6-24-2012 Sun (7:00PM – 10:15PM)
Weather:
N 7 clear, 78˚, 29.99 rising
Water:
7.37 rising, 66.4 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy and clear (location variant)
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills, crappies, small LMB, rock bass, small walleyes, 11 LB flat head
Partners:
myself
Comments:
Have you ever heard the comment during a may fly hatch that there is too much food for the fish and they will not bite. Or how about the water is too muddy, wind is from the east or perhaps a major cold front came through and nothing will bite. Well, sometimes that may hold true, but I had a great evening tonight during a big may fly hatch with muddy water to boot. I have also had one of my best days pike and bass fishing after a 30 degree drop in temperature from the day before. The point is you just never know when the fishing is going to be good or bad.
Tonight I wanted to fish for flatheads for a little while, and I was not sure I would be able to catch pan fish for bait on account of a couple of the before mentioned conditions. I was wrong! The pan fish and about everything else were very active. I was targeting shallow water with overhanging vegetation on which the may flies were resting. The fish were stacked in the area, just waiting for a winged morsel to fall to the surface. I caught bluegills, crappies, rock bass, walleyes and largemouth bass. The technique I was using was a mini version of flipping; a very small jig head, two inch piece of crawler, ultra-light pole and no bobber. To cap off the night I did catch a mid – teens flat head, that just hammered my bluegill.
Observations:
Water is still going up and it is very dirty!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
6-21,22 -12 Thr, Fri
6-21, 22-2012 Thr, Fri
7:30 PM – 12:30 AM/9AM-2PM, 5PM-9PM
Weather:
6-21-12 W5, clear, 68 ˚, 29.99 rising
6-22-12 AM vrbl 3, sunny, 74 ˚, 30.02 steady///PM NW9, sunny, 80 ˚, 29.96 steady
Water:
8.32 rising, 68.6 kcfs, 76 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Flatheads Scott 5lb, myself 29lb//myself LMB 15 &16, SMB 15, pan fish, Tom, Ron, Tawny and Matt – pan fish with the exception of Matt catching a 18” LMB
Partners:
myself and Scott// myself with Tom, Ron and Tawny and Matt Kind.
Comments:
Thursday night was a night of flat head fishing with my friend Scott. The river is on the rise, getting muddy and filled with traveling weeds. The question is where do you fish and what type of cover do you fish? Knowing the fish are spawning tells me to target wood (log piles, sunken trees, cut banks). Also, with the high flows it is almost impractical to fish areas that are exposed to the full force of the mighty river. We had a pretty good night tonight, we boated two fish (5 and 29 lbs.). We should have had a third, but it was caught up in a snag and when I tried to maneuver it out, Scott’s sub –par line could not handle the stress.
Last evening I took a mom, dad and son out for a little back water sightseeing and some pan fishing. The family does some boating on the river, but I don’t think they have experienced the back waters much. Mom commented on how beautiful and tranquil it was. In fact they had just gotten back from the Boundary Waters and she was surprised by the beauty of the area in her own back yard! Pan fishing was a little tough with the new high water and reduced clarity. We did catch crappies, perch, bluegills and a couple of large mouth. Matt was the fishermen of the day with a very nice eighteen inch largemouth. The largemouth are really being pressured from the pros. There are many good bass spots on the river, but I don’t think there are too many of them that have not been fished by the pros the past couple of days. I do not have a problem with the tournament, but I am concerned about the fish being transported to a weigh in site and then all being released close to that sight. I did see Kevin Van Dam out fishing one of my go to spots, so that was pretty cool.
Observations:
The river is once again on the rise, which will dramatically change my fishing tactics.
7:30 PM – 12:30 AM/9AM-2PM, 5PM-9PM
Weather:
6-21-12 W5, clear, 68 ˚, 29.99 rising
6-22-12 AM vrbl 3, sunny, 74 ˚, 30.02 steady///PM NW9, sunny, 80 ˚, 29.96 steady
Water:
8.32 rising, 68.6 kcfs, 76 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Flatheads Scott 5lb, myself 29lb//myself LMB 15 &16, SMB 15, pan fish, Tom, Ron, Tawny and Matt – pan fish with the exception of Matt catching a 18” LMB
Partners:
myself and Scott// myself with Tom, Ron and Tawny and Matt Kind.
