12-25-2012 Tue 2:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Weather
(1453) N 14, 14 ˚ clear, 30.34 rising
Water:
4.72 steady, 10.5 kcfs, clear
Location:
Mississippi River Pool 7 (Lake Onalaska)
Caught:
2 – bluegills, 1 – crappie, 6 - perch
Partners:
none
Comments
I got out and did a little jig fishing on the lake today. It was Christmas day, and not much was going on. Autumn had slept most of the day away as she has done since she got home for Christmas break. We were having a turkey dinner with all the fixing, but I had the green light to go fishing for a while
Since I was not going for a long period of time, and I wanted to do some very quick exploring, I did not bring the boat nor the portable fish shack. I had my Otter sled, a few poles, my Marcum locator and an auger.
Once I hit the ice I took off running, or should I say sliding. With no snow cover on top the ice is rather slick. I by passed the traditional early season spot in front of Schaffer’s and made my way south to the lone island on the south end of the dredge holes. I marked very few fish and caught none until I got just south of the island on the south edge of the dredge hole.
This is the location where I did most of my fishing. The fishing was not fantastic, but I did have some perch action and a little crappie and bluegill action mixed in. The magical depth was around the ten foot mark. I did constantly mark fish, but when one came into view I was usually able to coax it into biting.
Observations:
The ice thickness is between three and four inches, and I would not be afraid to venture out and about with the four wheeler. There were not many fishermen today, and the ones that were fishing were scattered about.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
12-24-12 Mon
12-24-2012 Mon 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Weather
(1253) NW 13, 22 ˚ overcast, 30.01 rising
Water:
3.96 falling, 1.53 kcfs, clear
Location:
Black River Bottoms
Caught:
Three pike 26 – 28”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was a short tip – up fishing trip to Lytle’s. This was once a popular and productive ice fishing spot for both pike and pan fish, but the last couple of years it has been pretty much a dead fishery.
Things were different today. Although the fishing was not great, at least I did catch a few fish and had some action. I did peer through a lot of holes with the Marcum camera, but the only fish I did see was one dogfish. The one thing I did notice was the absence of weed growth.
Observations:
The ice was pretty good, but there were a few spots with some slush on top that made me a little nervous. It appeared that since the ice first formed to today, the water level had dropped considerably. Again, I definitely noticed that the weed growth was not nearly as apparent as in past years.
Weather
(1253) NW 13, 22 ˚ overcast, 30.01 rising
Water:
3.96 falling, 1.53 kcfs, clear
Location:
Black River Bottoms
Caught:
Three pike 26 – 28”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was a short tip – up fishing trip to Lytle’s. This was once a popular and productive ice fishing spot for both pike and pan fish, but the last couple of years it has been pretty much a dead fishery.
Things were different today. Although the fishing was not great, at least I did catch a few fish and had some action. I did peer through a lot of holes with the Marcum camera, but the only fish I did see was one dogfish. The one thing I did notice was the absence of weed growth.
Observations:
The ice was pretty good, but there were a few spots with some slush on top that made me a little nervous. It appeared that since the ice first formed to today, the water level had dropped considerably. Again, I definitely noticed that the weed growth was not nearly as apparent as in past years.
12-23-12 Sun
12-23-2012 Sun 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Weather
(1153) N 6, 21 ˚ partly cloudy, 30.08 falling
Water:
4.98 falling, 19.1 kcfs, clear
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 8 – Goose Island
Caught:
Scott – One 20” pike, myself - nothing
Partners:
Scott
Comments
It was my first ice fishing trip of the season, and I was very disappointed with the outcome. The formation of ice has been very late this year and by all practical senses, today or yesterday was about the first day that a person could venture out onto the ice in a somewhat safe manner.
I targeted some of my older traditional back bay areas around Goose Island. The mode of transportation was by air boat, which was the only means to access a couple of the spots across the dangerously thin or non-existent ice of the more swift sloughs of the area.
As I stated earlier the fishing was pathetic. We only caught one small pike and I only saw one perch on the camera. On a good note, the air boat ran and handled beautifully on this seasons maiden voyage.
Observations:
The ice conditions were not great. The sheltered bays probably averaged about three inches of ice and the sloughs had none to about an inch.
Weather
(1153) N 6, 21 ˚ partly cloudy, 30.08 falling
Water:
4.98 falling, 19.1 kcfs, clear
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 8 – Goose Island
Caught:
Scott – One 20” pike, myself - nothing
Partners:
Scott
Comments
It was my first ice fishing trip of the season, and I was very disappointed with the outcome. The formation of ice has been very late this year and by all practical senses, today or yesterday was about the first day that a person could venture out onto the ice in a somewhat safe manner.
I targeted some of my older traditional back bay areas around Goose Island. The mode of transportation was by air boat, which was the only means to access a couple of the spots across the dangerously thin or non-existent ice of the more swift sloughs of the area.
As I stated earlier the fishing was pathetic. We only caught one small pike and I only saw one perch on the camera. On a good note, the air boat ran and handled beautifully on this seasons maiden voyage.
Observations:
The ice conditions were not great. The sheltered bays probably averaged about three inches of ice and the sloughs had none to about an inch.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
12-19-12 Wed
12-19-2012 Wed 2:00 PM – 5:40 PM
Weather:
34 ˚ overcast, E 3
Water:
639.52 steady, 17.8 kcfs, 32 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 7 - Trempealeau
Caught:
Lots of saugers and a few walleyes most were very small, but I did catch a couple of decent saugers and a couple of walleyes that were under the size limit by a couple of inches.
Partners:
None
Comments
I really wanted to go tip up fishing today, but the ice is still very thin. I was walking on the ice at Lytle’s this morning, but there was only an inch or two at the most. I used my spud to judge the thickness of the ice and on almost every downward test stroke it easily penetrated through the ice and made it to the water below. The ice was not very thick but it seemed relatively strong and did not crack much from my weight. I probably would have chanced it, but the day time highs were going to be in the mid-thirties and I thought this might weaken the ice.
So anyway, I made the trek to Trempealeau in search of walleyes. I did catch quite a few fish, but the size was relatively small. I caught fish as deep as 50 feet and as shallow as 12. I caught fish pretty much everywhere, but the best fishing was after dark along the short wall in 12 to 20 feet of water.
Observations:
The conditions were perfect for fishing: no wind, very low flow, and clean and clear water. This may have been my last walleye trip for the winter. The weather is supposed to take a dramatic turn towards winter tonight. The weatherman has issued a blizzard warning with an expected accumulation of 8 – 12 inches of snow, and much colder temperatures on the back side of the storm. I am hopeful I will be ice fishing for the first time this year on Sunday December 23.
Weather:
34 ˚ overcast, E 3
Water:
639.52 steady, 17.8 kcfs, 32 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 7 - Trempealeau
Caught:
Lots of saugers and a few walleyes most were very small, but I did catch a couple of decent saugers and a couple of walleyes that were under the size limit by a couple of inches.
Partners:
None
Comments
I really wanted to go tip up fishing today, but the ice is still very thin. I was walking on the ice at Lytle’s this morning, but there was only an inch or two at the most. I used my spud to judge the thickness of the ice and on almost every downward test stroke it easily penetrated through the ice and made it to the water below. The ice was not very thick but it seemed relatively strong and did not crack much from my weight. I probably would have chanced it, but the day time highs were going to be in the mid-thirties and I thought this might weaken the ice.
So anyway, I made the trek to Trempealeau in search of walleyes. I did catch quite a few fish, but the size was relatively small. I caught fish as deep as 50 feet and as shallow as 12. I caught fish pretty much everywhere, but the best fishing was after dark along the short wall in 12 to 20 feet of water.
Observations:
The conditions were perfect for fishing: no wind, very low flow, and clean and clear water. This may have been my last walleye trip for the winter. The weather is supposed to take a dramatic turn towards winter tonight. The weatherman has issued a blizzard warning with an expected accumulation of 8 – 12 inches of snow, and much colder temperatures on the back side of the storm. I am hopeful I will be ice fishing for the first time this year on Sunday December 23.
12-16-12 Sun
12-16-2012 Sun 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Weather:
37 ˚ overcast, calm
Water:
620.63 steady, 13.3 kcfs, 32 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 7 - Genoa
Caught:
Lots of saugers and a few walleyes (50- 75), we kept 10 sauger and one walleye
Partners:
Scott
Comments
The fishing was very good today, we caught lots of fish, but decent size fish were rather scarce. I tried lots of different baits in hopes of finding the right combination to fool the larger fish, but my attempts were in vain. Most fish were caught in the 20 – 30 foot range, and most of our time was spent in the middle of the tail waters area.
I did have one very unusual catch that was my highlight of the day. I hooked a nice Fenwick pole and Okuma reel in about thirty feet of water and I played it expertly right into the boat. The rod and reel combination appeared to have been in the water for less than a month, and I plan to at least add the pole to my fishing arsenal.
We ended up running out of bait about two hours before we hung it up for the evening. After we no longer had the assistance of the bait to entice the fish, our catch rate took a dramatic nose dive.
Observations:
The river conditions were quite positive for fishing: the water was clear, the winds were light and there was not much current.
Weather:
37 ˚ overcast, calm
Water:
620.63 steady, 13.3 kcfs, 32 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 7 - Genoa
Caught:
Lots of saugers and a few walleyes (50- 75), we kept 10 sauger and one walleye
Partners:
Scott
Comments
The fishing was very good today, we caught lots of fish, but decent size fish were rather scarce. I tried lots of different baits in hopes of finding the right combination to fool the larger fish, but my attempts were in vain. Most fish were caught in the 20 – 30 foot range, and most of our time was spent in the middle of the tail waters area.
I did have one very unusual catch that was my highlight of the day. I hooked a nice Fenwick pole and Okuma reel in about thirty feet of water and I played it expertly right into the boat. The rod and reel combination appeared to have been in the water for less than a month, and I plan to at least add the pole to my fishing arsenal.
We ended up running out of bait about two hours before we hung it up for the evening. After we no longer had the assistance of the bait to entice the fish, our catch rate took a dramatic nose dive.
Observations:
The river conditions were quite positive for fishing: the water was clear, the winds were light and there was not much current.
12-15-12 Sat
12-15-2012 Sat 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Weather:
42 ˚ foggy, calm
Water:
4.82 steady, 13.3 kcfs, 32 ˚
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 8 - Dresbach
Caught:
Approx. 6 small sauger, one 17” walleye (kept)
Partners:
None
Comments
It was a short trip over to Dresbach today. I did not catch a lot of fish, but I did not have a lot of time to find them either. The best action came after dark alongside the short wall. The action here was not fantastic, but I did have some action, and the sizes of the fish were decent. I did catch and keep the one nice walleye, but also lost several decent fish along the short wall. The action after dark took place in 10 – 15 feet of water.
Observations:
The river conditions were quite positive for fishing: the water was clear, the winds were light and there was not much current.
Weather:
42 ˚ foggy, calm
Water:
4.82 steady, 13.3 kcfs, 32 ˚
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 8 - Dresbach
Caught:
Approx. 6 small sauger, one 17” walleye (kept)
Partners:
None
Comments
It was a short trip over to Dresbach today. I did not catch a lot of fish, but I did not have a lot of time to find them either. The best action came after dark alongside the short wall. The action here was not fantastic, but I did have some action, and the sizes of the fish were decent. I did catch and keep the one nice walleye, but also lost several decent fish along the short wall. The action after dark took place in 10 – 15 feet of water.
Observations:
The river conditions were quite positive for fishing: the water was clear, the winds were light and there was not much current.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
12-2-12 Sun
12-2-2012 Sun 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Weather:
(0953) 43 ˚ cloudy, NW3, 30.00 steady
Water:
4.87 steady, 14.9 kcfs, 35 ˚
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 8 - Dresbach
Caught:
Scott – walleye 17” and Sauger 14”//Me – walleye 12 & 14”, sauger 14”, northern 20”
Partners:
Scott
Comments
It has been over a month since I was last on the water and since I had my fill of hunting it was time to get back into the fishing scene. In most past years I would have been ice fishing by this time, but it looks as if that season is at least another week off. Today I was fishing with a good friend and fellow angler below the Dresbach Dam. The fishing was very slow. We fished hard for almost five hours and caught three saugers, two walleyes and one northern. Three of the five fish were decent size. We used a variety of presentations and caught fish on ring worms, jigging raps and a jig dressed with Berkly Gulp. The magical depth seemed to be around that twenty foot range.
Observations:
The river is quite low and fairly clear, the weeds were not a hindrance to fishing today.
