steve, Where did you play hockey? Do you still have all of your toothies
Steve, Great report as always. What color Jimmy D’s hair jigs do you use, if you don’t mind sharing? Thanks!
Bob,
Fortunately I still do have all my chompers. Had some near misses in post high school “bar” leagues…
I went to Sartell high school until my sophomore year and transfered over to St. Cloud Cathedral and played there the follwing 3 years. Don’t play that much anymore…stil lace them up, but not competively. Now my past time is spent being pulled behind various machinery on the ice by half drunk IDA staffers.
Wade,
I thought I posted that….Hmmm, must of been thinking about it instead. For the smallies, I like to use black almost exclusively in the summer months and then as the water cools and clears up, I like mix in white and more natural smoke colors. Because these fish bunch up good this time of year, the next two weeks are dynamite with these little jigs. They offer a harmless entrance to the water and do not seem to shake up the school of fish too much and we have found that you can actually optimize your catch in a bunch of tightly bunched smallies versus throwing a loud crank or spinnerbait. This is also an excellent time to see as many as 6 or more smallies following the one you are fighting to the boat waiting for a easy meal. Perfect time for your buddy to score on a bonified double!!
Thanks Steve! I may have to give these hair jigs a try on the Missouri River here. I’ve never really considered them for smallies before. Good info bud!
Oh, and I didn’t know IDA staffers drank alcoholic beverages. Gonna have to look into that…