Mississippi River-Big Walleye On The Chew 9-17-07

By dustin_stewart 0

With close to a five week absence from the mighty river, I was able get back at it this past weekend. With the cooler temps we had over the past week, I was very excited to get back on the river in hopes of finding some of the bigger walleyes on the chew. This time of year the walleye fishing on the river can be very fickle but my boat was able to find a good number of big walleye willing to cooperate this past Saturday and Sunday .

Saturday I shared my boat with a couple of good buddies, Brain Lyons and Randy Stevens. Our day started out concentrating on shallow rock, less than 6’ of water, with crankbaits, plastics and hair jigs. By days end we boated 11 walleyes surpassing the 6lb mark with a couple of big walleye missing the 10lb mark by mere ounces. . Our best bait on this day in the morning hours was a chartreuse pepper ring worm on a 1/8oz chartreuse/orange precision head. Later in the day those big mama eyes turned more of their attention to the crank baits. Brian had the hot hand boating 5 big walleye with a couple of his fish making a showing on hair jigs. I was able to boat a couple of these big fish as well but was the unfortunate one in the boat that had their fish come unbuttoned while one of my counter parts was readily standing by with net in hand

I will post pictures of our day below this report. It was great sharing my boat with the two of you, none of us will forget Saturday the 15th for years to come!

On Sunday I shared my boat with Andy Hanson and his 10 year son Tucker. Instead of dragging jigs with bait or trolling cranks in search some eater size fish I decided to start the trip looking for some more of the trophy walleye that made a showing on Saturday. My game plan for the day was the same as day prior.

We mixed it up casting cranks, plastics and hair jigs to shallow rock. I did not anticipate a big number of walleye coming to the boat on this day but knew that they would be bigger walleye if we got bit. The first walleye of the day fell victim to a firecracker/chartreuse tail ring worm on a 1/8oz sour apple precision head. This is one of my favorite color combos for Mississippi river walleye. That was the only fish taken on plastics this day. 10year old Tucker had the hot hand on this day boating 5 walleye over the 25” mark on up to the biggest walleye of the day measuring 29¼” casting crank baits Tell you what………..I get a lot of anglers on my boat every year and can honestly say that Tucker can fish with the best of them. I have 4 of Tucker’s walleye pictured in this report. Nice Walleyes Tucker! I would like to thank the two of you for spending a day in my boat. I am looking forward to fishing with the two of you again in the future.

This time of year can be feast or famine on the mighty river but if the water temps keep cooling the bite will only progress as the Fall season approaches. With the warmer temps we have in store for this week I look for the walleye bite to taper off to the normal, here today and gone tomorrow bite of September.

I’ll see ya on the river!

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dustin_stewart

When not at work I'm busy playing fishing guide on pools 3 and 4 of the Mississippi River.I will fish Lake Pepin but the bite has to be really good on the lake to get me off of moving water.

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  2. Here is Randy with his big walleyes from the day.

    I am pictured here as well with my best fish of the day weighing 9lbs 14oz.

    Randy is seen here with the only double that we seen for the day. One of these fish was mine but I didn’t want to stop fishing for the photo so he just held on to it for me .

  7. Quote:

    Great Report Dustin.

    Tucker you rock. It was an honor watching you catch those fish.

    I was fun watching you boat four 7-9lb walleye in 4 casts back to back . Once again it was a pleasure sharing water with you on Sunday Vandy.

  8. Quote:

    Nice job guys! Anything special to the rocks your targeting? Or just rip rap channel edges?

    The only thing that makes the rip rap we were targeting stand out is that it is close to a large back water area. When the water starts to cool a large majority of bait fish start to filter out of the back waters where there is more rock. In cooler temps rocks allow shad to keep on their food source of alge and plankton and the walleye follow

  9. Nice fish Dustin. Sure the first weekend I havent been down in over 3 months and the fish start going I am sure I will see ya soon.

    Keep up the good work

  10. Thanks Dustin. I’ve been on a similar pattern this time of year down here the last couple years, looks like I need to go check it out.

  12. Awesome report and fish. I cannot wait to get down there.
    Like the post above says ‘Fall is here!!’

  13. Wow! Thanks for the report and awesome info!

    I knew it was just a matter of time before you guys started putting up amazing reports from the river. Really gives a guy a kick in the rear to get the summer projects finished up. My boat is buried in the garage under a bunch of insulation and Sheetrock .
    Chris

  17. Plastic at 61 degrees, tell the truth, you were three waying bullheads weren’t you………. I’m MUCHO jealous after my weekend at work. See you guys Friday, bring your dancin’ shoes!

  18. Great report Dustin. It does seem a little unfair on the walleye putting you,Randy and Brian in the same boat. Thats alot of river knowledge there!!!!! Hopefully life is settling down and I can make it out on the river SOON!
    Rich

  20. WOW!! Great report Dustin! I am hoping to get out on the river this week. The kids are keeping me very busy as I am sure yours is too. Thanks for the report!!

    JJ

  24. great report dustin, that is some dandy fish. won’t be up till oct 16th. when do you guy’s close down your trailer’s for the winter.

  25. Quote:

    Any particular type of crankbait and color pattern you prefer?

    Shad raps worked their magic for us. Several sizes caught fish but the #7’s worked best for us on these 2 days.

    Firetiger was good and blue did some damage as well

  26. Quote:

    when do you guy’s close down your trailer’s for the winter.

    NEVER! . Just can’t run water in them.

    I will be around when you are here then. I still have not taken the pictures of those big eyes you and I caught last month off my camera . I got busy and never had the chance to write a report about our trip. We’ll just have to get them again the next time we fish together

    Hope all is well . I’ll see you in October Wayne.

  29. Hi Dustin,

    Boy… you sure did call it. When we talked on Saturday, Sept. 8th, you said you’d know exactly where the big fish would be after the water started cooling. How right you were!

    Maybe September isn’t such a bad month afterall.

    Boone

  31. Dustin,
    Once again, I stand in awe. All I could catch were sheephead–but to my defense, I did have the sheephead king in my boat.

    Now for an unsolicated endorsement: For those of you who want to shorten your learning curve on the river and put your book knowledge into real life fishing, do what I did:
    “The don’t re-invent the wheel plan”:
    1)Summer bite: Booked Dustin
    2)Fall bite: Booked Dustin
    3)Early spring bite: Booked Dustin
    4)Early summer bite: Booked Dustin

    Result: My river fishing has gone thru the roof, I have caught, and continue to break, my personal best walleye, and now have the ability to better understand the walleye’s behavior, forage base and river changes like never before.

    Nice fish coach!

    Jeremy

  32. Thanks for the kind words Jeremy. You have definitely taken the time we spent on the water, good trips and bad, an successfully put them to great use in your arsenal.

    I will see you soon .

  33. Dusty, sorry I haven’t replied sooner. Lindy has kept me busy,something about Seans wedding coming up soon

    What a day we had! Thanks for posting the pics. You, Randy and I have some good days before, but I doubt we’ll ever top this one. Hair, cranks, paddletails and ringworms all taking big fish. I had my best five fish average ever!!
    Thanks a million buddy

    ps. I will post some pics. from the next day, if anyone would be interested in seeing them.
    later B

  35. Quote:

    ps. I will post some pics. from the next day, if anyone would be interested in seeing them.
    later B


    I sure wouldn’t mind. If you get a chance, let’s see ’em!
    Chris

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