8-25-2012 Sat 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) W 3, light rain, 75˚, 29.98 rising
Water:
4.86 falling, 14.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 20 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Scot: 8 lbs., me: 3 lbs.
Partners:
Scot
Comments
It has been almost a week since I was last out, and I finally started to miss it. I have been so busy prepping for a possible bear hunt, that I have not thought much about fishing. I thought tonight was going to be a good night; we had light rain and no wind. The bluegills cooperated, but the flat heads did not. I really should not complain though, we did catch two and we probably missed another four bites. The fish just did not seem to be that aggressive.
Observations:
The river is turning a little greener every day, it is not bad but it is noticeable.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
8-19-2012 Sun PM
8-19-2012 Sun 4:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Weather:
(2053) N 3, a few clouds, 65˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 25 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Angie: 8 & 13 lbs., Jason: 18 & 40 lbs.
Partners:
Jason and Angie
Comments
I was guiding a young couple from Blair tonight that wanted to tangle with some flat heads. I headed out solo a couple of hours before the scheduled pick up time to catch bait. From my past experiences on this pool I figured it would be an easy chore and I would have an ample supply of bait in a short amount of time. Of course, that did not happen. I caught enough bait, but after the first hour I only had five bluegills in the boat, and I was getting nervous. But, eventually after some diligent searching I found a good number and all was well.
I picked Jason and his wife Angie up at the landing and off we went for a night of flat head fishing. We were on the water fishing by 6:30 pm, so we targeted deep scour holes behind some wing dams. I generally only give these spots about 30 minutes when it is light out and I move to the next hole. The action was non-existent in the first couple of spots, but finally just before dark we boated our first couple of flat heads out of a rather large scour hole.
After Angie caught her first fish, she was hooked. As soon as she saw or heard the indication of a fish on she was up and ready to pounce on the pole. Jason had to remind her several times that he was going to get his turns also.
The highlight of the night came when Jason hooked into a very large fish. He knew from the beginning of the battle that it was a good one and he was very excited to be playing this fish. Angie on the other hand wished that she was on the receiving end of the punishment this big fish was handing out to her husband. It took a while to get the fish boat side and get a glimpse of it, but once we did see it we were all impressed by its size. The fish registered 40.5 pounds on the scale. It was quite a fish and quite an accomplishment for Jason. This was Jason’s second flat head trip out with me and he was very ecstatic to have boated such an impressive fish. I was just as excited for him; it brings me a great sense of accomplishment when I see a smile on the faces of the people that fish out of my boat. I truly wish everybody I take out could catch such a fish. Thanks Jason and Angie I appreciated and enjoyed you company and I hope to see you again.
Observations:
The river below the Dresbach dam is in pretty good shape, it is fairly clear and there seems to be a good number of fish.
Weather:
(2053) N 3, a few clouds, 65˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
Bait 25 bluegills 5 – 7”, flat heads Angie: 8 & 13 lbs., Jason: 18 & 40 lbs.
Partners:
Jason and Angie
Comments
I was guiding a young couple from Blair tonight that wanted to tangle with some flat heads. I headed out solo a couple of hours before the scheduled pick up time to catch bait. From my past experiences on this pool I figured it would be an easy chore and I would have an ample supply of bait in a short amount of time. Of course, that did not happen. I caught enough bait, but after the first hour I only had five bluegills in the boat, and I was getting nervous. But, eventually after some diligent searching I found a good number and all was well.
I picked Jason and his wife Angie up at the landing and off we went for a night of flat head fishing. We were on the water fishing by 6:30 pm, so we targeted deep scour holes behind some wing dams. I generally only give these spots about 30 minutes when it is light out and I move to the next hole. The action was non-existent in the first couple of spots, but finally just before dark we boated our first couple of flat heads out of a rather large scour hole.
After Angie caught her first fish, she was hooked. As soon as she saw or heard the indication of a fish on she was up and ready to pounce on the pole. Jason had to remind her several times that he was going to get his turns also.
The highlight of the night came when Jason hooked into a very large fish. He knew from the beginning of the battle that it was a good one and he was very excited to be playing this fish. Angie on the other hand wished that she was on the receiving end of the punishment this big fish was handing out to her husband. It took a while to get the fish boat side and get a glimpse of it, but once we did see it we were all impressed by its size. The fish registered 40.5 pounds on the scale. It was quite a fish and quite an accomplishment for Jason. This was Jason’s second flat head trip out with me and he was very ecstatic to have boated such an impressive fish. I was just as excited for him; it brings me a great sense of accomplishment when I see a smile on the faces of the people that fish out of my boat. I truly wish everybody I take out could catch such a fish. Thanks Jason and Angie I appreciated and enjoyed you company and I hope to see you again.
