Day 192-173 to go
10-27-2009 Tue
5:00 PM -6:30 PM
Weather: S5, clear, 49°, 29.83 steady
Water conditions: 6.2’, 46.1 kcfs, 47°, clear-lots of floating weeds
Fish caught
1. Sauger 11", 5:30 PM, Jig and Ring Worm
2. Sauger 11”, 6:15PM, Storm Thunder Crank TC06
3. Sauger 12", 6:17 PM, Storm Thunder Crank TC06
Area fished
Pool 8 – Dresbach Dam and down to Pettibone Park
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
I had been wanting to get below the Dresbach Dam for some walleye fishing and tonight was that night. I did learn a hard lesson on the interstate between work and the dam. In my boat I have a large cooler that is used as a seat and storage space. Well, I had stored lots of extra outerwear in this cooler. Approximately one mile from my destination I caught a glimpse of my rain jacket flying over the boat motor. I was unable to do a sudden stop, since I was on a busy interstate road. When I did get pulled over I discovered that the latches on the cooler had disengaged and the lid had popped open. As a result I lost lots of outerwear which included: gloves, hats, rain jacket and pants. I was really bummed!
Fishing was very difficult. With the influx high water and more current weeds are everywhere. It is close to impossible to fish up close to the dam without constantly fouling your bait in the floating salad bar. One thing I did learn is that if you go downstream a couple of miles the water column is ninety percent free of the pesky weeds.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Day 191 10-26-09
Day 191-174 to go
10-26-2009 Mon
5:00 PM – 6:200PM
Weather: NW7, overcast, 46°, 30.05 steady
Water conditions: 7.0’ steady, 4.6 kcfs, ?°, fairly clear
Game Bagged
2 squirrels
Area hunted
Black River bottoms
Hunting Partners
None
Comments
Tonight after work it was a combination squirrel hunt and deer scouting adventure. I really did not expect to see many squirrels, on account of the small mast crop in the swamp this year. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of squirrels I did see. The deer sign was not overly abundant, but I did see some scrapes and rubs. Most of the leaves are still on the oaks, making it rather difficult to see the little tree rats.
10-26-2009 Mon
5:00 PM – 6:200PM
Weather: NW7, overcast, 46°, 30.05 steady
Water conditions: 7.0’ steady, 4.6 kcfs, ?°, fairly clear
Game Bagged
2 squirrels
Area hunted
Black River bottoms
Hunting Partners
None
Comments
Tonight after work it was a combination squirrel hunt and deer scouting adventure. I really did not expect to see many squirrels, on account of the small mast crop in the swamp this year. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of squirrels I did see. The deer sign was not overly abundant, but I did see some scrapes and rubs. Most of the leaves are still on the oaks, making it rather difficult to see the little tree rats.
day 190 10-25-09 /Sun
10-25-2009 Sun
Day 190-175 to go
2:00 PM – 7:00PM
Weather: Calm, partly sunny, 54°, 29.92 rising
Water conditions: 7.1’ rising, 4.6 kcfs, ?°, fairly clear
Game Bagged
Nothing
Area hunted
Black River bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Today I made the choice to hunt ducks. Unfortunately the ducks did not materialize. I really wished I would have made the bow hunting choice instead. The water is rapidly rising and most all areas in the marsh are flooded. I hunted approximately four hours and probably saw a total of twelve ducks. Fritz was so bored he even laid down in the boat and took a little snooze. I hope he retrieved more ducks in his dreams than he did with me today.
Day 190-175 to go
2:00 PM – 7:00PM
Weather: Calm, partly sunny, 54°, 29.92 rising
Water conditions: 7.1’ rising, 4.6 kcfs, ?°, fairly clear
Game Bagged
Nothing
Area hunted
Black River bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Today I made the choice to hunt ducks. Unfortunately the ducks did not materialize. I really wished I would have made the bow hunting choice instead. The water is rapidly rising and most all areas in the marsh are flooded. I hunted approximately four hours and probably saw a total of twelve ducks. Fritz was so bored he even laid down in the boat and took a little snooze. I hope he retrieved more ducks in his dreams than he did with me today.
day 189 10-24-09 Sat
10-24-2009 Sat
Day 189-176 to go
12:00 PM -4:00 PM
Weather: W7, mostly sunny, 53°, 29.57 falling
Water conditions: 640.2’ rising, 27 kcfs, 48°, clear
Fish caught
Nothing
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel wing dams
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
The water is rapidly rising from all the rain we have had the last couple of days. Unfortunately for me that did not equate into fish caught. I targeted wing dams and rocks along the main channel.
