With water temps back on the rise and current flow becoming stable again, the big fish bite holds strong for many anglers on Pool 2. Early last week we experienced a 10 degree drop in water temperature and raise in flow caused by the overall cooler weather and rain. This required a change in tactics from the regular crankbait ‘run n gun’ style of fishing that was holding so strong just the week before.
A slower more methodical approach is just what the doctor order to help stay on fish. Pitching both Jimmy D’s Walleye Weenies and B-Fish-N-Tackle’s bucktail jigs helped aid in putting not only numbers but nice sized fish in the boat. 1/8oz, 3/16oz, and 1/4oz jigs in both Kelly green and Chartreuse were all used depending on the flow in the target area. Rather than pitching the jig out and working it back to the boat I opted to fish them down to the dam. Letting the current slowly sweep my jig down, I’d do my best to keep it towards the base, avoiding the snags and hang-ups towards the top. While keeping the jig in the ‘pocket’ so to speak at the base, I would use the bow mount to slowly work the boat from the tip to the shore end. While this method took me a while to get used to, it seemed to really work well, keeping my jig in the strike zone for much longer periods of time. Jig weight was critical for success using this type of presentation, too heavy and it would lie on the bottom, too light and it got swept up and over the dam.
As the water temp’s started to heat back up, the crankbait bite wasn’t far behind. Variations in the speed of retrieval seemed to have a much greater effect on how fish reacted to the bait rather than the style or color. Fishing crankbaits rated to dive deeper with a larger lip proved to be a great alternate option to the norm as you we able to fish them much slower while still effectively working the face of the dam all the way down.
Trolling also helped put some real nice fish in the boat, giving us an opportunity to explore new water. Long-ling trolling #5 Rapala joined shad-raps and CD5 Wally Divers; we had good luck concentrating on shallower shore lines with steep breaks into the main channel. Trying to stay in about 7-10fow on the shallow side of a break produced the most amount of fish.
Checking the Army Corps of Engineering’s website for current river conditions has been very helpful in putting together a plan before hitting the water. Current water temps, stage, and flow readings are all key points of information that can help aid us as anglers in successfully targeting fish. Taking note of the river conditions and what presentations previously worked during them has definitely helped me replicate a steady bite from time to time.
Lastly be sure and keep your eyes wide open for floating debris coming down river. With the water levels fluctuating there are large amounts of sticks, garbage, and full trees floating down; many of which are almost fully submerged.
Pool 2 of the Mississippi is truly a hidden treasure that many of us simply drive by on the way home from work. Take a trip down and check it out, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised 
Pete
Few more pic’s
Great report Pete and congrats on some great looking fish!
Good job changing your presentation in regard to current flow and water temps! 
It seemed to pay big dividends for you.
So,what your saying is,that bucktail thing may have worked out eh?
Good,no GREAT job and report sir!
Nice fish Pete and great report-man, are you guys smacking the fish!
Jeremy
Nce report Pete.
Some great looking eyes Pete. Well done!!
Nice job Pete.
Some really good looking fish too!
Great job Pete! Those are some dandy’s!
Jami
Looks like you got a nice setup in that boat. Is it setup for trolling and will it hold two mutts?
Another great report! You just don’t give those ‘eyes a rest!
Jason
Very nice fish guys!
Nice report Pete. Good to see they are still biting down there. So when you are pulling jigs along the face of the dams are you finding the fish to be spread out or grouped up in certain locations?
Thanks Mike!
From what I’ve found it really changes dam to dam. On any of the higher flow dams the fish seem to be much more concentrated in a specific area. On the lower flow dam’s I’ve been concentrating effort on the tip but am finding bites coming from all over.
Have you been experiencing a similar trend while pitching hair?
Most of my jig pitching is from a anchored position and targeting a certain section of the wingdam. More spot on the spot stuff. A lot of these areas in low flow conditions are on the tips of the dams. Anchoring lets me work these areas over real well and with a number of different lures. This also includes working over the base of the dams real well. There are some big fish hanging out down there.
