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.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
7-26-12 Thr
7-26-2012 Thr 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Weather:
(1753) W 13, clear, 80˚, 29.74 rising
Water:
5.19 falling, 24 kcfs, 80 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – it was easy pickings, we caught bluegills, crappies and perch / SMB – me (5) 10 -16”, Scott (1) 17”, No Flat heads
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Tonight I needed to catch two smaller flat heads for a fish fry while we were on vacation at Hayward, but unfortunately we did not catch any. We did have a few bites, but they were very subtle and we never did hook a fish. The bluegills cooperated as did the small mouths, but the flat heads must have known my intentions.
Observations:
We did find a pretty good concentration of bluegills tonight, the first in several outings.
Weather:
(1753) W 13, clear, 80˚, 29.74 rising
Water:
5.19 falling, 24 kcfs, 80 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – it was easy pickings, we caught bluegills, crappies and perch / SMB – me (5) 10 -16”, Scott (1) 17”, No Flat heads
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Tonight I needed to catch two smaller flat heads for a fish fry while we were on vacation at Hayward, but unfortunately we did not catch any. We did have a few bites, but they were very subtle and we never did hook a fish. The bluegills cooperated as did the small mouths, but the flat heads must have known my intentions.
Observations:
We did find a pretty good concentration of bluegills tonight, the first in several outings.
7-25-12 Wed
7-25-2012 Wed 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
NW 9, clear, 88˚, 29.58 rising
Water:
5.46 falling, 31.1 kcfs, 81 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
1 LMB 10”
Partners:
None
Comments
I had to get the go devil out of the water for the up our up-coming vacation to Hayward, so I thought I would also try a little bass fishing at the same time. In one word, bass fishing sucked. I caught one little one on a swim jig, otherwise the only other action I had was missing one blow up. I fished the weed edges on the lake near where Somners dumps in and I also fished the slop heading towards Coles’ Corner.
Observations:
The largemouth bass have me very frustrated.
Weather:
NW 9, clear, 88˚, 29.58 rising
Water:
5.46 falling, 31.1 kcfs, 81 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
1 LMB 10”
Partners:
None
Comments
I had to get the go devil out of the water for the up our up-coming vacation to Hayward, so I thought I would also try a little bass fishing at the same time. In one word, bass fishing sucked. I caught one little one on a swim jig, otherwise the only other action I had was missing one blow up. I fished the weed edges on the lake near where Somners dumps in and I also fished the slop heading towards Coles’ Corner.
Observations:
The largemouth bass have me very frustrated.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
7-23-12 Mon
7-23-2012 Mon 7:00 PM – 11:15 PM
Weather:
(2153) N 3, few clouds with a brief sprinkle, 83˚, 29.92 steady
Water:
5.47 falling, 31.2 kcfs, 80 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills, crappies and perch. Flat Heads (Scott) 5 & 22 lb. Turtle (Scott) soft shell, Flat head (myself) 8 lb.
Partners: Scott
Comments
Scott had just gotten back from his Honey Moon , which consisted of a cruise and a couple of side fishing trips, and he was ready to once again do battle with the flat heads. Bait gathering was once again not a slam dunk, we got what we needed, but that was about it.
Scott had the odd catch of the day; he caught and boated a soft shelled turtle. He also caught a very respectable 22 pounder. The action was not fast, but we did have a respectable catch of three flat heads.
Two of the fish and the turtle came out of Miller Slough and the other fish came out of Somners Chute.
Observations:
It was a very hot, humid, mosquito infested, miserably uncomfortable night.
Weather:
(2153) N 3, few clouds with a brief sprinkle, 83˚, 29.92 steady
Water:
5.47 falling, 31.2 kcfs, 80 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills, crappies and perch. Flat Heads (Scott) 5 & 22 lb. Turtle (Scott) soft shell, Flat head (myself) 8 lb.
Partners: Scott
Comments
Scott had just gotten back from his Honey Moon , which consisted of a cruise and a couple of side fishing trips, and he was ready to once again do battle with the flat heads. Bait gathering was once again not a slam dunk, we got what we needed, but that was about it.
Scott had the odd catch of the day; he caught and boated a soft shelled turtle. He also caught a very respectable 22 pounder. The action was not fast, but we did have a respectable catch of three flat heads.
Two of the fish and the turtle came out of Miller Slough and the other fish came out of Somners Chute.
Observations:
It was a very hot, humid, mosquito infested, miserably uncomfortable night.
7-22-12 Sun
7-22-2012 Sun 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Weather:
(2153) S 9, few clouds with some light rain, 84˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
651.44 falling, 28.6 kcfs, 80 ˚, semi - clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 5A – Fountain City
Caught:
10 LMB 11 – 18”, 3 SMB 11 – 13”
Partners:
myself
Comments
Today was a day for exploring. I just love fishing new areas on the river, and it had been several weeks since I had done that. I have fished Fountain City once or twice before, but I had never fished the lower portion of the pool. I was envious of this body of water, just as I am envious of the Stoddard area. The Corps of Engineers had also done a lot of island and habitat restoration measures here, and the vegetation and the fishing have responded in a positive way.
I started out fishing for small mouths on the rocks. I had lots of action, my hook up percentage was very poor and the size class of the fish was generally small. After a couple of hours of hitting main channel rock areas it was time for a little back water exploring. Running a new area always makes one a little nervous, mainly because you do not know what may be lurking under the surface. I am not as afraid of hitting something as I am of getting stuck on a shallow bar. I had done that once with my sixteen foot boat when I was by myself and that was not a lot of fun getting it freed from the suction like force of the sand.
The large mouth action was not fast and furious, but it was consistent and I had a mega amount of fun. The vast majority of the large mouths were caught on a frog. The fish were quit active, I would miss a fish multiple times, sometimes even briefly hooking the fish, and I would still be able to catch them.
Observations:
The water up on this pool was a little dirtier and maybe even a little lower than normal.
Weather:
(2153) S 9, few clouds with some light rain, 84˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
651.44 falling, 28.6 kcfs, 80 ˚, semi - clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 5A – Fountain City
Caught:
10 LMB 11 – 18”, 3 SMB 11 – 13”
Partners:
myself
Comments
Today was a day for exploring. I just love fishing new areas on the river, and it had been several weeks since I had done that. I have fished Fountain City once or twice before, but I had never fished the lower portion of the pool. I was envious of this body of water, just as I am envious of the Stoddard area. The Corps of Engineers had also done a lot of island and habitat restoration measures here, and the vegetation and the fishing have responded in a positive way.
I started out fishing for small mouths on the rocks. I had lots of action, my hook up percentage was very poor and the size class of the fish was generally small. After a couple of hours of hitting main channel rock areas it was time for a little back water exploring. Running a new area always makes one a little nervous, mainly because you do not know what may be lurking under the surface. I am not as afraid of hitting something as I am of getting stuck on a shallow bar. I had done that once with my sixteen foot boat when I was by myself and that was not a lot of fun getting it freed from the suction like force of the sand.
