Pool 8 Panfish Report 8/28/10

Only a retired guy holding a bump headed Blue Ear can put a smile on his face like this one shown here!
After loading Mike’s boat with a bucket full of lively minnows, crawlers/redworms on ice, and the UL tackle, it wasn’t long and the 40hp 4 stroke Yamaha had us at our first destination and fishing. This was a brush pile sitting in 25fow behind a wing dam. In minutes we knew there was too much flow to be holding the sought out crappies. After checking a few more locations for the specks on the main channel, wing dams and such, it was obvious the game plan had to change. Maybe back waters and deep wood? Long story short, it wasn’t to be. Not one crappie came aboard over 6 inches long We need some more chili nights However the gar are more than willing to take a minnow 6ft under a bobber. Made for some fun with the crappie rigs!

With a shift in presentation and location, it was time to see if the gills wanted to play. The search started along a ledge, the top being in 6fow with a drop into 20fow. The locator also revealed suspended fish anywhere from 8-12 feet below the surface. It wasn’t long and we were dancin’ with the gills A 1/64th oz orange round ball jig slowly retrieved up the ledge and a Purple Ratfinkee sitting 10 feet below a bobber, both tipped with a chunk of worm had gills coming in the boat. A number of watch fobs were on the tear but every now and then one of the true bull gills couldn’t resist the offerings and just had to eat

The second location we picked was a side channel. The current sweeps up onto a sand flat and pushes into rock and some weeds. The flat is holding 6-10fow and drops into 15-20fow. Mike was schooling me while using a jig colored like a bumble bee, the only thing I had close was a Burnt Orange mini mert. The racial of keepers taking the offering picked up with this color pattern.
Current pushing up against structure has been the key our last two trips out. The bigger gills 8-8.5 inches are hanging on the deeper side and tight to bottom while the 6-7inchers are right on the top.

The Mighty Mississippi is shaping up nicely around the La Crosse area. There are still a few weed mats cruising down river but nothing like a couple weeks ago. There is however still a good amount of grass and debris making trolling tough. If the mighty keeps cleaning up and receding as the past week it won’t be long and pulling cranks and 3 ways should not be a problem. Big Old Missy has surely taking a flushing this summer. With high hopes, I’d like to see her straighten out for the fall walleye run and hit normal water levels before the hard water season.
But for now the big river is straightening up, so get out there and enjoy

Good Luck Fishing People