I did do a little scouting for deer on a couple of the islands. As usual there are deer around, but not in great numbers.
Day 189-176 to go
12:00 PM -4:00 PM
Weather: W7, mostly sunny, 53°, 29.57 falling
Water conditions: 640.2’ rising, 27 kcfs, 48°, clear
Fish caught
Nothing
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel wing dams
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
The water is rapidly rising from all the rain we have had the last couple of days. Unfortunately for me that did not equate into fish caught. I targeted wing dams and rocks along the main channel.
I did do a little scouting for deer on a couple of the islands. As usual there are deer around, but not in great numbers.
Friday, October 23, 2009
day 188 10-23-09 Fri
10-23-2009 Fri
Day 188-177 to go
7:15 AM -7:45 AM
Weather: NE13, mist, 40°, 29.63 falling
Water conditions: N/A
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Lake Neshonic: Fishing pier
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Today I fished for crappies before work on Lake Neshonic. It was a total bust! The weather was very nasty; The wind and the rain made fishing very brutal. The water was also very muddy from all the rain of the past couple of days.
I did learn that the delta of the La Crosse river here, attracts both ducks and duck hunters. I never did see the hunters but I did hear the report of their shotguns as unsuspecting ducks came within their range.
Day 188-177 to go
7:15 AM -7:45 AM
Weather: NE13, mist, 40°, 29.63 falling
Water conditions: N/A
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Lake Neshonic: Fishing pier
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Today I fished for crappies before work on Lake Neshonic. It was a total bust! The weather was very nasty; The wind and the rain made fishing very brutal. The water was also very muddy from all the rain of the past couple of days.
I did learn that the delta of the La Crosse river here, attracts both ducks and duck hunters. I never did see the hunters but I did hear the report of their shotguns as unsuspecting ducks came within their range.
day 187 10-22-09 Thr
10-22-2009 Thr
Day 187-178 to go
5:45 PM -7:00 PM
Weather: E8, light rain, 44°, 30.01 falling
Water conditions: 639.8’, 24.4 kcfs, 49°, clear
Fish caught
1. Sauger 10", 6:00 PM, Storm Thunder Crank TC06
2. SMB 21”, 6:20PM, Storm Thunder Crank TC06
3. Walleye 22", 6:30 PM, Storm Thunder Crank TC06
4. Walleye 20", 6:50 PM, Storm Thunder Crank TC06
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel wing dams
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Well the old saying wind from the East fish bite the least did not hold too much water tonight. Overall I would have had to rate the fishing as good tonight. The largest walleye I caught dam near tore the pole out of my hands, it hit with such ferocity. The smallie I caught was definitely a chunk and the largest of the season.
As far as the fall colors are concerned I would have to say we are a few days past the peak. The ash and walnut trees are barren. However the maples and the oaks are very vibrant, but they are rapidly losing their leaves.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
day 186 10-21-09 Wed
10-21-2009 Wed
Day 186-179 to go
5:15 PM - 6:30PM
Weather: NW10, heavy rain, 48°, 29.86 rising
Water conditions: 3.58’ rising, .85 kcfs, ?°, clear
Game Bagged
None
Area hunted
Black River bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Tonight Fritz and I did a quick duck hunt after work. It really was more of a scouting trip than a hunt. I did have a couple of opportunities at some mallards, but they were somewhat iffy shots. Chasing cripples in this area is not a walk in the park. There were lots of ducks tonight, but they did not want to be where I was waiting in ambush. The weather tonight was double nasty. Fritz and I had constant rain and at times it was very heavy.
Day 186-179 to go
5:15 PM - 6:30PM
Weather: NW10, heavy rain, 48°, 29.86 rising
Water conditions: 3.58’ rising, .85 kcfs, ?°, clear
Game Bagged
None
Area hunted
Black River bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Tonight Fritz and I did a quick duck hunt after work. It really was more of a scouting trip than a hunt. I did have a couple of opportunities at some mallards, but they were somewhat iffy shots. Chasing cripples in this area is not a walk in the park. There were lots of ducks tonight, but they did not want to be where I was waiting in ambush. The weather tonight was double nasty. Fritz and I had constant rain and at times it was very heavy.
day 185 10-20-09 Tue
10-20-2009 Tue
Day 185-180 to go
5:55 PM -7:00 PM
Weather: E8, overcast, 53°, 30.01 rising
Water conditions: 639.5’, 20 kcfs, 49°, very clear
Fish caught
1. SMB 13”, 6:25PM, Storm Thunder Crank
2. SMB 13”, 6:30PM, Storm Thunder Crank
3. Walleye 21”, 6:55PM, Storm Thunder Crank
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel wing dams
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Have you ever heard the expression wind from the east fish bite the least? Well, I never put much stock in the phrase until tonight. It definitely seemed to shut down the walleyes. I did catch the one and missed a couple others, but the fish just seemed to nip at the bait, not attack it.
