7-31-2009
Day 104-261 to go
6:25am-7:25am

Weather: Calm, Clear, 58°, 29.93 rising
Water conditions: 4.95’ steady, 22.2kcfs,? ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 6:30am, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 6:33am, Senko
3.

Area fished

Pool 8 Dresbach Dam

Fishing Partners

None

Comments

Today it was an early morning fishing trip below the Dresbach Dam. I was fishing from shore. It started out great. I caught two bass in a three minute time frame. But then reality hit, zippo for the next fifty minutes.

It was a great morning. I was able to drown out the roar of the trucks and cars scurrying along the interstate. But, it was hard not to notice the occasional obnoxiously loud motorcycle. Which, with lots of certainty I would have to say were probably Harley Davidson’s making most of the racket.

day 103 7-30-09

7-30-2009
Day 103-262 to go
7:35pm-8:45pm

Weather: W7, Clear, 71°, 29.84 rising
Water conditions: 639.52’ falling, 21.5kcfs, 75 ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 8:07pm, Senko

Area fished

Pool 7 Lake Onalaska

Fishing Partners

None

Comments

It was a run and gun night. Unfortunately I did not need many bullets. I hit one familiar spot and after that I was just prospecting. I did briefly hook into a rather large northern. However, I thought it was a weed so my hook set was lacking.

7-29-2009
Day 102-263 to go
6:25pm-8:25pm

Weather: W10, Partly Cloudy, 80°, 29.85 falling
Water conditions: 639.4’ rising, 18.7kcfs, 77 ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Northern 22”, 6:37pm, Swim Jig
2. Large Mouth Bass 18.0”, 6:40pm, Swim Jig
3. Small Mouth Bass 16.0”, 7:42pm, Senko
4. Small Mouth Bass 11.5”, 7:44pm, Senko
5. Northern 17.0”, 7:59pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

Pool 7

Fishing Partners

None

Comments

It was a rather slow and uneventful night. I caught the two smallies in a new spot. I also was able to eliminate some unproductive water. I always try to fish at least one unfamiliar area each outing. I believe if you get too set in your ways or spots your fishing success is going to dwindle.

7-28-2009
Day 101-264 to go
7:30pm-9:00pm

Weather: NW10, Clear, 72°, 29.80 rising
Water conditions: 639.5’ rising, 16.9kcfs, 72 ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 18.5”, 7:38pm, Swim Jig
2. Large Mouth Bass 15.0”, 8:22pm, Ribbit Frog
3. Large Mouth Bass 15.0”, 8:35pm, Ribbit Frog

Area fished

Pool 7 Lake Onalaska

Fishing Partners

None

Comments

The night started out as one of those awesome fish catching nights. The second cast I caught my first fish. Then about two casts later I hooked into a very large and temperamental northern. When I hooked this fish it immediately swam straight at the boat; it was like a torpedo barring down on its target! When it did get to the boat it went down and hesitated on the bottom, then it made a bee line away from the boat. I put some pressure on the line to stop its departure, and then it happened. My line was cut. That was about my third swim jig in as many nights to northerns.

I did have an amusing moment with a gull. This bird was intrigued by my top water frog. Each cast I made it would hover over the bait and follow it back to the boat. This happened over and over again. Each time the gull got closer and closer to committing to snatching the frog. I actually got to the point where I wanted to hook it, just to see what it would be like to catch a bird. It finally decided my plastic frog was not dinner and flew the coop.

day 100 7-27-09

7-27-2009
Day 100-265 to go
7:40pm-9:00pm

Weather: NW13, Sunny, 77°, 29.89 falling
Water conditions: 5.5’ falling, 12kcfs, ? ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Northern 28”, 7:47pm, Swim Jig
2. Sauger 8.5”, 8:20pm, Jig and Crawler
3. Sauger 8.5”, 8:21pm, Jig and Crawler
4. Sheep Head 12”, 8:25pm, Jig and Crawler
5. Sheep Head 14”, 8:30pm, Jig and Crawler
6. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 8:52pm, Swim Jig
7. Small Mouth Bass 14.0”, 8:57pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

Pool 7

Fishing Partners

None

Comments

It was a very nice night, with little wind. I was able to squeeze in a little walleye and bass/northern fishing. In general fishing was pretty good for the limited time I was out.
Tonight I finally think I figured out a noise I had been hearing time and time again when I had been out fishing along the main channel areas. The noise sounds like a quiet bull frog. The conclusion I have come to is the noise is coming from the sheep head. From what I have heard, this species of fish has a marble type bone in its head that it is able to vibrate and produce sound! It is really strange when you hear it and try to figure out what it is.
There was a major may fly hatch of the miniature species on the Minnesota side tonight.

day 99 7-26-09

7-26-2009
Day 99-266 to go
6:30am-1:30pm

Weather: NW13, Sunny, 77°, 29.89 falling
Water conditions: 5.5’ falling, 12kcfs, ? ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 7:15am, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 7:40am, Swim Jig
3. Large Mouth Bass 8.0”, 10:00am, Swim Jig
4. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 11:55am, Swim Jig
5. Small Mouth Bass 19.0”, 12:25pm, Swim Jig
6. Large Mouth Bass 10.0”, 12:35pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

Pool 6

Fishing Partners

Terry

Comments

We started out fishing the lower end of pool six, but fate had another idea for us. We started out of the landing at Perrot Park using just the trolling motor. After we fished the northern shoreline and decided it was time to crank up Terry’s big motor and move, we ran into trouble. The motor just gave a little click. We had a dead battery! Plans were quickly changed and we loaded up the boat and headed for Winona. After a battery pit stop at Fleet Farm we were back on the water. Except now we were on the upper end of the pool, uncharted waters!
I cannot say fishing was fantastic, in fact it was not very good at all. This end of the pool is much busier with recreational boat traffic on the weekends. Again, we had the best luck along rocks that bordered the main channel.