Observations:
The river below the Dresbach dam is in pretty good shape, it is fairly clear and there seems to be a good number of fish.
8-19-2012 Sun AM
8-19-2012 Sun 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Weather:
NW 6, a few clouds, 68˚, 30.01 steady
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, nasty algae bloom
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 sloughs
Caught:
6 crappies 9 – 10”, 3 bluegills 6”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been crappie fishing for quite some time, and I was missing it. The first thing I noticed when I got into the back sloughs was the pea soup on top of the water. I am not an algae expert, but this nasty stuff had a blue green color to it. Definitely the type of stuff you want to keep you dog away from.
I tried several of my past favorite areas and except for one snag I never caught a crappie anywhere else. I did see several other crappie fishermen out, but from the looks of things they were having a minimal amount of luck also. I was using strictly artificial baits, but I think if I would have had some minnows I might have done a little better.
When I put in at the landing this morning there was an older lady fishing from shore, she had all here gear: poles, tackle box, fish basket, five gallon bucket, etc. I had to feel sorry for her, I know she came with an attitude to catch some fish, and perhaps have enough for a meal. I felt sorry for her because I pretty much knew except for maybe a small bass or perhaps a dinky bluegill or two, she was not going to catch too much. It was just the wrong time of the year for that area to produce any fish.
Observations:
The back channels were really quite disgusting today, we need some rain and increased water flows.
Weather:
NW 6, a few clouds, 68˚, 30.01 steady
Water:
4.89 steady, 15.6 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, nasty algae bloom
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 sloughs
Caught:
6 crappies 9 – 10”, 3 bluegills 6”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been crappie fishing for quite some time, and I was missing it. The first thing I noticed when I got into the back sloughs was the pea soup on top of the water. I am not an algae expert, but this nasty stuff had a blue green color to it. Definitely the type of stuff you want to keep you dog away from.
I tried several of my past favorite areas and except for one snag I never caught a crappie anywhere else. I did see several other crappie fishermen out, but from the looks of things they were having a minimal amount of luck also. I was using strictly artificial baits, but I think if I would have had some minnows I might have done a little better.
When I put in at the landing this morning there was an older lady fishing from shore, she had all here gear: poles, tackle box, fish basket, five gallon bucket, etc. I had to feel sorry for her, I know she came with an attitude to catch some fish, and perhaps have enough for a meal. I felt sorry for her because I pretty much knew except for maybe a small bass or perhaps a dinky bluegill or two, she was not going to catch too much. It was just the wrong time of the year for that area to produce any fish.
Observations:
The back channels were really quite disgusting today, we need some rain and increased water flows.
8-18-2012 Sat
8-18-2012 Sat 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Weather:
Calm, clear, 75˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
4.87 steady, 14.9 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 (Lake Onalaska)
Caught:
2 LMB – 12”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been on the lake in quite some time bass fishing, so it was time. I was very disappointed: The fishing sucked. I caught two small bass right at the beginning, and after that I never had a single bite. I fished the weeds out by the man-made islands, the dredge holes, and the area near the airport lights, Somners drops and Somners itself. The water and the lake itself just seem void of any fish activity.
Observations:
The lake is very choked up with celery grass. It is also very clear in some areas, and I found out there is a fairly good number of stumps between the eastern man-made island and Ashley Point. It was quite incredible; I could easily see the bottom in four feet of water.
Weather:
Calm, clear, 75˚, 29.95 falling
Water:
4.87 steady, 14.9 kcfs, 72 - 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7 (Lake Onalaska)
Caught:
2 LMB – 12”
Partners:
None
Comments
I have not been on the lake in quite some time bass fishing, so it was time. I was very disappointed: The fishing sucked. I caught two small bass right at the beginning, and after that I never had a single bite. I fished the weeds out by the man-made islands, the dredge holes, and the area near the airport lights, Somners drops and Somners itself. The water and the lake itself just seem void of any fish activity.