However, the small mouths did not seem to mind the East wind.
Day 185-180 to go
5:55 PM -7:00 PM
Weather: E8, overcast, 53°, 30.01 rising
Water conditions: 639.5’, 20 kcfs, 49°, very clear
Fish caught
1. SMB 13”, 6:25PM, Storm Thunder Crank
2. SMB 13”, 6:30PM, Storm Thunder Crank
3. Walleye 21”, 6:55PM, Storm Thunder Crank
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel wing dams
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Have you ever heard the expression wind from the east fish bite the least? Well, I never put much stock in the phrase until tonight. It definitely seemed to shut down the walleyes. I did catch the one and missed a couple others, but the fish just seemed to nip at the bait, not attack it.
However, the small mouths did not seem to mind the East wind.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
10-19-2009 Mon
Day 184-181 to go
5:30 PM -7:30 PM
Weather: Calm, clear, 64°, 29.85 rising
Water conditions: 639.5’ falling, 18 kcfs, 49°, very clear
Fish caught
1. Walleyes 16, 15, 13, 23, 24 inches, Storm Thunder Crank
2. Sauger 12”, Storm Thunder Crank
3. SMB 14,12,12 inches, Storm Thunder Crank, Rattle Trap
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel wing dams
Fishing Partners
none
Comments
It was a pretty good night of walleye fishing. I caught fish on every wing dam that I fished. The temperature of the water has increased a few degrees since the last time I was out. All the fish were caught in front of the wing dams in six to eight feet of water. I caught some of the walleyes before it got dark and some of them after it got dark.
day 183 10-18-09 Sun
10-18-2009 Sun
Day 183-182 to go
11:00AM – 1:00PM
Weather: SW14, partly cloudy, 43°, 29.94 falling
Game Bagged
(2) Woodcock
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Hunters Trail
Hunting Partners
Fritz/Tom
Comments
Today I am past the half way point of my 365 days of fishing and hunting. The time has gone by quick, but I am afraid the real difficultly is just beginning!
Tom and I hunted an area that I did quite well on grouse two years ago. Today the grouse were not plentiful, but we did manage to put two woodcock in the game bag.
After three days of bear baiting and checking the baits, we had no hits on the bait sites. I believe the unseasonably cool weather has moved the bears into their dens, or is making them stick close to their den sites.
Day 183-182 to go
11:00AM – 1:00PM
Weather: SW14, partly cloudy, 43°, 29.94 falling
Game Bagged
(2) Woodcock
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Hunters Trail
Hunting Partners
Fritz/Tom
Comments
Today I am past the half way point of my 365 days of fishing and hunting. The time has gone by quick, but I am afraid the real difficultly is just beginning!
Tom and I hunted an area that I did quite well on grouse two years ago. Today the grouse were not plentiful, but we did manage to put two woodcock in the game bag.
After three days of bear baiting and checking the baits, we had no hits on the bait sites. I believe the unseasonably cool weather has moved the bears into their dens, or is making them stick close to their den sites.
day 182 10-17-2009 Sat
10-17-2009 Sat
Day 182-183 to go
2:00 PM – 4:00PM
Weather: W9, mostly cloudy, 42°, 30.31 falling
Game Bagged
Nothing
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Tin Shack
Hunting Partners
Fritz/Jeremy
Comments
Jeremy and I took a four wheeler trip back to the Tin Shack for some remote grouse hunting. I do not know what Fritz thought about being put in a kennel and strapped to the back of a four wheeler, but he seemed to do just fine. He did get pretty excited when his box slid off the back of my four wheeler and landed in a water filled rut. I did not have any opportunities at birds, but Jeremy missed two.