Day 98-267 to go
7:10pm-9:00pm

Weather: NW17G23, A few clouds, 75°, 29.78 rising,
Water conditions: 639.5’ steady, 21.1kcfs, ? ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 18.0”, 7:40pm, Swim Jig
2. Northern 18.0”, 7:45pm, Swim Jig
3. Northern 35.0”, 8:40pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Lake Onalaska

Fishing Partners

1. Luke and Cade

Comments

I rode with Luke and Cade tonight. We all caught fish tonight, and some quality fish to boot! We targeted main channel areas, which still seem to be the ticket. Again tonight the fairly strong winds dictated where we fished.

day 97 7-24-09

7-24-2009
Day 97-268 to go
7:30pm-9:00pm

Weather: S7, Mostly Cloudy, 70°, 29.70 rising,
Water conditions: 639.63’ falling, 24.1kcfs, ? ° Algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Northern 22.0”, 7:50pm, Swim Jig
2. Large Mouth Bass 10.0”, 8:50pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Lake Onalaska

Fishing Partners

1. Luke and Cade

Comments

My fishing partners were my neighbors: Luke and Cade. Luke is a great guy and Cade, Luke’s son is one sharp little boy.
The fishing was not great tonight. We had a strong south wind to contend with. We also got caught in a heavy ten minute downpour. Cade got a little nervous and uncomfortable, during this storm. But once the rain quite and he saw the rainbow he cheered up again.

7-23-2009
Day 96-269 to go
6:50pm-11:00pm

Weather: S5, Clear, 66°, 29.91 falling
Water conditions: 5.72’ steady, 29.7kcfs, 73°, Moderate algae bloom

Fish caught



1. Bluegills (8) 7, 7, 6.5, 7, 7, 6.5, 8.0, 6.5 Jig and crawler
2. Small Mouth Bass 10”, 7:29pm, Jig and crawler
3. Small Mouth Bass 10”, 7:30pm, Jig and crawler
4. Sheep Head 16”, 7:34pm, Jig and crawler
5. Small Mouth Bass 9”, 7:39pm, Jig and crawler
6. Small Mouth Bass 6”, 7:50pm, Jig and crawler
7. Small Mouth Bass 12”, 8:17pm, Jig and crawler
8. Small Mouth Bass 8”, 8:24pm, Jig and crawler
9. Small Mouth Bass 13”, 8:39pm, Jig and crawler
10. Flat Head 22.0”, 9:50pm, Bluegill

Area fished

1. Pool 6 Main channel

Fishing Partners

1. Jake

Comments

Tonight was my second attempt at flat head fishing pool six. Our departure had about a forty-five minute rain delay. Once the rain cleared it was time to get down to business and catch our bait. This turned out to be a more difficult task than I would have liked.
The night ended with each of us catching a small flat head. I believe the weight of the may flies we accumulated in the boat exceeded the weight of these two fish. You see at the last spot we fished the mayflies just showered us.
We could not get to the landing fast enough for Jake. The moment we hit the dock he was off and running for the woods; he had some business and paperwork to attend to. I hope he was able to avoid the poison ivy!

7-22-2009
Day 95-270 to go
6:45pm-9:00pm

Weather: NW5, Clear, 75°, 29.95 rising
Water conditions: 639.39’, 18.5kcfs, 79°, Moderate algae bloom

Fish caught



1. Walleye 14.0”, 7:16pm, Precision Jig and crawler
2. Walleye 14.0”, 7:27pm, Precision Jig and crawler
3. Sauger 10.0”, 7:32pm, Precision Jig and crawler
4. Walleye 11.0”, 7:50pm, Precision Jig and crawler
5. Sauger 10.0”, 8:10pm, Precision Jig and crawler
6. Sauger 9.0”, 8:17pm, Precision Jig and crawler
7. Sheep head 16”, 8:28pm, Precision Jig and crawler
8. Small Mouth Bass 9.0”, 8:31pm, Precision Jig and crawler

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Main channel

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

It was another post card night! There must have been a bass tournament tonight, because there was lots of bass fisherman out and about. They act somewhat like bees; they do not stay in one place too long and they are always on the move. There was a lone group pulling a water-skier; wish it was me. I love to ski on a glass smooth water surface and when both the air and water are temperatures are warm. It is hard to describe the noise that is made when you make a sharp cut from side to side, but it is exhilarating.
The fish were all small tonight. The areas that had the most current produced the most action.
Again tonight we had a major may fly hatch. It was dark when I came off the water, but if I looked up in the sky, I could see thousands and thousands of the little critters. Hope we are at the end of seeing them for another year; they definitely have an effect on fishing success.