Observations:
The lake is very choked up with celery grass. It is also very clear in some areas, and I found out there is a fairly good number of stumps between the eastern man-made island and Ashley Point. It was quite incredible; I could easily see the bottom in four feet of water.
8-17-2012 Fri
8-17-2012 Fri 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) Calm, clear, 60˚, 30.03 steady
Water:
4.87 steady, 7.85kcfs, 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills, crappies and perch
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I had not been out fishing together for several weeks so it was time. We were targeting flat heads, so the first order of business is always a well-stocked live well. It took a couple of hours to catch our supply of bait, but at least we had plenty.
Tonight we targeted mostly scour holes on or adjacent to the main channel. We hit four spots and only had one fish on. We did have some other bites, but the bites were rather meek. We also talked to another fellow flat head fisherman and he also had a slow night, and he stated they have not caught and decent size fish in a while.
Observations:
Most of the bait came from the Hammond Chute area. The river flow is very low right now and it almost makes anchoring difficult. If I ever have to fish in a south wind, I don’t think it will be possible. The rice has really taken off and it is pollinating.
Weather:
(2053) Calm, clear, 60˚, 30.03 steady
Water:
4.87 steady, 7.85kcfs, 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
Bait – bluegills, crappies and perch
Partners:
Scott
Comments
Scott and I had not been out fishing together for several weeks so it was time. We were targeting flat heads, so the first order of business is always a well-stocked live well. It took a couple of hours to catch our supply of bait, but at least we had plenty.
Tonight we targeted mostly scour holes on or adjacent to the main channel. We hit four spots and only had one fish on. We did have some other bites, but the bites were rather meek. We also talked to another fellow flat head fisherman and he also had a slow night, and he stated they have not caught and decent size fish in a while.
Observations:
Most of the bait came from the Hammond Chute area. The river flow is very low right now and it almost makes anchoring difficult. If I ever have to fish in a south wind, I don’t think it will be possible. The rice has really taken off and it is pollinating.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
8-13-12 Mon
8-13-2012 Sun 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) NW 6, clear, 67˚, 29.94 rising
Water:
4.81 rising, 6.04kcfs, 74 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 20) 6 – 8”, Drew – flatheads 8, 11 & 15 lbs, channel cat 3 lbs.
Partners:
Jay and Drew
Comments
Yesterday I had a flat head fishing trip with Jay and his son Drew. Drew has caught quite a few fish in his short career, but he told his dad he really wanted to catch a catfish. Drew was not your typical boy that was headed to the big leagues of the first grade. He had patience, and he was very intent on watching the poles for the signal of a bite. He quickly learned that a little pole dancing was probably the frantic actions of the bait (bluegill) and not the bite of the flat head.
Drew with a little help from his dad was able to land one channel cat and three flat heads that weighed 8, 11 & 15 lbs. It was quite an accomplishment for such a young angler! We did have a moment of intense excitement when we had three fish at once, but unfortunately only two made it to the boat. It is always a rewarding experience for me when young anglers are successful and have a good time.
Thanks Drew and Jay, I hope you enjoyed the evening as much as I did.
Even with the low flows I am still getting some of the fish in the back sloughs, but most are coming from main channel areas.
Observations:
That water is still quite stagnant. I did notice quite a lot of surface activity out in the main channel just before dark.
8-12-12 Sun
8-12-2012 Sun 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) calm, light rain, 62˚, 29.99 steady
Water:
4.77 rising, 5.06 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 20) 6 – 8”, Garret – 15, 43 flat heads, Ramsey – 23, 8 & 10 lbs.
Partners:
Eric and his sons Garret and Ramsey
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing trip with Eric and his twin boys Ramsey and Garret. Eric had submitted the winning bid on a silent auction for a fishing trip I had donated at this springs NASA banquet and the boys had decided they wanted to fish for flat heads. It was a good choice!
The boys were very good fishermen and the combined weight of the fish they caught were 99 lbs. with five fish. I can still see one particular instance when one of the boys picked up the rod, pulled on the fish and the fish pulled back. The rod and reel and the son were almost pulled in the water with the fish. If dad wasn’t there to hold him the fish might have won that battle. The individual weights of the fish were 8, 10, 15, 23 and 43 lbs. The 43 pound fish is the largest for the year, congratulations Garret!