Weather:
(0953) 43 ˚ cloudy, NW3, 30.00 steady
Water:
4.87 steady, 14.9 kcfs, 35 ˚
Location:
Mississippi River, Pool 8 - Dresbach
Caught:
Scott – walleye 17” and Sauger 14”//Me – walleye 12 & 14”, sauger 14”, northern 20”
Partners:
Scott
Comments
It has been over a month since I was last on the water and since I had my fill of hunting it was time to get back into the fishing scene. In most past years I would have been ice fishing by this time, but it looks as if that season is at least another week off. Today I was fishing with a good friend and fellow angler below the Dresbach Dam. The fishing was very slow. We fished hard for almost five hours and caught three saugers, two walleyes and one northern. Three of the five fish were decent size. We used a variety of presentations and caught fish on ring worms, jigging raps and a jig dressed with Berkly Gulp. The magical depth seemed to be around that twenty foot range.
Observations:
The river is quite low and fairly clear, the weeds were not a hindrance to fishing today.
11-17 thru 11-21 & 11-23 thru 11-25-12
11-17thru 21 and 11-23 thru 11-25-2012
Weather:
Sat. nice high of 38˚, sun thru Wed warm with highs up to 50˚, Thursday thru Sunday very nice with 6” of snow on ground and highs in the upper twenties.
Location:
Moose Junction cabin
Bagged:
Mark (Jr.) - doe Saturday PM, Mark (grandpa) – doe Saturday AM, Me – 8 pt. buck Tue AM (on a drive) doe Sunday PM
Partners:
Jake T., Mark T (son), Mark T (Sr.), Donnie ( father in law).
Comments
It was deer season 2012 in the big woods of Douglas County and I was excited. From my previous bow hunting trip to the cabin a few weeks earlier I was not expecting a lot in the way of deer sightings, but I was still excited to be hunting the north woods. It’s hard to explain, but it just is a special type of hunting that I really enjoy. It is not the best deer hunting, but I don’t care I like the ability to go and do as I please on the ample amount of public land.
The first day was a complete bust for me, in fact I only saw one deer in the first five days of hunting and I shot that one. The first day I sat at a location I call the Otter Stand. I sat there the whole day, twenty feet up in the air and I never did see a deer. In fact all I saw was one black and one gray squirrel and a grouse. Mark Jr. and Mark Sr. each shot their deer on Saturday.
The next four days; Sunday through Wednesday was pretty much a bust for us, except for the nice buck I got on Tuesday. This buck was a result of a drive that the two Mark’s and Jake made to me and Donnie. It was the only deer that they moved and I just happened to be in the right location at the right time.
The only other real excitement we had the first five days was that Jake decided to hunt someone else’s stand that he thought they were not hunting. Well the guy that laid claim to the stand saw him in it and promptly came over to the stand and asked Jake to leave. The guy also made mention of the fact that someone had also hunted one of his stands last year and had shot a deer out of it. Of course it was Jake, but he played dumb! Jake did in fact shoot a deer out of the guys stand last year, then he wrote thank you in blood on an empty corn bag and stuck it on the guy’s tree he was hunting out of. I really get a chuckle out of that every time I think of it.
On Thursday morning we packed our gear and headed home, not knowing if we were going to come back again for the last few days of the season. Jake and I had discussed it and we both decided we would be back if in fact they got the snow up there on Thursday night as they were predicting.
A quick check of the weather on Friday morning confirmed that they had gotten at least two inches of snow that night and that sealed the deal. In fact when we got there the snow depth was probably closer to six inches (I was very excited). We got there and were unloaded late Friday afternoon and with about a half hour of day light left I was on the 4 wheeler across the road and heading south on a fast scouting mission. I actually could have shot a deer that afternoon if I would have carried my gun with me.
The snow made hunting wonderful. We were able to see what the deer were up to and where they were hanging out. I saw deer every day and was able to bag a doe on Sunday night with about one half of shooting time left in the 2012 gun deer season.
The deer season was an enjoyable one for me, I was able to bag two deer and I had a very good time. We ate some good food, which included grilled steaks, scalloped potatoes and ham, pork roast, moose chili, moose roast and the usual breakfast fare. I had a very good laugh with Jake and his dad. Jake’s dads 4 wheelers shifting lever had frozen up on Saturday evening and he could not get it into neutral. Mark and Jake looked for something to use as an ice chisel or spud but they could not find anything. Mark was getting a little frustrated and Jake really got to him when he picked up his dads Browning A Bolt and acted like he was going to use the barrel end as an ice chipper. I am still chuckling over that one, and I will remember it for a long time.
I did not deer hunt with my brother Dick at all this year, which was the first time in many years. It was different, I missed hunting with him, but on account of having so many dogs and having no one to take care of them he opted to stay home. I can’t say I missed the dogs being at camp, it was much more relaxing and easy without them.
Observations:
The weather this season went from extreme warm to six inches of snow on the ground. The deer population seemed low at the beginning of the season, but after the snow hit the ground it was apparent that more deer were around than I thought. The baiting of deer definitely has an impact on the deer locations and movements and I hope that someday the practice will be banned. But, until it is, I am going to join the baiting group just to be able to compete with the other hunters for the deer. It really is shame that baiting is allowed: It causes conflicts and poor hunting ethics.
Weather:
Sat. nice high of 38˚, sun thru Wed warm with highs up to 50˚, Thursday thru Sunday very nice with 6” of snow on ground and highs in the upper twenties.
Location:
Moose Junction cabin
Bagged:
Mark (Jr.) - doe Saturday PM, Mark (grandpa) – doe Saturday AM, Me – 8 pt. buck Tue AM (on a drive) doe Sunday PM
Partners:
Jake T., Mark T (son), Mark T (Sr.), Donnie ( father in law).
Comments
It was deer season 2012 in the big woods of Douglas County and I was excited. From my previous bow hunting trip to the cabin a few weeks earlier I was not expecting a lot in the way of deer sightings, but I was still excited to be hunting the north woods. It’s hard to explain, but it just is a special type of hunting that I really enjoy. It is not the best deer hunting, but I don’t care I like the ability to go and do as I please on the ample amount of public land.
The first day was a complete bust for me, in fact I only saw one deer in the first five days of hunting and I shot that one. The first day I sat at a location I call the Otter Stand. I sat there the whole day, twenty feet up in the air and I never did see a deer. In fact all I saw was one black and one gray squirrel and a grouse. Mark Jr. and Mark Sr. each shot their deer on Saturday.
The next four days; Sunday through Wednesday was pretty much a bust for us, except for the nice buck I got on Tuesday. This buck was a result of a drive that the two Mark’s and Jake made to me and Donnie. It was the only deer that they moved and I just happened to be in the right location at the right time.
The only other real excitement we had the first five days was that Jake decided to hunt someone else’s stand that he thought they were not hunting. Well the guy that laid claim to the stand saw him in it and promptly came over to the stand and asked Jake to leave. The guy also made mention of the fact that someone had also hunted one of his stands last year and had shot a deer out of it. Of course it was Jake, but he played dumb! Jake did in fact shoot a deer out of the guys stand last year, then he wrote thank you in blood on an empty corn bag and stuck it on the guy’s tree he was hunting out of. I really get a chuckle out of that every time I think of it.
On Thursday morning we packed our gear and headed home, not knowing if we were going to come back again for the last few days of the season. Jake and I had discussed it and we both decided we would be back if in fact they got the snow up there on Thursday night as they were predicting.
A quick check of the weather on Friday morning confirmed that they had gotten at least two inches of snow that night and that sealed the deal. In fact when we got there the snow depth was probably closer to six inches (I was very excited). We got there and were unloaded late Friday afternoon and with about a half hour of day light left I was on the 4 wheeler across the road and heading south on a fast scouting mission. I actually could have shot a deer that afternoon if I would have carried my gun with me.
The snow made hunting wonderful. We were able to see what the deer were up to and where they were hanging out. I saw deer every day and was able to bag a doe on Sunday night with about one half of shooting time left in the 2012 gun deer season.
The deer season was an enjoyable one for me, I was able to bag two deer and I had a very good time. We ate some good food, which included grilled steaks, scalloped potatoes and ham, pork roast, moose chili, moose roast and the usual breakfast fare. I had a very good laugh with Jake and his dad. Jake’s dads 4 wheelers shifting lever had frozen up on Saturday evening and he could not get it into neutral. Mark and Jake looked for something to use as an ice chisel or spud but they could not find anything. Mark was getting a little frustrated and Jake really got to him when he picked up his dads Browning A Bolt and acted like he was going to use the barrel end as an ice chipper. I am still chuckling over that one, and I will remember it for a long time.
I did not deer hunt with my brother Dick at all this year, which was the first time in many years. It was different, I missed hunting with him, but on account of having so many dogs and having no one to take care of them he opted to stay home. I can’t say I missed the dogs being at camp, it was much more relaxing and easy without them.
Observations:
The weather this season went from extreme warm to six inches of snow on the ground. The deer population seemed low at the beginning of the season, but after the snow hit the ground it was apparent that more deer were around than I thought. The baiting of deer definitely has an impact on the deer locations and movements and I hope that someday the practice will be banned. But, until it is, I am going to join the baiting group just to be able to compete with the other hunters for the deer. It really is shame that baiting is allowed: It causes conflicts and poor hunting ethics.
Monday, November 12, 2012
11-3-12 thru 11-10-12
11-3-2012 through 11-10-12
Weather:
28 ˚ - 45 ˚, sunny to rain, calm to windy
Location:
Moose Junction cabin
Bagged:
1 grouse
Partners:
Jake T.
Comments
It was my weekly trip up to the cabin for some bow hunting and bird hunting. This year my trip was about two weeks later than my usual time towards the end of October. I had always wanted to try the hunting a little later, with the idea being I may catch the bucks in the chasing stage.
I did see some deer and passed on a mediocre eight pointer, but other than that the deer seem to be fairly sparse this year. I did set out some bait and a trail camera and was able to attract some deer into the bait and catch some on my trail camera. From the deer I did photograph it appears as if there are quite a few one and a half year old bucks around.
I was able to hunt Fritz a couple of days on grouse and he did surprisingly well for the limited amount of hunting he did last year and for being twelve years old. The grouse numbers are not fantastic, but there is definitely a huntable population. I missed several birds and also hit several that I was not able to put permanently to the ground. Fritz did an unbelievably great job on the grouse. I did not see any woodcock this year. I believe it was too late in the migration and the area had just been too dry for too long of a time period.
Jake was able to harvest a nice doe, he also missed two others, so he had more success than I did. He also did some trapping and harvested approximately five beavers and nine muskrats. We did bake one of the smaller beavers up and it tasted like a typical rodent to me; it was really not that bad.
Observations:
The rut does not appear to have started here yet, neither one of us did see any chasing going on and we did not see any bucks with does. The conditions have been quite dry up here. The deer numbers seem relatively low, but there is definitely a fairly decent population of grouse. I never did see any ducks or geese.
10-28-12
10-28-2012 Sun 6:30 AM – 6:15 PM
Weather:
Nice 35 ˚ AM 50 ˚ PM, light winds, clear
Location:
Jeremy Pank’s near Strum
Bagged:
nothing
Partners:
Jeremy
Comments
It was only my second bow hunting outing of the season, and I made a day of it. Jeremy has been telling me he has been seeing lots of deer and that I should come up and hunt. I met him in his driveway before sunup with a game plan that I had hatched last year. I planned on hunting the ridge just to the south of his house. I had walked this area the previous year, and at that time I thought it looked promising.
I got to the top of the hill well before daylight and since I only knew the general area I wanted to hunt I waited for daylight to find my stand location. I got my tree steps attached to the tree and was just about to start the process of hanging my stand when off to my left about thirty feet away I saw it; the competitions tree stand. Not wanting to hunt next to someone else, I made the decision to find a new spot.
I moved to a spot to the east of the power lines and was set up and hunting about one hour after daylight. I did not see any deer during the first hour, but between 9 and 10:30 I saw eleven. I did not see anything huge, but I did have a fairly decent buck come within about forty yards of me. I also did have a small buck pass within about ten yards of my stand location.
In the afternoon I set up on the opposite side of the road and never did see a deer. Last year there was lots of sign on the west side of the road, but this year it was not very abundant. My theory was that there were no acorns here this year, and thus the deer were not staying in the area either.
Observations:
I did not observe any real chasing activities, but from the reports that I have heard, it has started.
Weather:
Nice 35 ˚ AM 50 ˚ PM, light winds, clear
Location:
Jeremy Pank’s near Strum
Bagged:
nothing
Partners:
Jeremy
Comments
It was only my second bow hunting outing of the season, and I made a day of it. Jeremy has been telling me he has been seeing lots of deer and that I should come up and hunt. I met him in his driveway before sunup with a game plan that I had hatched last year. I planned on hunting the ridge just to the south of his house. I had walked this area the previous year, and at that time I thought it looked promising.