Comments:
Thursday night was a night of flat head fishing with my friend Scott. The river is on the rise, getting muddy and filled with traveling weeds. The question is where do you fish and what type of cover do you fish? Knowing the fish are spawning tells me to target wood (log piles, sunken trees, cut banks). Also, with the high flows it is almost impractical to fish areas that are exposed to the full force of the mighty river. We had a pretty good night tonight, we boated two fish (5 and 29 lbs.). We should have had a third, but it was caught up in a snag and when I tried to maneuver it out, Scott’s sub –par line could not handle the stress.
Last evening I took a mom, dad and son out for a little back water sightseeing and some pan fishing. The family does some boating on the river, but I don’t think they have experienced the back waters much. Mom commented on how beautiful and tranquil it was. In fact they had just gotten back from the Boundary Waters and she was surprised by the beauty of the area in her own back yard! Pan fishing was a little tough with the new high water and reduced clarity. We did catch crappies, perch, bluegills and a couple of large mouth. Matt was the fishermen of the day with a very nice eighteen inch largemouth. The largemouth are really being pressured from the pros. There are many good bass spots on the river, but I don’t think there are too many of them that have not been fished by the pros the past couple of days. I do not have a problem with the tournament, but I am concerned about the fish being transported to a weigh in site and then all being released close to that sight. I did see Kevin Van Dam out fishing one of my go to spots, so that was pretty cool.
Observations:
The river is once again on the rise, which will dramatically change my fishing tactics.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
6-18-12 Mon
6-18-2012 Mon
6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Weather:
calm, clear, 88˚, 29.58 rising
Water:
7.89 rising, 71.5 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB (approx.) 2 -14, 16, 19”, SMB (approx.) 3 – 14, 16, 19.5”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
Tonight was my second night of searching for some bass spots and once again it was rather tough up until the end of the night. The night was very calm and hot. I started off on the west side of the lake where a Major slough has created plenty of sand flats. I was able to catch one very nice small mouth on one of the drops. Surprisingly it was the only one that I caught. I was also surprised that I caught no pike or largemouths here. From there I went into the Somner Chute area and I only caught one.
The next spot I started fishing was an area I call Fox Beach and this area was also a bust. I fished Fox Beach out and continued downstream and this is where I was fortunate to have a run in with some very energetic small mouths. Once again the swim jig alerted me to their presence and the Senko did the rest. The final spot of the night was my for sure spot where I had done so well last night just before dark. Well, guess what? I never caught a fish here, not even a bite! Just goes to show, don’t count on catching fish today where you did yesterday. Most times you can still do well, but be prepared when you don’t. I was rather bumed again tonight because I lost so many fish; I lost more fish than I brought into the boat! I think I am going to have to go with a beefer Senko rod and maybe a different style of hook.
I did see some of the Bassmaster Elite Fishermen out tonight and from the actions of the ones I saw they seem to be a courteous and friendly group of professional fishermen.
Observations:
There seems to be plenty of wild rice this year. It is still in the growing stage of lying flat on the water surface. I hope the high water that we have had and the high water that is once again coming does not have a negative effect on it.
6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Weather:
calm, clear, 88˚, 29.58 rising
Water:
7.89 rising, 71.5 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB (approx.) 2 -14, 16, 19”, SMB (approx.) 3 – 14, 16, 19.5”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
Tonight was my second night of searching for some bass spots and once again it was rather tough up until the end of the night. The night was very calm and hot. I started off on the west side of the lake where a Major slough has created plenty of sand flats. I was able to catch one very nice small mouth on one of the drops. Surprisingly it was the only one that I caught. I was also surprised that I caught no pike or largemouths here. From there I went into the Somner Chute area and I only caught one.
The next spot I started fishing was an area I call Fox Beach and this area was also a bust. I fished Fox Beach out and continued downstream and this is where I was fortunate to have a run in with some very energetic small mouths. Once again the swim jig alerted me to their presence and the Senko did the rest. The final spot of the night was my for sure spot where I had done so well last night just before dark. Well, guess what? I never caught a fish here, not even a bite! Just goes to show, don’t count on catching fish today where you did yesterday. Most times you can still do well, but be prepared when you don’t. I was rather bumed again tonight because I lost so many fish; I lost more fish than I brought into the boat! I think I am going to have to go with a beefer Senko rod and maybe a different style of hook.
I did see some of the Bassmaster Elite Fishermen out tonight and from the actions of the ones I saw they seem to be a courteous and friendly group of professional fishermen.
Observations:
There seems to be plenty of wild rice this year. It is still in the growing stage of lying flat on the water surface. I hope the high water that we have had and the high water that is once again coming does not have a negative effect on it.