It was a good night of fishing with some very good and amusing company. They had told me a story about one of their friends who had stuck his hand down a catfish’s mouth to retrieve a bluegill that the fish had eaten. The problem was his arm got stuck in the fish’s mouth and he could not pull it out. The boys quickly came up with the idea to put a water hose down its mouth to force the hand and arm out of its mouth. It worked, it not only dislodged the arm, but it blew the fish up and with the water pressure the intestines also came out! The boys are enthusiastic fishermen and have many more years of on the water fun to look forward to.
Observations:
The flow is very low, it almost makes anchoring impossible. It would really be a challenge to have to anchor with a south wind; in fact I don’t think it could be done.
Weather:
(2053) calm, light rain, 62˚, 29.99 steady
Water:
4.77 rising, 5.06 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 20) 6 – 8”, Garret – 15, 43 flat heads, Ramsey – 23, 8 & 10 lbs.
Partners:
Eric and his sons Garret and Ramsey
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing trip with Eric and his twin boys Ramsey and Garret. Eric had submitted the winning bid on a silent auction for a fishing trip I had donated at this springs NASA banquet and the boys had decided they wanted to fish for flat heads. It was a good choice!
The boys were very good fishermen and the combined weight of the fish they caught were 99 lbs. with five fish. I can still see one particular instance when one of the boys picked up the rod, pulled on the fish and the fish pulled back. The rod and reel and the son were almost pulled in the water with the fish. If dad wasn’t there to hold him the fish might have won that battle. The individual weights of the fish were 8, 10, 15, 23 and 43 lbs. The 43 pound fish is the largest for the year, congratulations Garret!
It was a good night of fishing with some very good and amusing company. They had told me a story about one of their friends who had stuck his hand down a catfish’s mouth to retrieve a bluegill that the fish had eaten. The problem was his arm got stuck in the fish’s mouth and he could not pull it out. The boys quickly came up with the idea to put a water hose down its mouth to force the hand and arm out of its mouth. It worked, it not only dislodged the arm, but it blew the fish up and with the water pressure the intestines also came out! The boys are enthusiastic fishermen and have many more years of on the water fun to look forward to.
Observations:
The flow is very low, it almost makes anchoring impossible. It would really be a challenge to have to anchor with a south wind; in fact I don’t think it could be done.
8-11-12 Sat
8-11-2012 Sat 5:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) calm, clear, 67˚, 30.00 steady
Water:
4.72 rising, 4.05 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river mid - pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, me 15 lb. flat head, Tupper – zilch
Partners:
Tupper
Comments:
I wanted to do some exploring down on the mid-section of pool 8, and I had Tupper for company. I really should have known better than to fish this section during the summer on a Saturday during a beautiful summer day. It was total chaos on the main channel. There were tuna boats, pontoons, little flats, houseboats, tubers, etc. The city seems to put a stop and go on almost every corner, maybe they should start installing them on the main channel.
Fishing was not very successful. We caught our bait, but they came with some difficulty. And, we only caught one flat head and I think we missed one other. We tried mostly main channel and side channel areas that had wood.
Observations:
I will definitely avoid the main channel areas south of La Crosse during the summer weekends.
Weather:
(2053) calm, clear, 67˚, 30.00 steady
Water:
4.72 rising, 4.05 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river mid - pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, me 15 lb. flat head, Tupper – zilch
Partners:
Tupper
Comments:
I wanted to do some exploring down on the mid-section of pool 8, and I had Tupper for company. I really should have known better than to fish this section during the summer on a Saturday during a beautiful summer day. It was total chaos on the main channel. There were tuna boats, pontoons, little flats, houseboats, tubers, etc. The city seems to put a stop and go on almost every corner, maybe they should start installing them on the main channel.
Fishing was not very successful. We caught our bait, but they came with some difficulty. And, we only caught one flat head and I think we missed one other. We tried mostly main channel and side channel areas that had wood.
Observations:
I will definitely avoid the main channel areas south of La Crosse during the summer weekends.
8-10-12 Fri
8-10-2012 Fri 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Weather:
(2053) N 7, clear, 65˚, 30.04 rising
Water:
4.67 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, I forgot the details, but we had 7 or 8 fish with Rob having a 21 lb. flat and myself I had one that was 38 lbs.