The large mouth action was not fast and furious, but it was consistent and I had a mega amount of fun. The vast majority of the large mouths were caught on a frog. The fish were quit active, I would miss a fish multiple times, sometimes even briefly hooking the fish, and I would still be able to catch them.
Observations:
The water up on this pool was a little dirtier and maybe even a little lower than normal.
7-21-12 Sat
7-21-2012 Sat 5:00 PM – 9:15 PM
Weather:
(1753) SW 8, clear, 86˚, 29.99 steady
Water:
5.4 falling, 30.2 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB – 18”, 10 SMB 11 – 17”
Partners:
myself
Comments
This evening I was targeting bass. I started out fishing for large mouths; I really wanted to see if any were still around on this pool. I fished slop for about an hour and caught one decent fish and had several other misses.
My next quarry was small mouths. I had been catching these fighting, dynamic fish for several weeks, and I just had to have more of them. Tonight they were not as wide spread. I did find a decent concentration of fish, but they were only at one spot. Tonight I changed my Senko to hook to one of my favorite wide gap types, and I had a much better hook – up ratio. I also allowed the fish to have the bait for a time, then when the rod loaded up I swept it instead of jerking it.
Observations:
The conditions on the river are almost perfect right now. The level is good, we have some flow and the water is clear.
Weather:
(1753) SW 8, clear, 86˚, 29.99 steady
Water:
5.4 falling, 30.2 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB – 18”, 10 SMB 11 – 17”
Partners:
myself
Comments
This evening I was targeting bass. I started out fishing for large mouths; I really wanted to see if any were still around on this pool. I fished slop for about an hour and caught one decent fish and had several other misses.
My next quarry was small mouths. I had been catching these fighting, dynamic fish for several weeks, and I just had to have more of them. Tonight they were not as wide spread. I did find a decent concentration of fish, but they were only at one spot. Tonight I changed my Senko to hook to one of my favorite wide gap types, and I had a much better hook – up ratio. I also allowed the fish to have the bait for a time, then when the rod loaded up I swept it instead of jerking it.
Observations:
The conditions on the river are almost perfect right now. The level is good, we have some flow and the water is clear.
7-20-2012 Fri
7-20-2012 Fri 7:00 PM – 1:30 AM
Weather:
(2153) SE 3, clear, 74˚, 30.05 steady
Water:
5.37 falling, 29.7 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills (12) flat head 32 lbs.
Partners:
myself
Comments
Tonight I was alone on my late night flat head hunt. Bait gather has not been as easy as I would like it to be, but I always manage enough and just enough for an evening. I hit lots of spots tonight and did not have any luck at any of them, except where I and Ryan had done well at the other night. I bounced around a lot, looking for the active fish, and it really did not pay off.
Observations:
The river is still continuing to drop and the water temperature is still very warm. The mosquitoes have been just horrible.
Weather:
(2153) SE 3, clear, 74˚, 30.05 steady
Water:
5.37 falling, 29.7 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills (12) flat head 32 lbs.
Partners:
myself
Comments
Tonight I was alone on my late night flat head hunt. Bait gather has not been as easy as I would like it to be, but I always manage enough and just enough for an evening. I hit lots of spots tonight and did not have any luck at any of them, except where I and Ryan had done well at the other night. I bounced around a lot, looking for the active fish, and it really did not pay off.
Observations:
The river is still continuing to drop and the water temperature is still very warm. The mosquitoes have been just horrible.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
7-17-2012 Tue 7:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Weather:
(1953) calm, a few clouds with lightning, 95˚, 29.77 rising
Water:
5.99 falling, 36.1 kcfs, 84 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills and crappies, 4 flat heads ( 5 – 18 lbs.)
Partners:
myself and Ryan
Comments
It has been a few days since my last report, so first a quick re-cap. I had still been catching nice bluegills, there is still plenty of small mouth action and the flat heads are very active.
Last night was the first night I had fished with Ryan since this spring. Ryan had called to see if I was interested in going and since that was my intention anyhow, I now had a partner. We started out rather late and since I have been able to catch bluegills just about everywhere I did not see a need to go any earlier. To my dismay the bluegills were not as easy as they were just a couple of days earlier. We fished weeds, rocks and wood, but we never caught more than one or two in a spot. Catching our bait was a struggle, and when Ryan caught a couple of eleven inch crappies and threw them back, I stepped in and told him not to throw anymore big fish back. He thought those big crappies were too big for the flatheads. I did prove him wrong later in the night when the eleven inch crappie was eaten by about a ten pound flat head. We had a very good night, we ended up boating four between five and eighteen pounds, and we lost or missed about four others. We had some storms and lightning in the distance and I think this may have gotten the flat heads very active. I did catch one strange flathead last night; the poor fish had lost its eyes. They both appeared to have been injured in some fashion and were on their way to healing.
Observations:
The river is still continuing to drop and the water temperature is still very warm.
Weather:
(1953) calm, a few clouds with lightning, 95˚, 29.77 rising
Water:
5.99 falling, 36.1 kcfs, 84 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills and crappies, 4 flat heads ( 5 – 18 lbs.)
Partners:
myself and Ryan
Comments
It has been a few days since my last report, so first a quick re-cap. I had still been catching nice bluegills, there is still plenty of small mouth action and the flat heads are very active.
Last night was the first night I had fished with Ryan since this spring. Ryan had called to see if I was interested in going and since that was my intention anyhow, I now had a partner. We started out rather late and since I have been able to catch bluegills just about everywhere I did not see a need to go any earlier. To my dismay the bluegills were not as easy as they were just a couple of days earlier. We fished weeds, rocks and wood, but we never caught more than one or two in a spot. Catching our bait was a struggle, and when Ryan caught a couple of eleven inch crappies and threw them back, I stepped in and told him not to throw anymore big fish back. He thought those big crappies were too big for the flatheads. I did prove him wrong later in the night when the eleven inch crappie was eaten by about a ten pound flat head. We had a very good night, we ended up boating four between five and eighteen pounds, and we lost or missed about four others. We had some storms and lightning in the distance and I think this may have gotten the flat heads very active. I did catch one strange flathead last night; the poor fish had lost its eyes. They both appeared to have been injured in some fashion and were on their way to healing.
Observations:
The river is still continuing to drop and the water temperature is still very warm.
Monday, July 16, 2012
7-16-12 Mon
7-16-2012 Mon 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Weather:
calm, clear, 92˚, 29.77 steady
Water:
6.13 falling, 38.1 kcfs, 84 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Nothing
Partners:
none
Comments
I put the go devil back in the water for a while and since I had it in the water I thought I might just as well go for a little ride and see if I could find any bass. I went out on the lake to the sand flats coming out of Somners Chute. Well, I did not even have a strike or see any fish activity, it was completely dead! The lake has definitely frustrated me the last couple of months.
Observations:
The lake is in pretty good shape; there is plenty of weed growth, good flow and the clarity is good.
