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Fishing Reports Start Here


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I dont see many reports coming in lately and I know we all want something to read when we come here. So I will start. Went to the river today down by the locks downtown MPLS managed 7 nice sized Crappie from 10 to 12 inches with more that got away, also got two scrappie channel cats,and two northerns. OH yea and a fish I didnt know for sure what it was. though just by looking at its eyes and silvery color with black fins and tail mainly the eyes Mooneye came to mind. after doing some research on the internet I will say its a Goldeneye,or moon one. I only heard the name before I caught it, BUT THOSE BIG EYES MAKE you think of the name. it was about 13 inches long and gave a nice little fight for its size. All in all fun for few hours on the Missi. the water is high and fast out in the main stream. YOUR TURN. DRAG ON

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My buddy caught a fat 18" mooneye last year on Pool 2. We found out later the state record was under 2 lbs (I think). So we likely turned loose a new record!

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Can you use Mooneyes for bait? Do they have to be under 7" like bullheads?

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Yes, you can uses them. No, they do not need to be under 7" BTW-the DNR is currently looking into removing the 7" size limit on bullheads. If you have an opinion on this, let the DNR know-they are looking for input.

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Mooneyes(cut) are actually one of the most productive channel cat baits I have ever used.

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I think the picture I used for ID of that mooneye might be the person you are talking about. It said thrown back and may have been a record. the only thing is that mooneye in the picture seem to have white or light colored fins and tail. the one I caught had black fins and tail. and looked like the pic of the golden mooneye. that real silvery body would make a real good attracter do any respectable predator. the sight I found lists there main predator as Muskies,Northern,and Walleye. Hows the eating factor?

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What would you use a 7"or less bullhead for as bait? what fish would you be targeting? can you do this in on a lake or just the rivers, you want the bullhead dead or alive?

thanks. Lynn (Sorry it is kinda off topic and not a report)

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Bullheads are used when fishing flathead cat's primarily. I have never tried them but know people who have and they work great. Flatheads prefer live bait over dead, channels seem to prefer dead, or, cut bait.

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Yes-you can currently use bullheads under 7" as bait. Over 7" you cannot use them for bait in MN-WI can. Flats (and big eyes!) love bullheads, who knows if it is the bullhead itself, or the fact that they stay lively for a very long time.

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Mooneyes remind me of a shiner minnow on steriods with teeth.

Well if I catch one it's going to be catfood. smile.gif

Dave, are you trolling yet? I was thinking about it last sunday but there was a lot of debris floating around.

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I've been fishing downtown Mpls. below the dam a hundred or so yards, right where the U of M women's rowing team practices . Water is up and fish are coming in. I've landed some nice carp(lost one Thursday that would have gone 20), but the redhorse and white suckers don't seem to have come in yet, still too cold. I've also landed a few pesky walleyes here as well. Using crawlers. Hey Dragon, I've heard of guys catching really nice crappies and big carp around a "hole" over on the downtown side right near the locks. Could you provide any info on this spot? ~hogsucker

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hogsucker .. send me an email ..

your *kind of right* but if you would go to where would seem obvious by what you just described, you will end up at the wrong place. I know where he has been fishing, but I'm not going to announce the spot to the entire world.

fisherdave(at)mn(dot)rr(dot)com

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How about on a lake, there is a rough fish contest on a local lake,(wright county) and i have seen some big carp and dogs come out of it, would like to try and get one just wondering can i use a small one there? thanks Lynn

By the way I can post the town and Lake but did not know if i could.

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Just got home for fishing on Pool 2 right up agaist the lock caught 4 nice sized walleyes there was a 2 guys next to me fish that caught about 20 plus walleyes but they were there longer than me the water is still moving pretty good so be careful

Big Fish Hunter247

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I was able to make it out again on saturday. Still in search of the illusive northern pike of pool 2. We were optimistic of the the bite being much better than last weekend, but still came up empty handed. With the spots we hit and the amount of time we put in on saturday I really expected to boat a pike or bass of some kind. Is anyone out there targeting these kind of fish? Just curious if the bite is as tough for anyone else. All of the spots we were in were backwaters with warmer temps, shallower water and very minimal current. Do the pike not follow the "rules" on pool 2 or what? grin.gif

versus

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Pike are not part of the all-year C&R season in Pool 2. They are under the normal statewide regulations with the opener in May. Pike season is open all year for harvest beginning in Pool 3 and for the entire border stretch of the Mississippi. Intentionally targeting pike in pool 2 at this time of year could get you a ticket.

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Versus,Keeping in mind what Ilikepike said, I too would be interested in hearing what others have to say about targeting pike. My experience with pike is an accidental fish here and there while fishing for eyes. In the summer time, while drifting with a jig and crawler in the main channel I'd come accross a pike every once in a while. Never got very many but the ones I did get were better than average size. In the 80's before the catch and release regulations went into effect I accidentally caught one just shy of 40"-that one went on the wall. My guess is that there isn't a large population in pool 2. I have heard that the pike population on the upstream side of the dam is better, might be worth going through the lock some time.

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Ilikepike - to be honest I was surprised by the pike season on Pool 2, I even went to the DNR regs online and here is what is specifically states:

Quote:

MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY (Ramsey, Washington, Hennepin, and Dakota Counties) walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass:All must be immediately returned to the water with a continuous season in the following stretches: a) Minnesota River downstream from the Mendota Bridge;
B)
Minnehaha Creek downstream from Minnehaha Falls; and c) Pool 2 of the Mississippi River between the Hastings Dam and the Ford Dam, including all backwater lakes and connecting waters except Crosby Lake, Pickerel Lake, Upper Lake, Little Pigs Eye Lake, and North Star Steel Lake.