6-17-12 Sun
6-17-2012 Sun
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
SE 12 G 17, clear, 78˚, 29.68 falling
Water:
7.75 rising, 70.4 kcfs, 74 ˚, cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB 2 – 14”, 16, 17 and 19”, pike 25”
Partners:
Myself
Comments:
I was on the search for new bass spots tonight, and diligence was the word. I covered a lot of water and found fish in one spot. The fish do not seem to be scattered, so when you catch one usually many more are waiting for their chance to do battle. I had just about given up tonight, but then I reminded myself of all the other times I was about ready to give up but continued on and did real well. At the particular spot I caught the fish it was a current break separating two different sources of water. The fish tipped me off to their location when one fell to my swim bait. I could not coax another fish to bite until I changed to a Senko, then it was bass in the hand time. The fish were very aggressive to the subtle action of the Senko, and unfortunately I lost about as many as I caught.
Observations:
The water is once again on the rise!
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
SE 12 G 17, clear, 78˚, 29.68 falling
Water:
7.75 rising, 70.4 kcfs, 74 ˚, cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB 2 – 14”, 16, 17 and 19”, pike 25”
Partners:
Myself
Comments:
I was on the search for new bass spots tonight, and diligence was the word. I covered a lot of water and found fish in one spot. The fish do not seem to be scattered, so when you catch one usually many more are waiting for their chance to do battle. I had just about given up tonight, but then I reminded myself of all the other times I was about ready to give up but continued on and did real well. At the particular spot I caught the fish it was a current break separating two different sources of water. The fish tipped me off to their location when one fell to my swim bait. I could not coax another fish to bite until I changed to a Senko, then it was bass in the hand time. The fish were very aggressive to the subtle action of the Senko, and unfortunately I lost about as many as I caught.
Observations:
The water is once again on the rise!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
6-16-12 Sat
6-16-2012 Sat
6:30 AM – 1:30 AM
Weather: (0653) calm, overcast, 72˚, 29.92 falling
(1453) SW 9, overcast, 77 ˚, 29.83 falling
(2153) S 6, light rain, 70 ˚, 29.84 rising
Water: 7.37 rising, 66.4 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy and clear (location variant)
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: LMB (40+) 10-17”, Pike (6) 17 – 25”/ Perch (15) 8 – 12”, bluegills 10 (6 – 9”) / bluegills (20) 6 – 8”, perch (5) 8 – 11”
Partners: myself and Terry C. / Ty, Max, Maddy/ Tom W.
Comments:
I had the privilege of three different fishing trips yesterday. The first trip was with Terry targeting bass. Terry is an avid bass fisherman and it really showed in his ability. Once the fish were found, hooking up was not a problem. The first spot produced seven fish out of ten casts. Once again Senko’s, swim jigs, and of frogs produced the fish.
The next trip was with Ty and his two children. This trip was a pan fishing trip with a couple enthusiastic young anglers. Max had some fishing experience under his belt and was pretty accomplished for his age. Apparently dad had taught Max the importance of the hook set, as he had a pretty wicked one. I can definitely vouch for this as I got smacked in the face twice by this young angler’s pole; thank goodness I was wearing sunglasses. Maddy was a very young angler with very little fishing experience, but she did account for the biggest perch of the day. She was a good sport and always had a smile on her face. Most of the fish caught on this trip were perch, with a few bluegills also being caught.
The final trip of the day was a flat head fishing trip with Tom. We started out catching perch and bluegills for bait, and also kept some for Tom to take home for a meal. No flat heads made it boat side tonight, but we did have a miss and one break off. Tom wanted to use one of his own cat rods, and unfortunately they were not really set up properly. Guess which rod got all the action? Yes it was Tom’s; the pole with the wrong hook and weak line. Really it did not matter; we both had a good time.
Observations:
It looks as if the water has stopped falling and is now going to rise about another foot.
6-15-12 Fri
6-15-2012 Fri
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Weather: W 3, clear, 78˚, 29.95 steady
Water: 7.37 steady, 66.5 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: LMB (2) 10”, SMB (2) 10”
Partners: myself
Comments:
It was a brief trip out on the lake in search of bass and pike. I did not find any pike which I believe was on account of the muddy water and I also found very few bass. I tried many different areas in a very short amount of time. The only areas I did catch any fish were on the man-made islands and all the fish were very small.
Observations:
The water has dropped some, but it is still pretty high, dirty and fast.