Weather:
calm, clear, 92˚, 29.77 steady
Water:
6.13 falling, 38.1 kcfs, 84 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Nothing
Partners:
none
Comments
I put the go devil back in the water for a while and since I had it in the water I thought I might just as well go for a little ride and see if I could find any bass. I went out on the lake to the sand flats coming out of Somners Chute. Well, I did not even have a strike or see any fish activity, it was completely dead! The lake has definitely frustrated me the last couple of months.
Observations:
The lake is in pretty good shape; there is plenty of weed growth, good flow and the clarity is good.
7-15-12 Sun
7-15-2012 Sun (8:30 AM – 1:30 PM)//7:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Weather:
(1153) vrbl. 3 clear, 89˚, 30.05 falling
(2153) SE 3, clear, 80 ˚, 29.98 steady
Water:
Lake Eau Claire – Algae bloom 86 ˚//Pool 7 – 6.23 falling, 40.5 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location:
Lake Eau Claire//Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Lake Eau Claire – 1 LMB 17”, 1 – SMB 12”
Pool 7 – Numerous bluegills and crappie for bait, some very nice bluegills, 2 flat heads 20 and 17 lbs.
Partners:
John R. Lake Eau Claire, myself on pool 7
Comments
I started out the morning fishing with John Riek on Lake Eau Claire. John has a bass fishing tournament there next weekend and he invited me to go along and pre fish with him. I am always game for new waters, so I accepted his invitation. Fishing was very tough, I caught two bass and John lost a couple, and other than that we did very poorly. I have no future plans of coming back here.
The second outing of the day was flat head fishing on my home waters. I caught lots of bluegills for bait and some crappies. Most of these fish were relating to weed edges in two the four feet of water. Surprisingly, the wood was not holding fish. I tried two spot for flat heads. One was my favorite spot this time of year, where there is a very short window of opportunity to catch fish when the conditions are just right. I caught a twenty pound fish here and lost one other at the boat. The second spot was in all the snags just downstream from Silver Lake. I caught the other fish there.
Observations:
The bluegills and crappies seem to be everywhere, but I did not find any large concentrations of them anywhere.
Weather:
(1153) vrbl. 3 clear, 89˚, 30.05 falling
(2153) SE 3, clear, 80 ˚, 29.98 steady
Water:
Lake Eau Claire – Algae bloom 86 ˚//Pool 7 – 6.23 falling, 40.5 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location:
Lake Eau Claire//Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Lake Eau Claire – 1 LMB 17”, 1 – SMB 12”
Pool 7 – Numerous bluegills and crappie for bait, some very nice bluegills, 2 flat heads 20 and 17 lbs.
Partners:
John R. Lake Eau Claire, myself on pool 7
Comments
I started out the morning fishing with John Riek on Lake Eau Claire. John has a bass fishing tournament there next weekend and he invited me to go along and pre fish with him. I am always game for new waters, so I accepted his invitation. Fishing was very tough, I caught two bass and John lost a couple, and other than that we did very poorly. I have no future plans of coming back here.
The second outing of the day was flat head fishing on my home waters. I caught lots of bluegills for bait and some crappies. Most of these fish were relating to weed edges in two the four feet of water. Surprisingly, the wood was not holding fish. I tried two spot for flat heads. One was my favorite spot this time of year, where there is a very short window of opportunity to catch fish when the conditions are just right. I caught a twenty pound fish here and lost one other at the boat. The second spot was in all the snags just downstream from Silver Lake. I caught the other fish there.
Observations:
The bluegills and crappies seem to be everywhere, but I did not find any large concentrations of them anywhere.
7-14-12 Sat
7-14-2012 Sat (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM)
Weather:
(1653) calm, 86˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
6.44 falling, 46.5 kcfs, 84 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills Approx. 25 – most 5-6”, numerous very small LMB, several small perch, SMB Approx. (8) 12 -17”
Partners:
Karen
Comments
Karen wanted to do a little fishing, get some sun and do a little reading out in the boat. We put in at the landing by the house and headed up towards Trempealeau. We started out at a spot where Scott and myself had caught all the bluegills we had wanted just a few days earlier. Today the fish were not there, we caught a few small ones, but nothing like it was. We tried several other spots and finally found some bluegills, but the size was quite small. It really did not matter, we were out for fun not fillets. I did have to coach Karen a little bit on where to throw her bait and to set the hook, but in a short order she had it figured out.
Our final destination was small mouth bass on the wing dams. We found a nice school of very active fish. Karen had never caught a small mouth before, so I passed the rod to her after I had hooked up on a couple decent ones. She was quite surprised of the fight these fish had in them.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, and the clarity is great in most locations. At the landing I know I could see my yellow anchor in four feet of water.
Weather:
(1653) calm, 86˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
6.44 falling, 46.5 kcfs, 84 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills Approx. 25 – most 5-6”, numerous very small LMB, several small perch, SMB Approx. (8) 12 -17”
Partners:
Karen
Comments
Karen wanted to do a little fishing, get some sun and do a little reading out in the boat. We put in at the landing by the house and headed up towards Trempealeau. We started out at a spot where Scott and myself had caught all the bluegills we had wanted just a few days earlier. Today the fish were not there, we caught a few small ones, but nothing like it was. We tried several other spots and finally found some bluegills, but the size was quite small. It really did not matter, we were out for fun not fillets. I did have to coach Karen a little bit on where to throw her bait and to set the hook, but in a short order she had it figured out.
Our final destination was small mouth bass on the wing dams. We found a nice school of very active fish. Karen had never caught a small mouth before, so I passed the rod to her after I had hooked up on a couple decent ones. She was quite surprised of the fight these fish had in them.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, and the clarity is great in most locations. At the landing I know I could see my yellow anchor in four feet of water.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
7-13-2012 Fri (7:00 PM – 12:00 AM)
Weather:
(2200) calm, rain and scattered thunderstorms, 78˚, 29.97 falling
Water:
6.52 falling, 47.8 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8 (Dresbach)
Caught:
Bait – approx., 12 bluegills, 2 flat heads 5 & 17 lbs., channel cat 8 lbs., 3 small mouths 15, 16, 18”, 2 largemouths 16 & 17”
Partners:
myself
Comments
Last night was a flat head finding trip in an area I do not normally fish. The first order of business was catching about a dozen pan fish for bait. This part of the evening took about ten minutes. The bluegills seem to be everywhere this summer and most of them are pretty good size. The key to the bluegills is to look for rocks and wood slightly out of the main currents. Artificial baits will probably account for bigger fish
After an ample supply of bait was swimming in the live it was time to look for bass. I did very well in the brief amount of time I fished for them. Both largemouth and small mouths were caught. Both species were caught off rocks, with the smallmouths showing a preference for areas with much stronger current.
The final species of the night was flat heads. I fished a side channel with an average depth of around ten feet, with downed timber. Most spots I fished were rather difficult to fish on account of all the floating celery grass. The grass catches the line and is forced down to the sinker and the bait, and you end up getting a ball of weeds covering your bait. This situation is not good for flatheads, you see they are meat eaters and they don’t care to eat a salad before they dine on the main meal. I ended the night with two flat heads, the first one about five pounds and the second in the upper teens. I also caught a channel cat that was probably very close to ten pounds.
