I spent Wednesday Thursday and Saturday fishing the sand drops on pool 5. It’s kind of good news…bad news. On Wednesday I fished with Larry Elsen, an old high school classmate from Onalaska WI. I’d talked up the bite and was hoping to show off the fishery. What happened was the numbers dropped off but the quality improved. The 26 inch walleye and the 30 something northern in the photos came on a chartreuse/pepper ring worm on a 1/8 oz head. The two were about 300 yrds apart in 9 FOW. The presentation hasn’t changed, it’s put the Minn Kota on 20-30% and drag upstream. The speed is so slow my GPS shows 0 MPH.
On Thursday it was more of the same. The water temp crept up about a half a degree with a noticeable increase in flow and a slight tinge of water-color. I also noticed an increase in the rod bent by the guys fishing vertical. I made several drifts and caught some decent sauger and a few non-legal walleyes. I did manage a nice 22” walleye but the shallow bite was dwindling.
Friday was a trip to Red Wing. Although it was fun, you had to take a number to get on the good spots. Business was good at Evrets and Dean had a big smile on his face I didn’t get an official count but it look like a 100 rigs parked in the lot. It was a good chance to say hello to a few of the IDA regulars.
On Saturday I went back to Alma to prove or disprove the shallow bite was off. The answer for now is go deep and move up towards the dam. Alma is a great alternative (the other white meat) if you want a little more space. Things are changing and the best advice I have is check with Lee and the crew at Main Channel Bait for the latest fishing conditions.
nice report. how the heck is larry anyway? haven’t talked to him in a while.
Great report John! Now just looking forward to the Bass reports
I can expand on John’s report a little. I was down at Alma for the 2nd half of the day on Saturday. I got to watch Jarrad get the hand-lining gear warmed up for the Detroit River in a few weeks, as well as the eagles making short work of 10″ saugers “CPRd” from the scour hole.
Our game plan was to spend the day draging sand flats between the wingies, but could only manage one legal eye during the first hour of effort. That fish came on a cotton sandy ringie on an 1/8 oz head.
TO stay busy until prime time, we set up at the tail of the scour hole just to the left of the lock, and vertical-jigged the mid-20 foot depths with paddletails and superdoos. Our best producer was a chart/pepper superdoo on a 3/8 oz pink head. The minnow guys/gals were doing very well in this area as well as in deeper water, but mostly on smaller fish. There is also a good bite happening in the main channel extending from the lock to the launch, again mostly saugers.
From 4 until 7 we went back to dragging ringies in 15 fow or less. We enjoyed consistent action on saugers, eyes, and even a bonus 16″ smallie. We took fish on chart/pepper, cotton candy, firecracker, firecracker/chart tail, and electric blue/pearl tail ringies, all on 1/8 oz plain precision heads. We wanted to stay out later but a bad bow light caused us to but the trip short.
I’ll close by saying two things: Alma is a wonderful place to escape the March crowds on Pool 4. There are still people here, but a lot more space to work. Second, if you’ve never had the broasted chicken at the Alma hotel after fishing all day, you’re missing something wonderful!
Until next time, see you on Pools 4 and 5!
Nice report guys. You guys pretty much summed it up. All I have to say is “DITTO”
I did break out the handline gear.
I figured with such a good bite going on Pool 5 for numbers that I could only build my confidence in Handlining. I started working the channel break in about 25-27′ of water. It didn’t take me more that 5 minutes and I was lifting a 19″ over the boat. What a great way to build confidence. I ended up with 15 walleyes in a couple of hours. Mostly unmearsureable fish but still fun to feel those little ones head shake. I ran two leads one 7′ and the other 15′. I started getting all my fish on the top lead and as the time I started getting them on both leads equally.
Biggest catch on the handline gear was a St.Croix Rod with a Mitchell reel that only look a week old. However the rod was a factory second. Maybe that was a sign that I better stick to using fishing poles
It will be a wingdam rod now.. 
Nice to see you coming over more and more to the walleye side of things John.
Thanks for the report and pics. You sure had alot of fun this week. 
Thanks, Bill
Rumor has it that Kooty was out with Gator on P4 this weekend. I wonder if Kooty was doing any handlining…….
Nice report John. The fish sure are looking healthy right now.
I know who that rod and reel belongs to. Friend of mine lost that in January when we took advantage of the warm January weather. He snagged both poles and “ploop” he dropped one. We still give him a hard time about it,
he had just bought the rods the week or two before.
Good to see that you come to the “good side” now and then John
Thanks for the report 
I was in one of the boats in the main channel on saturday. We were catching saugers hand over fist but not many with any size. Plus a few eyes. Did see a pig eye caught up by the locks. I was using a red jig with minnow and the other guys were using chartreuse jigs & ringworms with minnows. majority of the fish were caught on the stinger hook.
stg113,
If you seriously lost that rod and can tell me specifics of that rod you can come and pick it up the next time you are in the area.At least part of it anyway.
Line type, condition of rod and etc. I love St.Croix rods and couldn’t imagine being without one so at least I can do is offer it back. Let me know……
Please send me a PM.
Thanks
Flick,
I am the one stg113 wrote about. Believe me I got alot of crap for this one
. Weren’t on the water 10 minutes when it went in the drink. Two poles around wing dams with mittens on just don’t work. Sent ya a pm with a description. Want to say big thanks for offering it back. Will be giving your dad some “extra” business at the bait store for this one. Thanks again…….
wiswalleyenut
I know how you feel when you lose a rod over the boat. My 8 year old lost one over the side and it made him just sick. It made me even sicker..Watching is reaction made me realize the importance of his favortie rod. I am sure it was the same for you. It is the least I can do. Life with out a St.Croix Rod is like sweet corn with out the butter
…. 
Next time you are coming to town send me a PM and I will get you the rod. I will see if I can spare a couple of BFNT Ringworms as well…