Partners:
Rob
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing adventure with Rob, and it turned out to be a very good night. Rob is a co-worker with Karen and quite an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He has been bugging Karen to have me take him out fishing, so tonight was the night. I met Rob for the very first time at the boat landing and I did not know what to expect. Rob, after all is an IT person, and I had the image that they all drink diet Dew and play X Box in their spare time. I found Rob to be just the opposite, plus he was a very good angler. We targeted both side channel areas and main channel areas with success. Some of the fish hit rather aggressively and some did not. The biggest fish of the night (38 lbs.) slammed the bluegill and ran. Unfortunately, I was the one who caught it and not Rob. He had caught the first two or three fish and he said it was my turn and it happened to be the best fish of the night. Rob, however did catch more than I, and he had a very respectable 21 lb. flat head and a 12 lb. channel cat.
We should be seeing a good fishing pattern for the next couple of months, the water is cooling and the amount of anglers on the water is starting to decrease. My theory of about every sixth flat head being over thirty pounds held true last night. Live bluegills and cut bait were both utilized with success. We ended the night with seven or eight fish being boated, which consisted of two channel cats and the rest flat heads. All fish were release to be caught again. I am sure I will be out fishing with Rob again sometime in the future.
Observations:
The fishing around the La Crosse area seems to be much better than the Onalaska pool.
Weather:
(2053) N 7, clear, 65˚, 30.04 rising
Water:
4.67 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8
Caught:
bluegills (20) 4 – 8”, I forgot the details, but we had 7 or 8 fish with Rob having a 21 lb. flat and myself I had one that was 38 lbs.
Partners:
Rob
Comments
Last night was a flat head fishing adventure with Rob, and it turned out to be a very good night. Rob is a co-worker with Karen and quite an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He has been bugging Karen to have me take him out fishing, so tonight was the night. I met Rob for the very first time at the boat landing and I did not know what to expect. Rob, after all is an IT person, and I had the image that they all drink diet Dew and play X Box in their spare time. I found Rob to be just the opposite, plus he was a very good angler. We targeted both side channel areas and main channel areas with success. Some of the fish hit rather aggressively and some did not. The biggest fish of the night (38 lbs.) slammed the bluegill and ran. Unfortunately, I was the one who caught it and not Rob. He had caught the first two or three fish and he said it was my turn and it happened to be the best fish of the night. Rob, however did catch more than I, and he had a very respectable 21 lb. flat head and a 12 lb. channel cat.
We should be seeing a good fishing pattern for the next couple of months, the water is cooling and the amount of anglers on the water is starting to decrease. My theory of about every sixth flat head being over thirty pounds held true last night. Live bluegills and cut bait were both utilized with success. We ended the night with seven or eight fish being boated, which consisted of two channel cats and the rest flat heads. All fish were release to be caught again. I am sure I will be out fishing with Rob again sometime in the future.
Observations:
The fishing around the La Crosse area seems to be much better than the Onalaska pool.
8-9-12 Thr
8-9-2012 Thr 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Weather:
(2053) N 8, mostly cloudy, 61˚, 30.00 rising
Water:
4.65 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (4) 4 – 6”, flat head 7 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
It was a short trip tonight out to Somners Chute. I caught one right away directly below the wing dam and then I never had another bite. Catching bait was once again a challenge. In fact I only caught four and after I caught the first flat head I made him give it back and it went back into the live well.
Observations:
It is the typical late summer pattern, low flows and inactive fish.
Weather:
(2053) N 8, mostly cloudy, 61˚, 30.00 rising
Water:
4.65 steady, -.99 kcfs? 72 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (4) 4 – 6”, flat head 7 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
It was a short trip tonight out to Somners Chute. I caught one right away directly below the wing dam and then I never had another bite. Catching bait was once again a challenge. In fact I only caught four and after I caught the first flat head I made him give it back and it went back into the live well.
Observations:
It is the typical late summer pattern, low flows and inactive fish.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
8-7-12 Tue
8-7-2012 Tue 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) N 6, clear, 72˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.68 falling, -.99 kcfs? 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 15) 6 – 8”, channel cat 8 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
Tonight I was planning to figure out where all the bluegills have gone to. I did not accomplish that goal, but at least I did find a decent number of them. I once again targeted rock areas along the main channel, but this time I used a little bit of a different technique. I was not using a light jig with a piece of crawler; I was using a drop shot rig with a piece of crawler. I was actually fishing deeper with this set up and therefore I think more effective. I am thinking the bluegills were more in the four to six foot depths versus the one to three foot depths.