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Weather: W 3, clear, 78˚, 29.95 steady
Water: 7.37 steady, 66.5 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: LMB (2) 10”, SMB (2) 10”
Partners: myself
Comments:
It was a brief trip out on the lake in search of bass and pike. I did not find any pike which I believe was on account of the muddy water and I also found very few bass. I tried many different areas in a very short amount of time. The only areas I did catch any fish were on the man-made islands and all the fish were very small.
Observations:
The water has dropped some, but it is still pretty high, dirty and fast.
6-14-12 Thr
6-14-2012 Thr
6:30 PM – 10:15 PM
Weather: NE 20 G 30, thunder storm, 70˚, 29.97 rising
Water: 7.63 falling, 66.5 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: LMB (10) 10 – 17”, pike (4) 18 - 19”, Bluegills and perch (bait)
Partners: myself and Scott
Comments:
The trip last night was very interesting. I was concerned about the possibility of storms, but the weather reports stated no storms till after 1am. The trip started out with a pretty rough ride on the main channel on account of some very strong south winds. The first priority was catching some pan fish for the flat head fishing we were going to do after dark. This task proved very easy with both perch and bluegills being readily available and some nice sized one to boot.
Next on the trip agenda was largemouth bass. This again proved quite easy and fun. Tonight was the first time this season for top water frog action, and it was a blast. The bass easily succumbed to both frogs and swim jigs.
Finally the third leg of the trip was flat head fishing, and this is where the weather deteriorated rapidly. As we were finishing up with our slop bass fishing we could see some rather impressive lightning far to the north. A quick glance of the radar showed some nasty looking storms to the north and one little band of showers heading our way. Before we even got to our flat head spot, we were donning rain gear and preparing for a brief shower. Poles were baited with lively bluegills and cast to their respective spots. We caught one flat head about 10 pm, with the rain never letting up. A quick look at the radar now showed plenty of yellows and greens overcoming us with no relief in sight. Then the wind kicked in from the east and it was decided to head to in the safety of the landing. Once we left the shelter of the sloughs we were greeted with some rather impressive waves and practically no visibility from the horizontal rain out on the big lake. I was very thankful I had a twenty foot boat and that my side imaging unit had GPS with some past trails on it. Weather wise I have definitely had some challenges this year, but I am hopeful the thunderstorm season will mellow out.
Observations:
The weather has started to try my patience. We have had high water, wind and rain, I am getting frustrated. I told Scott I am going to have to quit fishing and become a gamer!
6:30 PM – 10:15 PM
Weather: NE 20 G 30, thunder storm, 70˚, 29.97 rising
Water: 7.63 falling, 66.5 kcfs, 75 ˚, cloudy
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: LMB (10) 10 – 17”, pike (4) 18 - 19”, Bluegills and perch (bait)
Partners: myself and Scott
Comments:
The trip last night was very interesting. I was concerned about the possibility of storms, but the weather reports stated no storms till after 1am. The trip started out with a pretty rough ride on the main channel on account of some very strong south winds. The first priority was catching some pan fish for the flat head fishing we were going to do after dark. This task proved very easy with both perch and bluegills being readily available and some nice sized one to boot.
Next on the trip agenda was largemouth bass. This again proved quite easy and fun. Tonight was the first time this season for top water frog action, and it was a blast. The bass easily succumbed to both frogs and swim jigs.
Finally the third leg of the trip was flat head fishing, and this is where the weather deteriorated rapidly. As we were finishing up with our slop bass fishing we could see some rather impressive lightning far to the north. A quick glance of the radar showed some nasty looking storms to the north and one little band of showers heading our way. Before we even got to our flat head spot, we were donning rain gear and preparing for a brief shower. Poles were baited with lively bluegills and cast to their respective spots. We caught one flat head about 10 pm, with the rain never letting up. A quick look at the radar now showed plenty of yellows and greens overcoming us with no relief in sight. Then the wind kicked in from the east and it was decided to head to in the safety of the landing. Once we left the shelter of the sloughs we were greeted with some rather impressive waves and practically no visibility from the horizontal rain out on the big lake. I was very thankful I had a twenty foot boat and that my side imaging unit had GPS with some past trails on it. Weather wise I have definitely had some challenges this year, but I am hopeful the thunderstorm season will mellow out.