On a side note I get quite a few anglers inquiring about where, when and how to fish. My best advice is to get out and explore, don’t stay in one spot very long and search, search, search. I probably enjoy exploring and trying new spots more than I like to catch fish. If I am not catching fish I am moving, period. One other bit of information I can give you is take a look at my blog (fish-hunt365.blogspot.com) except for a couple months when I neglected it, I post an entry for every day I am on the water or in the field. There are now over 600 days on it, and to the best of my ability, good or bad I account for what I have caught or bagged. I myself look over the entries to see what the conditions were last year at this time and how the fish were responding.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high. The main channel areas are looking to be in great conditions.
Weather:
(2200) calm, rain and scattered thunderstorms, 78˚, 29.97 falling
Water:
6.52 falling, 47.8 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8 (Dresbach)
Caught:
Bait – approx., 12 bluegills, 2 flat heads 5 & 17 lbs., channel cat 8 lbs., 3 small mouths 15, 16, 18”, 2 largemouths 16 & 17”
Partners:
myself
Comments
Last night was a flat head finding trip in an area I do not normally fish. The first order of business was catching about a dozen pan fish for bait. This part of the evening took about ten minutes. The bluegills seem to be everywhere this summer and most of them are pretty good size. The key to the bluegills is to look for rocks and wood slightly out of the main currents. Artificial baits will probably account for bigger fish
After an ample supply of bait was swimming in the live it was time to look for bass. I did very well in the brief amount of time I fished for them. Both largemouth and small mouths were caught. Both species were caught off rocks, with the smallmouths showing a preference for areas with much stronger current.
The final species of the night was flat heads. I fished a side channel with an average depth of around ten feet, with downed timber. Most spots I fished were rather difficult to fish on account of all the floating celery grass. The grass catches the line and is forced down to the sinker and the bait, and you end up getting a ball of weeds covering your bait. This situation is not good for flatheads, you see they are meat eaters and they don’t care to eat a salad before they dine on the main meal. I ended the night with two flat heads, the first one about five pounds and the second in the upper teens. I also caught a channel cat that was probably very close to ten pounds.
On a side note I get quite a few anglers inquiring about where, when and how to fish. My best advice is to get out and explore, don’t stay in one spot very long and search, search, search. I probably enjoy exploring and trying new spots more than I like to catch fish. If I am not catching fish I am moving, period. One other bit of information I can give you is take a look at my blog (fish-hunt365.blogspot.com) except for a couple months when I neglected it, I post an entry for every day I am on the water or in the field. There are now over 600 days on it, and to the best of my ability, good or bad I account for what I have caught or bagged. I myself look over the entries to see what the conditions were last year at this time and how the fish were responding.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high. The main channel areas are looking to be in great conditions.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
7-11-2012 Wed (7:00 PM – 12:15 PM)
Weather: (1953) SW 5, clear, 85˚, 30.06 steady
Water: 6.73 falling, 51.1 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: Bait – approx., 20 bluegills, perch and crappies. 1 ea. flat heads approx. 5 lbs., small mouths (Scott) 15 & 18”
Partners: myself and Scott
Comments
Even though Scott was just married this past weekend he called me up to go flat head fishing tonight. It was a good thing he called me, because Karen said I could not call him. Almost makes a guy wonder if there was a wedding or a funeral. In fact, this was his third day on the river since he got married on Saturday. Scott and Adam had a good night last night, bringing five fish boat side. Scott and I figured we were both going to do will on the flats tonight, but it did not happen.
Bait gathering was a little bit of work, in most spots we would pick up one or two and have to move on. We caught bluegills a few small perch and I caught about six nice sized crappies. After we filled the live well with our supply of bait, we had a few minutes to turn our attention to small mouth bass. I manned the trolling motor and did all the positioning while Scott fished. The small mouths were not as active tonight, but he did catch two respectable ones in about ten minutes.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high. The condition of the back waters are becoming quit scummy and dead looking.
Weather: (1953) SW 5, clear, 85˚, 30.06 steady
Water: 6.73 falling, 51.1 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: Bait – approx., 20 bluegills, perch and crappies. 1 ea. flat heads approx. 5 lbs., small mouths (Scott) 15 & 18”
Partners: myself and Scott
Comments
Even though Scott was just married this past weekend he called me up to go flat head fishing tonight. It was a good thing he called me, because Karen said I could not call him. Almost makes a guy wonder if there was a wedding or a funeral. In fact, this was his third day on the river since he got married on Saturday. Scott and Adam had a good night last night, bringing five fish boat side. Scott and I figured we were both going to do will on the flats tonight, but it did not happen.
Bait gathering was a little bit of work, in most spots we would pick up one or two and have to move on. We caught bluegills a few small perch and I caught about six nice sized crappies. After we filled the live well with our supply of bait, we had a few minutes to turn our attention to small mouth bass. I manned the trolling motor and did all the positioning while Scott fished. The small mouths were not as active tonight, but he did catch two respectable ones in about ten minutes.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high. The condition of the back waters are becoming quit scummy and dead looking.
7-10-2012 Tue
7-10-2012 Tue (7:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Weather: (1953) N 6, clear, 83˚, 30.09 rising
Water: 6.94 falling, 54.2 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: Bait – approx., 12 bluegills, carp – 3 lb. flat head approx. 28 lbs.
Partners: myself
Comments
I fished tonight from 7 PM to 11 PM. The primary species I was after were flat heads, but in order to catch a flat head I needed bait. And the fish I needed for bait were bluegills. Catching the bluegills was rather quick and easy. The fish I caught were relating to some current next to rocks.
The next species on the agenda was small mouths, top water small mouths to be exact. They did not cooperate as well as the bluegills, but some were willing to go toe to toe with a Pop R. I actually caught more and bigger fish on a small jig tipped with a piece of crawler while I was probing for the bluegills.
The final fish species of the trifecta was the king of the whiskered fish, the flat head. In a very short order I had one twenty some pounder in the boat and after a quick picture it was released unharmed. I was not so fortunate with my next one; it managed to break off my lighter line leader. I use thirty pound fluorocarbon, so as when my line becomes snagged I can break the leader off, otherwise it is just too hard to break eighty pound braid. I swear if I lost my anchor rope I could use the braid in a pinch and be just fine.
On a final note, I talked to a friend of mine who was fishing at Stoddard yesterday and he said he saw at least one hundred dead pike. Has anybody else noticed any dead pike and if they have where? I caught lots of pike this spring, but since mid - May, I have seen very few. It makes me wonder if VHS is hitting the pike during these warmer temperatures.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high.
Weather: (1953) N 6, clear, 83˚, 30.09 rising
Water: 6.94 falling, 54.2 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location: Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught: Bait – approx., 12 bluegills, carp – 3 lb. flat head approx. 28 lbs.