day 94 7-21-2009

7-21-2009
Day 94-271 to go
7:20pm-8:40pm

Weather: S12, Partly Cloudy, 29.96 rising, 72°, 0% waning

Water conditions: 639.4’ steady, 18.7kcfs, 72°, partly dirty

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 7:26pm, Swim Jig
2. Large Mouth Bass 15.5”, 7:30pm, Swim Jig
3. Northern 40.0”, 7:59pm, Swim Jig
4. Large Mouth Bass 10.0”, 8:40pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Lake Onalaska

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Tonight we had a strong South wind. With this strong wind I knew it would be virtually impossible to fish old marble eyes in the main channel. So what did I choose? I decided to go out into the main lake and face the waves like a grown man! It was not really fun maneuvering the boat in the wind. But boy did it pay off! The fish I caught do not do justice to the action I had. I should have caught double the fish that I did get to measure and touch. I was not prepared for the big pike, and they picture shows that. It was quite challenging using the camera in the self-timer mode, while using the pedestal seat as the tripod. You see with the wind bouncing the boat back and forth the pedestal and the camera sitting on the pedestal the camera constantly moved form side to side. It was quite a challenge keeping myself and the fish in the camera lens.
Tonight saw another major fish fly hatch. It is amazing how many there can be and how bountiful the river can be.

day 93, 7-20-2009

7-20-2009
Day 93-272 to go
7:10pm-9:00pm

Weather: S6, Clear, 68°, 30.03 rising
Water conditions: 639.5’, 21.1kcfs, 70°, Moderate algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Small Mouth Bass 16.5”, 7:55pm, Precision Jig and crawler
2. Walleye 25.5”, 8:02pm, Precision Jig and crawler
3. Sheep head 15”, 8:11pm, Precision Jig and crawler
4. Walleye 14.0”, 8:29pm, Precision Jig and crawler
5. Sauger 8”, 9:02pm, Precision Jig and crawler

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Main channel

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Like I said yesterday, it was time to try for walleyes. I would have been happy to catch just one walleye, but I caught two! It was a real bonus that one was a beauty!
The pattern that was successful for me was an idea I got from IDO Fishing. The message in the article was to fish the end of a wing dam with a jig tipped with a half a crawler. I must say, I was pretty satisfied with the outcome!
It appears we are having another major mayfly hatch tonight. I believe we should be about done with the hatches for the year.

day 92, 7-19-2009

7-19-2009
Day 92-273 to go
4:55pm-8:25pm

Weather: E7, Mostly Cloudy, 30.10 rising, 75°

Water conditions: 5.75’ steady, 30.7kcfs, 70°, Some algae

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 5:05pm, Pop-R
2. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 5:06pm, Pop-R
3. Large Mouth Bass 8.0”, 5:12pm, Pop-R
4. Small Mouth Bass 12.0”, 5:42pm, Pop-R
5. Large Mouth Bass 14.5”, 6:12pm, Senko
6. Large Mouth Bass 14.5”, 7:37pm Swim Jig
7. Bluegill 7.0, 8:05pm, jig and crawler

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Pool 6

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Fishing started out good, but it soon went sour. No real patterns established. I believe the bass are still reeling from the cold!
I am starting to get bored of bass fishing; I think it may be time to start fishing for crappies and/or walleyes.

day 91, 7-18-09

7-18-2009
Day 91-274 to go
6:50pm-8:50pm

Weather: NW7, Overcast, 65°, 30.09 rising

Water conditions: 639.59’ rising, 23.1kcfs, 67°, some algae bloom

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 8:26pm, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 10.0”, 8:27pm, Senko
3. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 8:30pm, Senko


Area fished

1. Main channel Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Nothing exciting tonight, and it is still cold! Had a little bit of live action wild America tonight. A couple birds of prey had a little tweety bird out in the open over water. They appeared to be working in tandem to get a lunch. The poor tweety was making quite a raucus trying to escape. Well, it eventually lost the battle and became lunch for one of the big birds. It was Unfortunate for the tweet, but that is just the way it goes.

day 90 7-17-09

7-17-2009
Day 90-275 to go
6:20am-7:25am

Weather: W15 G18, Overcast, 60°, 29.8 rising

Water conditions: 639.36’ rising, 17.9kcfs, 70°, dirty-wind stirred

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 12.5”, 6:55am, Spinner Bait

Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

The morning was cold and windy. I did not expect to catch much today, and that assumption was correct. The fish activity was non-existent. I did catch one bass and miss one rather large northern.
I was surprised to see many other obsessed fishermen out facing the elements. It was reassuring to see them also dressed for September temperatures in July. I guess I was not the only wimp!
I watched a couple crimson colored deer munch aquatic vegetation. When they discovered they were being watched they departed. They entered the water, swan the slough and exited the other side so effortlessly. Since they were together and obviously had no fawns with them it made me wonder if the fawns fell victim to the coyotes. The ones I had heard earlier in the year.