Havent tried trolling or dragging jigs on dams yet but it sounds like a good approach. Im going to need to try this. May be a good approach for some dragging jigs. I would also think it would be great for locating more spot on the spot areas that consistently hold fish.
You fishing Saturday morning Pete?
I’ve tried anchoring several times and had ‘okay’ luck however I can see how it would really allow you to hone in on a particular area of the dam. For some reason I just really dislike anchoring and attempt to avoid it, it’s something I need to work on.
When you anchor with another person in the boat, do you throw out 1 anchor and sit perpendicular to the dam? Or two and position yourself parallel?
I should be out for a while in the morning; Kristie wants to hit the water. I might focus more so on trolling however, she feels more comfortable and enjoys it much more that pitching jig’s and castings wingies.
Are you planning on getting out? If you see me out there flag me down!
Pete:
Excellent fish and great pics! The amount of quality fish you’re into is great to see. These are all pigs!
Joel
I need to work on moving around more. Last Saturday I was going to try some dragging but realized there was no control for the trolling motor in the boat. Guess I hadn’t even used it yet this year.
Just one anchor. There are 3 cleats on the front of the boat and they all get used depending on conditions and the dams Im trying to fish. Ideally its nice to use one of the front side cleats as it will turn the boat a little and allow the guys in front better access to pitching the dam. Swinging the motor one way or the other will adjust the angle of the oat to. Have even dropped the anchor of back a few times and pulled down river with the bow mount to get into the right position. There is a lot of time when anchored the guy in the front of the boat has better access to getting his jigs to the base of the dam.
Have you noticed the Griz down there vertical jigging the fronts of the wingdams? He seems to drop his transom mount trolling motor and work back and forth on the face of the dams. His approach to me looks more like vertical jigging the trolling or dragging.
Yep, I’ve saw him down there quite a bit doing exactly what you described. It seems like he’ll vertical jig a dam for 5-10 min and then scoot right along. Do you think he’s using a jig/live bait combo or more of a 3-way rig type of presentation? I’ve personally never tried this method of wing dam fishing, but I’m sure it can be effective.
It’s truly amazing how a guy can work a dam for 20 min using one type of presentation without getting bit. Change to something else and a fish will wack it! It baffles me to think about how many nice walleyes are sitting on these dams watching my crank go by thinkin, ‘Nope’.
i would if you are fishing with only 2 people in the boat throw an anchor off the frot of the boat and a drift sock off the back. look at the midsummer wingdam video on here its real informative…
http://www.idofishing.com/videos/viewvid.php/Number/748209/dog-day-wingdams-on-the-mississippi-river
Great job Pete!Nice report and piggies!
Waleyhuntr51,
Yessir! I can assure you I have watched that video more than a couple times
While what James and Dustin are doing in that video work’s great in a larger boat, I’m only fishing out of a 16.5’ Lunker that really isn’t appropriately setup for 2 anglers to fish in tandem off the back. I’m not saying it couldn’t be done; but that particular boat just isn’t designed for it.
The drift sock putting down-current pressure on the anchor rope has proven itself on more than one occasion on days that boat control can be tough. In that situation I’ve opted to have the guy in the back pitch jigs while the person up front throws cranks. Like Mike stated earlier, switching bow mount cleats helps a little in turning the boat allowing the guy in the front to have a better angled shot at the dam.
I suppose the other option would be to anchor the boat from the rear with a sock out the front. This would allow both anglers enough room to pitch up jigs from up on the larger casting deck.
If ya see a boat on Pool 2 tomorrow anchored up backwards, No were not crazy… Just trying something different
I would bet the Griz is mostly fishing jig/minnow combos. From sitting in one spot pitching dams you will see in a hurry not all the fish down there want the same bait. The down side of anchoring is if you are not on them you are not on them. They may be hanging 10′ past the end of your cast that day and you would never know.
Sure wish I could get out of the office early today and head down there.
I saw the Video what a great technique with the half crawler.