I got to the top of the hill well before daylight and since I only knew the general area I wanted to hunt I waited for daylight to find my stand location. I got my tree steps attached to the tree and was just about to start the process of hanging my stand when off to my left about thirty feet away I saw it; the competitions tree stand. Not wanting to hunt next to someone else, I made the decision to find a new spot.
I moved to a spot to the east of the power lines and was set up and hunting about one hour after daylight. I did not see any deer during the first hour, but between 9 and 10:30 I saw eleven. I did not see anything huge, but I did have a fairly decent buck come within about forty yards of me. I also did have a small buck pass within about ten yards of my stand location.
In the afternoon I set up on the opposite side of the road and never did see a deer. Last year there was lots of sign on the west side of the road, but this year it was not very abundant. My theory was that there were no acorns here this year, and thus the deer were not staying in the area either.
Observations:
I did not observe any real chasing activities, but from the reports that I have heard, it has started.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
10-21-12 Sun
10-21-2012 Sun 3:00PM – 7:00 PM
Weather:
(1553) S9 with strong gusts, clear, 66˚, 29.84 rising
Water:
5 rising, 18.7 kcfs, 51 ˚, clear and weed free
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Scott: Drum (1), walleye 12”, SMB (3) 12 – 17.75”
Myself: SMB (4) 12 – 18”, LMB 12”
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Today may have been my last day of casting with crank baits. It seems as if the bite has really slowed down, and I for see it getting slower with the cooling of the water.
Today we exclusively targeted wing dams, and our production on them was very poor. We were fishing for whatever would bite, but the main quarry was walleyes and small mouth bass. Once again we had some pretty serious competition going and I thought Scott was going to have the most fish at the end of the night. But I pulled a nice 18” small mouth out of an area that we had already thoroughly combed with crank baits to give me the tie.
All the fish except the nice small mouth I caught were fooled with crank baits. This fish came off of a firecracker ring worm.
I had a little interesting encounter at the landing when we got back after dark. All the duck hunters except one had already loaded their rigs and were gone. But this one moron was pulling the idiotic take the whole landing up and unload your gear and stow it in the truck then strap down your boat, and do more pissing around, oblivious to me waiting for them to get out of the way so I can trailer my boat. Well, it just so happened the moron was either a federal or a state warden, but whichever they were they had no courtesy. I thought for sure I would get checked, but that did not even happen.
Observations:
The water is in great shape with it being fairly clear with low flows and not many pesky lure fouling weeds floating downstream.
Weather:
(1553) S9 with strong gusts, clear, 66˚, 29.84 rising
Water:
5 rising, 18.7 kcfs, 51 ˚, clear and weed free
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Scott: Drum (1), walleye 12”, SMB (3) 12 – 17.75”
Myself: SMB (4) 12 – 18”, LMB 12”
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Today may have been my last day of casting with crank baits. It seems as if the bite has really slowed down, and I for see it getting slower with the cooling of the water.
Today we exclusively targeted wing dams, and our production on them was very poor. We were fishing for whatever would bite, but the main quarry was walleyes and small mouth bass. Once again we had some pretty serious competition going and I thought Scott was going to have the most fish at the end of the night. But I pulled a nice 18” small mouth out of an area that we had already thoroughly combed with crank baits to give me the tie.
All the fish except the nice small mouth I caught were fooled with crank baits. This fish came off of a firecracker ring worm.
I had a little interesting encounter at the landing when we got back after dark. All the duck hunters except one had already loaded their rigs and were gone. But this one moron was pulling the idiotic take the whole landing up and unload your gear and stow it in the truck then strap down your boat, and do more pissing around, oblivious to me waiting for them to get out of the way so I can trailer my boat. Well, it just so happened the moron was either a federal or a state warden, but whichever they were they had no courtesy. I thought for sure I would get checked, but that did not even happen.
Observations:
The water is in great shape with it being fairly clear with low flows and not many pesky lure fouling weeds floating downstream.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10-17-12 Wed
10-17-2012 Wed 9:30AM – 6:00 PM
Weather:
(1553) SW9, overcast, 58˚, 29.30 steady
Water:
5.12 falling, 26.1 kcfs, 50 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
walleye 16”, pike 25”, LMB (16) 7 – 16”, SMB (3) 12 – 14”.
Partners:
none
Comments
It was my day off during mid – week, and last night I had nothing but fishing playing through my mind; forget the yard work, new battery for the truck, dog shit to clean up, etc., etc. I was going fishing.
I knew I could do fairly well on the home waters of pool 7, but I was once again in the mood for a challenge on somewhat unfamiliar waters. My game plan was to fish for bass, both small mouths and large mouths with the possibility of running into a walleye and a striper or two.
I targeted mostly main channel wing dam areas. The wing dam bite was not great, I caught a walleye, pike and a few large mouths and a couple of small mouths on them, but it was slow. Most of the large mouths came from areas adjacent to deep water that the bass will be using for their wintering areas. I fished two types of baits today: crank baits and spinner baits. The spinner bait accounted for the majority of the large mouths and the crank baits accounted for the other fish.
Observations:
The river is in pretty good shape right now: low flows, clear and not mainly floating weeds to foul an angler’s hook.
Weather:
(1553) SW9, overcast, 58˚, 29.30 steady
Water:
5.12 falling, 26.1 kcfs, 50 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
walleye 16”, pike 25”, LMB (16) 7 – 16”, SMB (3) 12 – 14”.
Partners:
none
Comments
It was my day off during mid – week, and last night I had nothing but fishing playing through my mind; forget the yard work, new battery for the truck, dog shit to clean up, etc., etc. I was going fishing.
I knew I could do fairly well on the home waters of pool 7, but I was once again in the mood for a challenge on somewhat unfamiliar waters. My game plan was to fish for bass, both small mouths and large mouths with the possibility of running into a walleye and a striper or two.
I targeted mostly main channel wing dam areas. The wing dam bite was not great, I caught a walleye, pike and a few large mouths and a couple of small mouths on them, but it was slow. Most of the large mouths came from areas adjacent to deep water that the bass will be using for their wintering areas. I fished two types of baits today: crank baits and spinner baits. The spinner bait accounted for the majority of the large mouths and the crank baits accounted for the other fish.
Observations:
The river is in pretty good shape right now: low flows, clear and not mainly floating weeds to foul an angler’s hook.
Monday, October 15, 2012
10-15-12 Mon
10-15-2012 Mon 6:20PM – 7:20 PM
Weather:
(1853) calm, clear, 60˚, 29.90 falling
Water:
5.03 rising, 21.4 kcfs, 49 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 (my favorite closing dam
Caught:
3 small mouth bass 14 – 17”, 2 stripers 14 & 15”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was such a beautiful evening: calm, clear and 60 degrees, I just had to go fishing. I was hoping to cash in on some aggressive walleyes that had an appetite for a crank bait.
The walleye bite was not there tonight, but I did find one spot that held a few stripers and small mouth bass. The stripers and small mouth were holding on a sand drop point with rock in close proximity.
Observations:
The lake was holding a few ducks and coot, but the numbers seemed quite low to me.
Weather:
(1853) calm, clear, 60˚, 29.90 falling
Water:
5.03 rising, 21.4 kcfs, 49 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 (my favorite closing dam
Caught:
3 small mouth bass 14 – 17”, 2 stripers 14 & 15”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was such a beautiful evening: calm, clear and 60 degrees, I just had to go fishing. I was hoping to cash in on some aggressive walleyes that had an appetite for a crank bait.
The walleye bite was not there tonight, but I did find one spot that held a few stripers and small mouth bass. The stripers and small mouth were holding on a sand drop point with rock in close proximity.
Observations:
The lake was holding a few ducks and coot, but the numbers seemed quite low to me.
10-14-12 Sun
10-14-2012 Sun 3:30PM – 7:00 PM
Weather:
(1753) NW8, overcast, 48˚, 29.76 rising
Water:
4.87 rising, 14.9 kcfs, 49 ˚, clear – lots of floating duck weed
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 – Trempealeau Dam
Caught:
Myself: 3 SMB 14-19”, Approx. 6 sauger 10 – 13”. Tupper: 2 SMB 14 & 15”, Approx. 6 sauger & walleyes 10 – 13”. Scott: Approx. 3 walleyes 14 – 20”, 1 sauger 14”, 1 pike 22”.
Partners:
Scott and Tupper
Comments
The plan today was to do some deer drives on the islands with Scott, Tupper, John R. and his son. Well the weather did not cooperate for that idea to go through. We experienced something we have not seen in some time around here, rain! The rain started on Saturday and it did not end until around 1:00PM on Sunday. We have been rainless for quite some time and even though it changed my plans it was welcomed.
The fishing trip was a walleye quest outfitted with minnows and all. We all caught some fish, with Scott hoisting the better size eyes into the boat with his exclusive use of artificial plastics. Tupper and I caught more fish, but the size was smaller, and most fish were sauger.
We also hit a couple wing dams with cranks and Tupper and I had a combined tally of five small mouths. Jake and I were using divers and Scott stuck with his lipless bait from last week. The smallmouths were quite aggressive and a welcome relief from the boredom of jigging for walleyes. The walleye/sauger bite was fairly good when we first started, then as the evening progressed the action degraded significantly.
Observations:
The oaks are still clutching their leaves, but most other trees have shed their summer coats. The water is still very low and along with the low levels, the current is very weak. The water temperature has stayed stable around the 50 degree mark for about a week now.
Weather:
(1753) NW8, overcast, 48˚, 29.76 rising
Water:
4.87 rising, 14.9 kcfs, 49 ˚, clear – lots of floating duck weed
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 – Trempealeau Dam
Caught:
Myself: 3 SMB 14-19”, Approx. 6 sauger 10 – 13”. Tupper: 2 SMB 14 & 15”, Approx. 6 sauger & walleyes 10 – 13”. Scott: Approx. 3 walleyes 14 – 20”, 1 sauger 14”, 1 pike 22”.
Partners:
Scott and Tupper
Comments
The plan today was to do some deer drives on the islands with Scott, Tupper, John R. and his son. Well the weather did not cooperate for that idea to go through. We experienced something we have not seen in some time around here, rain! The rain started on Saturday and it did not end until around 1:00PM on Sunday. We have been rainless for quite some time and even though it changed my plans it was welcomed.
The fishing trip was a walleye quest outfitted with minnows and all. We all caught some fish, with Scott hoisting the better size eyes into the boat with his exclusive use of artificial plastics. Tupper and I caught more fish, but the size was smaller, and most fish were sauger.
We also hit a couple wing dams with cranks and Tupper and I had a combined tally of five small mouths. Jake and I were using divers and Scott stuck with his lipless bait from last week. The smallmouths were quite aggressive and a welcome relief from the boredom of jigging for walleyes. The walleye/sauger bite was fairly good when we first started, then as the evening progressed the action degraded significantly.
Observations:
The oaks are still clutching their leaves, but most other trees have shed their summer coats. The water is still very low and along with the low levels, the current is very weak. The water temperature has stayed stable around the 50 degree mark for about a week now.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
10-10-12 Wed
10-10-2012 Wed 12:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Weather:
(1553) W17 G22, a few clouds, 51˚, 30.07 falling
Water:
4.79 steady, 12.4 kcfs, 50 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB (4) 11 – 16”, SMB (9) 13 – 19, Striped Bass 12”, Pike (2) 21 & 23”, walleyes (2) 14 & 17”, Sheep heads (3 big ones), Sucker 20”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was a 50/50 type of day today; the air temperatures were around 50 and so was the water temperature. The Large mouths were not quite as aggressive today as they were on Sunday, but I still caught quite a few. I definitely missed more than I caught; they just seemed to be nipping at the back treble of the crank. On Sunday we caught them on most everything and anything, today it was a slow retrieve with a crank bait that fooled them. I did pretty well on smallies today, again it was a crank bait bite, but these fish were much more aggressive than the largemouth. My Biggest smallie of the day was a nice 19 incher. The last 20 minutes of light and for about an hour after dark I targeted walleyes. The numbers were not impressive, but I did catch the one pictured and another smaller one. I also had some very big sheep head that had me fantasizing about very large walleyes up until I got that first glimpse of them. All the fish I caught today came off of rocks or within very close proximity to some rocks. Every fish that was caught was also caught on a crank bait of one type or another.
Observations:
The seasons are definitely changing; the water temperatures are dropping, the leaves are brilliantly colored (about 66% are left), and the air temperature along with the north wind made it feel like January.