Observations:
The weather has started to try my patience. We have had high water, wind and rain, I am getting frustrated. I told Scott I am going to have to quit fishing and become a gamer!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
6-11-12 Mon
6-11-2012 Mon
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
W17 G30, clear, 76˚, 29.83 rising
Water:
8.97’ falling, 79.8 kcfs, 78 ˚, clear to dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB (38) 10 – 18”, pike (2) 18 and 19”
Partners: myself
Comments:
The water level and air temperature were dropping, the wind was howling and the fishing was fantastic tonight! We all have been waiting for the mighty river to show us some mercy and we are finally starting to get it. Fishing has not been stellar with the increased flows and reduced visibilities, but the fishing conditions are quickly improving.
In a little over two hours of time on the water tonight I boated one large pile of large mouths; in fact it was over forty fish. The majority of the fish were an inch or two shy of the legal size, but I did have fifteen that exceeded the mark with the largest being a respectable eighteen incher. Cleaner water was once again the key and when you found one fish others were very close by.
Observations:
The main lake areas and side sloughs are still quite dirty, but some of the sheltered areas and areas where the Black River dumps in are quite clear.
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
W17 G30, clear, 76˚, 29.83 rising
Water:
8.97’ falling, 79.8 kcfs, 78 ˚, clear to dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB (38) 10 – 18”, pike (2) 18 and 19”
Partners: myself
Comments:
The water level and air temperature were dropping, the wind was howling and the fishing was fantastic tonight! We all have been waiting for the mighty river to show us some mercy and we are finally starting to get it. Fishing has not been stellar with the increased flows and reduced visibilities, but the fishing conditions are quickly improving.
In a little over two hours of time on the water tonight I boated one large pile of large mouths; in fact it was over forty fish. The majority of the fish were an inch or two shy of the legal size, but I did have fifteen that exceeded the mark with the largest being a respectable eighteen incher. Cleaner water was once again the key and when you found one fish others were very close by.
Observations:
The main lake areas and side sloughs are still quite dirty, but some of the sheltered areas and areas where the Black River dumps in are quite clear.
6-9-12 Sat
6-9-2012 Sat
7:00 PM – 1:30 AM
Weather:
(2153) SE 8, clear, 77˚, 29.77 steady
Water:
9.57’ falling, 81 kcfs, 78 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
myself 3lb flat head and bluegills, Scott 5lb flat head and bluegills
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
It was a marathon night of flat head fishing for us. We were both so damn determined to have a productive night, that neither one of us wanted to leave. Bait gathering was not too bad, most of the gills came from the channel, but we also did go out to the man- made islands and added a couple more to our larder.
Tonight I wanted to try an area not too far off the main channel with lots of wood and depth of around twenty feet. Scott caught his in this area and I think I might have missed one. The current was ripping quite well, and my poles which were the farthest from shore got weeded up quite quickly. This first spot is where I noticed we were sinking. Water was accumulating in the boat very quickly and I had no idea where it was coming from. A couple days later I took the boat apart and found out that the hose that connects to the live well drain pipe was off and allowing water to pour in.
The next two spots we tried were secondary channels with drastically reduced water flows. I caught one fish at the two other spots we fished and we then called it a night.
Observations:
I am really starting to get a little concerned about the lack of flat head action we have been having. Some fish are being caught, but the numbers seems to be way down.
7:00 PM – 1:30 AM
Weather:
(2153) SE 8, clear, 77˚, 29.77 steady
Water:
9.57’ falling, 81 kcfs, 78 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
myself 3lb flat head and bluegills, Scott 5lb flat head and bluegills
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
It was a marathon night of flat head fishing for us. We were both so damn determined to have a productive night, that neither one of us wanted to leave. Bait gathering was not too bad, most of the gills came from the channel, but we also did go out to the man- made islands and added a couple more to our larder.
Tonight I wanted to try an area not too far off the main channel with lots of wood and depth of around twenty feet. Scott caught his in this area and I think I might have missed one. The current was ripping quite well, and my poles which were the farthest from shore got weeded up quite quickly. This first spot is where I noticed we were sinking. Water was accumulating in the boat very quickly and I had no idea where it was coming from. A couple days later I took the boat apart and found out that the hose that connects to the live well drain pipe was off and allowing water to pour in.
The next two spots we tried were secondary channels with drastically reduced water flows. I caught one fish at the two other spots we fished and we then called it a night.
Observations:
I am really starting to get a little concerned about the lack of flat head action we have been having. Some fish are being caught, but the numbers seems to be way down.