Partners: myself
Comments
I fished tonight from 7 PM to 11 PM. The primary species I was after were flat heads, but in order to catch a flat head I needed bait. And the fish I needed for bait were bluegills. Catching the bluegills was rather quick and easy. The fish I caught were relating to some current next to rocks.
The next species on the agenda was small mouths, top water small mouths to be exact. They did not cooperate as well as the bluegills, but some were willing to go toe to toe with a Pop R. I actually caught more and bigger fish on a small jig tipped with a piece of crawler while I was probing for the bluegills.
The final fish species of the trifecta was the king of the whiskered fish, the flat head. In a very short order I had one twenty some pounder in the boat and after a quick picture it was released unharmed. I was not so fortunate with my next one; it managed to break off my lighter line leader. I use thirty pound fluorocarbon, so as when my line becomes snagged I can break the leader off, otherwise it is just too hard to break eighty pound braid. I swear if I lost my anchor rope I could use the braid in a pinch and be just fine.
On a final note, I talked to a friend of mine who was fishing at Stoddard yesterday and he said he saw at least one hundred dead pike. Has anybody else noticed any dead pike and if they have where? I caught lots of pike this spring, but since mid - May, I have seen very few. It makes me wonder if VHS is hitting the pike during these warmer temperatures.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high.
Monday, July 9, 2012
7-8-12 Sun
7-8-2012 Sun (6:30 PM – 9:30 PM)
Weather:
NW 13, sunny, 87˚, 30.05 steady
Water:
7.38 falling, 60.2 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 6
Caught:
SMB (6) 10 – 13 “, LMB 10”, pike 23”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
I have been catching a good number of nice small mouth bass on pool 7, so I figured it was time to head north of Trempealeau and do the same. I was armed with my new found small mouth bait, which is a Heddon Baby Torpedo. I usually do very well up here on both largemouth and small mouths. The numbers of fish caught are usually impressive and they are nice sized.
This was my second trip of the year up here. My first trip was a bust and this one was not too far from being a bust. I did catch some fish, but it was pretty slow and the fish were very scattered.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high.
Weather:
NW 13, sunny, 87˚, 30.05 steady
Water:
7.38 falling, 60.2 kcfs, 83 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 6
Caught:
SMB (6) 10 – 13 “, LMB 10”, pike 23”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
I have been catching a good number of nice small mouth bass on pool 7, so I figured it was time to head north of Trempealeau and do the same. I was armed with my new found small mouth bait, which is a Heddon Baby Torpedo. I usually do very well up here on both largemouth and small mouths. The numbers of fish caught are usually impressive and they are nice sized.
This was my second trip of the year up here. My first trip was a bust and this one was not too far from being a bust. I did catch some fish, but it was pretty slow and the fish were very scattered.
Observations:
The river is still dropping, but the flow and water temperature are still quite high.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
7-7-12 Sat
7-7-2012 Sat (6:30 PM – 2:30AM)
Weather:
(1153) N 5, clear, 76˚, 30.08 rising
Water:
7.6 falling, 62.6 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills (bait) many 6-8”, SMB (approx...6) 12 – 16 “, flatheads (4 – 2 ea.) 5 – 18 LB
Partners:
myself and Jake V.
Comments:
Tonight I was on a trip with Jake and our primary mission was to catch some flat heads. We started out the night with catching bluegills to be used as the bait for the flat heads. We did not have any problems catching the bluegills; they were quite abundant, large and willing to bite. These fish seem to be transitioning to the main channel and current areas.
The last hour of light we moved to some main channel areas and fished for small mouths. We found the fish to be scattered over a large stretch of rip rap and when they were located they easily were fooled by just about any type of top water bait.
Just before dark we set up and were waiting in anticipation for our first flat head bite of the night. Tonight we had to have patience with the fish. At around 1030, we had no fish in the boat and no bites. I knew the moon had not yet risen and I was anticipating some action with its appearance. Sure enough after 1100 we landed our first fish, which was not to long after the moon had cleared the trees. We had a good night tonight, landing two fish around twenty pounds and two under ten. A couple of the fish had some fresh sores and cuts on them, which is an indication that they are still spawning.
Observations:
The river is steadily dropping and with the drop its clarity has vastly improved. I did not notice any fish fly hatch tonight. There is still quite a bit of current, but we were able to anchor in all the spots we fished.
Weather:
(1153) N 5, clear, 76˚, 30.08 rising
Water:
7.6 falling, 62.6 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills (bait) many 6-8”, SMB (approx...6) 12 – 16 “, flatheads (4 – 2 ea.) 5 – 18 LB
Partners:
myself and Jake V.
Comments:
Tonight I was on a trip with Jake and our primary mission was to catch some flat heads. We started out the night with catching bluegills to be used as the bait for the flat heads. We did not have any problems catching the bluegills; they were quite abundant, large and willing to bite. These fish seem to be transitioning to the main channel and current areas.
The last hour of light we moved to some main channel areas and fished for small mouths. We found the fish to be scattered over a large stretch of rip rap and when they were located they easily were fooled by just about any type of top water bait.
Just before dark we set up and were waiting in anticipation for our first flat head bite of the night. Tonight we had to have patience with the fish. At around 1030, we had no fish in the boat and no bites. I knew the moon had not yet risen and I was anticipating some action with its appearance. Sure enough after 1100 we landed our first fish, which was not to long after the moon had cleared the trees. We had a good night tonight, landing two fish around twenty pounds and two under ten. A couple of the fish had some fresh sores and cuts on them, which is an indication that they are still spawning.
Observations:
The river is steadily dropping and with the drop its clarity has vastly improved. I did not notice any fish fly hatch tonight. There is still quite a bit of current, but we were able to anchor in all the spots we fished.
7-5-2012 Thr
7-5-2012 Thr (6:00 AM – 11:00AM)
Weather:
(1153) VRBL 3, sunny, 89˚, 29.88 rising
(1900) NW 5, sunny, 93 ˚, 29.89 rising
Water:
8.36 falling, 68.9 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Dan and Wally, LMB (12-14) 12 – 16 “, myself, SMB 16”
Myself PM, LMB 11 & 14”, SMB (7) 11-18”, striper 15”, channel cat 10 LB,
Bluegills - many for bait
Partners:
myself, Dan and Wally AM
Myself PM
Comments:
It was an early morning trip with Dan and his father Wally. Dan is fairly new to the area and he wanted to give his father an opportunity to experience the river first hand. The species of fish that were sought today were bass, both largemouth and small mouth. We were also hoping to tie into a pike or two, but with the warmer weather their activity level has fallen off dramatically. We put in at the Stoddard launch at six 6 AM to avoid as much of the daily heat that we have been experiencing the last couple of days.