Weather:
(1553) W17 G22, a few clouds, 51˚, 30.07 falling
Water:
4.79 steady, 12.4 kcfs, 50 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB (4) 11 – 16”, SMB (9) 13 – 19, Striped Bass 12”, Pike (2) 21 & 23”, walleyes (2) 14 & 17”, Sheep heads (3 big ones), Sucker 20”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was a 50/50 type of day today; the air temperatures were around 50 and so was the water temperature. The Large mouths were not quite as aggressive today as they were on Sunday, but I still caught quite a few. I definitely missed more than I caught; they just seemed to be nipping at the back treble of the crank. On Sunday we caught them on most everything and anything, today it was a slow retrieve with a crank bait that fooled them. I did pretty well on smallies today, again it was a crank bait bite, but these fish were much more aggressive than the largemouth. My Biggest smallie of the day was a nice 19 incher. The last 20 minutes of light and for about an hour after dark I targeted walleyes. The numbers were not impressive, but I did catch the one pictured and another smaller one. I also had some very big sheep head that had me fantasizing about very large walleyes up until I got that first glimpse of them. All the fish I caught today came off of rocks or within very close proximity to some rocks. Every fish that was caught was also caught on a crank bait of one type or another.
Observations:
The seasons are definitely changing; the water temperatures are dropping, the leaves are brilliantly colored (about 66% are left), and the air temperature along with the north wind made it feel like January.
10-7-12 Sun
10-7-2012 Sun 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Weather:
(1453) SW12, clear, 52˚, 30.09 falling
Water:
4.38 rising, 15.2 kcfs, 53 ˚, fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river (Buffalo City)
Caught:
54 LMB / Scott (28) 10 -17”, myself (26) 10 – 19”
Partners:
Scott
Comments
It was another day of competition between Scott and me for the bragging rights to who caught the most fish. We were fishing a body of water which I had only fished once before, so I had very little experience on the pool, but I like the challenge of fishing new areas.
The last time I was here was two years ago in the spring and at that time me and Terry C. did pretty well on the pike. I was hoping for a repeat on the pike, but it was not meant to be. The very first fish I had on was a pike, but it was the last and it never even made it boat side.
Our first two to three hours were very unproductive, we caught a fish here and there, but it was very slow. After a lot of searching and endless casting we finally located the mother lode. I had told Scott that when we did find fish, we would find a bunch and that is exactly what happened. I think we could still be there catching bass. Scott used a rattle trap to catch the majority of his whereas I used a crank bait. We also caught a few fish at the end of the streak on senko’s.
Observations
We found absolutely no fish in the back waters, they were all relating to the main channel or within very close proximity to it. I was very amazed at all the backwater areas this pool has to offer.
Weather:
(1453) SW12, clear, 52˚, 30.09 falling
Water:
4.38 rising, 15.2 kcfs, 53 ˚, fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river (Buffalo City)
Caught:
54 LMB / Scott (28) 10 -17”, myself (26) 10 – 19”
Partners:
Scott
Comments
It was another day of competition between Scott and me for the bragging rights to who caught the most fish. We were fishing a body of water which I had only fished once before, so I had very little experience on the pool, but I like the challenge of fishing new areas.
The last time I was here was two years ago in the spring and at that time me and Terry C. did pretty well on the pike. I was hoping for a repeat on the pike, but it was not meant to be. The very first fish I had on was a pike, but it was the last and it never even made it boat side.
Our first two to three hours were very unproductive, we caught a fish here and there, but it was very slow. After a lot of searching and endless casting we finally located the mother lode. I had told Scott that when we did find fish, we would find a bunch and that is exactly what happened. I think we could still be there catching bass. Scott used a rattle trap to catch the majority of his whereas I used a crank bait. We also caught a few fish at the end of the streak on senko’s.
Observations
We found absolutely no fish in the back waters, they were all relating to the main channel or within very close proximity to it. I was very amazed at all the backwater areas this pool has to offer.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
10-3-12 Wed
10-3-2012 Wed 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
(1953) calm, clear, 63˚, 29.91 falling
Water:
4.82 falling, 13.3 kcfs, 62 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
3 white bass 15”, 1 SMB 15”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was a late start tonight on account of shuffling vehicles to and from the repair shop: which for us is a rarity on account of owning only Hondas. I was out looking for more of those stripers and I was also hoping to get another bonus walleye or two. I caught a few stripers and a small mouth, but the walleyes were very elusive.
I did have a nice fish on after dark, but it came un-hooked after a short battle. I did have another just hammer my crank bait, but none of the hooks buried into its flesh.
I was also treated to a very rare sight on this stretch of the Mississippi: I had the American Queen pass close by in all its glory. It was quite a sight with its deck and cabin lights beaming against the fading light of the western sky. I took a moment to admire its grandeur and beauty and tried to imagine what the occupants were doing inside. Perhaps they were having an evening cocktail, sitting down to a luxurious dinner or matching wits with others with a game of cards.
Observations:
The water is really getting scummy, especially on the lake; we desperately need some rain to bring back some flow to our low and stale river levels.
Weather:
(1953) calm, clear, 63˚, 29.91 falling
Water:
4.82 falling, 13.3 kcfs, 62 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
3 white bass 15”, 1 SMB 15”
Partners:
none
Comments
It was a late start tonight on account of shuffling vehicles to and from the repair shop: which for us is a rarity on account of owning only Hondas. I was out looking for more of those stripers and I was also hoping to get another bonus walleye or two. I caught a few stripers and a small mouth, but the walleyes were very elusive.
I did have a nice fish on after dark, but it came un-hooked after a short battle. I did have another just hammer my crank bait, but none of the hooks buried into its flesh.
I was also treated to a very rare sight on this stretch of the Mississippi: I had the American Queen pass close by in all its glory. It was quite a sight with its deck and cabin lights beaming against the fading light of the western sky. I took a moment to admire its grandeur and beauty and tried to imagine what the occupants were doing inside. Perhaps they were having an evening cocktail, sitting down to a luxurious dinner or matching wits with others with a game of cards.
Observations:
The water is really getting scummy, especially on the lake; we desperately need some rain to bring back some flow to our low and stale river levels.
10-2-12 Tue
10-2-2012 Tue 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(1953) calm, clear, 63˚, 29.91 falling
Water:
4.85 steady, 14.2 kcfs, 61 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills and a few perch, Adam 6 & 15 lb. flat heads
Partners:
Adam W. and Scott
Comments
It was a flat head fishing trip with Scott and Adam. We started out catching bait on the south end of the channel, but that consisted mostly of catching perch and small LMB with no bluegills in sight. After not catching any bluegills in the channel we move to the weed edges by Shaffer’s and our fortunes immediately change as far as the bluegill bite was concerned.
In total we ended up having four bites, with Adam catching the only two and myself and Scott each missing a bite. Of course Scott missed his fish on my pole with the circle hook; I think he is totally a jinx when it comes to circle hooks. My percentage of hook – ups with them even seems to go down when he is with me.
Observations:
The water temperature has actually gone up a few degrees. As of yet the floating weeds are not hindering our ability to effectively fish.
Weather:
(1953) calm, clear, 63˚, 29.91 falling
Water:
4.85 steady, 14.2 kcfs, 61 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills and a few perch, Adam 6 & 15 lb. flat heads
Partners:
Adam W. and Scott
Comments
It was a flat head fishing trip with Scott and Adam. We started out catching bait on the south end of the channel, but that consisted mostly of catching perch and small LMB with no bluegills in sight. After not catching any bluegills in the channel we move to the weed edges by Shaffer’s and our fortunes immediately change as far as the bluegill bite was concerned.
In total we ended up having four bites, with Adam catching the only two and myself and Scott each missing a bite. Of course Scott missed his fish on my pole with the circle hook; I think he is totally a jinx when it comes to circle hooks. My percentage of hook – ups with them even seems to go down when he is with me.
Observations:
The water temperature has actually gone up a few degrees. As of yet the floating weeds are not hindering our ability to effectively fish.
9-29-12 Sat
9-29-2012 Sat 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Weather:
calm, sunny, 79˚
Water:
4.59 steady, -999 kcfs, 58 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
4 LMB 10 – 13”
Partners:
None
Comments
I started out fishing mid – morning, with the assumption that I would come back in around 3 and go back out towards evening. I was able to do the first part, but I never did get back out again that evening.
I stayed on and explored Lake Onalaska and it was once again the Dead Sea as it has been all summer. The lake in front of Clear Water resort and the dredge holes by Shaffer’s was exceptionally clear. I was actually doing some advanced spring bass scouting on account of the clarity. I was able to see the bottom in twelve feet of water and every time I saw a stump I entered the way point in my GPS.
I caught and was actually able to see bass in and along the weed edges by Shaffer’s, but they were all mostly small. I did go back into the dredge holes by Fishermen’s Road, but the water was relatively green and I did not catch anything.
Observations:
The water clarity on the lake in front of Clearwater Resort and Shaffer’s is amazingly clear. There are also a few clumps of rice on the lake in front of Clearwater this summer, and that is the first that I have ever seen it there.
Weather:
calm, sunny, 79˚
Water:
4.59 steady, -999 kcfs, 58 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
4 LMB 10 – 13”
Partners:
None
Comments
I started out fishing mid – morning, with the assumption that I would come back in around 3 and go back out towards evening. I was able to do the first part, but I never did get back out again that evening.
I stayed on and explored Lake Onalaska and it was once again the Dead Sea as it has been all summer. The lake in front of Clear Water resort and the dredge holes by Shaffer’s was exceptionally clear. I was actually doing some advanced spring bass scouting on account of the clarity. I was able to see the bottom in twelve feet of water and every time I saw a stump I entered the way point in my GPS.
I caught and was actually able to see bass in and along the weed edges by Shaffer’s, but they were all mostly small. I did go back into the dredge holes by Fishermen’s Road, but the water was relatively green and I did not catch anything.
Observations:
The water clarity on the lake in front of Clearwater Resort and Shaffer’s is amazingly clear. There are also a few clumps of rice on the lake in front of Clearwater this summer, and that is the first that I have ever seen it there.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
9-27-12 Thr
9-27-2012 Thr 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Weather:
(1953) calm, clear, 52˚, 30.19 rising
Water:
4.66 falling, -999kcfs? 58 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills and perch (bait), 4 stripers, 1 large sheep head, two walleyes 12 & 18”, 2 flat heads 8 & 37 lbs.
Partners:
Myself
Comments
It was a quick after work trip, and it was definitely one of the better days on the water that I have had in a while. I started at 6 PM and was done by 830. In that short period of time I caught bluegills and perch for bait, sheep head, walleyes and stripers and two very tenacious flat heads that did not want to release their grip from the bottom. It had been some time since I had boated any stripers, and once again I was impressed by their stubbornness to come to the boat. The walleyes and stripers came off a sand flat with the aid of a jointed bluegill patterned Shad Rap.
Observations:
It was a beautiful evening for fishing and the fish responded in kind.
9-25-12 Tue
9-25-2012 Thr 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2153) NW5, clear, 52˚, 29.92 rising
Water:
4.7 steady, 10kcfs, 58 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bait –perch and bluegills, Scott 17 lb. flathead, myself 8 lb. flat head
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I are still after the flat heads. It was not a greatly successful night, but we did catch two flat heads and we missed one other. We started out catching bait in the channel behind the house, and after about a half hour of only perch we decided to move on to the lake near Schaffer’s. I am not a real big fan of using perch for flat heads, they are nice and lively, but I do not think they are a choice morsel for the big cats. We found a pretty good concentration of bluegills there, with most being a on the large size.
Tonight Scott had all the action, and we were two out of three with his Kale hooks. The debate over his Kale hooks or my circle hoods rages on!
Observations:
The weather has been beautiful the last couple of days; winds have been light, temps in the 60’s to 70’s and clear skies. It is the time of year though that when the sun disappears over the horizon the temperatures fall rather quickly.
Weather:
(2153) NW5, clear, 52˚, 29.92 rising
Water:
4.7 steady, 10kcfs, 58 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bait –perch and bluegills, Scott 17 lb. flathead, myself 8 lb. flat head
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I are still after the flat heads. It was not a greatly successful night, but we did catch two flat heads and we missed one other. We started out catching bait in the channel behind the house, and after about a half hour of only perch we decided to move on to the lake near Schaffer’s. I am not a real big fan of using perch for flat heads, they are nice and lively, but I do not think they are a choice morsel for the big cats. We found a pretty good concentration of bluegills there, with most being a on the large size.
Tonight Scott had all the action, and we were two out of three with his Kale hooks. The debate over his Kale hooks or my circle hoods rages on!
Observations:
The weather has been beautiful the last couple of days; winds have been light, temps in the 60’s to 70’s and clear skies. It is the time of year though that when the sun disappears over the horizon the temperatures fall rather quickly.