day 89 7-16-09

7-16-2009
Day 89-276 to go
1:00pm-3:30pm

Weather: W14 G26, Clear, 74°, 29.88 falling

Water conditions: 639.19’ falling, 16.1kcfs, 72°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 13”, 1:22pm, Swim Jig
2. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 1:31pm, Swim Jig
3. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 1:42pm, Swim Jig
4. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 2:03pm, Swim Jig
5. Large Mouth Bass 11.0”, 2:17pm, Senko
6. Large Mouth Bass 16.5”, 3:15pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Back Channels

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Today the wind dictated where I fished. I do not like fishing in the wind, so I try to avoid it. Considering the conditions and not having targeted the area in the past, I did okay. All the fish I caught were relating to some sort of wood.
Another fisherman I watched caused me to chuckle. He was attempting to fly fish in a rather weed infested area. I have no idea how he could even come close to landing a fly in a bath tub size area while dealing with twenty mile per hour winds. I do not think he did either.

day 88 7-15-09

7-15-2009
Day 88-277 to go
6:20pm-12:00am

Weather: W15 G21, clear, 76°, 29.90 rising

Water conditions: 5.35’, 4.1kcfs, 76°, clear

Fish caught

1. Small Mouth Bass 9”, 5:12pm, Jig and Crawler
2. Bluegill 6.0”, 5:15pm, Jig and Crawler
3. Small Mouth Bass, 12.0”, 5:17pm, Jig and Crawler
4. Bluegill 7.0”, 5:20pm, Jig and Crawler
5. Small Mouth Bass, 9.0”, 5:40pm, Jig and Crawler
6. Small Mouth Bass, 11.0”, 5:42pm, Jig and Crawler
7. Bluegill 8.0”, 5:56pm, Jig and Crawler
8. Bluegill 5.0”, 6:39pm, Jig and Crawler
9. Crappie 13”, 6:45pm, Jig and Crawler
10. Bluegill 6.0”, 6:50pm, Jig and Crawler
11. Bluegill 6.0”, 6:54pm, Jig and Crawler
12. Bluegill 7.5”, 6:56pm, Jig and Crawler
13. Crappie 11.0”, 6:59pm, Jig and Crawler
14. Bluegill 7.0”, 7:05pm, Jig and Crawler
15. Bluegill 7.5”, 7:16pm, Jig and Crawler
16. Large Mouth Bass, 14.5”, 8:47pm, Swim Jig


Area fished

1. Pool 6
2.
Fishing Partners

1. Jake

Comments

Windy, windy, windy, that is the word for tonight. From the get go, I knew it was not going to be a good night for flat head fishing. In fact if Jake was not along and expecting to go flat head fishing I would not have fished past dark. All the spots I had picked out from earlier excursions were out. You see the strong winds made them virtually impossible to fish. It just does not work to be tight lining and have all the baits getting drug across the bottom every time the boat moves this way and that.
All was not lost though, for I did find a spot for future pan fishing adventures

day 87 7-14-09

7-14-2009
Day 87-268 to go
6:00am-7:15am

Weather: SE5, partly cloudy, 64°, 30.07 falling
Water conditions:, 4.67’, 14kcfs, ?°, Moderate algae bloom (La Crosse)

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 11.0”, 6:07am, Senko

Area fished

1. Pool 8 Dresbach dam-shore fishing

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

I wanted to get my fishing in early, so I fished from shore below the dam. I thought I would have the place to myself, but I was wrong. Two gentlemen were keeping one step ahead of me fishing from a boat. You see I had planned on moving along the rock shoreline looking for active fish. That brings up a question. Why do shore fishermen cast as far out from shore as possible? And why do people fishing from a boat cast as close to shore as they can? I watched these two fishermen pick-off the active fish ahead of me. That is not to say I did not have opportunities myself. For, I did lose two very nice bass to their aerobic leaping and head shakes.
I watched a rather large beaver steadily swimming upstream about 30 feet off shore. The wake it was making reminded me of a barge steadily pushing its cargo upstream towards some grain terminal. I wonder where this lone beaver was headed.

day 86 7-13-09

7-13-2009
Day 86-269 to go
7:00pm-9:00pm

Weather: E3, Clear, 69°, 30.05 rising

Water conditions: 639.47’, falling, 20.3kcfs, 78°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 13”, 7:15pm, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 11.5”, 7:23pm, Senko
3. Large Mouth Bass 11.0”, 7:36pm, Senko
4. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 7:40pm, Swim Jig
5. Large Mouth Bass 16.0”, 7:45pm, Swim Jig
6. Northern 22.0”, 7:47pm, Swim Jig
7. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 7:48pm, Swim Jig
8. Northern 18.0”, 7:55pm, Swim Jig
9. Northern 23.5”, 7:57pm, Swim Jig
10. Large Mouth Bass 18.0”, 8:01pm, Swim Jig
11. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 8:07pm, Swim Jig
12. Large Mouth Bass 15.0”, 8:08pm, Senko
13. Large Mouth Bass 8.0”, 8:35pm, Senko
14. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 8:39pm, Senko
15. Northern 22.0, 8:52pm, swim jig
16. Large Mouth Bass 11.0”, 8:55pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. Fritz

