Spring is finally here and its time for me to leave my wintering hole of Pool 4 and get back familiar with the great fishery that’s in my back yard. Dean and the boys at Everts will probably still see too much of me, since he has the best river selection of tackle around, and I always need something….
Pre fishing for the FLW league tournament for me consisted of finding box fish, and finding big fish. My plan was to get my box fish early in the morning and spend the remainder of the day going after the fish that put checks in the pocket.
Early in prefishing the water temp in the main channel was running 45-47 degrees, the water temp in the back shallow channels was between 48-50 degrees, the amount of water coming down the main channel quickly eliminated a lot of water to fish. There was too much current on many of the spots I normally fish this time of year, so it was time to adjust the game plan. A quick browse through my fishing journal, and it was time to get fishing.
Early in the game, we found the big fish we were looking for. Chris Tuckner and I spent an afternoon trolling #5 and #7 Rapala shad raps and minnow raps in one of the many back waters of Pool 3, the fish were there, and they were on the chew! The water temp was warmer back in these cuts compared to the main channel, and these big girls were setting up off of current seams and behind natural humps in the channel ambushing bait as it came past. On tournament day, old mother nature decided that we needed a nice NW breeze in the 20 – 30 mph range, which made fishing these locations very difficult for me, boat control and getting the baits to run at the right speed and stay clean was challenging.
The box fish were found and caught by pulling cranks just off of the current seams and on top of the sand flats adjacent to the current seams. Running a #5 or a #7 Shad Rap or Flicker shad bait back and forth over the tops of these sand flats was putting fish in the boat. Jig and minnow combination is also very effective at these locations. Dragging a ¼ oz jig and fat head slowly (.04-.06 mph) from the deep edges of the sand up over the top is putting a lot of nice eater fish in the boat, along with some bonus piggy’s like this upper 20” from last night.
Another way to go after these locations is by pitching. Anchor up or hold with the trolling motor and pitch raps and jig combinations to these same locations. I have yet to use this technique, but good friends of mine are doing very well picking apart the water and finding active fish.
This weekend brings us the opener! I’ll be up on Mille Lacs slip bobbering and rigging and enjoying a little time away. Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable opener!
See you on the water…
Jami
Couple more picts. Last nights sunset. Man its nice fishing in a t-shirt again! Nice eye caught on a current seam with a #7 Minnow Rap.
Jami
Those are some very nice fish Jami. Great job putting those in the boat!
Thanks for letting me tag along! This high water sure has been fun! It really concentrates the fish. Aside from tournament days when the water gets whipped to a froth by the competing boats, normal week and weekend days the fish have been relatively easy to find and cooperative!
Your presentations and descriptions are spot on!
Thanks again!
Nice fish Jami
Pool 3 has been calling my name too. Pool 4 has been good to me all Spring but with the price of gas I am planning on hitting Pool 3 the next few weeks.
Thanks for the up-north update neighbor. What size and color minnow raps have been the best and how or when do they come into your presentation vs the more traditional shad raps?
Jami!!!! Somethings are better left found out by themselves!
Here is a hint…if you hold your breath long enough…you will turn this color….
The other is something that goes well in a martini…
Awsome report Ritter I need to get up to 3 in the summer time with ya when i get up there soon! Those fish on Pool 3 have an awsome size average.
Don’t be thinkin your off of Pool 4 just yet get them shortie rods ready for the lake as well sir in a couple weeks. We will talk about that this weekend! See ya on the pond.
is there red involved in it as well tuck!?
Dean I think our lake secret might have slipped to the north of ya as well jk 
So many secret baits….so few cookies!
Dean, I’ve been using #7 and #9 minnow raps in the traditional colors that I’ve become fond off. olive flash and I really like this one…. Seems the fish don’t mind it either
Honestly I just keep switching lures out, trying different types and sizes until the fish tell me what they want. And lately they’ve taken a shinning to the minnow raps.
Nice report Ritt
See ya on the pond 
Nice haul Ritter! Good to see you and Tuck got on them!
Great Report and sunset pic there Jami