Anyway, I caught my bait and was set up before dark. My location was Somners Chute, which is usually quite good, except for this year. Once again it did not produce, I caught the one channel cat and miss one other, but that was it. I tried three spots in a very short time period. I am now starting to doubt my theory about moving around and hitting multiple spots in an evening.
When I got back to the landing I talked to a fellow cat fishermen (Adam), and he did not have much luck either. He also has experienced a hard time catching bluegills and he has not fared much better with the flat heads.
Observations:
The water is low and the vegetation is thick. It was a little cooler tonight and the mosquitoes did not seem so plentiful.
Weather:
(2053) N 6, clear, 72˚, 29.97 rising
Water:
4.68 falling, -.99 kcfs? 82 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 15) 6 – 8”, channel cat 8 lb.
Partners:
None
Comments
Tonight I was planning to figure out where all the bluegills have gone to. I did not accomplish that goal, but at least I did find a decent number of them. I once again targeted rock areas along the main channel, but this time I used a little bit of a different technique. I was not using a light jig with a piece of crawler; I was using a drop shot rig with a piece of crawler. I was actually fishing deeper with this set up and therefore I think more effective. I am thinking the bluegills were more in the four to six foot depths versus the one to three foot depths.
Anyway, I caught my bait and was set up before dark. My location was Somners Chute, which is usually quite good, except for this year. Once again it did not produce, I caught the one channel cat and miss one other, but that was it. I tried three spots in a very short time period. I am now starting to doubt my theory about moving around and hitting multiple spots in an evening.
When I got back to the landing I talked to a fellow cat fishermen (Adam), and he did not have much luck either. He also has experienced a hard time catching bluegills and he has not fared much better with the flat heads.
Observations:
The water is low and the vegetation is thick. It was a little cooler tonight and the mosquitoes did not seem so plentiful.
8-6-12 Mon
8-6-2012 Mon 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Weather:
(2053) E 5, clear, 73˚, 29.98 falling
Water:
4.8 falling, 5.78 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8, Dresbach Dam area
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 25) 6 – 8”, 4 – 6 small, small mouth bass
Partners:
None
Comments
I wanted to try a different area tonight, so I took the boat to work and headed to the Dresbach Dam area at quitting time. I wanted to quickly catch some bluegills for bait, do some scouting and then fish for flat heads in the tail water areas. The bluegills were very easy to come by, just about every place that had rocks had bluegills. The best place I found for the larger bluegills was south of the railroad bridge on the Minnesota side in front of the exposed wing dams.
It was in this area that I had a very lengthy battle and a very captive audience with a creature of unknown genus and size. I was using an ultra-light rod and reel and eight pound Power Pro line. With my light set up I acted like a defensive fighter in the corner; being very cautious, taking some hits, but staying in the match. From start to finish I probably battled the fish for twenty minutes and accumulated an audience of a half dozen shoreline residents.
Eventually I gained some ground and started to see the water boil from time to time when the beast got irritated with me trying to bring it to the surface. It would quickly plunge back to the safety of the depths. Eventually the fish that I thought, and hoped to be a large flat head turned out to be a very large carp. I estimated its size between twenty and twenty – five pounds. Once I saw what it was I got a little disappointed and became the aggressive boxer. I was not playing anymore rope a dope; no I was going to put this monstrous foreign invader on the carpet of my boat. Unfortunately I got careless and grabbed the line, and the fish seized my moment of weakness and delivered a knockout punch that straightened my hook from its mouth!
Observations:
The water level is quite low here with plenty of rocky shoreline exposed. The bluegills seem to be everywhere; unfortunately the flat head were not.
Weather:
(2053) E 5, clear, 73˚, 29.98 falling
Water:
4.8 falling, 5.78 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 8, Dresbach Dam area
Caught:
bluegills (approx. 25) 6 – 8”, 4 – 6 small, small mouth bass
Partners:
None
Comments
I wanted to try a different area tonight, so I took the boat to work and headed to the Dresbach Dam area at quitting time. I wanted to quickly catch some bluegills for bait, do some scouting and then fish for flat heads in the tail water areas. The bluegills were very easy to come by, just about every place that had rocks had bluegills. The best place I found for the larger bluegills was south of the railroad bridge on the Minnesota side in front of the exposed wing dams.
It was in this area that I had a very lengthy battle and a very captive audience with a creature of unknown genus and size. I was using an ultra-light rod and reel and eight pound Power Pro line. With my light set up I acted like a defensive fighter in the corner; being very cautious, taking some hits, but staying in the match. From start to finish I probably battled the fish for twenty minutes and accumulated an audience of a half dozen shoreline residents.