Day 182-183 to go
2:00 PM – 4:00PM
Weather: W9, mostly cloudy, 42°, 30.31 falling
Game Bagged
Nothing
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Tin Shack
Hunting Partners
Fritz/Jeremy
Comments
Jeremy and I took a four wheeler trip back to the Tin Shack for some remote grouse hunting. I do not know what Fritz thought about being put in a kennel and strapped to the back of a four wheeler, but he seemed to do just fine. He did get pretty excited when his box slid off the back of my four wheeler and landed in a water filled rut. I did not have any opportunities at birds, but Jeremy missed two.
day 181 10-16-2009 Fri
10-16-2009 Fri
Day 181-184 to go
1:00 PM – 2:30PM/5:00PM – 6:30PM
Weather: WNW5, light rain, 41°, 30.19 rising
Game Bagged
(1) Grouse
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Fall Road
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
I got a grouse today right at the start of the hunt. Another year has slowed Fritz down, but it has positively affected his grouse hunting skills. He now is more deliberate on his locating and tracking skills. When he catches bird scent he locks-up and waits for me to get up to him. Then if the bird has moved off he begins a slow and careful process of re-locating the restless bird. My shooting was not good again today and my 28 gauge jammed beyond field repair!
I did bow hunt this evening over a new clear cut that is located behind the cabin. The deer have definitely been using the area, but they were a no show tonight.
Day 181-184 to go
1:00 PM – 2:30PM/5:00PM – 6:30PM
Weather: WNW5, light rain, 41°, 30.19 rising
Game Bagged
(1) Grouse
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Fall Road
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
I got a grouse today right at the start of the hunt. Another year has slowed Fritz down, but it has positively affected his grouse hunting skills. He now is more deliberate on his locating and tracking skills. When he catches bird scent he locks-up and waits for me to get up to him. Then if the bird has moved off he begins a slow and careful process of re-locating the restless bird. My shooting was not good again today and my 28 gauge jammed beyond field repair!
I did bow hunt this evening over a new clear cut that is located behind the cabin. The deer have definitely been using the area, but they were a no show tonight.
day 180 10-15-09 Thr
10-15-2009 Thr
Day 180-185 to go
3:00 PM – 5:00PM
Weather: E6, light drizzle, 35°, 30.11 steady
Game Bagged
(1) grouse
Area hunted
Moose Junction – Spruce River cutover
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Today was day one of a four day hunting trip up to the cabin. The four hour drive up to the cabin was marred by on and off again snow showers. During this trip I was going to help out with bear baiting, and hunt grouse and whitetail deer.
Fritz is getting old and consequently he is slowing down. I now try to limit him to about two hours of hunting at a time. He did have some pretty good points on both grouse and woodcock, but unfortunately I was off the mark on most
Thursday, October 15, 2009
10-14-2009 Wed
Day 179-186 to go
6:55 AM -7:30 AM
Weather: N5, overcast, 37°, 30.33 rising
Water conditions: 5.24’ falling, 33.2 kcfs, ?°, very clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Pool 8 – Main channel area below the Dresbach Dam
Fishing Partners
Myself
Comments
Since I was successful walleye fishing last night and I was on a limited time budget, I fished from shore below the dam before work. I fished above and below a wing dam with various presentations. I fished with a crank bait, jig and ringworm combo and jig and crawler combo. I caught nothing and had no strikes.
Day 179-186 to go
6:55 AM -7:30 AM
Weather: N5, overcast, 37°, 30.33 rising
Water conditions: 5.24’ falling, 33.2 kcfs, ?°, very clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Pool 8 – Main channel area below the Dresbach Dam
Fishing Partners
Myself
Comments
Since I was successful walleye fishing last night and I was on a limited time budget, I fished from shore below the dam before work. I fished above and below a wing dam with various presentations. I fished with a crank bait, jig and ringworm combo and jig and crawler combo. I caught nothing and had no strikes.
day 178 10-13-2009 Tue
10-13-2009 Tue
Day 178-187 to go
5:30 PM -8:00 PM
Weather: Calm, clear, 40°, 30.38 rising
Water conditions: 639.73’ falling, 18.5 kcfs, ?°, very clear
Fish caught
1. Walleye 16”, 6:35 PM, Storm Thunder Crank
2. Walleye 20”, 7:00 PM, Storm Thunder Crank
Area fished
Pool 7 – Main channel area
Fishing Partners
Myself
Comments
Tonight I was able to target walleyes. I did start out seeing if I could locate any toothy critters first. I was not successful on the northern, but I did have a bump from either a northern or bass.
The walleye fishing however was pretty good. I did boat the two, but I also lost two others. The first fish I lost felt real good, but unfortunately it came unbuttoned about a minute into the battle. The situation on losing the other fish was a little different. I decided to fish the wing dam a little different by casting from the downstream side of a wing dam over the top and above the face of the dam. On my first cast I hooked into a fish, but unfortunately it had to be fought over the rocks. It did not take long and my line was cut by the multitude of zebra mussels that cling to these rocks. I am actually not a critic of these invasive mussels. They have done a tremendous job of clarifying the water. I believe these invasive species have improved the fishing on the river tremendously.
