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Pontoon is launching (maybe)


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OK I finally have a chance to get out and try the river, I asked this earlier, but have seen many low water reports. I want to get out on the river Thursday night. I have a 21 ft pontoon with a 60 hp on it. With the low water should I just stay between 169 and 35. Can I launch out of shakopee or should I go the launch by 35? I have never fished for Cats before and I might try to get a cheap set up tomorrow to try it out....any suggestions on a basic rig to give it a whirl.....or else I might just go for something else and get a feel for the river.....anyway main question is do I need to stay between 169 and 35 or can I launch out of shakopee and head down and still be OK.

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river is pretty low mate!!! people have been bottoming out if you hit the wrong part. would recommend launching out of 35 and heading up. Make sure you have a depth finder. You will run into areas less than a foot if you launch out of shakopee.

We need rain to raise the level.

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One bend down from Shakopee launch and you'll find 1 1/2' deep water from shore to shore, possibly less now.

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I concur with Hanson and LFC. I haven't been out of Shakopee for 2 weeks and there were a couple 2.5 foot maximums (shore to shore) at that time. By now you could easily be around a foot deep max here and there.

Sure it's nice and deep around all those bends, but getting to them is faily important, and getting back to the ramp is even MORE important smile.gif

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Only one way to find out. Let us know how it goes

Good luck.

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A pontoon went by in Shakopee on Saturday while I was fishing a catfish contest. We fished 'til 6 a.m. the next morning and the pontoon never passed by us again. Maybe they camped out on the river or something. Hope they didn't run into any trouble.

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flaco...it was my neighbor again...he camped out on the river saturday night.

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Quote:

flaco...it was my neighbor again...he camped out on the river saturday night.


Pontoon says M-T Bottles or something like that on the back of the pontoon?

Tell them they didn't need to come by us 4 times to finally turn around and beach on that sandbar. J/K! We couldn't figure out what they were doing... they came by us once, spun around right after they came by us, came back by us a couple hundred yards up river, spun around again started coming back downstream... finally ran that thing into shore. grin.gif

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Quote:

Pontoon says M-T Bottles or something like that on the back of the pontoon?


That was the one.

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I guess he was just confused. That looked like a nice cat rig.

Did he catch any big ones that night.

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Yep, that would be him!

Nope...no fish landed on that rig yet. He did have something take off on his walleye rod the other day...then it sssssnapped!

He went out yesterday and bought a true cattin rod and reel. You can expect to see alot more of him.

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