Friday, September 28, 2012
9-22-12 Sat
9-22-2012 Sat 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Weather:
(1453) NW15, overcast, 56˚, 30.13 rising
Water:
4.79 steady, 58 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Chris – 3-4 largemouth bass and one pike, Melissa one largemouth bass
Partners:
Melissa and Chris
Comments
Yesterday I took a young couple out that had purchased a trip of mine through an auction that I had donated for a cancer benefit. The trip was a long time coming on account of their busy schedule. Chris had wanted to target walleyes, but I have not had much luck finding them yet on pool seven so we went for bass and pike instead. The wind and the suddenly dropping water temperatures did not make for very active fish, but fish were caught. Melissa confessed she was not much of a caster, but I assured her we would get her a fish. She did catch largemouth and then sat on the sidelines the last hour or two. Chris did alright for himself, he caught three or four largemouth with one of the fish taping out at 18 ½, his biggest ever.
The fishing was definitely not stellar, I had anticipated more pike action, Chris only boated one pike and that one was probably only twenty two inches. We did have as many misses as hook ups, but that is the way it goes. The baits we had action with today were: rattle traps, crank baits, spinner baits, and swim baits. I must say it is going to take more time to get used to the cold weather, with the strong north wind and temperatures around fifty, it felt as if it was January in Wisconsin.
Observations:
The conditions were pretty tough today; we had a strong north wind with cold temperatures.
Weather:
(1453) NW15, overcast, 56˚, 30.13 rising
Water:
4.79 steady, 58 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Chris – 3-4 largemouth bass and one pike, Melissa one largemouth bass
Partners:
Melissa and Chris
Comments
Yesterday I took a young couple out that had purchased a trip of mine through an auction that I had donated for a cancer benefit. The trip was a long time coming on account of their busy schedule. Chris had wanted to target walleyes, but I have not had much luck finding them yet on pool seven so we went for bass and pike instead. The wind and the suddenly dropping water temperatures did not make for very active fish, but fish were caught. Melissa confessed she was not much of a caster, but I assured her we would get her a fish. She did catch largemouth and then sat on the sidelines the last hour or two. Chris did alright for himself, he caught three or four largemouth with one of the fish taping out at 18 ½, his biggest ever.
The fishing was definitely not stellar, I had anticipated more pike action, Chris only boated one pike and that one was probably only twenty two inches. We did have as many misses as hook ups, but that is the way it goes. The baits we had action with today were: rattle traps, crank baits, spinner baits, and swim baits. I must say it is going to take more time to get used to the cold weather, with the strong north wind and temperatures around fifty, it felt as if it was January in Wisconsin.
Observations:
The conditions were pretty tough today; we had a strong north wind with cold temperatures.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
9-21-12 Fri
9-21-2012 Fri 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Weather:
(1253) S8, overcast, 59˚, 29.83 falling
Water:
4.65 rising, 61 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 6, 7 and 8.
Caught:
Not a lot, nothing on pool 8 and one 16” small mouth on pool 6, and some largemouth and a fair number of pike on pool 7.
Partners:
Rob
Comments
I was pre-fishing for a guide trip on Saturday and Chris wanted to catch walleyes, unfortunately I did not find any walleyes. I fished three pools and the only place I found any number of fish was around the Trempealeau Spillway. The fish here consisted mostly of pike and largemouth bass.
Observations:
The conditions were pretty tough today; we had a strong north wind with cold temperatures
Weather:
(1253) S8, overcast, 59˚, 29.83 falling
Water:
4.65 rising, 61 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 6, 7 and 8.
Caught:
Not a lot, nothing on pool 8 and one 16” small mouth on pool 6, and some largemouth and a fair number of pike on pool 7.
Partners:
Rob
Comments
I was pre-fishing for a guide trip on Saturday and Chris wanted to catch walleyes, unfortunately I did not find any walleyes. I fished three pools and the only place I found any number of fish was around the Trempealeau Spillway. The fish here consisted mostly of pike and largemouth bass.
Observations:
The conditions were pretty tough today; we had a strong north wind with cold temperatures
9-20-12 thr
9-20-2012 Thr 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Weather:
NW12, clear, 61˚, 29.88 steady
Water:
4.6 falling, 62 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills and perch and small LMB, I 30” pike
Partners:
Rob
Comments
Rob and I did a little bluegill and perch fishing in the lower end of the channel last night. The channel was full of pan fish, but most were of the smaller size. Scott did catch one very nice jumbo bluegill. I did keep four bluegills and one perch for supper. The last half hour of daylight we headed out to the channel and I did catch one decent pike. We did see one other fisherman who was out on the lake and he was catching small pan fish.
Observations:
We are getting into the fall mode, with the water cooling and the weed dying back.
Weather:
NW12, clear, 61˚, 29.88 steady
Water:
4.6 falling, 62 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills and perch and small LMB, I 30” pike
Partners:
Rob
Comments
Rob and I did a little bluegill and perch fishing in the lower end of the channel last night. The channel was full of pan fish, but most were of the smaller size. Scott did catch one very nice jumbo bluegill. I did keep four bluegills and one perch for supper. The last half hour of daylight we headed out to the channel and I did catch one decent pike. We did see one other fisherman who was out on the lake and he was catching small pan fish.
Observations:
We are getting into the fall mode, with the water cooling and the weed dying back.
9-19-12 Wed
9-19-2012 Wed 6:00 PM – 19:15 PM
Weather:
NW7, clear, 55˚, 29.84 steady ***burrrrr****
Water:
4.74 falling, 63 ˚, green but fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills and perch for bait, myself 2 flat heads 8 & 10 lbs.
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I got out and did a little flat head fishing tonight. It has been a little while since I had targeted the big whiskered smiling fish, so I was not sure what to expect. Bait catching was relatively easy in the channel behind the house, we caught both bluegills and perch, but perch were the overly abundant species.
The flat head bite was pretty good. When the fish hit they really hit! I caught two and missed one other and Scott missed one. Poor Scott he just can’t get the circle hook thing down, all the bites came on my poles and of course they were all rigged with circle hooks. He did actually have a fish on with a circle hook, but the line broke ant the fluorocarbon leader.
Observations:
The river is low and the flow is very slow, luckily floating weeds were not a problem. All the fish and bites came from one spot; the spot had wood and about thirty feet of water. I tried one other deep spot with no wood and did not have a bite there. We also tried a side channel area off the main channel with lots of wood and twenty feet of water, with no luck. I believe the flats are now in the deep water.
Monday, September 17, 2012
9-17-12 Sun
9-17-2012 Sun 5:45 PM – 7:30 PM
Weather:
S9, clear, 73˚, 29.88 steady
Water:
4.69 steady, -999 kcfs, 68 ˚, pretty clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Me – 2 LMB and 1 SMB, Scott 1 SMB
Partners:
None
Comments
Scott and I got out and did a little bass fishing tonight, and needless to say it is not really worth talking about. Except I do have to mention I did better than Scott and he almost went home skunked.
The fishing was very poor, the fish we did catch were small except for the one largemouth I caught was fifteen inches. I did lose two nice bass, one was a small mouth and one was a largemouth. It was really funny to see Scott towards the end of the night, he still had a skunk going and he was definitely uptight about it. Shortly before dark he did luck out and got the monkey off his back.
Observations:
The river is fairly green and the flow is almost non-existent, but the floating weeds have not yet invaded the main channel.
Weather:
S9, clear, 73˚, 29.88 steady
Water:
4.69 steady, -999 kcfs, 68 ˚, pretty clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Me – 2 LMB and 1 SMB, Scott 1 SMB
Partners:
None
Comments
Scott and I got out and did a little bass fishing tonight, and needless to say it is not really worth talking about. Except I do have to mention I did better than Scott and he almost went home skunked.
The fishing was very poor, the fish we did catch were small except for the one largemouth I caught was fifteen inches. I did lose two nice bass, one was a small mouth and one was a largemouth. It was really funny to see Scott towards the end of the night, he still had a skunk going and he was definitely uptight about it. Shortly before dark he did luck out and got the monkey off his back.
Observations:
The river is fairly green and the flow is almost non-existent, but the floating weeds have not yet invaded the main channel.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
9-13-12 Thr
9-13-2012 Thr 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Weather:
Calm, sunny, 67˚, 30.03 steady
Water:
4.98 steady, 18.7 kcfs, 67 ˚, green
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
pike – 15, 27 & 28”//bass – 4 – 12”, 2 – 15”, 14”
Partners:
None
Comments
It had been awhile since I have been on the big river fishing, but today I had the day off and I wanted to get back into the fishing mode. I must admit I did not have a lot of enthusiasm, but I was able to force myself to go; no kidding!
After I caught my first two pike I was glad I was back, unfortunately the first three fish came quick and easy, and after that it was a long dry spell until just before dark. I caught the pike off some rocks along the main channel using a crank bait. The bass came off of some rocks in shallow water with no current on a buzz bait.
I started out fishing around the landing and dam and did make it down to Target Lake, but that was pretty much the Dead Sea. I can usually catch a couple of bass and pike down there this time of year, but I think they will be in there later this year with the low water.
Observations:
The river is fairly green and the flow is almost non-existent. I do know that the annual big blue gill slaughter in front of Schaffer’s on the lake is in progress.
Weather:
Calm, sunny, 67˚, 30.03 steady
Water:
4.98 steady, 18.7 kcfs, 67 ˚, green
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
pike – 15, 27 & 28”//bass – 4 – 12”, 2 – 15”, 14”
Partners:
None
Comments
It had been awhile since I have been on the big river fishing, but today I had the day off and I wanted to get back into the fishing mode. I must admit I did not have a lot of enthusiasm, but I was able to force myself to go; no kidding!
After I caught my first two pike I was glad I was back, unfortunately the first three fish came quick and easy, and after that it was a long dry spell until just before dark. I caught the pike off some rocks along the main channel using a crank bait. The bass came off of some rocks in shallow water with no current on a buzz bait.
I started out fishing around the landing and dam and did make it down to Target Lake, but that was pretty much the Dead Sea. I can usually catch a couple of bass and pike down there this time of year, but I think they will be in there later this year with the low water.
Observations:
The river is fairly green and the flow is almost non-existent. I do know that the annual big blue gill slaughter in front of Schaffer’s on the lake is in progress.
9-8-2012 Sat 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Weather:
South 10-15, Sunny to sprinkles, 60 ˚
Water:
Normal, clear, 69 ˚
Location:
My secret small lake near the cabin
Caught:
Me – two pike 28 & 30, tiger musky 30//Adam 40 musky//Scott 28 tiger musky and 33 pike
Partners:
Scott and Adam
Comments
Scott and Adam had come up to the cabin for the weekend to do some musky fishing while I bear hunted. Their first full day (Friday) was spent up on the St Louis River chasing ghosts. Form what I gathered it was long day, with very little activity and only one follow.
Since I was having no luck baiting bears and I had pulled all my baits, I was invited to go with them on Saturday morning. I did not have any tackle so I begged and mooched all the gear I could from the both of them.
The day was a perfect musky day weather wise; it was quite broken with sun, showers and sometimes a fairly stiff breeze and temps in the lower 60’s. We fished my little un- known lake for about four hours and we all struck pay dirt. Adam took the top fish prize with a beautiful forty inch musky.
All the fish came on either buck tails or spinner baits. We did not really have any follow so to speak; most of them hit the bait, although not with a lot of gusto.
Observations:
The lake level seemed somewhat normal, and fairly clear. I did notice that there was absolutely no submergent vegetation. Scott had informed me that the St Louis had no weeds what so ever.
Weather:
South 10-15, Sunny to sprinkles, 60 ˚
Water:
Normal, clear, 69 ˚
Location:
My secret small lake near the cabin
Caught:
Me – two pike 28 & 30, tiger musky 30//Adam 40 musky//Scott 28 tiger musky and 33 pike
Partners:
Scott and Adam
Comments
Scott and Adam had come up to the cabin for the weekend to do some musky fishing while I bear hunted. Their first full day (Friday) was spent up on the St Louis River chasing ghosts. Form what I gathered it was long day, with very little activity and only one follow.
Since I was having no luck baiting bears and I had pulled all my baits, I was invited to go with them on Saturday morning. I did not have any tackle so I begged and mooched all the gear I could from the both of them.
The day was a perfect musky day weather wise; it was quite broken with sun, showers and sometimes a fairly stiff breeze and temps in the lower 60’s. We fished my little un- known lake for about four hours and we all struck pay dirt. Adam took the top fish prize with a beautiful forty inch musky.
All the fish came on either buck tails or spinner baits. We did not really have any follow so to speak; most of them hit the bait, although not with a lot of gusto.
Observations:
The lake level seemed somewhat normal, and fairly clear. I did notice that there was absolutely no submergent vegetation. Scott had informed me that the St Louis had no weeds what so ever.