It has been about two weeks since I have been out in the boat, and I must say it has changed! The aquatic vegetation and all the wild rice has really started to die-off and is disappearing very quickly. Wow what a pic!
Monday, October 12, 2009
day 177, 10-12-09
10-12-2009 Mon
Day 177-188 to go
6:00 PM - 6:30PM
Weather: Calm, overcast, 36°,30.17 rising
Water conditions: no data available, ?°, clear
Caught
Nothing
Area fished
Pool 7 - Behind house
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
My original plan was to cast wing dams for walleyes, but a late doctors appointment changed those plans. Instead I went behind the house to see if the bluegills had moved in; well they had not. I did not even get a bite. Either they are not there or the cold, snowy weather we had today turned them off.
Day 177-188 to go
6:00 PM - 6:30PM
Weather: Calm, overcast, 36°,30.17 rising
Water conditions: no data available, ?°, clear
Caught
Nothing
Area fished
Pool 7 - Behind house
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
My original plan was to cast wing dams for walleyes, but a late doctors appointment changed those plans. Instead I went behind the house to see if the bluegills had moved in; well they had not. I did not even get a bite. Either they are not there or the cold, snowy weather we had today turned them off.
day 176, 10-11-09
10-11-2009 Sun
Day 176-189 to go
2:00 PM - 7:30PM
Weather: SE6, mostly sunny, 42°,30.31 falling
Water conditions: 3.74’ falling, .972 kcfs, ?°, clear
Game Bagged
(2)wood ducks
(4) Drake Mallards (green heads)
Area hunted
Black RIver bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Today I had duck hunting on the agenda. I headed back to the same area I was at last night, except this time I would be set up where the ducks wanted to be. All I can say is that the hunting was great. The ducks were readily decoying, my marksmanship was on and Fritz was a retrieving machine. He found three of the ducks that I never would have found without him.
If a duck is crippled and on the run I can count on Fritz to find, catch and bring that bird back to my hand alive. Fritz is just a couple months shy of ten years old, but he still has the ability and desire to hunt. Hopefully he will be able to accompany me on one or two more seasons in the field.
day 175, 10-10-09
10-10-2009 Sat
Day 175-190 to go
5:30 PM - 6:30PM
Weather: W10, partly cloudy, 39°,30.23 steady
Water conditions: 4.0’ steady, 1.2 kcfs, ?°, clear
Game Bagged
(2)wood ducks
Area hunted
Black RIver bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Today I got out duck hunting for hour after work. It was a walk-in spot and it was not where the ducks wanted to be. There was an awesome flight of wood ducks, but they were not flying over me. I did manage to bag two wood ducks and Fritz was flawless on the retrieves. I continue to have jamming problems with my Benelli Super Black Eagle. From now on I am going to try cleaning it after each use and monitor the results.
Day 175-190 to go
5:30 PM - 6:30PM
Weather: W10, partly cloudy, 39°,30.23 steady
Water conditions: 4.0’ steady, 1.2 kcfs, ?°, clear
Game Bagged
(2)wood ducks
Area hunted
Black RIver bottoms
Hunting Partners
Fritz
Comments
Today I got out duck hunting for hour after work. It was a walk-in spot and it was not where the ducks wanted to be. There was an awesome flight of wood ducks, but they were not flying over me. I did manage to bag two wood ducks and Fritz was flawless on the retrieves. I continue to have jamming problems with my Benelli Super Black Eagle. From now on I am going to try cleaning it after each use and monitor the results.
day 174, 10-9-09
10-9-2009 Fri
Day 174-191 to go
8:25AM -9:05AM
Weather: N5, clear, 33°,30.08 rising
Water conditions: 5.15’ falling, 28.8 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
(2)Bluegills 5&6", fig/worm
Area fished
Pool 8 - I-90 rest area
Fishing Partners
Myself
Comments
Today was a late shift for me at work, so I got my fishing in before punching the clock. Fishing was very slow, I am thinking the cold weather has changed their location or put them in a negative mood. I did see my begging buddy the blue heron again today. I did try to to feed it a deeply hooked bluegill, but the bluegill still had some life left and swam off as soon as it hit the water.