Comments

The fish were on a terror tonight! But the ratio of fish I hooked to the ones I brought back to the old tub was not great. The evening was picture perfect for July: no wind, 72 degrees, and no humidity. No humidity in itself made for a great night. I do believe the slop bite is about to pick up. I am sensing that from the location I caught some of my fish at tonight.
I had the river pretty much to myself, except for about a dozen kayakers out for a group outing. I was very courteous and idled past them. I suppose I could have roared through the whole pack and watched them scatter like a pod of coots! But that would not be very nice and they have every right to enjoy the river. Besides I like to see all types of recreation on the river.

day 85 7-12-09

7-12-2009
Day 85-270 to go
7:50pm-9:00pm

Weather: Calm, Clear, 62°, 30.14 steady

Water conditions: 5.67’, steady, 26kcfs, 73°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 13”, 6:00 am, Senko
2. Small Mouth Bass 13.5”, 6:07am, Senko
3. Small Mouth Bass 14”, 6:09am, Senko
4. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 6:14am, Senko
5. Large Mouth Bass 112.0”, 6:20am, Pop-R
6. Small Mouth Bass 14.5”, 6:23am, Pop-R
7. Small Mouth Bass 14.0”, 6:28am, Senko
8. Small Mouth Bass 13.0”, 6:33am, Senko
9. Small Mouth Bass 16.5”, 6:51am, Pop-R
10. Small Mouth Bass 12.5”, 7:12am, Senko
11. Small Mouth Bass 10.0”, 7:17am, Pop-R
12. Small Mouth Bass 12.0”, 7:25am, Senko
13. Small Mouth Bass 13.0”, 8:02am, Senko
14. Small Mouth Bass 11.0”, 8:13am, Senko
15. Large Mouth Bass 16.0”, 8:20am, Senko
16. Small Mouth Bass 9.0”, 8:25am, Senko
17. Small Mouth Bass 13.5”, 8:32am, Senko
18. Large Mouth Bass 11.0”, 8:49am, Senko
19. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 9:05am, Senko
20. Small Mouth Bass 9.0”, 9:15am, Senko
21. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 9:40am, Senko
22. Rock Bass 7.0”, 9:42am, Senko
23. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 10:42am, Senko
24. Large Mouth Bass 12.5”, 10:52am, Senko
25. Large Mouth Bass 14.5”, 11:00am, Senko
26. Large Mouth Bass 13.5”, 11:02am, Senko
27. Small Mouth Bass 9.0”, 11:14am, Senko
28. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 11:27am, Senko
29. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 11:36am, Senko
30. Large Mouth Bass 9.5”, 11:42am, Senko

Area fished

1. Pool 6

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Today’s fishing was fantastic! I would have to call it a Senko-triffic morning, in honor of the bait which produced so many fish. The size of the quarry was not terrific, but the action was. There was not much top-water minnow chasing going on, but the fish were biting, and just about anywhere.
I had a rather interesting experience with a large mouth right towards the end of the day. Just as I pulled this fish out of the water it gave a shake and my Senko went flying. I managed to grab it before it sank to the depths. To my amazement I still had a Senko attached to my hook. This fish had stolen a Senko from me earlier and I had just caught it with both Senko’s in its mouth!

day 84 7-11-09

Day 84-281 to go
7:50pm-9:00pm

Weather: NW12, Clear, 76°, 30.08 rising

Water conditions: 639.52’ rising, 21.5kcfs, 76°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 12”, 7:45pm, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 13,5”, 7:47pm, Senko
3. Rock Bass 8.0”, 7:54pm, Senko
4. Large Mouth Bass 13,5”, 7:47pm, Senko
5. Large Mouth Bass 10.5”, 7:56pm, Senko
6. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 8:29pm, Senko
7. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 8:36pm, Senko
8. Large Mouth Bass 16.5”, 8:44pm, Senko

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Main Channel

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

The size of the bass has not been of a very good quality lately. I may need to try different types of baits. I did find some bass back into the backwater areas. I believe they were ambushing bluegills that were gorging themselves on the mayflies.
The beaches were full of people camping this weekend. It looked so peaceful: tents, campfires, family dog, boats tied to the beach and the campers gathered around the campfire. The smoke enveloped the whole site, as if it were a protective barrier to the hordes of mosquitoes looking for a human snack. And the sand! You cannot appreciate a dislike for the sand, unless you have camped in it. It gets into all cracks and crevices, eating utensils and the food.

