4-23-2011 Sat
7:30 AM- 3:30PM

Weather: W 20 G 26, mostly cloudy, 46 ˚, 29.68 mb rising (AM)
NW 13, overcast, 50 ˚, 29.86 mb rising (PM)

H2O: 631.28, falling, 124 kcfs, clear, 45 ˚

Location: Mississippi R. Pool 9 (Genoa)

Caught: Lots of small walleyes and saugers, kept a 14” sauger and three walleyes between 15” and 20”.
Partners: Norm and Grant

Comments

Today I fished with a good friend of mine from high school and his son. We usually get together one to two days per year for some walleye fishing. It gives us a chance to catch up on what is going on and reminisce about the old high school and beyond years.
Fishing was pretty hot as soon as we started fishing. We tied up on the end of the long wall and it was pretty easy fishing. We did not have to deal with boat control or playing bumper boats with the other fisherman. We caught lots of fish, but almost all were too small. We probably caught 60/40 walleyes versus saugers.
After about four to five hours at this spot it was time to hit the Minnesota shoreline for a badly needed potty break. We then fished this side for around an hour and did pretty good. The numbers of fish boated were probably not as good, but the size for the number of fish we did catch was good. The only downfall on this side was the increased current which caused a constant battle trying to control the boat. We were very fortunate we only had two boats to dodge.
Most fish today came on ¾ ounce or large river jigs tipped with a minnow, and of course a stinger hook was pretty much mandatory. The fish were light biting and about half the fish were hooked on the stinger. I did use a ring worm set-up with some success, but the fish seemed to prefer meat. I also had some pretty good luck on a lighter hair jig tipped with a minnow at the end of the long wall in the slack water areas.
We also caught a few sheep heads and one white bass. I gave all my fish to Norm, so he was able to take a nice meal of fish home.
Observations
The water is dropping at a steady rate, and it is pretty clear. However the gates are wide open and there is lots of current which makes the fishing somewhat difficult. The shore fishermen on the Wisconsin side were catching fish right away in the morning, but as the day progressed their catch rate seemed to disappear. The fishermen on the float seemed to have steady action. There was also one boat about fifty yards to the south of the fishing float and about thirty yards out from shore catching quite a few white bass.