6-8-12 Fri
6-8-2012 Fri
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
SW10, 85˚, Sunny
Water:
9.8’ falling, 84kcfs, 78 ˚, main lake – dirty, airport - clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
myself 4 – LMB 12 – 17”.//////Scott 3 – LMB 12 – 18”
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
Finally the river has crested and started to recede, and the fishing has already responded in a positive way. Fishing the last week has been a struggle with the high water. Thursday night I did some flat head fishing and we boated one and lost one other and had a swing and a miss on another.
Last night myself and a friend got out for two hours and targeted bass and pike, we did pretty well. We boated some nice bass and determined that at least some of the bluegills are still spawning. The pike however were elusive tonight, which is probably a result of the rising water temperatures. The best baits tonight were swim jigs and senko’s. With the river in the recede mode and the clarity improving I see nothing but good fishing in my crystal ball.
In observance of Father’s Day next weekend I am offering a four hour trip for a father and son/daughter for $100.
Observations:
The river is starting to recede! My basswood trees are blooming. I planted some tomatoes, peppers and pole beans last week. We have been pretty dry lately and my yard is starting to go brown.
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
SW10, 85˚, Sunny
Water:
9.8’ falling, 84kcfs, 78 ˚, main lake – dirty, airport - clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
myself 4 – LMB 12 – 17”.//////Scott 3 – LMB 12 – 18”
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
Finally the river has crested and started to recede, and the fishing has already responded in a positive way. Fishing the last week has been a struggle with the high water. Thursday night I did some flat head fishing and we boated one and lost one other and had a swing and a miss on another.
Last night myself and a friend got out for two hours and targeted bass and pike, we did pretty well. We boated some nice bass and determined that at least some of the bluegills are still spawning. The pike however were elusive tonight, which is probably a result of the rising water temperatures. The best baits tonight were swim jigs and senko’s. With the river in the recede mode and the clarity improving I see nothing but good fishing in my crystal ball.
In observance of Father’s Day next weekend I am offering a four hour trip for a father and son/daughter for $100.
Observations:
The river is starting to recede! My basswood trees are blooming. I planted some tomatoes, peppers and pole beans last week. We have been pretty dry lately and my yard is starting to go brown.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
6-6-12 Wed
6-6-2012 Wed
11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Weather:
(1153) calm, clear, 74˚, 30.09 falling
(2153) calm, clear, 66 ˚, 30.06 rising
Water:
10.2’ crested, 90.2 kcfs, 68 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Caught:
myself channel cat 13”, sheep head 17”, LMB 16”, pike 17”, walleye 12”, 2 crappies 8”, 12 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat head 8 lbs.//////Scott – LMB 12”
Partners:
myself till 1900 then Scott joined the party
Comments:
I fished quite hard all day and did not have much to show for my effort. I started out fishing the sloughs around Goose Island for walleyes the first couple hours. The only reward I reaped was a small channel cat and one sheep head and several missed bites with lost night crawlers. After I determined that walleye fishing was rather futile I change the game and targeted pike and bass. I had almost the same results with these two species, except for the one decent large mouth.
Around three o’clock I loaded up the boat and headed up to the Dresbach Dam. Fishing up here was not much better, but at least I did catch enough bluegills and crappies for bait. Around 7:00 PM Scott joined me for a little bass and flat head fishing. We had about the same luck bass fishing as I had all day, but Scott caught one bass.
The final species of the night was flat head catfish, and my luck changed a little bit with these critters. I caught one and Scott lost one and missed one other, and of course he blamed it on the circle hooks I was using.
Observations:
The Mississippi River crested today, which I have so eagerly awaited. Today was just as much an exploration trip around the Goose Island area as it was a fishing trip. I did find what I think will be some pretty awesome areas for flat head fishing yet this summer as well as some spots that appear to have great potential for ice fishing.
6-4-2012 Mon
6-4-2012 Mon
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Weather: NW6, intermittent rain, 67˚, 29.93 rising
Water: 10.1’ rising, 88.5 kcfs, 72 ˚, dirty
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: Lots of bluegills mostly 7 ½ -8 ½ “, no catfish or flat heads
Partners: myself
Comments:
I am still trying to figure out this high water flat head fishing and I am not having much luck at it. Getting bait was again not an issue, but some smaller bluegills would have been nice. I did miss a couple of hits, but they were not pole rattling type of hits. I tried a sheltered area off of Skull Island with reduced flow. My friend Troy was also out fishing tonight and he also got skunked. I also got rained on during this trip which makes it more the normal that abnormal.
Observations:
The Mississippi River is high and quite muddy and it is still on the rise. The bluegills were still spawning out by the islands, but the majority of the fish I caught were females, which to me is an indication that the spawn is close to being completed. The linden trees in the front yard have begun to flower.