Day 174-191 to go
8:25AM -9:05AM
Weather: N5, clear, 33°,30.08 rising
Water conditions: 5.15’ falling, 28.8 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
(2)Bluegills 5&6", fig/worm
Area fished
Pool 8 - I-90 rest area
Fishing Partners
Myself
Comments
Today was a late shift for me at work, so I got my fishing in before punching the clock. Fishing was very slow, I am thinking the cold weather has changed their location or put them in a negative mood. I did see my begging buddy the blue heron again today. I did try to to feed it a deeply hooked bluegill, but the bluegill still had some life left and swam off as soon as it hit the water.
day 173, 10-8-09
10-8-2009 Thr
Day 173-192 to go
7:30AM -5:00PM
Weather: WNW3, cloudy, 48°, 29.97 rising (12:05AM)
Water conditions: 621.62’ falling, 24.7 kcfs, 52°, clear, lots of weeds floating in river.
Fish caught
1. (7) Sauger, 11-13", jig/minnow
2. SMB 19", 11:15 AM, Ringworm
3. LMB 13", 11:17 AM, Ringworm
4. Sheep head 17", 12:35 PM, Ringworm
5. SMB 13", 2:00 PM, Chug Bug
6. Walleye 16", 4:30 PM, jig/minnow
Area fished
Pool 9 - Genoa dam
Fishing Partners
Norm and Grant
Comments
The fishing conditions below the dam were still rather adverse. We did not have the wind to contend with today, but yesterdays wind had displaced a ton of weeds and they were all floating downstream and congregating below the dam. It was very difficult fishing for even a brief moment without having your jig run afoul of the aquatic salad. Norm ended up with four sauger and two walleyes for the freezer. If you take a close look at Grant's catfish you will see he did not hook the fish, but the line that was attached to a hook that was imbedded in the catfishes mouth!
During part of the day I was by myself while Norm went in to catch up on work. All day is long time for me to fish, so I took a little walkabout on one of the islands. I did end up seeing quite a bit of deer sign and even found a five point shed antler.
day 172, 10-7-09
10-7-2009 Wed
Day 172-193 to go
5:00PM -8:00PM
Weather: S13, Sunny, 61°, 29.81 falling
Water conditions: 621.96’ falling, 25.4 kcfs, 53°, clear
Fish caught
(5) Sauger between 10-13", Jig/minnow
Area fished
Pool 9 - Genoa dam
Fishing Partners
Norm and Grant
Comments
Today I met up with a friend of mine and his son for some fall walleye fishing. The fall sauger bite is definitely on! The conditions this evening made efficient fishing very difficult. A stiff south breeze below any dam on the Mississippi makes boat control very difficult. And when you are talking walleye fishing boat control is the name of the game.
Norm ended up keeping three saugers and one flat head for the skillet.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day 171, 10-6-09
10-6-2009 Tue
Day 171-194 to go
5:45PM -6:15PM
Weather: NW25 G36, rain, 48°, 29.47 rising
Water conditions: 5.3’ rising, 35.3 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Dresbach-underneath I-90 bridge and shoreline to south
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Tonight I tried a new location, and came up empty handed. The conditions were brutal and I was glad when I made my last cast.
Day 171-194 to go
5:45PM -6:15PM
Weather: NW25 G36, rain, 48°, 29.47 rising
Water conditions: 5.3’ rising, 35.3 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Dresbach-underneath I-90 bridge and shoreline to south
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Tonight I tried a new location, and came up empty handed. The conditions were brutal and I was glad when I made my last cast.
Day 170, 10-5-09
10-5-2009 Mon
Day 170-195 to go
8:15AM -8:55PM
Weather: SSW3, 43°, fog, 30.12 rising
Water conditions: 3.5’ rising, .79 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Lytles canoe landing
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Fishing at Lytles has been tough for me lately. However, I did see a few crappies caught by fishermen using minnows.
Day 170-195 to go
8:15AM -8:55PM
Weather: SSW3, 43°, fog, 30.12 rising
Water conditions: 3.5’ rising, .79 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Lytles canoe landing
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Fishing at Lytles has been tough for me lately. However, I did see a few crappies caught by fishermen using minnows.
Day 169, 10-4-09
10-4-2009 Sun
Day 169-196 to go
2:30PM - 6:45PM
Weather: W7, 52°, 30.01 rising, light rain
Water conditions: 3.52, .804 kcfs, ?°, clear
Bagged
1. wood ducks (2)
Area Hunted
Lytles
Hunting Partners
Myself/Fritz-my dog
Comments
I was quit sore from yesterdays hunt, so I decided to hunt a spot that was a little easier to access. I hunted the east slough instead of the south slough. I did have some shooting, but it was not great! I do know that if I would have gone to where I was yesterday(the south slough) I would have had much better shooting.