9-4 thru 9-7-12 Bear hunting Minnesota
9-4 thru 9-7-2012
Weather:
Clear to cloudy and rain
Location:
Minnesota non-quota area near the cabin
Bagged:
No bears
Partners:
Troy
Comments
Troy and I were on a self- guided bear hunt in the non-quota area of northern Minnesota. We had gone up a few days earlier and picked out our bait sites and baited them. After the first couple of days we only had one bait that was visited by the bears. We did see some bear tracks here and there, so our confidence level was good.
When we arrived on Tuesday morning we went to check and re-bait our sites and to our disappointment only one of the six baits had been hit. Over the next several days our luck with the baiting did not improve. Troy who had Kurt in tow only hunted two nights and I only hunted three. Neither of us saw any bears and we were both disappointed. I think that there were several factors that contributed to our lack of success: low bear numbers and lots of hunters, and an overabundance of freshly fallen acorns.
The bears did not have a hard time finding the scraps left over from our daily bait mixing at the cabin. I had some empty five gallon pails that still had some remnant bear bait in them in the back of my truck, and the bears tried to rip my topper off to get at them. I also put out some bait behind the barn, and within eight hours I had visiting bears.
Observations:
The areas in Minnesota and by the cabin are extremely dry. There was a bumper crop of acorns. Both I and Troy said we will never hunt the non-quota area again.
Weather:
Clear to cloudy and rain
Location:
Minnesota non-quota area near the cabin
Bagged:
No bears
Partners:
Troy
Comments
Troy and I were on a self- guided bear hunt in the non-quota area of northern Minnesota. We had gone up a few days earlier and picked out our bait sites and baited them. After the first couple of days we only had one bait that was visited by the bears. We did see some bear tracks here and there, so our confidence level was good.
When we arrived on Tuesday morning we went to check and re-bait our sites and to our disappointment only one of the six baits had been hit. Over the next several days our luck with the baiting did not improve. Troy who had Kurt in tow only hunted two nights and I only hunted three. Neither of us saw any bears and we were both disappointed. I think that there were several factors that contributed to our lack of success: low bear numbers and lots of hunters, and an overabundance of freshly fallen acorns.
The bears did not have a hard time finding the scraps left over from our daily bait mixing at the cabin. I had some empty five gallon pails that still had some remnant bear bait in them in the back of my truck, and the bears tried to rip my topper off to get at them. I also put out some bait behind the barn, and within eight hours I had visiting bears.
Observations:
The areas in Minnesota and by the cabin are extremely dry. There was a bumper crop of acorns. Both I and Troy said we will never hunt the non-quota area again.
Monday, August 27, 2012
8-25-12 Sat
8-25-2012 Sat 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) W 3, light rain, 75˚, 29.98 rising
Water:
4.86 falling, 14.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 20 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Scot: 8 lbs., me: 3 lbs.
Partners:
Scot
Comments
It has been almost a week since I was last out, and I finally started to miss it. I have been so busy prepping for a possible bear hunt, that I have not thought much about fishing. I thought tonight was going to be a good night; we had light rain and no wind. The bluegills cooperated, but the flat heads did not. I really should not complain though, we did catch two and we probably missed another four bites. The fish just did not seem to be that aggressive.
Observations:
The river is turning a little greener every day, it is not bad but it is noticeable.
Weather:
(2053) W 3, light rain, 75˚, 29.98 rising
Water:
4.86 falling, 14.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 20 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Scot: 8 lbs., me: 3 lbs.
Partners:
Scot
Comments
It has been almost a week since I was last out, and I finally started to miss it. I have been so busy prepping for a possible bear hunt, that I have not thought much about fishing. I thought tonight was going to be a good night; we had light rain and no wind. The bluegills cooperated, but the flat heads did not. I really should not complain though, we did catch two and we probably missed another four bites. The fish just did not seem to be that aggressive.
Observations:
The river is turning a little greener every day, it is not bad but it is noticeable.
Monday, August 20, 2012
8-19-2012 Sun PM
8-19-2012 Sun 4:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Weather:
(2053) N 3, a few clouds, 65˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 25 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Angie: 8 & 13 lbs., Jason: 18 & 40 lbs.
Partners:
Jason and Angie
Comments
I was guiding a young couple from Blair tonight that wanted to tangle with some flat heads. I headed out solo a couple of hours before the scheduled pick up time to catch bait. From my past experiences on this pool I figured it would be an easy chore and I would have an ample supply of bait in a short amount of time. Of course, that did not happen. I caught enough bait, but after the first hour I only had five bluegills in the boat, and I was getting nervous. But, eventually after some diligent searching I found a good number and all was well.
I picked Jason and his wife Angie up at the landing and off we went for a night of flat head fishing. We were on the water fishing by 6:30 pm, so we targeted deep scour holes behind some wing dams. I generally only give these spots about 30 minutes when it is light out and I move to the next hole. The action was non-existent in the first couple of spots, but finally just before dark we boated our first couple of flat heads out of a rather large scour hole.
After Angie caught her first fish, she was hooked. As soon as she saw or heard the indication of a fish on she was up and ready to pounce on the pole. Jason had to remind her several times that he was going to get his turns also.
The highlight of the night came when Jason hooked into a very large fish. He knew from the beginning of the battle that it was a good one and he was very excited to be playing this fish. Angie on the other hand wished that she was on the receiving end of the punishment this big fish was handing out to her husband. It took a while to get the fish boat side and get a glimpse of it, but once we did see it we were all impressed by its size. The fish registered 40.5 pounds on the scale. It was quite a fish and quite an accomplishment for Jason. This was Jason’s second flat head trip out with me and he was very ecstatic to have boated such an impressive fish. I was just as excited for him; it brings me a great sense of accomplishment when I see a smile on the faces of the people that fish out of my boat. I truly wish everybody I take out could catch such a fish. Thanks Jason and Angie I appreciated and enjoyed you company and I hope to see you again.
Observations:
The river below the Dresbach dam is in pretty good shape, it is fairly clear and there seems to be a good number of fish.
Weather:
(2053) N 3, a few clouds, 65˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 25 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Angie: 8 & 13 lbs., Jason: 18 & 40 lbs.
Partners:
Jason and Angie
Comments
I was guiding a young couple from Blair tonight that wanted to tangle with some flat heads. I headed out solo a couple of hours before the scheduled pick up time to catch bait. From my past experiences on this pool I figured it would be an easy chore and I would have an ample supply of bait in a short amount of time. Of course, that did not happen. I caught enough bait, but after the first hour I only had five bluegills in the boat, and I was getting nervous. But, eventually after some diligent searching I found a good number and all was well.
I picked Jason and his wife Angie up at the landing and off we went for a night of flat head fishing. We were on the water fishing by 6:30 pm, so we targeted deep scour holes behind some wing dams. I generally only give these spots about 30 minutes when it is light out and I move to the next hole. The action was non-existent in the first couple of spots, but finally just before dark we boated our first couple of flat heads out of a rather large scour hole.
After Angie caught her first fish, she was hooked. As soon as she saw or heard the indication of a fish on she was up and ready to pounce on the pole. Jason had to remind her several times that he was going to get his turns also.
The highlight of the night came when Jason hooked into a very large fish. He knew from the beginning of the battle that it was a good one and he was very excited to be playing this fish. Angie on the other hand wished that she was on the receiving end of the punishment this big fish was handing out to her husband. It took a while to get the fish boat side and get a glimpse of it, but once we did see it we were all impressed by its size. The fish registered 40.5 pounds on the scale. It was quite a fish and quite an accomplishment for Jason. This was Jason’s second flat head trip out with me and he was very ecstatic to have boated such an impressive fish. I was just as excited for him; it brings me a great sense of accomplishment when I see a smile on the faces of the people that fish out of my boat. I truly wish everybody I take out could catch such a fish. Thanks Jason and Angie I appreciated and enjoyed you company and I hope to see you again.
Observations:
The river below the Dresbach dam is in pretty good shape, it is fairly clear and there seems to be a good number of fish.
8-19-2012 Sun AM
8-19-2012 Sun 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Weather:
NW 6, a few clouds, 68˚, 30.01 steady
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, nasty algae bloom
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 sloughs
Caught:
6 crappies 9 – 10”, 3 bluegills 6”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been crappie fishing for quite some time, and I was missing it. The first thing I noticed when I got into the back sloughs was the pea soup on top of the water. I am not an algae expert, but this nasty stuff had a blue green color to it. Definitely the type of stuff you want to keep you dog away from.
I tried several of my past favorite areas and except for one snag I never caught a crappie anywhere else. I did see several other crappie fishermen out, but from the looks of things they were having a minimal amount of luck also. I was using strictly artificial baits, but I think if I would have had some minnows I might have done a little better.
When I put in at the landing this morning there was an older lady fishing from shore, she had all here gear: poles, tackle box, fish basket, five gallon bucket, etc. I had to feel sorry for her, I know she came with an attitude to catch some fish, and perhaps have enough for a meal. I felt sorry for her because I pretty much knew except for maybe a small bass or perhaps a dinky bluegill or two, she was not going to catch too much. It was just the wrong time of the year for that area to produce any fish.
Observations:
The back channels were really quite disgusting today, we need some rain and increased water flows.
Weather:
NW 6, a few clouds, 68˚, 30.01 steady
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, nasty algae bloom
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 sloughs
Caught:
6 crappies 9 – 10”, 3 bluegills 6”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been crappie fishing for quite some time, and I was missing it. The first thing I noticed when I got into the back sloughs was the pea soup on top of the water. I am not an algae expert, but this nasty stuff had a blue green color to it. Definitely the type of stuff you want to keep you dog away from.
I tried several of my past favorite areas and except for one snag I never caught a crappie anywhere else. I did see several other crappie fishermen out, but from the looks of things they were having a minimal amount of luck also. I was using strictly artificial baits, but I think if I would have had some minnows I might have done a little better.
When I put in at the landing this morning there was an older lady fishing from shore, she had all here gear: poles, tackle box, fish basket, five gallon bucket, etc. I had to feel sorry for her, I know she came with an attitude to catch some fish, and perhaps have enough for a meal. I felt sorry for her because I pretty much knew except for maybe a small bass or perhaps a dinky bluegill or two, she was not going to catch too much. It was just the wrong time of the year for that area to produce any fish.
Observations:
The back channels were really quite disgusting today, we need some rain and increased water flows.
8-18-2012 Sat
8-18-2012 Sat 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Weather:
Calm, clear, 75˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
4.87 steady, 14.9 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 (Lake Onalaska)
Caught:
2 LMB – 12”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been on the lake in quite some time bass fishing, so it was time. I was very disappointed: The fishing sucked. I caught two small bass right at the beginning, and after that I never had a single bite. I fished the weeds out by the man-made islands, the dredge holes, and the area near the airport lights, Somners drops and Somners itself. The water and the lake itself just seem void of any fish activity.
Observations:
The lake is very choked up with celery grass. It is also very clear in some areas, and I found out there is a fairly good number of stumps between the eastern man-made island and Ashley Point. It was quite incredible; I could easily see the bottom in four feet of water.
Weather:
Calm, clear, 75˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
4.87 steady, 14.9 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 (Lake Onalaska)
Caught:
2 LMB – 12”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been on the lake in quite some time bass fishing, so it was time. I was very disappointed: The fishing sucked. I caught two small bass right at the beginning, and after that I never had a single bite. I fished the weeds out by the man-made islands, the dredge holes, and the area near the airport lights, Somners drops and Somners itself. The water and the lake itself just seem void of any fish activity.
Observations:
The lake is very choked up with celery grass. It is also very clear in some areas, and I found out there is a fairly good number of stumps between the eastern man-made island and Ashley Point. It was quite incredible; I could easily see the bottom in four feet of water.
8-17-2012 Fri
8-17-2012 Fri 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) Calm, clear, 60˚, 30.03 steady
Water:
4.87 steady, 7.85kcfs, 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills, crappies and perch
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I had not been out fishing together for several weeks so it was time. We were targeting flat heads, so the first order of business is always a well-stocked live well. It took a couple of hours to catch our supply of bait, but at least we had plenty.
Tonight we targeted mostly scour holes on or adjacent to the main channel. We hit four spots and only had one fish on. We did have some other bites, but the bites were rather meek. We also talked to another fellow flat head fisherman and he also had a slow night, and he stated they have not caught and decent size fish in a while.
Observations:
Most of the bait came from the Hammond Chute area. The river flow is very low right now and it almost makes anchoring difficult. If I ever have to fish in a south wind, I don’t think it will be possible. The rice has really taken off and it is pollinating.
Weather:
(2053) Calm, clear, 60˚, 30.03 steady
Water:
4.87 steady, 7.85kcfs, 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills, crappies and perch
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I had not been out fishing together for several weeks so it was time. We were targeting flat heads, so the first order of business is always a well-stocked live well. It took a couple of hours to catch our supply of bait, but at least we had plenty.