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Weather: NW6, intermittent rain, 67˚, 29.93 rising
Water: 10.1’ rising, 88.5 kcfs, 72 ˚, dirty
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: Lots of bluegills mostly 7 ½ -8 ½ “, no catfish or flat heads
Partners: myself
Comments:
I am still trying to figure out this high water flat head fishing and I am not having much luck at it. Getting bait was again not an issue, but some smaller bluegills would have been nice. I did miss a couple of hits, but they were not pole rattling type of hits. I tried a sheltered area off of Skull Island with reduced flow. My friend Troy was also out fishing tonight and he also got skunked. I also got rained on during this trip which makes it more the normal that abnormal.
Observations:
The Mississippi River is high and quite muddy and it is still on the rise. The bluegills were still spawning out by the islands, but the majority of the fish I caught were females, which to me is an indication that the spawn is close to being completed. The linden trees in the front yard have begun to flower.
Monday, June 4, 2012
6-3-12 Sun
6-3-2012 Sun
5:15 PM – 11:00 PM
Weather:
Calm, intermittent rain, 68˚, 29.84 rising
Water:
9.63’ rising, 90.3 kcfs, 74 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 6 and Trempealeau R.
Caught:
Lots of bluegills mostly 7 ½ -8 ½ “, no catfish or flat heads
Partners:
myself and Jake T.
Comments:
Frustrating, that is how I would describe my flat head fishing luck the past several excursions. I have not caught a flat head the last couple of outings so tonight I wanted to head to a spot where I was sure I could catch a flat head or two and maybe even a bonus catfish. Guess what? It did not happen. We had a couple of weak runs and I actually had a fish on for a brief time, but it got off.
We tried both the Trempealeau River and the Mississippi River. We actually had the most action in the Mississippi, where we fished current break.
Observations:
The Mississippi River is high and quite muddy, but the Trempealeau is in pretty good shape. The water is quite high, but we were still able to find some pretty nice bluegills spawning in a bay not too far from the landing.
5:15 PM – 11:00 PM
Weather:
Calm, intermittent rain, 68˚, 29.84 rising
Water:
9.63’ rising, 90.3 kcfs, 74 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 6 and Trempealeau R.
Caught:
Lots of bluegills mostly 7 ½ -8 ½ “, no catfish or flat heads
Partners:
myself and Jake T.
Comments:
Frustrating, that is how I would describe my flat head fishing luck the past several excursions. I have not caught a flat head the last couple of outings so tonight I wanted to head to a spot where I was sure I could catch a flat head or two and maybe even a bonus catfish. Guess what? It did not happen. We had a couple of weak runs and I actually had a fish on for a brief time, but it got off.
We tried both the Trempealeau River and the Mississippi River. We actually had the most action in the Mississippi, where we fished current break.
Observations:
The Mississippi River is high and quite muddy, but the Trempealeau is in pretty good shape. The water is quite high, but we were still able to find some pretty nice bluegills spawning in a bay not too far from the landing.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
6-2-2012 Sat
6-2-2012 Sat
7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Weather:
(0953) N6, clear, 67˚, 29.76 steady
Water:
9.96’ rising, 78 kcfs, 75 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 6
Caught:
1 – 31” pike, 2 SMB 14 & 17”, LMB 17”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
It was my first trip of the year up to Trempealeau and I wished I would have waited. I do not think the high water had such a bad effect on my success as did the muddy water. My fish catching ability just is dismal when the water is muddy. I did not catch a lot of fish, but I did catch fish and I did have a good time. I learned some new water and possibly a new technique. I met a couple of fishermen that were loading their boat at the landing when I was and they had a decent catch of some rather large channel cats. I was a little nosey and quizzed them a little bit, and they revealed to me that the fish were caught on chicken livers. Well guess what, I am going to try chicken livers on my next cat fish outing.
Observations:
The Mississippi River is high and quite muddy. I was up in the upper stretches of Black Smith and the water was really ripping through there.
7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Weather:
(0953) N6, clear, 67˚, 29.76 steady
Water:
9.96’ rising, 78 kcfs, 75 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 6
Caught:
1 – 31” pike, 2 SMB 14 & 17”, LMB 17”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
It was my first trip of the year up to Trempealeau and I wished I would have waited. I do not think the high water had such a bad effect on my success as did the muddy water. My fish catching ability just is dismal when the water is muddy. I did not catch a lot of fish, but I did catch fish and I did have a good time. I learned some new water and possibly a new technique. I met a couple of fishermen that were loading their boat at the landing when I was and they had a decent catch of some rather large channel cats. I was a little nosey and quizzed them a little bit, and they revealed to me that the fish were caught on chicken livers. Well guess what, I am going to try chicken livers on my next cat fish outing.