I have no doubt that Fritz is starting to feel his age and is slowing down. He did find the two ducks for me but we did lose one. His nose is still very keen, but his stamina is fading.
Day 169-196 to go
2:30PM - 6:45PM
Weather: W7, 52°, 30.01 rising, light rain
Water conditions: 3.52, .804 kcfs, ?°, clear
Bagged
1. wood ducks (2)
Area Hunted
Lytles
Hunting Partners
Myself/Fritz-my dog
Comments
I was quit sore from yesterdays hunt, so I decided to hunt a spot that was a little easier to access. I hunted the east slough instead of the south slough. I did have some shooting, but it was not great! I do know that if I would have gone to where I was yesterday(the south slough) I would have had much better shooting.
I have no doubt that Fritz is starting to feel his age and is slowing down. He did find the two ducks for me but we did lose one. His nose is still very keen, but his stamina is fading.
Day 168, 10-3-09
10-3-2009 Sat
Day 168-197 to go
5:30AM - 5:30PM
Weather: NW7, 45°, 29.72 steady, rain, at 12PM
Water conditions: no info available, ?°, clear
Bagged
1. wood ducks (3)
2. blue wing teal (1)
3. green wing teal (1)
Area Hunted
Lytles
Hunting Partners
Dick/Arrow-Dick's dog, Ty
Comments
Today was opening of duck season, and it was a typical opening; lots of ducks before the opening time, and then come legal shooting time and they have disappeared. there were more wood ducks than I have ever seen, in fact ninety-nine percent of the ducks were wood ducks. Vegetation in this area is quit thick, in fact the wild rice is everywhere.
I did see some fisherman that were fishing out of a boat catching crappies by the canoe landing.
Day 168-197 to go
5:30AM - 5:30PM
Weather: NW7, 45°, 29.72 steady, rain, at 12PM
Water conditions: no info available, ?°, clear
Bagged
1. wood ducks (3)
2. blue wing teal (1)
3. green wing teal (1)
Area Hunted
Lytles
Hunting Partners
Dick/Arrow-Dick's dog, Ty
Comments
Today was opening of duck season, and it was a typical opening; lots of ducks before the opening time, and then come legal shooting time and they have disappeared. there were more wood ducks than I have ever seen, in fact ninety-nine percent of the ducks were wood ducks. Vegetation in this area is quit thick, in fact the wild rice is everywhere.
I did see some fisherman that were fishing out of a boat catching crappies by the canoe landing.
Day 167, 10-2-09
10-2-2009 Fri
Day 167-198 to go
5:50PM - 6:50PM
Weather: calm, 53°, 29.42 rising
Water conditions: 4.87’ steady, 15.6 kcfs-rising, ?°, clear
Fish caught
1. Bluegills 7", 7", 6", 8", 4", 4", 6" jig/crawler
2. sheep head 16", jig/crawler
3. LMB 11", jig/crawler
Area fished
Pool 8 - I90 rest area
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
I did catch some fish tonight but it was nothing fantastic. I did not see my buddy the blue heron either.
Day 167-198 to go
5:50PM - 6:50PM
Weather: calm, 53°, 29.42 rising
Water conditions: 4.87’ steady, 15.6 kcfs-rising, ?°, clear
Fish caught
1. Bluegills 7", 7", 6", 8", 4", 4", 6" jig/crawler
2. sheep head 16", jig/crawler
3. LMB 11", jig/crawler
Area fished
Pool 8 - I90 rest area
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
I did catch some fish tonight but it was nothing fantastic. I did not see my buddy the blue heron either.
Friday, October 2, 2009
10-1-2009 Thr
Day 166-199 to go
4:15PM - 5:00PM
Weather: SE14 G25, fog, rain, mist, 52°, 29.67 falling
Water conditions: 4.71’ steady, 10.3 kcfs, °, clear
Fish caught
1. LMB 12", 4:17PM, crawler
2. Bluegill 7", 4:20PM, crawler - fed to blue heron
3. Bluegill 6", 4:29PM, crawler
4. Bluegill 5", 4:35PM, crawler - fed to blue heron
5. Bluegill 5", 4:40PM, crawler
6. Bluegill 4", 4:43PM, crawler
7. Sheep Head 14", 4:55PM, crawler
Area fished
Pool 8 - I90 rest area
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Tonight I was fished a spot I had never fished before. The weather was just plan nasty: rain, wind and cold. From litter left from past fisherman it looked to be a very popular spot. The bluegills were fairly active tonight.
