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Water Levels


BigMike

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The water continues to come up with recent rains. Since September 6th the river has risen 1.5 feet to it's highest levels since opener. The current discharge/flow is at 6110 cubic ft/second and topped at just over 7000 yesterday. To give you a since of how fast the water is moving, the max flow is marked at 8800 and the mean flow at 4600.

Check it out: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mn/nwis/uv/?site_no=05270700&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

This last weekend was a prime example of slow fishing with rising/cloudy waters. The river really needed this rain heading into fall/winter, but it sure has put a damper on fishing.

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

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Actually Mike the fishing is not bad now. Just got to find the right place and right time. tongue.gif I think we were out too early on Saturday. It started picking up around noon and they were biting really good yesterday evening. The water was the highest it's been since the opener. Lots of new water to cover.

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Well up here the water is really murky. Up close to 3 feet so the rocks are gone. It was this high in May. Last night Steve and I got out from 5:30 till 7. Landed 8 smallies and a nice northern. 17 inches was the biggest. Tonight I did the same time frame and landed 9 with 3 at 17 inches. 6 on plastics and 3 on mepps. Same holes and switched rods to see what was up. Started each spot with the mepps and then went to the plastics. Just a bit clearer than yesturday plus sunshine. Yesturday the mepps did better. 2 or 3 mellow days and I think it should get pretty good again. I gotta get back into a tree soon. I was gonna go tonight but the temp really shot up. I forgot the camera tonight so I figured Mrs. pig would show up but nope. Oh well, got home popped a cold one and cooked a deer sausage over the fire in the back yard. Gotta love the fall!

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HT - I think you are right about the afternoon bite. On the last few outings we've had we've caught a few throughout the morning (some hawgs at that...) but the action only started to really heat up after 12pm - especially with sunny skies.

It looks like the rain is subsiding a little - a couple more showers throughout the week at most (hopefully) and sunny the other times. Saturday might be a good day after all - if I don't get washed down river trying to wade wink.gif

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[This message has been edited by BigMike (edited 09-22-2004).]

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EG - do you live on the river or something! To have the time in the evenings like you do - maybe I just need to live up that direction. Sounds like you've had a few good evenings up there. On Saturday - HT & I only caught about 8 a piece from 7-1pm.

Great more rain! It's pouring here right now. At this rate - I'll be doing more swimming than wading on Saturday. LOL.

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

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Mike,

If you want to stop by Saturday morning, my daugher has an inflatable pink floatie with a flamingo head on it. She's not using it at the moment and I do believe you'd cut a rather dashing figure fishing it it! smile.gif

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That sounds like a great rig for BM! grin.gif I live about 5 minutes from the river so it's pretty easy for me to get there for a couple hours now and then. It's pretty much like living on the river. It rained like crazy again here so you'll probably want to be in a boat. Or maybe some stilts in your waders!!

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EG......what part, (general suffices), do u live? Just curious...I'm a river dweller as well......(otsego stretch)
Just curious???????

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Fellas - what can I say, I'm speechless grin.gif First, I'd like to thank everyone that made this opportunity possible. It is a great honor and priviledge - being the winner of the pink flamingo floatie has been a lifelong aspiration of mine and now that it's mine... grin.gif

You guys are hilarious! Pink will accent the nice 20+ incher I'll be holding up this Saturday while I'm floating down river! Hopefully I won't puncture it with my buzzbait.

Hopefully the river settles between tonight and Saturday! Fat chance, but again - a day fishing is better than the alternative...

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Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[This message has been edited by BigMike (edited 09-23-2004).]

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Wow, LOL now I really know that Eyeguy has WAY too much time on his hands! I'm definitely feeling the love! Since he is so good with photo editing - I'm starting to wonder if his pictures of 19'' smallies are really accurate or if they have been doctored up wink.gif.

As for cheating - it's not a crime - although there may be consequences of doing it (ie, school, etc.). Now if you are asking about the moral consequences of cheating...

