Bass info.

[metz102432]

Hello

Not really new to the river but I want to fish a lot more for bass. I know it doesn't open untill the 28th but was wondering eearly on if anyone has any good info for me. I live in the cove south of Hudson. Have always fished inland lakes in W. Wisconsin. Went out a few times and had success later in the summer. Was wondering about any ways to cath them earlier in the year. Last year had some success by the power plant and actually right along our beach. Would like to gain more knowledge about the river.

Paul Metzger

[walleyehawk]

I saw a guy fishing for bass last weekend. Throwing a spinner bait at the shore around the main access. He stayed to the back of the bay or I was going to remind him to wait a few weeks, or call TIPS. Was not able to get the boat registration either, think I need new glasses.

Smallies can be caught on the Minnesota shore in the rocks just south of the Kinnie narrows. I have also seen them early am, before boat traffic, on the north side of the Kinnie narrows, jumping like crazy.

People always talk of the smallies north of Stillwater too.

[bassman21]

Just to play devils advocate, Pike season is also open. Not sure if they were trying for that or not, but would hope to give the benefit of the doubt.

[Steve-O]

Metz,

I live in Hudson also. If you want to try for them after the season opens let me know. Not a ton of bassers out there. Everybody is always after those dang walters!

I know a spot or two.

[blf8518]

I fish the croix for mainly smallmouth and would say the best bet for some nice smallmouth is near the kinni by the DNR pontoon docks. Most fish I have caught were on leeches under bobbers set at about 3 feet.

[bassin]

The croix is border water, therefore didnt the bass season open up with the WI season last weekend?

[bassman21]

May 28th is the opener for Smallmouth/Largemouth for Taylors falls down to hwy 10 (Prescott)

[bassin]

cool, thanks.

[almostthere!]

I once had a Mepp's yellow bucktail spinnerbait which was a bass magnet in liquid water. I used it from ice-out to ice-in. Missed that old Mepps.

B.T.W. You will have to add the word "white" in front of the word "bass". Everything is legal on the river if a white-ty can strike it.

The pool on the Hudson side has some nice smallies and bucket-mouths. You just have to deal with the pleasure boaters.

[walleyehawk]

If he was fishing for northerns, he had about a 1% chance of catching one compared to the 99% chance he had of catching a largemouth with the small white spinner bait throwing into the shoreline. I don't know that I have ever seen a northern on the Croix, at least south of the Kinnie.

Besides, he had to be fishing for bass, he had a bass boat!

Sad thing was he had his son in the boat with him. And the son was old enough to know dad was doing wrong. Some role model?

[Steve-O]

I have personally caught pike up to 38" off the beach in Prescott. There's a huge weedbed there. There are pike in the 'Croix and big ones at that. My buddy PoonPounder has caught them over 40" from the same location. I have only caught one largemouth on the 'Croix in the last 7 years and it was a baby

[hondavxr]

I give the guy the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was fishing for white bass. They love those white Rooster Tail spinners on the Croix.

[fisherman-andy]

You know... this issue is what pisses me off the most. Believe it or not, I have been on the Croix fishing for White Bass with spinners and rapalas and have accidently caught smallmouth bass more than a few times and have had other people come up and warn me on the issue. And I am like what the heck? You think I am doing this on purpose?

The thing is unless you are sure a person is really targeting an out of season fish, keep your mouth shut. It's getting quite annoying when you got a person who thinks there the know it all. Think wisely before you notify a conservation officer or the DNR. There are honest fisherman out there being blamed for the wrong thing...

[Riverfishin]

Thee are some really nice large mouths in the croix, you just got to lukcy and find them.

[southerner]

I hear you on this one, Andy. I am a multi-species fisherman who happens to own a bassboat. I prefer a bassboat to a Lund-type because of the places I fish and it's what I could afford at the time. On more than one occasion this year alone I've had other fishermen make comments to me along the lines of bass season not being open. It's awfully presumptuous for one to infer from the fact I'm in a bassboat that I'm pursuing bass. I think to myself 'Do fishermen in Lunds or Alumacrafts only fish walleyes?' I usually state I'm pursuing other species but it almost seems silly that I have to defend myself by making any statement at all in response. I'm just waiting for the day when a CO stops me and says he's following up on a TIP call.

In any case, and on a happier note, my fishing partner and I boated well over 100 white bass today, along with 3 incidental smallies, 4 incidental pike, and 3 incidental walleyes. The walleyes were the big surprise as we caught all of them on white bass lures in a nondescript small area along a windblown shoreline devoid of any special features. They ran 20, 17, and 15", and were all boated within 5 minutes of each other. Not bad! I suspect they were in there cruising for prey which might have been feeding on the invertebrates and other quarry being churned up by the heavy wind-generated wave action. Cool!

[hondavxr]

Southerner, I totally agree with you. I fish for white bass a lot on the Croix and have been harassed by a CO because of TIP calls. It doesn't help that I am ASIAN, because I have my boat completely search from top to bottom for IILEGAL fish several times before. I don't eat fish much so I hardly take fish home. I think people just need to mind there business, sometimes.

[almostthere!]

Honda,

I feel your pain.

I usually will tell the COs to check the special compartment after they're done searching just to watch them go over the boat once more. I really hate my tax and license money go to waiste on partially done job.

[almostthere!]

I can guarantee you that 99.9% of the time that white spinnerbait will catch a whitebass instead of a largemouth on most of the St. Croix river.

In general, a white spinnerbait will catch just as much northerns as largemouths provided that the two species are in equal amounts in the location you are fishing.