I think this kind of gives us another opener ethics situation... however instead of fishing for bass at pike opener, how do you tell who is fishing for pike before the pike opener on Pool 2? I only fish Pool 2 in the spring for some early bassin' and I've had a couple small snakes hit a spinnerbait, but I think just as it would be tough to determine if a guy throwing a spinnerbait after pike opener is fishing for bass or pike... the same could be said in reverse for Pool 2.

My personal style - I don't fish for pike, just bass... and when I do catch fish they all go back anyways - no matter what they are (especially on Pool 2!!!). But if I was a pike fisherman, I don't think I would head to Pool 2 (early season or not) to do it, especially since pike opener is only a month away and by then why would anyone choose Pool 2 over a "pike" lake?

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Dragon,

Those are big shiners. Mooneyes are a bit bigger and do not have the black edged tails.Its almost like a whitefish/tullibee thing "one stinks a bit more". I actually asked the dnr one day if mooneyes were legal and he said no because they were cought out of infested waters(this was on the Croix). I know what your talking about with the channels. Mooneye will outproduce cut suckers 2/1. Im sure they are legal if you use them in the same body of water but we fish most channels on P3. I think the guy was conserned I may transport something into the Miss before it swam in there grin.gif

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No the one I caught was a eye so to speak.though shiner thought came up when it was caught.I believe it is a goldeye but still maybe a moon. I had found a picture of a moon the first night searching the internet and on another a goldeye. and the goldeye did have the blackish tail and fins. and also the dorsal was way in the back by and above the anal fin. but Im glad you got me curious to look around again because I found a picture of a fish that only Dragons would want to catch. I will post later on that. but back to the mooneyes yes it said they usualy hang out in drainage systems. and thats where I caught mine. It also said Catfish Love em along with wallys an norts. shocked.gif

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Versus,

Did we run into you in a backwater on saturday?

Me and a buddy were in the River Pro jet.

Slow for us as well.

WWG picked up one carp, one white bass and one sheephead.

Me?....I picked up one very large white goose egg.

We were mostly pitching for walleye and whitebass but also tried for cats for a short time in a couple spots.

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while searching around for a pic of a mooneye, I found a little catfish picture I found interesting. and I thought some of you might to. I was wondering What kind of bait would you use? and is that a Jon boat there standing in? Wels Cat shocked.gifgrin.gif

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Been getting a few dink walleyes pitchin' jigs and plastics downstream from the dam. Water may still be too cold yet or I'm too far from the dam. Cloudy days have always been better for me on the Miss. Anyone else?

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ebass et al. , this talk of mooneyes vs. shiners vs. goldeneyes ect. is fastinating but should be under a different heading. i thought this was a pool 2-3 fishing report.

later.

mustup.

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I guess somewhere I thought I had read that pike were included in this catch and release. I'll have to double check to personally prove it to myself, no offense to you bigmike. Until I do get a chance to check it out, no pike fishing for me on pool 2. I absolutely would never keep any out of this pool anyways. I love the catch and release of the pool to keep good metro fishing available. But yeah by the time opener does hit for pike I wouldn't be on the river fishing for them anyways. The summer trips to pool 2 usually consists of cranks for eyes and tubes for smallies.

Dennis that was me in the black crestliner fishhawk that motored by you guys. I've ran into wwg before on prior lake, I guess it was too quick of a pass for me to realize who was in the boat. No luck for us up in where we were headed. I think the next time out on two I'm going to try a few spots for some cats.

versus

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As you might guess by my screen name, I wish pike were included in that year-round C&R season in Pool 2. I honestly don't know why they don't make it the same rules for all game fish. I'm sure Pool 2 pike are pretty low on the management totem pool in any case.

Obviously there is nothing wrong with fishing for bass in Pool 2 where pike might be before the pike season opens otherwise they would not have set that regulation. What would you do, though, if you were a CO patrolling Pool 2 and you came across a guy fishing with a 3/8 oz. white spinnerbait in April? Does it hinge on whether a steel leader is being used? I think you could even make a case that you are fishing with a steel leader because you don't want to loose your expensive lure to a pike. Then you come across a guy fishing with a 1 oz. daredevle and a steel leader who says the same thing. Based on my knowledge of fishing I would leave the first guy alone but give the second guy a ticket.

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Quote:

ebass et al. , this talk of mooneyes vs. shiners vs. goldeneyes ect. is fastinating but should be under a different heading. i thought this was a pool 2-3 fishing report.


It started that way, but like a conversation, topics change. Now everyone is talking about pike and the regs on pool2. If you want to start a new report thread please feel free.

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here is my report from Pool 2 I was fishing from about 1 pm to 5:30pm got about 6 eyes 3 white bass and 2 crappies fishin is getting better smile.gif I was up by the dam thats the only place i fished becauce of the current it is goin pretty good right now

Big Fish Hunter247

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Went out tonight as well. I was out between 4 and 7. Got to only fish for a little over a hour. The trolling motor seemed to want more attention than the fish did. Managed to find water temps as warm as 60 in shallow water. Boated two white bass for my efforts on a wide wobble crank bait. What a great night to be out in the boat. Had talked to someone at the launch that said the crappies have been biting well in slack current areas.

I would have to say the river has gone up another foot since I was out on saturday. Hopefully by next week the river will be down and the crappie bite will be in full swing. Heading down to Wabasha for some backwater pike fishing this weekend. Leave some reports on how the weekend was here on two for something to look forward to for next week wink.gif

versus

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HEY JEFF, NOW THAT'S THE MONSTER IM LOOKIN FOR. THE WELS

SSUM..YOU LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE ONE THAT SIZE..WOW

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