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heehee, now you got me thinking BM! Here is what we are all after!! Godzillasmally! Known to travel in the waters of the mighty Mississippi!! grin.gif
47b4d705b3127cceb76d4345b8f10000001610


[This message has been edited by eyeguy54 (edited 09-24-2004).]

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EG - now that is more like it grin.gif LOL!!!!!!!!!! You guys always cracking me up!!! Godzillasmallie... It's all in the way you hold'em. That monster really was only a 14incher but I propped it up on a stick and stood back 20 feet or so - nice trick!

If I didn't know any better that looks like a carp painted like a smallie... LOL. I'll be out there wading somewhere on the 'sippi - just look for the flamingos smile.gif. Although I probably shouldn't bring the flamingos - might get shot at by duck hunters!

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It's actually the fish that hawgtide was holding. It got kinda fuzzy when I made it big. Rookie here at this photo editing. Good luck this weekend!!

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Mike,

Don't worry about the duck hunters in the pink floatie. Worry about the serpent that is reported to dwell in that section of the river. You're going to look like the world's largest surface bait!!!! Either that or you may get a ticket for indecent exposure.

By the way, my daughter wants to know if you also want to use her pink flippers.

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Well - I think I might have done better today if I had used the flamingo floatie wink.gif. I packed the waders and headed to the 'sippi around Becker and only caught 2 fish (8 & 12'')! The water is REALLY high and I wasn't able to make it to some of the spots that I wanted to hit because of the high water, plus it was hard to navigate in the 2-3ft water because you couldn't see the bottom it was so murky - I ended up with a couple good dings on the chins thanks to the chocolate milk! I tried it all, topwater, cranks, plastics... This week as the water starts to come down and clear up the smallies will start up again!

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It sure was slower BM. I was going to head to a tree stand but wrong wind direction so I git the river from 3:30 till 7. 4 northerns and 3 smallies by 6 then it got better. 7 more smallies with the last one at 18 1/2 inches. I could not get a thing today on the plastics. Got all smallies and 2 northerns on mepps and the other 2 northers on big jointed silver rapala. Had 2 spit me or I would have hit a dozen. The water keeps going up, up, up! All but 2 of the smallies came from small eddys by really fast water so the battles we excellent! Got a load of deer cheesebrats and polish from the locker today so it's time to do some grilling!!

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Heck ya that water is fast!

I made it out with my buddy Rob yesterday and it was slow but still a good day. Right off that bat I got a 20" (with bashed in upper lip)and Rob got a 16.5" on a double header. No Camera though as I don't have one and my other buddy took his digi for the duck opener. Believe me if you want to.

Any ways they were next to shore against a push that had a bunch of timber piled up. Good ol jig n grub.

Then nothing for hours for me. Rob picked up one here one there around the 15-16" range and some small ones.
I got 1 @ 16" and 2 more little guys before dusk.

So for me, 4 fish in 7 hours. Rob got 6-7 fish. Everything on the jig n grub and not one blow up on the buzz or the senko or anything else.

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Well it's only Monday, but I'm already planning on hit the river some on Saturday smile.gif. I have to make up for the lackluster Saturday. I'm really hoping that the water levels drop a little and the water clarity comes back. The water clarity will have a lot more to do with the bite than water levels. Bass adjust to levels (much like frontal boundaries) but the water clarity will really help the plastic bite pick up again. I know it's early, but is anyone planning on heading out this coming Saturday?

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I have a wedding to go to so I don't know if I will get any fishing in. The forecast looks chilly with highs in the 50's and lows in the 30's for this weekend. Old man winter is right around the corner.

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I am planning on fishing on Saturday. It will be in the afternoon, though. Hockey tryouts start for my son that day, so we won't be out unitl he completes phase 1. Mike, I will drop you an email and we can see if we arrange a spot to meet. I am planning on launching at Ellison. Wife and daughter are off to Iowa for a wedding, so it's a good old fashioned boys' weekend. (Thank goodness hockey is keeping me home!) Sure will be nice to be able to walk around the house with my shoes on! smile.gif

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