The morning was beautiful, with great scenery, comfortable temperatures and a light wind. Dan and Wally both caught a fair amount of large mouth, nothing fantastic, but we picked up a fish here and there. I was hoping to get them into a number of small mouths, but where they were yesterday, there were none today. Swim jigs were about the only game in town today. I also gave the guys a lesson in the use of a bait caster, which went okay, but I don’t think they will run out and buy one anytime soon. Learning to use a bait caster is a lot like learning to ride a bike; most who try are going to fall a time or two, be intimidated and stay off for a while, but eventual come back and master it. Yesterday I had done so well with buzz bait and today the fish showed no interest in it. The river is dropping very fast, and with the changing conditions comes constantly changing fish locations.
Stoddard is my home town, I have spent countless hours on the river down there when I was a kid, but slowly all the islands out in the open areas disappeared and along with them disappearing so did the fishing. But the area has come back as a major fishing and waterfowl area, thanks to the planning and hard work of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I know some people have bad opinions of this government agency, but without the work they have done in the Stoddard and Brownsville area, you would not have the fishing or bird life that is there today. The area is teaming with birds; we saw ducks, pelicans, eagles and geese. The area also has some major wild rice beds, something that was non-existent twenty years ago. The landing that the village has there is also a very good facility. I wish I could persuade the Fish and Wildlife Service to come to pool seven and do some work. The pool up here has degraded tremendously in the last twenty years since I have lived there, the sloughs are all filling in and the islands are eroding at a very rapid pace.
After my guide trip I came home and took a little nap, before heading out on a solo trip on Pool 7. I started out fishing for bluegills in the Hammond chute area; because I was going flat head fishing and I needed bait for the evening. I was easily able to get all the bluegills I needed in some downed trees using artificial bait. I then tried largemouth bass fishing around the weed lines with very limited success. My next stop was an area with rock over on the Minnesota side. I was able to find a couple of areas with a decent number of small mouths, but I did not catch any largemouth or pike. The best bait of the night was a black Heddon Baby Torpedo that I had just bought. The small mouths were very aggressive and a riot to catch.
Observations:
The water is clearing up nicely, but the flow is still pretty strong which makes it difficult to fish main channel areas. There was little to no fish fly activity last night. The small mouths are very active on the main channel areas, but the large mouths have not seemed to venture out into the channel yet.
Weather:
(1153) VRBL 3, sunny, 89˚, 29.88 rising
(1900) NW 5, sunny, 93 ˚, 29.89 rising
Water:
8.36 falling, 68.9 kcfs, 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Dan and Wally, LMB (12-14) 12 – 16 “, myself, SMB 16”
Myself PM, LMB 11 & 14”, SMB (7) 11-18”, striper 15”, channel cat 10 LB,
Bluegills - many for bait
Partners:
myself, Dan and Wally AM
Myself PM
Comments:
It was an early morning trip with Dan and his father Wally. Dan is fairly new to the area and he wanted to give his father an opportunity to experience the river first hand. The species of fish that were sought today were bass, both largemouth and small mouth. We were also hoping to tie into a pike or two, but with the warmer weather their activity level has fallen off dramatically. We put in at the Stoddard launch at six 6 AM to avoid as much of the daily heat that we have been experiencing the last couple of days.
The morning was beautiful, with great scenery, comfortable temperatures and a light wind. Dan and Wally both caught a fair amount of large mouth, nothing fantastic, but we picked up a fish here and there. I was hoping to get them into a number of small mouths, but where they were yesterday, there were none today. Swim jigs were about the only game in town today. I also gave the guys a lesson in the use of a bait caster, which went okay, but I don’t think they will run out and buy one anytime soon. Learning to use a bait caster is a lot like learning to ride a bike; most who try are going to fall a time or two, be intimidated and stay off for a while, but eventual come back and master it. Yesterday I had done so well with buzz bait and today the fish showed no interest in it. The river is dropping very fast, and with the changing conditions comes constantly changing fish locations.
Stoddard is my home town, I have spent countless hours on the river down there when I was a kid, but slowly all the islands out in the open areas disappeared and along with them disappearing so did the fishing. But the area has come back as a major fishing and waterfowl area, thanks to the planning and hard work of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I know some people have bad opinions of this government agency, but without the work they have done in the Stoddard and Brownsville area, you would not have the fishing or bird life that is there today. The area is teaming with birds; we saw ducks, pelicans, eagles and geese. The area also has some major wild rice beds, something that was non-existent twenty years ago. The landing that the village has there is also a very good facility. I wish I could persuade the Fish and Wildlife Service to come to pool seven and do some work. The pool up here has degraded tremendously in the last twenty years since I have lived there, the sloughs are all filling in and the islands are eroding at a very rapid pace.
After my guide trip I came home and took a little nap, before heading out on a solo trip on Pool 7. I started out fishing for bluegills in the Hammond chute area; because I was going flat head fishing and I needed bait for the evening. I was easily able to get all the bluegills I needed in some downed trees using artificial bait. I then tried largemouth bass fishing around the weed lines with very limited success. My next stop was an area with rock over on the Minnesota side. I was able to find a couple of areas with a decent number of small mouths, but I did not catch any largemouth or pike. The best bait of the night was a black Heddon Baby Torpedo that I had just bought. The small mouths were very aggressive and a riot to catch.
Observations:
The water is clearing up nicely, but the flow is still pretty strong which makes it difficult to fish main channel areas. There was little to no fish fly activity last night. The small mouths are very active on the main channel areas, but the large mouths have not seemed to venture out into the channel yet.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
7-4-12 Wed
7-4-2012 Wed (6:00 AM – 12:30PM)
Weather:
S 10, sunny, 95˚, 29.81 falling
Water:
8.75 falling, 71.8 kcfs, 82 ˚, very clear to fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Caught:
LMB (14) 12 – 18 “, SMB (3) 11 – 14”, pike 20”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
This morning was an early morning scouting trip down to the Stoddard area. I had fished this area with Scott on Sunday and we had done alright. I got out early because the furnace (summer heat was projected to top out at over one-hundred degrees).
All the fish came from areas that had some type of current. All the large mouth came from weed edges and all the small mouths came from areas that had rock. The northern are practically non-existent. I caught one small one and lost another that was small. One tactic that I have not used this year and that was very productive for me today was the use of a buzz bait. I also caught fish on a swim fig, but the fish I caught on a buzz bait were definitely bigger.
Observations:
There was a humungous fish fly hatch last night and their bodies were actually accumulating in balls in the main channel. I explored the area of the Brownsville Islands today and I discovered it is a very large and diverse area. The majority of the area is rather shallow and weedy, but the water was clear. There also are some huge rice patches. One thing I did find in one of the dead channel with some depth was an overabundance of gar. These fish were everywhere and they were attacking my swim jig. I think some day in the future I am going to try and fish for them. One other thing I saw which I have never seen before was sheep heads feeding on fish flies floating on the waters surface.
Weather:
S 10, sunny, 95˚, 29.81 falling
Water:
8.75 falling, 71.8 kcfs, 82 ˚, very clear to fairly clear
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Caught:
LMB (14) 12 – 18 “, SMB (3) 11 – 14”, pike 20”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
This morning was an early morning scouting trip down to the Stoddard area. I had fished this area with Scott on Sunday and we had done alright. I got out early because the furnace (summer heat was projected to top out at over one-hundred degrees).
