5-26-13 Sun

5-26-2013 Sun 9:30 AM – 6:15PM

Weather:
(1155) SE 8, drizzle, 54 ˚, 30.23 falling
H2O:
11.27 rising, 80.1 kcfs, 58 ˚, clear in backwaters, dingy in main lake
Location:
Mississippi River pool 4
Caught:
Myself: 9 LMB 12 – 18”, 20 pike 12 – 25”
Scott: 9 LMB 15 – 17”, 23 pike 18 – 32”, 1 SMB 15”
Partners:
Scott

Comments:

It was a late season trip for me up to the big Waters of pool 4. Usually I do not get up this way after about the middle of May, but since it has been since a late spring I thought I would give it a go a little later in the season. Scott had not been up here on any of my previous trips this year, so he was definitely ready to get the line stretched by a pike or two.
The fishing was pretty good, we caught a lot of fish, but the size structure was smaller than I would have liked to have seen. The water was very high and flowing fast, but that did not seem to affect the aggressiveness of the quarry. Most of the fish seemed to prefer some current. Any of the points or other irregularities in the shoreline almost always seemed to have held a fish or two.
Fish were caught just about everywhere we tried, with the majority of the fish being pike. The standard spinner bait took top honors in catching the most fish. I did try a couple baits today that I will probably not be using again. They were a daredevil and a chatter bait. I just did not like the way that both baits had to be fished so slow. I did try one of my own baits that I had invented, which Scott quickly named the Jensen Jug Head. It basically is a modified swim bait that uses a Sassy Shad instead of a grub for the trailer. I had surprisingly good luck with this bait, and I will be using it more and modifying it more. I included a picture of Scott with one of his larger pike of the day and the damage it did to his hand as he was trying to get the hook out of its mouth.

Observations:

The water up here is very close to flood stage, with water over most of the low lying islands. The back water clarity was very good, but the main lake was quite turbid from all the wind. My red bud tree in the back yard has lost most of its flowers and is now starting to leaf out. The rhubarb is also starting to flower.