04-12-09 Pool Four Mississippi River - Big fish are coming in, at the end of the week I had two big fish trips, were anglers specifically wanted to catch –the BIG one-. Paul Donna, good angler and nice guy to spend the day with, picked up the specific casting presentation quickly, and we fished hard, we did manage a 28” 10.5 pound hog walleye. This fish fought very well and appeared at the back of the boat out of the dark water suddenly with just her jaws wide open and thrashing around like the shark in Jaws, lucky for us she didn’t throw the hook! I thought it was a big pike at first, as I just saw teeth and that big maw, but Paul said – huge walleye!! - The key on this fish was to watch the colored line, use this line as a bite indicator for much greater success than just feel.
The other big fish trip with two good pool 2 river anglers Eric Williams and his college friend Ben, did not pan out, we did work our spots well and cast hard and concentrated, but that is fishing, and wasn’t in the cards. I did have only a half-day to work with for this pair of fishing buddies and I will use that as my excuse! LOL. Saturday I had a trip with Brett Schutz and his fishing friend Richie, these good lake anglers wanted to learn more about the river and they definitely did, first hand by catching some fish. The best were saugers sized muy grande. We found two places with good numbers of fish, Brett didn’t want to keep any fish, and seeing as though they wanted to learn how to river fish, I kept moving anyway despite being on fish. I wanted to show them what I look for and teach how to fish river and find fishy places in high water. All day we discussed flow and current seams, this was a very nice trip.
In conclusion eater trips where anglers targeted good eating sized fish have had better success rates, as walleyes and saugers in the upper teens in length plus 20 inch saugers are biting well. The nice thing about going for numbers i.e. eater trips is big fish are caught as well with longtime guide customer Jim Green, now turned close friend catching a six pounder mid week, and a good buddy of mine caught a 10 pound plus walleye using a numbers or eater presentation that we both fish, so you can get big hogs while going for numbers. I do give casting the edge for hogs especially if they are shallow.
Best depths to fish are in the 6 to 14 foot range, but fish are tight to some banks in 2 feet of water...There is a nice early afternoon bite, so if the morning fish do not cooperate as much as you would like them too do not worry. 1/4 ounce jigs vertically fished or 1/8 to 1/4 jigs on the cast on Everts Resort ringworms (talk to Dean about recent colors, but firecracker chart. tail, chart. orange core, have been hot, hair jigs (green tail or black tail), blade baits, and plain hooked minnows are all catching fish. The weather is great and the birds are singing loudly in the morning, the water is clearing and it finally feels like spring has sprung. River stage in Red Wing is 8.5 and the flow is 50.0 kcfs.

Keep catchin'
Turk

www.croixsippi.com
Year round guide
5 walleye fishing tournament wins

bottom pounder we open at 6am 7days a week.close around 7pm.stop and say hello. IKE

Turk, arent those B-Fishing ringworms you mean, or does Everts have his own ringworms? How can you find bottom with a 1/4 oz jig with this current?

Turk Thank you so much for the great trip on the 11th. Anyone that is a newbie to the river I highly recommend going with Turk I learned so much. My first time to the river last year I didn't know what I was doing I caught a mud turtle, so that doens't really count as a fish. I think are total fish count Sat was 32 with 2 saugers at or over 20 inches, I just about [PoorWordUsage]#% my self I have never seen saugers so big. And just like Turk said we could have stayed in a couple of those spots and cleaned house but this trip was more about learning then catching, And I learned so much and after Turk took the time to bring me in to the tackle store so I could get hooked up with every thing I needed to at least have a shot and catching some fish on my own on the river. This weekend I get to play guide to some friends that are coiming down from up north to fish the river. So next weeked all post up how good I did on my own. And Turk I will defantly be sending you and E mail to set something up to fish for some Sturgeon on the St Croix and maybe some ski's to.

I believe Dean has his own now, they are called ringers, have a better tail also

Sam12345 It was kind of hard at first for me but mid way thru the trip I had it figured out, The best way for me to explain it is be one with the rod tip. It does a little tick when you hit the bottom and you realy have to watch for it.I never realy felt it like I would running lindy rigs on a lake and that was one of the BIG key factors for us is making sure at all times you know were bottom is. And once I got that figured out it was off to the races.

Was out Saturday 8AM to 7PM. Fishing was slow. Started down by Lake Pepin with only a couple of missed fish. Then we headed up towards Hay Creek. Caught a 19" walleye right when we got there. Not much after that execpt for white bass. Saw a 28"+ get caught though. Good weather, bad fishing. Ooh well. Hopefully be back down there one more time looking for the pig.

I too was out Saturday. 7 AM to 3 PM caught maybe 12 (mostly saugers). I was dead sticking a 3 way rod while anchored and pitching jigs (minnow or ringworm). Could not get a bite pitching but had a few on my dead stick so I threw out another 3 way and caught 2 or 3 every hour biggest was a 19" sauger.

Floating jig on the three way with a fathead.

Had my fill of that then tried some new spots vertical jigging with no luck.

Both B fish N and Everts are good products.

Well a 1/4 ounce jig will not hit bottom in all the winter fishing places. Get to the slower water under 12 fow and a 1/4 is no sweat.

hey you guys mentioned that there were white bass being caught too. are they hitting fast and hard too or are they slow?

I got down there this weekend on Sat and on Monday. Did pretty good. Electric batteries where drained somehow when I got there Sat. but managed with anchor and main motor. Got 30 for my boat on Sat. biggests were 20" sauger and a couple 18" male walleyes. Didn't get any female walleyes that day. Monday got another 15 but only fished morning hours. Pitch and retrieve (slow lift and drop of rod tip) in 9-12 FOW. Bright hair and minnow worked the best.

Thanks Ike for the real good fatheads, really meaty and lively. be back over in a couple of weeks

Ike,
Thanks for the info when I stopped in on Friday. We fished down by the covill park on Saturday. Caught one nice sauger, one dink sauger, and a dink walleye. Had some other bites but didn't get them. Did not see alot of fish being caught in the spot we were on.

Next time I stop in will you show me how you tie them hair jigs?

most of the big walleyes have spawned. there are alot of people stopping in and showing me limits of eater sauger and walleye mixed in. most sportsmen are practising c.p.r. ikes hair jigs tipped with a fathead minnow are still working best.for alot of action start at bay point and work your way up to the dam. ring worms are also working well the nice thing with ikes hair jigs is they work well with ring worms so you don't have to bye a bunch of fancy jigs. if you have any questions call or stop by the store. good luck IKE

These hair jigs must be the shiz-nit judging by how much you hear about them on this forum! I might have to head on down to your place and pick a few up for my next outing

Thanks for the report, I'm heading down there this Saturday.