All the fish came from areas that had some type of current. All the large mouth came from weed edges and all the small mouths came from areas that had rock. The northern are practically non-existent. I caught one small one and lost another that was small. One tactic that I have not used this year and that was very productive for me today was the use of a buzz bait. I also caught fish on a swim fig, but the fish I caught on a buzz bait were definitely bigger.
Observations:
There was a humungous fish fly hatch last night and their bodies were actually accumulating in balls in the main channel. I explored the area of the Brownsville Islands today and I discovered it is a very large and diverse area. The majority of the area is rather shallow and weedy, but the water was clear. There also are some huge rice patches. One thing I did find in one of the dead channel with some depth was an overabundance of gar. These fish were everywhere and they were attacking my swim jig. I think some day in the future I am going to try and fish for them. One other thing I saw which I have never seen before was sheep heads feeding on fish flies floating on the waters surface.
7-3-12 Tue
7-3-2012 Tue (6:30PM – 9:00PM)
Weather:
SW 8, sunny, 96˚, 29.73 falling
Water:
8.96 falling, 73.4 kcfs, 80 ˚, very clear to cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB (13) 10 – 17 “, SMB (6) 10 – 16.5”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
It was a quick scouting trip for an upcoming guided trip, and the targets were bass and pike. I did not find any pike, but I did find the bass. I was also pleasantly surprised that I discovered a school of small mouths.
I was targeting the big marsh area and once again it did not disappoint. The large mouths were not everywhere, but one spot in particular held an abundance of fish. After fishing several spots in the area, I got venturesome and thought I would throw a bait or two at the smallmouths. This turned out to be a wise decision, as I found a substantial number that were more than eager to bite. These fish were relating to a rather isolated wing dam on the Minnesota side that I like to fish.
Observations:
The water coming out of the Black is incredibly clear. I saw a fawn on one of the islands I was fishing tonight. Once again, most of the fish came on a swim jig.
Weather:
SW 8, sunny, 96˚, 29.73 falling
Water:
8.96 falling, 73.4 kcfs, 80 ˚, very clear to cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
LMB (13) 10 – 17 “, SMB (6) 10 – 16.5”
Partners:
myself
Comments:
It was a quick scouting trip for an upcoming guided trip, and the targets were bass and pike. I did not find any pike, but I did find the bass. I was also pleasantly surprised that I discovered a school of small mouths.
I was targeting the big marsh area and once again it did not disappoint. The large mouths were not everywhere, but one spot in particular held an abundance of fish. After fishing several spots in the area, I got venturesome and thought I would throw a bait or two at the smallmouths. This turned out to be a wise decision, as I found a substantial number that were more than eager to bite. These fish were relating to a rather isolated wing dam on the Minnesota side that I like to fish.
Observations:
The water coming out of the Black is incredibly clear. I saw a fawn on one of the islands I was fishing tonight. Once again, most of the fish came on a swim jig.
Monday, July 2, 2012
7-1-12 Sun
7-1-2012 Sun (8:00AM – 1:30PM)
Weather:
S 9, sunny, 87˚, 29.96 falling
Water:
9.59 falling, 80.4 kcfs, 78 ˚, very clear to cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Caught:
Myself LMB (7) 12 – 19 “, pike 20”// Scott LMB (7) 10 – 18”
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
I got to bed at 2 am last night and I was up at 5 am to go fishing with Scott. I would not really describe it as going to bed; it was more like a nap. My plan for the day was to do some fishing and exploring down in the Stoddard area. This is the area where most of the qualifying pros for the final of the elite tournament fished. Stoddard really has a strong fishery and it is on account of all the habitat improvement that the Fish and Wildlife Service has done in this area.
The first cast of the day was made at 8 am and it was game on with the competition that Scott and I usually have going. We had some decent action today, with most of it coming from top water frog action. The pike did take their toll on my baits though; I lost at least two Spro Frogs and one swim jig to pike. Scott also lost some tackle to the toothed fish.
For most of the day Scott out fished me, he really shined on the frog bite and I really sucked at it. Then about the last hour things turned bright for me. We did some exploring and fished the new islands over in the Brownsville bottoms. This is where my fortunes got richer in the number of fish boated. We found a pretty good concentration of fish on the rocks with some water flow.
When the day was over I had bested Scott by two fish!
Observations:
The water is receding, but it is still very high. The clarity of the water in the Stoddard Bay is just incredible; the rest of the river that has any flow to it is still cloudy. The Stoddard area really has and incredible fishery. Today it was extremely hot and calm, my plastics that were in the tackle box had the consistency of cooked pasta.
Weather:
S 9, sunny, 87˚, 29.96 falling
Water:
9.59 falling, 80.4 kcfs, 78 ˚, very clear to cloudy
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 8
Caught:
Myself LMB (7) 12 – 19 “, pike 20”// Scott LMB (7) 10 – 18”
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
I got to bed at 2 am last night and I was up at 5 am to go fishing with Scott. I would not really describe it as going to bed; it was more like a nap. My plan for the day was to do some fishing and exploring down in the Stoddard area. This is the area where most of the qualifying pros for the final of the elite tournament fished. Stoddard really has a strong fishery and it is on account of all the habitat improvement that the Fish and Wildlife Service has done in this area.
The first cast of the day was made at 8 am and it was game on with the competition that Scott and I usually have going. We had some decent action today, with most of it coming from top water frog action. The pike did take their toll on my baits though; I lost at least two Spro Frogs and one swim jig to pike. Scott also lost some tackle to the toothed fish.
For most of the day Scott out fished me, he really shined on the frog bite and I really sucked at it. Then about the last hour things turned bright for me. We did some exploring and fished the new islands over in the Brownsville bottoms. This is where my fortunes got richer in the number of fish boated. We found a pretty good concentration of fish on the rocks with some water flow.
When the day was over I had bested Scott by two fish!
Observations:
The water is receding, but it is still very high. The clarity of the water in the Stoddard Bay is just incredible; the rest of the river that has any flow to it is still cloudy. The Stoddard area really has and incredible fishery. Today it was extremely hot and calm, my plastics that were in the tackle box had the consistency of cooked pasta.
6-30-2012 Sat (9:00AM – 2:00PM)
(9:00PM – 1:00AM)
Weather:
NW 6, sunny, 82˚, 29.85 steady
Calm, clear, 70 ˚, 29.88 rising
Water:
9.69 falling, 81.6 kcfs, 78 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Mississippi R. Pool 9
Caught:
LMB 3 – 12”, 17”, crappies and small bluegills////No bullfrogs
Partners:
myself/ myself, Jake and Mark Tupper
Comments:
I started out the morning looking for bass and pike on Lake Onalaska. I pretty much covered the whole thing and had very limited success. I just can’t understand where the bass and pike are on the lake, they almost seem to be non-existent. I did find some small bluegills and smallish crappies back in by Fishermen’s Road. I also caught some bluegills out on the islands.