day 83 7-10-09

7-10-2009
Day 83-272 to go
6:20pm-12:00am

Weather: N12, Overcast, 75°, 30.02 rising

Water conditions: 639.34’ rising, 17.5kcfs, 81°, clear

Fish caught

1. Bluegill 70”, 6:22pm, Jig and Crawler
2. Sheep head, 18” 6:25pm, Jig and Crawler
3. Bluegill 7.0”, 6:26pm, Jig and Crawler
4. Bluegill 7.5”, 6:29pm, Jig and Crawler
5. Bluegill 7.0”, 6:33pm, Jig and Crawler
6. Bluegill 6.0”, 6:36pm, Jig and Crawler
7. Sheep head, 18” 6:39pm, Jig and Crawler
8. Bluegill 6.5”, 6:42pm, Jig and Crawler
9. Bluegill 8.0”, 6:44pm, Jig and Crawler
10. Bluegill 7.0”, 6:47pm, Jig and Crawler
11. Bluegill 7.0”, 6:52pm, Jig and Crawler
12. Rock Bass 7.5”, 6:56pm, Jig and Crawler
13. Bluegill 7.0”, 6:57pm, Jig and Crawler
14. Bluegill 7.5”, 6:58pm, Jig and Crawler
15. Bluegill 7.0”, 7:01pm, Jig and Crawler
16. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:02pm, Jig and Crawler
17. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:05pm, Jig and Crawler
18. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:07pm, Jig and Crawler
19. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:10pm, Jig and Crawler
20. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:11pm, Jig and Crawler
21. Small Mouth Bass, 9.0”, 7:26pm, Senko
22. Small Mouth Bass, 10.0”, 7:34pm, Senko
23. Small Mouth Bass, 9.5”, 7:37pm, Senko
24. Large Mouth Bass, 14.0”, 7:44pm, Senko
25. Large Mouth Bass, 12.0”, 7:59pm, Senko
26. Large Mouth Bass, 11.5”, 8:01pm, Senko
27. Small Mouth Bass, 11.0”, 8:38pm, Senko
28. Small Mouth Bass, 15.0”, 8:53pm, Senko


Area fished

1. Pool 7 Main Channel

Fishing Partners

1. Jay

Comments

Jay had given me a call earlier in the week expressing an interest in a little flat head fishing. So, tonight was the night. The bait (bluegills) came very easy. In fact our bait stash came so quickly we had some time for bassin.
We only managed one small flat head tonight, and that came during a brief shower at about 10 pm. Around midnight another storm front was moving in so we called it a night. Again tonight we had another major may fly hatch.

day 82 7-9-09

7-9-2009
Day 82-283 to go
7:50pm-9:00pm

Weather: S8, Clear, 74°, 29.99 rising, 90%waning

Water conditions: 639.28’ (4.68’ Lax) falling, 16.3kcfs, 74°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 16”, 8:30pm, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 17”, 8:45pm, Senko
3. Large Mouth Bass 16”, 8:56pm, Senko

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Main Channel (note: the only good fishing for any species appears to be along the main channel).

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

I did not get a lot of fishing in tonight, but the quality was good. The bait the fish dictated was a senko, rigged wacky style. The first hook-up was a rather large bass that I watched engulf my bait. What a thrill! Unfortunately the number of fish I hooked and the ones that I brought to the boat did not match up.
The trip back to the landing revealed the fist may fly hatch of the year for this stretch of the river. They were busy with their mating dance above the water from which they had recently emerged.

day 81 7-8-9

7-8-2009
Day 81-284 to go
8:20pm-10:20pm

Weather: SE5, Clear, 66°, 30.02 rising

Water conditions: 639.41’ steady, 19.0kcfs, 73°, clear

Fish caught

1. Bluegill 60”, 8:22pm, Jig and Crawler
2. Bluegill 6.5”, 8:25pm, Jig and Crawler
3. Bluegill 7.5”, 8:34pm, Jig and Crawler
4. Bluegill 7.0”, 8:34pm, Jig and Crawler
5. Channel Cat 20.0”, 8:40pm, Jig and Crawler
6. Bluegill 8.0”, 8:46pm, Jig and Crawler
7. Bluegill 6.5”, 8:49pm, Jig and Crawler
8. Bluegill 6.5”, 8:50pm, Jig and Crawler
9. Bluegill 6.5”, 8:51pm, Jig and Crawler
10. Bluegill 7.5”, 8:52pm, Jig and Crawler
11. Bluegill 6.5”, 8:55pm, Jig and Crawler

Area fished

1. Pool 7 Main Channel

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Tonight was somewhat of an exploration trip for flatheads. These fish were in a feeding state last night, and I thought they would be in the same mode tonight. They were not! I tried two new spots, but had absolutely no success at either.
However the night was not a total loss. I was treated to the luminary glow of the moon sparkling off the breeze roughened surface of the mighty river.

day 80 7-7-9

7-7-2009
Day 80-285 to go
7:00pm-11:30pm

Weather: SE5, mostly Cloudy, 70°, 29.85 rising (full moon) 9:53pm

Water conditions: 639.55’ steady, 22.2kcfs, 76°, clear

Fish caught

1. Bluegill 8.0”, 7:15pm, Jig and Crawler
2. Bluegill 7.0”, 7:18pm, Jig and Crawler
3. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:21pm, Jig and Crawler
4. Bluegill 5.5”, 7:22pm, Jig and Crawler
5. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:24pm, Jig and Crawler
6. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:25pm, Jig and Crawler
7. Bluegill 5.0”, 7:27pm, Jig and Crawler
8. Bluegill 5.0”, 7:28pm, Jig and Crawler
9. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:31pm, Jig and Crawler
10. Bluegill 5.5”, 7:34pm, Jig and Crawler
11. Bluegill 5.5”, 7:35pm, Jig and Crawler
12. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:39pm, Jig and Crawler
13. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:42pm, Jig and Crawler
14. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:44pm, Jig and Crawler
15. Small Mouth Bass 15.0”, 8:34pm, Senko
16. Flat Head 9lb 10oz, 10:10pm, Bluegill

Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. Jake and Zach

Comments

Tonight I had Jake and a green horn co-worker on board, which made for some interesting moments. Our trip was delayed slightly as we waited for some on again/off again showers to pass. We had our sights dialed in for flatheads this fine evening. The chore of catching bait was really quite effortless, except for the consistent west breeze that made my stint as the trolling motor operator anything but relaxing. After we filled the hold (live well) and a few side excursions it was kickoff time. As the fourth and final bait made it to its resting spot on the bottom it was immediately fish on. The action the rest of the night was quick and spectacular; unfortunately the greenhorn in the boat was not able to connect on all the opportunities.
Jake won the numbers game tonight with three; however they were all quite small. I finished the night with one. And the greenhorn Zach was the flat head champ of the night and quit frankly probably the season. He caught a whopper that was just shy of forty-one pounds! What a magnificent fish!
During the ride in to the security of the landing we were showered by the light of a full moon. I am sure we were all reliving the bounty of the Mississippi that we had just experienced.

day 79 7-6-09

7-6-2009
Day 79-286 to go
6:30pm-9:00pm

Weather: NW7, Partly Cloudy, 79°, 29.85 rising (full moon)

Water conditions: 639.4’ steady, 18.7kcfs, 78°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 11.5”, 7:15pm, Swim Jig
2. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 7:52pm, Ribbit Frog
3. Large Mouth Bass 18.0”, 7:54pm, Berkley Power Worm

Area fished

1. Lake Onalaska

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Today I am moving like a turtle! This past Fourth of July weekend has been rough on me: major sunburn and waterskiing has taken its toll.
I stuck quite close to the home front; in fact I think I could hear my dogs barking. Fishing was like a sirloin steak, not fantastic but not terrible either. My hook-up percentage was pathetic. I missed: two northerns, three bass, one walleye and one unknown. I actually saw the walleye come up from the depths and ambush my swim jig.

day 78 7-5-09

7-5-2009
Day 78-287 to go
6:30pm-9:00pm

Weather: W9, Clear, 82°, 29.93rising

Water conditions: 639.42’ steady, 19.2kcfs, 72°, clear

Fish caught

1. Rock Bass 6.0”, 7:40pm, Senko
2. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 8:40pm, Swim Jig

Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. Buck

Comments

I got an invite from Buck tonight, so I took him up on his offer. The fishing was turtle slow! The only place we were able to get any fish was along the main channel. We fished a shoreline that was extremely steep and rocky. If you were able to drown out the traffic noise up the hill from us you would swear we were on a Canadian Shield lake. It was very easy to see the down timber and rocks that were submerged below us.
We still have not had our yearly mayfly hatch. I do know that both Stoddard and Genoa have been inundated with them.

Day 77 288 to go

7-4-2009
Day 77-288 to go
5:50am-10:15am

Weather: N3, Overcast, 60°, 29.99 rising

Water conditions: (Winona) 5.48’ steady, 10.4kcfs, 70°, (clear-But I am starting to notice a slight algae bloom)

Fish caught

1. Small Mouth Bass 12.0”, 5:55am, Chug Bug
2. Small Mouth Bass 13”, 5:56am Chug Bug
3. Large Mouth Bass 12.0”, 6:33am, Berkley Power Worm
4. Small Mouth Bass 17.0”, 6:45am, Chug Bug
5. Large Mouth Bass 15.0”, 7:10am, Berkley Power Worm
6. Large Mouth Bass 14”, 7:45am, Berkley Power Worm
7. Large Mouth Bass 14”, 8:03am, Shaky Jig
8. Small Mouth Bass 14.0”, 8:40am, Shaky Jig
9. Small Mouth Bass 9.0”, 10:07am, Senko
10. Small Mouth Bass 18.0”, 10:14am, Senko

Area fished

1. Lower Pool 6

Fishing Partners

1. Terry Campbell

Comments

Decided it was time to investigate new waters today. Fishing with me was an old co-worker with lots of bass experience.
I was very impressed with the new surroundings and I believe I have found some future ice fishing spots. The fish were definitely relating to rocks and current. Take either one away and guess what? No fish! All baits worked today, but I would have to say the premier bait would have been the Senko rigged wacky style. I thank you Terry for showing me some new baits and fishing styles.

day 76 289 to go

7-3-2009
Day 76-289 to go
7:15am-10:00am

Weather: W3, Clear, 68°, 30.13 steady

Water conditions: 639.4’ steady, 18.7kcfs, 68°, clear
Black R. 3.65’, .477kcfs, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 13.0”, 7:35am, Berkley Power Worm
2. Large Mouth Bass 18.0”, 8:01am, Buzz Bait
3. Crappie, 10.0”, 8:15am, Jig
4. Small Mouth Bass 17.0”, 8:30am, Berkley Power Worm
5. Large Mouth Bass 17.0”, 8:54am, Berkley Power Worm
6. Large Mouth Bass 9.0”, 8:55am, Berkley Power Worm
7. Large Mouth Bass 7.5”, 9:27am, Buzz Bait
8. Small Mouth Bass 16.0”, 9:43am, Ribbit Frog
9.