I did have an encounter with a beggar tonight. Now this was not your run of the mill hold their hand out type of beggar. It was more like hold your bill out. You see it was a blue heron, shy poke, cream shitter or whatever you would like to label it as. I first noticed this bird on the opposite shore trying to catch its own supper. It then saw me catch a few bluegills and the next thing I know it is standing about ten yards away from me batting its big eyes at me.
I deeply hooked a bluegill, so I thought what the hell, we’ll see if the bird is really looking for a hand out. I tossed the bluegill towards my new found buddy and sure enough that bird scarfed that bluegill down like it was a guppy. I did deeply hook another bluegill and that one met the same fate, shortly after the bird flew off with a full tummy of bluegills.
Day 166-199 to go
4:15PM - 5:00PM
Weather: SE14 G25, fog, rain, mist, 52°, 29.67 falling
Water conditions: 4.71’ steady, 10.3 kcfs, °, clear
Fish caught
1. LMB 12", 4:17PM, crawler
2. Bluegill 7", 4:20PM, crawler - fed to blue heron
3. Bluegill 6", 4:29PM, crawler
4. Bluegill 5", 4:35PM, crawler - fed to blue heron
5. Bluegill 5", 4:40PM, crawler
6. Bluegill 4", 4:43PM, crawler
7. Sheep Head 14", 4:55PM, crawler
Area fished
Pool 8 - I90 rest area
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Tonight I was fished a spot I had never fished before. The weather was just plan nasty: rain, wind and cold. From litter left from past fisherman it looked to be a very popular spot. The bluegills were fairly active tonight.
I did have an encounter with a beggar tonight. Now this was not your run of the mill hold their hand out type of beggar. It was more like hold your bill out. You see it was a blue heron, shy poke, cream shitter or whatever you would like to label it as. I first noticed this bird on the opposite shore trying to catch its own supper. It then saw me catch a few bluegills and the next thing I know it is standing about ten yards away from me batting its big eyes at me.
I deeply hooked a bluegill, so I thought what the hell, we’ll see if the bird is really looking for a hand out. I tossed the bluegill towards my new found buddy and sure enough that bird scarfed that bluegill down like it was a guppy. I did deeply hook another bluegill and that one met the same fate, shortly after the bird flew off with a full tummy of bluegills.
day 165 9-30-09 Wed
9-30-2009 Wed
Day 165-200 to go
6:55AM - 7:25AM
Weather: calm, clear, 37°, 30.19 rising
Water conditions: 3.24’ steady, .621 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Lytles
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
I fished before work this morning. I had wanted to have some time after work to get my airboat ready for the upcoming duck season. Surprisingly I did not catch anything, usually I always get something from shore at Lytles.
Day 165-200 to go
6:55AM - 7:25AM
Weather: calm, clear, 37°, 30.19 rising
Water conditions: 3.24’ steady, .621 kcfs, ?°, clear
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Lytles
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
I fished before work this morning. I had wanted to have some time after work to get my airboat ready for the upcoming duck season. Surprisingly I did not catch anything, usually I always get something from shore at Lytles.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
day 164 201 to go 9-29-09 Tue
9-29-2009 Tue
Day 164-201 to go
6:15PM - 6:45PM
Weather: N7, overcast, 51°, 30.12 falling
Water conditions: 639.16’ steady, NA kcfs, 55°, cloudy
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Pool 7 - Channel opening out to lake
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Fall is into full swing and my fishing success is down the tubes! The water has drastically cooled and it has become cloudy from the winds of the past couple of days. Tonight I was looking to fill the live well with some nice perch. Unfortunately the perch nor anything else for that matter were cooperative.
The north winds of the past couple of days have really brought the ducks in. I am getting both excited and prepared for the upcoming season on Saturday.
Day 164-201 to go
6:15PM - 6:45PM
Weather: N7, overcast, 51°, 30.12 falling
Water conditions: 639.16’ steady, NA kcfs, 55°, cloudy
Fish caught
None
Area fished
Pool 7 - Channel opening out to lake
Fishing Partners
None
Comments
Fall is into full swing and my fishing success is down the tubes! The water has drastically cooled and it has become cloudy from the winds of the past couple of days. Tonight I was looking to fill the live well with some nice perch. Unfortunately the perch nor anything else for that matter were cooperative.
The north winds of the past couple of days have really brought the ducks in. I am getting both excited and prepared for the upcoming season on Saturday.
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