The second half of the day was a bull frogging adventure with Jake and Mark Tupper. We were headed down to Battle Island Park and I was fearful of what the high water would do to our nocturnal adventure. It was not good, the high water had flooded most of the dry land and the frogs were tucked away safely in the trees and grass. We did hear some frogs, but we never did get any and Jake was the only one who actually saw a frog.
Observations:
The river is still very high and fast.
(9:00PM – 1:00AM)
Weather:
NW 6, sunny, 82˚, 29.85 steady
Calm, clear, 70 ˚, 29.88 rising
Water:
9.69 falling, 81.6 kcfs, 78 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Mississippi R. Pool 9
Caught:
LMB 3 – 12”, 17”, crappies and small bluegills////No bullfrogs
Partners:
myself/ myself, Jake and Mark Tupper
Comments:
I started out the morning looking for bass and pike on Lake Onalaska. I pretty much covered the whole thing and had very limited success. I just can’t understand where the bass and pike are on the lake, they almost seem to be non-existent. I did find some small bluegills and smallish crappies back in by Fishermen’s Road. I also caught some bluegills out on the islands.
The second half of the day was a bull frogging adventure with Jake and Mark Tupper. We were headed down to Battle Island Park and I was fearful of what the high water would do to our nocturnal adventure. It was not good, the high water had flooded most of the dry land and the frogs were tucked away safely in the trees and grass. We did hear some frogs, but we never did get any and Jake was the only one who actually saw a frog.
Observations:
The river is still very high and fast.
6-28-12 Thr
6-28-2012 Thr (7:30PM – 10:30PM)
Weather:
calm, clear, 70˚, 29.89 steady
Water:
9.74 falling, 82.3 kcfs, 76 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7 / Black River
Caught:
Crappies (too big and one 11” perch) for bait
Partners:
myself
Comments
This past weekend I was fishing on Round Lake near Trempealeau and we caught lots of small pan fish. I have wanted to get back to the Black river and fish for flat heads, so I trailered the boat and put in at Round Lake. Putting the boat in on Round Lake was no easy task on account of the high water. I had to back the truck way into the water in order to get to the slope of the landing and float the boat off of the trailer. I also had to take my shoes and socks off to accomplish this operation. My bare, unprotected feet have not had contact with the jagged edges of gravel for many years and it was quite uncomfortable. When I was a kid I use to pride myself in being able to run across a gravel road shoeless, but them days are long gone.
Bait catching in round lake was non-existent; in fact I never caught a fish. With very little daylight left I went into Shingle Creek and caught a few monster crappies and one very nice sized perch.
I fished two spots up the Black and never had a bite. I do not know if this was non account of the large bait I was using or the lack of interested fish. I just did not have much confidence in using ten and eleven inch crappies.
Observations:
Looks as if the river has crested and is starting to recede, the water in Round Lake and the Black River is pretty clear.
Weather:
calm, clear, 70˚, 29.89 steady
Water:
9.74 falling, 82.3 kcfs, 76 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7 / Black River
Caught:
Crappies (too big and one 11” perch) for bait
Partners:
myself
Comments
This past weekend I was fishing on Round Lake near Trempealeau and we caught lots of small pan fish. I have wanted to get back to the Black river and fish for flat heads, so I trailered the boat and put in at Round Lake. Putting the boat in on Round Lake was no easy task on account of the high water. I had to back the truck way into the water in order to get to the slope of the landing and float the boat off of the trailer. I also had to take my shoes and socks off to accomplish this operation. My bare, unprotected feet have not had contact with the jagged edges of gravel for many years and it was quite uncomfortable. When I was a kid I use to pride myself in being able to run across a gravel road shoeless, but them days are long gone.
Bait catching in round lake was non-existent; in fact I never caught a fish. With very little daylight left I went into Shingle Creek and caught a few monster crappies and one very nice sized perch.
I fished two spots up the Black and never had a bite. I do not know if this was non account of the large bait I was using or the lack of interested fish. I just did not have much confidence in using ten and eleven inch crappies.
Observations:
Looks as if the river has crested and is starting to recede, the water in Round Lake and the Black River is pretty clear.
6-26-12 Tue
6-26-2012 Tue (6:45PM – 10:30PM)
Weather:
SE 8, clear, 76˚, 29.85 falling
Water:
9.47 rising, 79 kcfs, 76 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills for bait, 14 Lb. flat head (Scott)
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
It was a cat fishing night with Scott tonight. We have not been fishing for flats for a few days, so we were due. We did not have any trouble catching our bait in the channel behind the house. We also tried the snags next to the firs hut out in the sloughs and caught a few there also. The first spot we tried was flat head alley and this is where Scott caught his flat head. The next stop of the night was just around the corner from popcorn. We only fished this area about fifteen minutes and never had a bite. Our final destination was buoy snag. We fished this until we both got fed up with all the weeds tangling our lines and playing havoc with our patience.
Observations:
The water is still going up, but it is getting close to its crest.
Weather:
SE 8, clear, 76˚, 29.85 falling
Water:
9.47 rising, 79 kcfs, 76 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills for bait, 14 Lb. flat head (Scott)
Partners:
myself and Scott
Comments:
It was a cat fishing night with Scott tonight. We have not been fishing for flats for a few days, so we were due. We did not have any trouble catching our bait in the channel behind the house. We also tried the snags next to the firs hut out in the sloughs and caught a few there also. The first spot we tried was flat head alley and this is where Scott caught his flat head. The next stop of the night was just around the corner from popcorn. We only fished this area about fifteen minutes and never had a bite. Our final destination was buoy snag. We fished this until we both got fed up with all the weeds tangling our lines and playing havoc with our patience.
Observations:
The water is still going up, but it is getting close to its crest.
6-25-12 Mon
6-25-2012 Mon (7:15PM – 9:15PM)
Weather:
NE 7 clear, 74˚, 30.06 falling
Water:
9.11 rising, 74.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills, crappies, LMB 10 & 14:” small walleyes
Partners:
myself
Comments:
Went back out to the islands again today to see what kind of mood the pan fish were in. They were still in the aggressive mood. Fished both the south and west islands and both had fish on them. I did not fish for pan fish on the west island, but I did fish with a senko and lost a real nice small mouth. There were also plenty of fish feeding on fish flies on this island.
Observations:
Water is still going up and it is very dirty!
Weather:
NE 7 clear, 74˚, 30.06 falling
Water:
9.11 rising, 74.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, dirty
Location:
Mississippi R. Pool 7
Caught:
Bluegills, crappies, LMB 10 & 14:” small walleyes
Partners:
myself
Comments:
Went back out to the islands again today to see what kind of mood the pan fish were in. They were still in the aggressive mood. Fished both the south and west islands and both had fish on them. I did not fish for pan fish on the west island, but I did fish with a senko and lost a real nice small mouth. There were also plenty of fish feeding on fish flies on this island.
Observations:
Water is still going up and it is very dirty!
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