Eventually I gained some ground and started to see the water boil from time to time when the beast got irritated with me trying to bring it to the surface. It would quickly plunge back to the safety of the depths. Eventually the fish that I thought, and hoped to be a large flat head turned out to be a very large carp. I estimated its size between twenty and twenty – five pounds. Once I saw what it was I got a little disappointed and became the aggressive boxer. I was not playing anymore rope a dope; no I was going to put this monstrous foreign invader on the carpet of my boat. Unfortunately I got careless and grabbed the line, and the fish seized my moment of weakness and delivered a knockout punch that straightened my hook from its mouth!
Observations:
The water level is quite low here with plenty of rocky shoreline exposed. The bluegills seem to be everywhere; unfortunately the flat head were not.
8-5-12 Sun
8-5-2012 Sun 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Weather:
(2053) W 5, clear, 68˚, 30.12 rising
Water:
5.03 falling, 15 kcfs, 78 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7, Big Marsh
Caught:
Perch (approx. 10) 8 – 10”, bluegills (approx. 6) 6 – 8”, LMB (2) 15 & 16”
Partners:
None
Comments
The pan fish bite on this pool has me scratching my head, so tonight I headed north up to the Big Marsh area to see if they were hiding there. It did not take me too long to figure out this was not their hideout. I caught some smaller perch and a few bluegills, but it was pretty slow. I was definitely surprised with the lack of pan fish in this usually productive area.
After I had my fill of attempting to catch pan fish, I decided to go for bass in the slop. I did have some limited action and I did manage to boat two decent fish. I made my way almost up to Round Lake. There was a small path that had been carved through all the vegetation that was clear enough for me to run. I did have one boater that thoroughly pissed me off. I thought this jerk had some balls, but it was more than likely that he had no brains. The guy was a total jerk! I was fishing slop on the starboard side of my boat and to my port was the open channel, now any normal considerate person would have gone around me on the open channel side. But not this dumb ass, he had a surface drive motor and he deliberately wanted to piss me off and show that he could be an idiot and run through the slop that I was fishing.
Observations:
The Big Marsh area has an ample amount of vegetation, but no- where near what I have seen in some past years.
Weather:
(2053) W 5, clear, 68˚, 30.12 rising
Water:
5.03 falling, 15 kcfs, 78 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7, Big Marsh
Caught:
Perch (approx. 10) 8 – 10”, bluegills (approx. 6) 6 – 8”, LMB (2) 15 & 16”
Partners:
None
Comments
The pan fish bite on this pool has me scratching my head, so tonight I headed north up to the Big Marsh area to see if they were hiding there. It did not take me too long to figure out this was not their hideout. I caught some smaller perch and a few bluegills, but it was pretty slow. I was definitely surprised with the lack of pan fish in this usually productive area.
After I had my fill of attempting to catch pan fish, I decided to go for bass in the slop. I did have some limited action and I did manage to boat two decent fish. I made my way almost up to Round Lake. There was a small path that had been carved through all the vegetation that was clear enough for me to run. I did have one boater that thoroughly pissed me off. I thought this jerk had some balls, but it was more than likely that he had no brains. The guy was a total jerk! I was fishing slop on the starboard side of my boat and to my port was the open channel, now any normal considerate person would have gone around me on the open channel side. But not this dumb ass, he had a surface drive motor and he deliberately wanted to piss me off and show that he could be an idiot and run through the slop that I was fishing.
Observations:
The Big Marsh area has an ample amount of vegetation, but no- where near what I have seen in some past years.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
8-4-12 Sat
8-4-12 Sat
Weather: W9, clear, 74 ˚, 29.89 rising
Water:
5.14 falling, 20.7 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB 17”, SMB 2-12”, 14, 15, 17” and tons of little bait stealers, Flat head 7 lb., 10 bluegills.
Partners:
none
Comments
I had just got back from our weekly vacation on the Chippewa Flowage in Hayward; I was unpacked, bored and ready to once again fish the river. Tonight I was after flat heads, so the first order of business was to catch some lively bluegills for bait. Surprisingly I never found any large concentrations of them, I found some here and there, and caught an ample supply but I had to work for them. The little pesky bait stealing small mouths were not hard to find though. I did hook up on a nice 17 inch largemouth and some decent small mouths on my 32nd ounce jig and piece of crawler.