Observations:
The Mississippi River is high and quite muddy. I was up in the upper stretches of Black Smith and the water was really ripping through there.
5-31-12 Thr
5-31-2012 Thr
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
N10, clear, 56˚, 29.97 steady
Water:
8.17’ rising, 68.3 kcfs, 77 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Myself 1 – 28” pike, Scott 3 – 20” pike
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
I have not been able to get any serious fishing in the last week or so, on account of family commitments and graduation parties. Even tonight I was not able to get out until 7 pm, but I was still going to make the most of it. The go for species were pike and largemouth bass. I have not fished for either for at least a week and with the rising water it was more a seek and find type of excursion. We covered a lot of water in a short amount of time and caught a fish here and there, but our last spot definitely revealed some pike. I caught one 28” pike here and my fishing buddy should have boated up to four but he broke his line twice on large fish and missed several others. There was no doubt he was the one with the hot hand tonight. The river has picked up it tempo on its downstream race and the forecast says we are going to hit the action stage here shortly. Be mindful of floating debris and look at the high water as an opportunity and a challenge to your fishing adventures.
Observations:
Mother Nature is again throwing us a weather curve ball. I always say that the river never stabilizes till mid- July. It was actually fairly cold tonight on the boat ride back to the landing.
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
N10, clear, 56˚, 29.97 steady
Water:
8.17’ rising, 68.3 kcfs, 77 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Myself 1 – 28” pike, Scott 3 – 20” pike
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
I have not been able to get any serious fishing in the last week or so, on account of family commitments and graduation parties. Even tonight I was not able to get out until 7 pm, but I was still going to make the most of it. The go for species were pike and largemouth bass. I have not fished for either for at least a week and with the rising water it was more a seek and find type of excursion. We covered a lot of water in a short amount of time and caught a fish here and there, but our last spot definitely revealed some pike. I caught one 28” pike here and my fishing buddy should have boated up to four but he broke his line twice on large fish and missed several others. There was no doubt he was the one with the hot hand tonight. The river has picked up it tempo on its downstream race and the forecast says we are going to hit the action stage here shortly. Be mindful of floating debris and look at the high water as an opportunity and a challenge to your fishing adventures.
Observations:
Mother Nature is again throwing us a weather curve ball. I always say that the river never stabilizes till mid- July. It was actually fairly cold tonight on the boat ride back to the landing.
5-28-12 Mon
5-28-2012 Mon
7:30 PM – 10:10 PM
Weather:
W 15 G30, clear, 78˚, 29.67 rising
Water:
6.97’ rising, 55.1 kcfs, 72 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. and Lower Black River
Caught:
Bluegills Approx. 8 4 – 8”, crappies 6 6 – 10”, channel cat 5 lb.
Partners:
myself
Comments:
I went out tonight after work with two agendas; first I wanted to cut some tees out of a tributary of the Black and second I wanted to catch a flat head or two on the Black. I did get my trees cut, but in the process I took a quick bath. My cell phone and billfold got totally soaked, but fortunately both survived.
My second agenda failed on catching any flat heads, but I did catch one decent channel cat.
Observations:
Once again tonight I had to deal with the wind. The Black is rather low and the Mississippi River is on the rise and suppose to hit the ten foot mark within a week.
7:30 PM – 10:10 PM
Weather:
W 15 G30, clear, 78˚, 29.67 rising
Water:
6.97’ rising, 55.1 kcfs, 72 ˚, muddy
Location:
Mississippi R. and Lower Black River
Caught:
Bluegills Approx. 8 4 – 8”, crappies 6 6 – 10”, channel cat 5 lb.
Partners:
myself
Comments:
I went out tonight after work with two agendas; first I wanted to cut some tees out of a tributary of the Black and second I wanted to catch a flat head or two on the Black. I did get my trees cut, but in the process I took a quick bath. My cell phone and billfold got totally soaked, but fortunately both survived.
My second agenda failed on catching any flat heads, but I did catch one decent channel cat.
Observations:
Once again tonight I had to deal with the wind. The Black is rather low and the Mississippi River is on the rise and suppose to hit the ten foot mark within a week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