Area fished

1. Upper Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Today I decided to try one of my favorite spots. It is a spot that I have ignored so far this year. It was not fantastic, but I would liken it to half a jack pot! Navigation to this honey hole was somewhat of a nail biter. Low water and lots of vegetation had me worrying about beaching the new rig. I am sure that dilemma could easily result in a double hernia.

day 75 290 to go

7-2-2009
Day 75-290 to go
7:10pm-9:15pm

Weather: N5, Clear, 74°, 30.01 rising

Water conditions: 639.34’ falling, 17.5kcfs, 69°, clear

Fish caught

1. Crappie 10” 7:52pm Jig
2. Bluegill 7”, 7:26pm Jig
3. Crappie 11”, 7:39pm Jig
4. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:44pm Jig
5. Large Mouth Bass 16.0”, 8:45pm, Berkley Power Worm

Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. Fritz

Comments

Tonight I decided to fish for crappies. Well, I was not very successful at it! The two I did catch gave me very little indication they were biting the lure. I liken it to someone knocking on the door with a feather. I think I did find a spot where I can do future damage to the bluegills.

Day 74 291 to go

7-1-2009
Day 74-291 to go
5:30pm-7:00pm

Weather: N8, overcast, 64°, 29.86 rising

Water conditions: 639.36’, 17.9kcfs, 68°, clear

Fish caught

1. Large Mouth Bass 14.0”, 6:03pm, Tube jig


Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

It was a very tough one tonight. Several days of way below average temperatures have tight lipped the fish.

day 73 6-30-09

6-30-2009
Day 73-292 to go
7:15pm-10:30pm

Weather: N7, overcast, 59°, 29.76 rising

Water conditions: 639.5’, 23.6kcfs, 78° (10° drop in water temp in just a few days), clear

Fish caught

1. Small Mouth Bass 14.5”, 7:25pm, small jig with crawler piece
2. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:27pm, small jig with crawler piece
3. Small Mouth Bass 9.5”, 7:29pm, small jig with crawler piece
4. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:36pm, small jig with crawler piece
5. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:37pm, small jig with crawler piece
6. Bluegill 5.5”, 7:38pm, small jig with crawler piece
7. Bluegill 7.5”, 7:38pm, small jig with crawler piece
8. Bluegill 8.0”, 7:40pm, small jig with crawler piece
9. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:42pm, small jig with crawler piece
10. Bluegill 8.0”, 7:45pm, small jig with crawler piece
11. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:45pm, small jig with crawler piece
12. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:50pm, small jig with crawler piece


Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. None

Comments

Again the night was cold and overcast. If I was not following the calendar I would have guessed we are in the month of September. The water temperature has fallen ten degrees in the past couple of days.
I did manage to catch enough bluegills for bait, but it was for naught. The flat head action was as fast and furious as the dinner meal in an old folks' home. I never had so much as a tap on my bait. I like summer about as much as wearing a wool sweater next to my bare skin, but we need some warmer weather to improve the fishing,

day 72 6-29-09

6-29-2009
Day 72-293 to go
6:15pm-10:45pm

Weather: N9 G23, overcast, 68°, 29.69 rising

Water conditions: 639.7’, 20kcfs, 72°, clear

Fish caught

1. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:40pm, small jig with crawler piece
2. Bluegill 8.0”, 7:42pm, small jig with crawler piece
3. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:46pm, small jig with crawler piece
4. Bluegill 6.0”, 7:52pm, small jig with crawler piece
5. Bluegill 6.5”, 7:54pm, small jig with crawler piece
6. Large Mouth Bass, 13”, 8:05pm swim jig
7. Large Mouth Bass 15”, 8:29pm Buzz Bait


Area fished

1. Pool 7

Fishing Partners

1. Fritz

Comments

Today we had a drastic change in the temperature. The winds were very strong from the north and the high for the day was 70 degrees. The fishing was not great; as I had expected. But it was not a total bust either! The cool north breezes had my mind wandering to this falls deer stands and duck blinds.

day 71 6-28-09

6-28-2009
Day 71-294 to go
6:15pm-10:45pm

Weather : W17 G25, clear, 76°, 29.69 steady

Water conditions : 5.13’ rising, 27.7kcfs, 78°, clear

Fish caught

1. Bluegills lots, 5-8”, small jig with crawler piece
2. Northern 34”, 8:00pm, Berkley Power Worm


Area fished

1. Upper stretches of pool 8

Fishing Partners

1. T. Weber

Comments

The weather pattern has changed; it has become much cooler and windy. Bluegills are still very active on the main channel areas: current and rocks. We fished a spot between wing dams, which Tom had been catching flat heads off of. Tonight it produced nothing. It looked more like a late summer flat head area. I did notice the areas around La Crosse receive quit a lot of flat head fishing pressure.
On the dark trip back to the landing I experienced something that no boater likes to encounter; striking an underwater object. I was not very familiar with this area and it showed. The complacent sound of the boat plying through the dark night was interrupted by the clank and bang of the lower unit striking a rock lurking below the still surface. Of course this left a hollow, empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Fortunately there was very minimal damage to the motors skeg. A couple of strokes with a file and the physical damage should melt away. Of course, the thought and horror of such a blunder will not leave my memory as easily.