I flathead fished three spot in about an hour and a half, and caught one seven pounder. I was more or less out looking to see which areas the fish were or were not in.
It is truly amazing how fast the conditions on the river change. In just a short week the rice has really taken off and the upper end of the lake is almost entirely covered in celery grass. And if I was a betting man I would have to say the bluegills are more than likely hanging out on the wing dams.
Observations:
The weed growth had exploded. The upper end of the lake is full of celery grass and the wild rice has really taken off. Duck weed also seems to be very abundant. The water clarity is very good.
Weather: W9, clear, 74 ˚, 29.89 rising
Water:
5.14 falling, 20.7 kcfs, 79 ˚, clear
Location:
Mississippi river pool 7
Caught:
LMB 17”, SMB 2-12”, 14, 15, 17” and tons of little bait stealers, Flat head 7 lb., 10 bluegills.
Partners:
none
Comments
I had just got back from our weekly vacation on the Chippewa Flowage in Hayward; I was unpacked, bored and ready to once again fish the river. Tonight I was after flat heads, so the first order of business was to catch some lively bluegills for bait. Surprisingly I never found any large concentrations of them, I found some here and there, and caught an ample supply but I had to work for them. The little pesky bait stealing small mouths were not hard to find though. I did hook up on a nice 17 inch largemouth and some decent small mouths on my 32nd ounce jig and piece of crawler.
I flathead fished three spot in about an hour and a half, and caught one seven pounder. I was more or less out looking to see which areas the fish were or were not in.
It is truly amazing how fast the conditions on the river change. In just a short week the rice has really taken off and the upper end of the lake is almost entirely covered in celery grass. And if I was a betting man I would have to say the bluegills are more than likely hanging out on the wing dams.
Observations:
The weed growth had exploded. The upper end of the lake is full of celery grass and the wild rice has really taken off. Duck weed also seems to be very abundant. The water clarity is very good.
7-27 thru 8-3-2012 Chippewa Flowage
7-27 thru 8-3-2012
Weather:
Beautiful, highs in the 80’s, sunny and light winds
Water:
clear, definite lack of weeds, 78 – 83 ˚
Location:
Chippewa Flowage, Sawyer County
Caught:
Muskie 36”, LMB 10 – 18”, walleyes 10 – 17”, SMB 10 – 16”, crapped 9”, bluegills 6 – 7”.
Partners:
Dwayne on day
Comments
I got back yesterday from our annual vacation on the Chip. We stayed on the west side at Treeland's Resort, which is a first class place. In general fishing was fairly good. I never do fantastic on this body of water, but I do catch fish. I believe my problem is I am a river fisherman; I have to have moving water. On Sunday I caught a 36" muskie on a Top Raider and on Monday I missed one on a Pacemaker, which I was aggressively jerking trying in vain to get the back prop to turn, when the fish hit. That was all the musky action I had for the week. Sunday we went out with a guide (Walleye Max), the main species we were targeting were walleyes. Fishing was ok, we did catch two walleyes that were above fifteen inches, but the majority of the walleye we caught were very small. We also caught a few decent smallmouths. The main areas we targeted were woody humps. I opted for a guide to help us out on the walleye fishing, and explain what to look for on their locations. If you do not know the water and how to fish it a guide trip is money well spent. I never targeted walleyes again on the trip; I myself believe their numbers are low. I never heard much about anybody else catching them. I would have to give a thumbs up to Walleye Max, he tried his damndest to get us on fish, and he did not even mind that my brother in law marked the spots with his GPS! I never fished for pan fish, just did not tickle my fancy, I am an active fisherman and like to be on the move constantly casting. Other guests at the lodge were doing quite well on crappies, the bait of choice was a minnow suspended below a bobber in areas with suspended fish. The last couple days I pared back on the musky fishing and fished for bass and pike. I found nice ones on the west side with bass up to 18" and pike up to 32". The best baits were swim jigs and spinner baits. Early morning and late evening were best for me, this lake gets a ton of fishing pressure and the recreation boaters come out in force once the temps warm. We once again had a great time, with plenty of fishing time for me and tubing, skiing and wake boarding time for the kids.
Observations:
The weed growth is definitely down this year, walleyes seem to be low in numbers, once again small mouths dominate the east side and largemouths dominate the west side.
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