Tonight we targeted mostly scour holes on or adjacent to the main channel. We hit four spots and only had one fish on. We did have some other bites, but the bites were rather meek. We also talked to another fellow flat head fisherman and he also had a slow night, and he stated they have not caught and decent size fish in a while.
Observations:
Most of the bait came from the Hammond Chute area. The river flow is very low right now and it almost makes anchoring difficult. If I ever have to fish in a south wind, I don’t think it will be possible. The rice has really taken off and it is pollinating.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
8-13-12 Mon
8-13-2012 Sun 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) NW 6, clear, 67˚, 29.94 rising
Water:
4.81 rising, 6.04kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 20) 6 – 8”, Drew – flatheads 8, 11 & 15 lbs, channel cat 3 lbs.
Partners:
Jay and Drew
Comments
Yesterday I had a flat head fishing trip with Jay and his son Drew. Drew has caught quite a few fish in his short career, but he told his dad he really wanted to catch a catfish. Drew was not your typical boy that was headed to the big leagues of the first grade. He had patience, and he was very intent on watching the poles for the signal of a bite. He quickly learned that a little pole dancing was probably the frantic actions of the bait (bluegill) and not the bite of the flat head.
Drew with a little help from his dad was able to land one channel cat and three flat heads that weighed 8, 11 & 15 lbs. It was quite an accomplishment for such a young angler! We did have a moment of intense excitement when we had three fish at once, but unfortunately only two made it to the boat. It is always a rewarding experience for me when young anglers are successful and have a good time.
Thanks Drew and Jay, I hope you enjoyed the evening as much as I did.
Even with the low flows I am still getting some of the fish in the back sloughs, but most are coming from main channel areas.
Observations:
That water is still quite stagnant. I did notice quite a lot of surface activity out in the main channel just before dark.
8-12-12 Sun
8-12-2012 Sun 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) calm, light rain, 62˚, 29.99 steady
Water:
4.77 rising, 5.06 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 20) 6 – 8”, Garret – 15, 43 flat heads, Ramsey – 23, 8 & 10 lbs.
Partners:
Eric and his sons Garret and Ramsey
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing trip with Eric and his twin boys Ramsey and Garret. Eric had submitted the winning bid on a silent auction for a fishing trip I had donated at this springs NASA banquet and the boys had decided they wanted to fish for flat heads. It was a good choice!
The boys were very good fishermen and the combined weight of the fish they caught were 99 lbs. with five fish. I can still see one particular instance when one of the boys picked up the rod, pulled on the fish and the fish pulled back. The rod and reel and the son were almost pulled in the water with the fish. If dad wasn’t there to hold him the fish might have won that battle. The individual weights of the fish were 8, 10, 15, 23 and 43 lbs. The 43 pound fish is the largest for the year, congratulations Garret!
It was a good night of fishing with some very good and amusing company. They had told me a story about one of their friends who had stuck his hand down a catfish’s mouth to retrieve a bluegill that the fish had eaten. The problem was his arm got stuck in the fish’s mouth and he could not pull it out. The boys quickly came up with the idea to put a water hose down its mouth to force the hand and arm out of its mouth. It worked, it not only dislodged the arm, but it blew the fish up and with the water pressure the intestines also came out! The boys are enthusiastic fishermen and have many more years of on the water fun to look forward to.
Observations:
The flow is very low, it almost makes anchoring impossible. It would really be a challenge to have to anchor with a south wind; in fact I don’t think it could be done.
Weather:
(2053) calm, light rain, 62˚, 29.99 steady
Water:
4.77 rising, 5.06 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 20) 6 – 8”, Garret – 15, 43 flat heads, Ramsey – 23, 8 & 10 lbs.
Partners:
Eric and his sons Garret and Ramsey
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing trip with Eric and his twin boys Ramsey and Garret. Eric had submitted the winning bid on a silent auction for a fishing trip I had donated at this springs NASA banquet and the boys had decided they wanted to fish for flat heads. It was a good choice!
The boys were very good fishermen and the combined weight of the fish they caught were 99 lbs. with five fish. I can still see one particular instance when one of the boys picked up the rod, pulled on the fish and the fish pulled back. The rod and reel and the son were almost pulled in the water with the fish. If dad wasn’t there to hold him the fish might have won that battle. The individual weights of the fish were 8, 10, 15, 23 and 43 lbs. The 43 pound fish is the largest for the year, congratulations Garret!
It was a good night of fishing with some very good and amusing company. They had told me a story about one of their friends who had stuck his hand down a catfish’s mouth to retrieve a bluegill that the fish had eaten. The problem was his arm got stuck in the fish’s mouth and he could not pull it out. The boys quickly came up with the idea to put a water hose down its mouth to force the hand and arm out of its mouth. It worked, it not only dislodged the arm, but it blew the fish up and with the water pressure the intestines also came out! The boys are enthusiastic fishermen and have many more years of on the water fun to look forward to.
Observations:
The flow is very low, it almost makes anchoring impossible. It would really be a challenge to have to anchor with a south wind; in fact I don’t think it could be done.
8-11-12 Sat
8-11-2012 Sat 5:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) calm, clear, 67˚, 30.00 steady
Water:
4.72 rising, 4.05 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river mid - pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, me 15 lb. flat head, Tupper – zilch
Partners:
Tupper
Comments:
I wanted to do some exploring down on the mid-section of pool 8, and I had Tupper for company. I really should have known better than to fish this section during the summer on a Saturday during a beautiful summer day. It was total chaos on the main channel. There were tuna boats, pontoons, little flats, houseboats, tubers, etc. The city seems to put a stop and go on almost every corner, maybe they should start installing them on the main channel.
Fishing was not very successful. We caught our bait, but they came with some difficulty. And, we only caught one flat head and I think we missed one other. We tried mostly main channel and side channel areas that had wood.
Observations:
I will definitely avoid the main channel areas south of La Crosse during the summer weekends.
Weather:
(2053) calm, clear, 67˚, 30.00 steady
Water:
4.72 rising, 4.05 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river mid - pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, me 15 lb. flat head, Tupper – zilch
Partners:
Tupper
Comments:
I wanted to do some exploring down on the mid-section of pool 8, and I had Tupper for company. I really should have known better than to fish this section during the summer on a Saturday during a beautiful summer day. It was total chaos on the main channel. There were tuna boats, pontoons, little flats, houseboats, tubers, etc. The city seems to put a stop and go on almost every corner, maybe they should start installing them on the main channel.
Fishing was not very successful. We caught our bait, but they came with some difficulty. And, we only caught one flat head and I think we missed one other. We tried mostly main channel and side channel areas that had wood.
Observations:
I will definitely avoid the main channel areas south of La Crosse during the summer weekends.
8-10-12 Fri
8-10-2012 Fri 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) N 7, clear, 65˚, 30.04 rising
Water:
4.67 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, I forgot the details, but we had 7 or 8 fish with Rob having a 21 lb. flat and myself I had one that was 38 lbs.
Partners:
Rob
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing adventure with Rob, and it turned out to be a very good night. Rob is a co-worker with Karen and quite an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He has been bugging Karen to have me take him out fishing, so tonight was the night. I met Rob for the very first time at the boat landing and I did not know what to expect. Rob, after all is an IT person, and I had the image that they all drink diet Dew and play X Box in their spare time. I found Rob to be just the opposite, plus he was a very good angler. We targeted both side channel areas and main channel areas with success. Some of the fish hit rather aggressively and some did not. The biggest fish of the night (38 lbs.) slammed the bluegill and ran. Unfortunately, I was the one who caught it and not Rob. He had caught the first two or three fish and he said it was my turn and it happened to be the best fish of the night. Rob, however did catch more than I, and he had a very respectable 21 lb. flat head and a 12 lb. channel cat.
We should be seeing a good fishing pattern for the next couple of months, the water is cooling and the amount of anglers on the water is starting to decrease. My theory of about every sixth flat head being over thirty pounds held true last night. Live bluegills and cut bait were both utilized with success. We ended the night with seven or eight fish being boated, which consisted of two channel cats and the rest flat heads. All fish were release to be caught again. I am sure I will be out fishing with Rob again sometime in the future.
Observations:
The fishing around the La Crosse area seems to be much better than the Onalaska pool.
Weather:
(2053) N 7, clear, 65˚, 30.04 rising
Water:
4.67 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, I forgot the details, but we had 7 or 8 fish with Rob having a 21 lb. flat and myself I had one that was 38 lbs.
Partners:
Rob
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing adventure with Rob, and it turned out to be a very good night. Rob is a co-worker with Karen and quite an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He has been bugging Karen to have me take him out fishing, so tonight was the night. I met Rob for the very first time at the boat landing and I did not know what to expect. Rob, after all is an IT person, and I had the image that they all drink diet Dew and play X Box in their spare time. I found Rob to be just the opposite, plus he was a very good angler. We targeted both side channel areas and main channel areas with success. Some of the fish hit rather aggressively and some did not. The biggest fish of the night (38 lbs.) slammed the bluegill and ran. Unfortunately, I was the one who caught it and not Rob. He had caught the first two or three fish and he said it was my turn and it happened to be the best fish of the night. Rob, however did catch more than I, and he had a very respectable 21 lb. flat head and a 12 lb. channel cat.
We should be seeing a good fishing pattern for the next couple of months, the water is cooling and the amount of anglers on the water is starting to decrease. My theory of about every sixth flat head being over thirty pounds held true last night. Live bluegills and cut bait were both utilized with success. We ended the night with seven or eight fish being boated, which consisted of two channel cats and the rest flat heads. All fish were release to be caught again. I am sure I will be out fishing with Rob again sometime in the future.
Observations:
The fishing around the La Crosse area seems to be much better than the Onalaska pool.
8-9-12 Thr
8-9-2012 Thr 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Weather:
(2053) N 8, mostly cloudy, 61˚, 30.00 rising
Water:
4.65 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (4) 4 – 6”, flat head 7 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
It was a short trip tonight out to Somners Chute. I caught one right away directly below the wing dam and then I never had another bite. Catching bait was once again a challenge. In fact I only caught four and after I caught the first flat head I made him give it back and it went back into the live well.
Observations:
It is the typical late summer pattern, low flows and inactive fish.
Weather:
(2053) N 8, mostly cloudy, 61˚, 30.00 rising
Water:
4.65 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (4) 4 – 6”, flat head 7 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
It was a short trip tonight out to Somners Chute. I caught one right away directly below the wing dam and then I never had another bite. Catching bait was once again a challenge. In fact I only caught four and after I caught the first flat head I made him give it back and it went back into the live well.
Observations:
It is the typical late summer pattern, low flows and inactive fish.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
8-7-12 Tue
8-7-2012 Tue 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) N 6, clear, 72˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.68 falling, -.99 kcfs? 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 15) 6 – 8”, channel cat 8 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
Tonight I was planning to figure out where all the bluegills have gone to. I did not accomplish that goal, but at least I did find a decent number of them. I once again targeted rock areas along the main channel, but this time I used a little bit of a different technique. I was not using a light jig with a piece of crawler; I was using a drop shot rig with a piece of crawler. I was actually fishing deeper with this set up and therefore I think more effective. I am thinking the bluegills were more in the four to six foot depths versus the one to three foot depths.
Anyway, I caught my bait and was set up before dark. My location was Somners Chute, which is usually quite good, except for this year. Once again it did not produce, I caught the one channel cat and miss one other, but that was it. I tried three spots in a very short time period. I am now starting to doubt my theory about moving around and hitting multiple spots in an evening.
When I got back to the landing I talked to a fellow cat fishermen (Adam), and he did not have much luck either. He also has experienced a hard time catching bluegills and he has not fared much better with the flat heads.
Observations:
The water is low and the vegetation is thick. It was a little cooler tonight and the mosquitoes did not seem so plentiful.
Weather:
(2053) N 6, clear, 72˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.68 falling, -.99 kcfs? 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 15) 6 – 8”, channel cat 8 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
Tonight I was planning to figure out where all the bluegills have gone to. I did not accomplish that goal, but at least I did find a decent number of them. I once again targeted rock areas along the main channel, but this time I used a little bit of a different technique. I was not using a light jig with a piece of crawler; I was using a drop shot rig with a piece of crawler. I was actually fishing deeper with this set up and therefore I think more effective. I am thinking the bluegills were more in the four to six foot depths versus the one to three foot depths.
Anyway, I caught my bait and was set up before dark. My location was Somners Chute, which is usually quite good, except for this year. Once again it did not produce, I caught the one channel cat and miss one other, but that was it. I tried three spots in a very short time period. I am now starting to doubt my theory about moving around and hitting multiple spots in an evening.
When I got back to the landing I talked to a fellow cat fishermen (Adam), and he did not have much luck either. He also has experienced a hard time catching bluegills and he has not fared much better with the flat heads.
Observations:
The water is low and the vegetation is thick. It was a little cooler tonight and the mosquitoes did not seem so plentiful.
8-6-12 Mon
8-6-2012 Mon 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Weather:
(2053) E 5, clear, 73˚, 29.98 falling
Water:
4.8 falling, 5.78 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8, Dresbach Dam area
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 25) 6 – 8”, 4 – 6 small, small mouth bass
Partners:
None
Comments
I wanted to try a different area tonight, so I took the boat to work and headed to the Dresbach Dam area at quitting time. I wanted to quickly catch some bluegills for bait, do some scouting and then fish for flat heads in the tail water areas. The bluegills were very easy to come by, just about every place that had rocks had bluegills. The best place I found for the larger bluegills was south of the railroad bridge on the Minnesota side in front of the exposed wing dams.
It was in this area that I had a very lengthy battle and a very captive audience with a creature of unknown genus and size. I was using an ultra-light rod and reel and eight pound Power Pro line. With my light set up I acted like a defensive fighter in the corner; being very cautious, taking some hits, but staying in the match. From start to finish I probably battled the fish for twenty minutes and accumulated an audience of a half dozen shoreline residents.
Eventually I gained some ground and started to see the water boil from time to time when the beast got irritated with me trying to bring it to the surface. It would quickly plunge back to the safety of the depths. Eventually the fish that I thought, and hoped to be a large flat head turned out to be a very large carp. I estimated its size between twenty and twenty – five pounds. Once I saw what it was I got a little disappointed and became the aggressive boxer. I was not playing anymore rope a dope; no I was going to put this monstrous foreign invader on the carpet of my boat. Unfortunately I got careless and grabbed the line, and the fish seized my moment of weakness and delivered a knockout punch that straightened my hook from its mouth!
Observations:
The water level is quite low here with plenty of rocky shoreline exposed. The bluegills seem to be everywhere; unfortunately the flat head were not.
Weather:
(2053) E 5, clear, 73˚, 29.98 falling
Water:
4.8 falling, 5.78 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8, Dresbach Dam area
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 25) 6 – 8”, 4 – 6 small, small mouth bass
Partners:
None
Comments
I wanted to try a different area tonight, so I took the boat to work and headed to the Dresbach Dam area at quitting time. I wanted to quickly catch some bluegills for bait, do some scouting and then fish for flat heads in the tail water areas. The bluegills were very easy to come by, just about every place that had rocks had bluegills. The best place I found for the larger bluegills was south of the railroad bridge on the Minnesota side in front of the exposed wing dams.
It was in this area that I had a very lengthy battle and a very captive audience with a creature of unknown genus and size. I was using an ultra-light rod and reel and eight pound Power Pro line. With my light set up I acted like a defensive fighter in the corner; being very cautious, taking some hits, but staying in the match. From start to finish I probably battled the fish for twenty minutes and accumulated an audience of a half dozen shoreline residents.
Eventually I gained some ground and started to see the water boil from time to time when the beast got irritated with me trying to bring it to the surface. It would quickly plunge back to the safety of the depths. Eventually the fish that I thought, and hoped to be a large flat head turned out to be a very large carp. I estimated its size between twenty and twenty – five pounds. Once I saw what it was I got a little disappointed and became the aggressive boxer. I was not playing anymore rope a dope; no I was going to put this monstrous foreign invader on the carpet of my boat. Unfortunately I got careless and grabbed the line, and the fish seized my moment of weakness and delivered a knockout punch that straightened my hook from its mouth!
Observations:
The water level is quite low here with plenty of rocky shoreline exposed. The bluegills seem to be everywhere; unfortunately the flat head were not.
8-5-12 Sun
8-5-2012 Sun 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) W 5, clear, 68˚, 30.12 rising
Water:
5.03 falling, 15 kcfs, 78 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7, Big Marsh
Caught:
Perch (approx. 10) 8 – 10”, bluegills (approx. 6) 6 – 8”, LMB (2) 15 & 16”
Partners:
None
Comments
The pan fish bite on this pool has me scratching my head, so tonight I headed north up to the Big Marsh area to see if they were hiding there. It did not take me too long to figure out this was not their hideout. I caught some smaller perch and a few bluegills, but it was pretty slow. I was definitely surprised with the lack of pan fish in this usually productive area.
After I had my fill of attempting to catch pan fish, I decided to go for bass in the slop. I did have some limited action and I did manage to boat two decent fish. I made my way almost up to Round Lake. There was a small path that had been carved through all the vegetation that was clear enough for me to run. I did have one boater that thoroughly pissed me off. I thought this jerk had some balls, but it was more than likely that he had no brains. The guy was a total jerk! I was fishing slop on the starboard side of my boat and to my port was the open channel, now any normal considerate person would have gone around me on the open channel side. But not this dumb ass, he had a surface drive motor and he deliberately wanted to piss me off and show that he could be an idiot and run through the slop that I was fishing.
Observations:
The Big Marsh area has an ample amount of vegetation, but no- where near what I have seen in some past years.
Weather:
(2053) W 5, clear, 68˚, 30.12 rising
Water:
5.03 falling, 15 kcfs, 78 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7, Big Marsh
Caught:
Perch (approx. 10) 8 – 10”, bluegills (approx. 6) 6 – 8”, LMB (2) 15 & 16”
Partners:
None
Comments
The pan fish bite on this pool has me scratching my head, so tonight I headed north up to the Big Marsh area to see if they were hiding there. It did not take me too long to figure out this was not their hideout. I caught some smaller perch and a few bluegills, but it was pretty slow. I was definitely surprised with the lack of pan fish in this usually productive area.
After I had my fill of attempting to catch pan fish, I decided to go for bass in the slop. I did have some limited action and I did manage to boat two decent fish. I made my way almost up to Round Lake. There was a small path that had been carved through all the vegetation that was clear enough for me to run. I did have one boater that thoroughly pissed me off. I thought this jerk had some balls, but it was more than likely that he had no brains. The guy was a total jerk! I was fishing slop on the starboard side of my boat and to my port was the open channel, now any normal considerate person would have gone around me on the open channel side. But not this dumb ass, he had a surface drive motor and he deliberately wanted to piss me off and show that he could be an idiot and run through the slop that I was fishing.
Observations:
The Big Marsh area has an ample amount of vegetation, but no- where near what I have seen in some past years.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
8-4-12 Sat
8-4-12 Sat
Weather: W9, clear, 74 ˚, 29.89 rising
Water:
5.14 falling, 20.7 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB 17”, SMB 2-12”, 14, 15, 17” and tons of little bait stealers, Flat head 7 lb., 10 bluegills.
Partners:
none
Comments
I had just got back from our weekly vacation on the Chippewa Flowage in Hayward; I was unpacked, bored and ready to once again fish the river. Tonight I was after flat heads, so the first order of business was to catch some lively bluegills for bait. Surprisingly I never found any large concentrations of them, I found some here and there, and caught an ample supply but I had to work for them. The little pesky bait stealing small mouths were not hard to find though. I did hook up on a nice 17 inch largemouth and some decent small mouths on my 32nd ounce jig and piece of crawler.
I flathead fished three spot in about an hour and a half, and caught one seven pounder. I was more or less out looking to see which areas the fish were or were not in.
It is truly amazing how fast the conditions on the river change. In just a short week the rice has really taken off and the upper end of the lake is almost entirely covered in celery grass. And if I was a betting man I would have to say the bluegills are more than likely hanging out on the wing dams.
Observations:
The weed growth had exploded. The upper end of the lake is full of celery grass and the wild rice has really taken off. Duck weed also seems to be very abundant. The water clarity is very good.
Weather: W9, clear, 74 ˚, 29.89 rising
Water:
5.14 falling, 20.7 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB 17”, SMB 2-12”, 14, 15, 17” and tons of little bait stealers, Flat head 7 lb., 10 bluegills.
Partners:
none
Comments
I had just got back from our weekly vacation on the Chippewa Flowage in Hayward; I was unpacked, bored and ready to once again fish the river. Tonight I was after flat heads, so the first order of business was to catch some lively bluegills for bait. Surprisingly I never found any large concentrations of them, I found some here and there, and caught an ample supply but I had to work for them. The little pesky bait stealing small mouths were not hard to find though. I did hook up on a nice 17 inch largemouth and some decent small mouths on my 32nd ounce jig and piece of crawler.
I flathead fished three spot in about an hour and a half, and caught one seven pounder. I was more or less out looking to see which areas the fish were or were not in.
It is truly amazing how fast the conditions on the river change. In just a short week the rice has really taken off and the upper end of the lake is almost entirely covered in celery grass. And if I was a betting man I would have to say the bluegills are more than likely hanging out on the wing dams.
Observations:
The weed growth had exploded. The upper end of the lake is full of celery grass and the wild rice has really taken off. Duck weed also seems to be very abundant. The water clarity is very good.
7-27 thru 8-3-2012 Chippewa Flowage
7-27 thru 8-3-2012
Weather:
Beautiful, highs in the 80’s, sunny and light winds
Water:
clear, definite lack of weeds, 78 – 83 ˚
Location:
Chippewa Flowage, Sawyer County
Caught:
Muskie 36”, LMB 10 – 18”, walleyes 10 – 17”, SMB 10 – 16”, crapped 9”, bluegills 6 – 7”.
Partners:
Dwayne on day
Comments
I got back yesterday from our annual vacation on the Chip. We stayed on the west side at Treeland's Resort, which is a first class place. In general fishing was fairly good. I never do fantastic on this body of water, but I do catch fish. I believe my problem is I am a river fisherman; I have to have moving water. On Sunday I caught a 36" muskie on a Top Raider and on Monday I missed one on a Pacemaker, which I was aggressively jerking trying in vain to get the back prop to turn, when the fish hit. That was all the musky action I had for the week. Sunday we went out with a guide (Walleye Max), the main species we were targeting were walleyes. Fishing was ok, we did catch two walleyes that were above fifteen inches, but the majority of the walleye we caught were very small. We also caught a few decent smallmouths. The main areas we targeted were woody humps. I opted for a guide to help us out on the walleye fishing, and explain what to look for on their locations. If you do not know the water and how to fish it a guide trip is money well spent. I never targeted walleyes again on the trip; I myself believe their numbers are low. I never heard much about anybody else catching them. I would have to give a thumbs up to Walleye Max, he tried his damndest to get us on fish, and he did not even mind that my brother in law marked the spots with his GPS! I never fished for pan fish, just did not tickle my fancy, I am an active fisherman and like to be on the move constantly casting. Other guests at the lodge were doing quite well on crappies, the bait of choice was a minnow suspended below a bobber in areas with suspended fish. The last couple days I pared back on the musky fishing and fished for bass and pike. I found nice ones on the west side with bass up to 18" and pike up to 32". The best baits were swim jigs and spinner baits. Early morning and late evening were best for me, this lake gets a ton of fishing pressure and the recreation boaters come out in force once the temps warm. We once again had a great time, with plenty of fishing time for me and tubing, skiing and wake boarding time for the kids.
Observations:
The weed growth is definitely down this year, walleyes seem to be low in numbers, once again small mouths dominate the east side and largemouths dominate the west side.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
7-27-12 Fri
7-27-2012 Fri 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Weather:
(1153) NW 15, partly cloudy, 78˚, 29.95 rising
Water:
5.1 steady, 19 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 6, Trempealeau
Caught:
SMB – Approx., 4, 10 -12”, LMB 12”, 2 pike 17 & 22”
Partners:
None
Comments
I believe this was my third and quite possible my last trip up to pool 6 this year. The reason it may be my last is because the fishing up there has sucked! Usually I do well on both largemouth and small mouth, but this year I have not done well on either one. I fished both rocks and slop, and neither one of them had any concentration of fish.
If anything I would have to give the nod to the slop. I did not catch a lot of fish in the slop, but I did have more action.
Observations:
I cannot figure out what happened to this fish in this pool, two years ago I was able to catch nice largemouth and small mouths, this year it is pretty much void of decent fish.
Weather:
(1153) NW 15, partly cloudy, 78˚, 29.95 rising
Water:
5.1 steady, 19 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 6, Trempealeau
Caught:
SMB – Approx., 4, 10 -12”, LMB 12”, 2 pike 17 & 22”
Partners:
None
Comments
I believe this was my third and quite possible my last trip up to pool 6 this year. The reason it may be my last is because the fishing up there has sucked! Usually I do well on both largemouth and small mouth, but this year I have not done well on either one. I fished both rocks and slop, and neither one of them had any concentration of fish.
If anything I would have to give the nod to the slop. I did not catch a lot of fish in the slop, but I did have more action.
Observations:
I cannot figure out what happened to this fish in this pool, two years ago I was able to catch nice largemouth and small mouths, this year it is pretty much void of decent fish.
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