hot bite

[aaronsaar]

How long until the hot hot late fall bite I hear about. Has it already started. I have been out but have only been able to pick up one or two per trip.

[StCroixNewB]

the bite this fall, so far, has been far removed from what I saw last year... I think it may be due to the fact that the shad schools are just enormous this year - thus, the 'eyes and saugers have limitless food available. The shad are supposed to die off just when the eyes are loading up for winter and they go on a tear.

[Burchoid]

Some guy down there told me the shad don't die off anymore because of the power plant. Does that sound right? Does this mean the fall bite is gone for good????

[sparkyaber]

I believe that the king plant is offline right now, that is just the rumor I have heard.

[76k20]

I would doubt the validity of that claim, i posed a similiar question to a relative of mine that works at prarie island nuclear facility. though I cannot remember exact figures the water bieng discharged has to be within a couple of degrees of the water intake temp. This information is well documented and recorded for some govt org. that does check on them.

This may be just because it is a nuke plant, But I think discharge water temp could really alter the biology of a river system, your scenerio is one of many that could occur and I would hope that there are controls in place to avoid this from any industry using the rivers for cooling.

[Walli1]

River shad or gizzard shad run in cycles, years with warmer weather, lower water levers produce more plankton and algae and that leads to a higher survival rate, life span is around 4 years, die off starts when temp levels fall below 50 most of the die off are old and past there prime!

[hondavxr]

I think the plant claim could be right. I use take my boat up to that discharge creek and for some reason I could catch nothing when I am on my boat. So I shore fished it and when the plant does discharge water from the boilers, there is a mixbag of fish and they are active, because the shad start coming. I have noticed even in the winter I still see shad jumping out water at the plant discharge.

[croixeyes]

The power plant in Bayport is not a nuke plant and does discharge very warm water back into the Croix.Ive been in the discharge with my boat and read temps of around 60 degrees when surrounding temps were in the 40s,its a fish magnet.The plant is shut down ive heard til march.Now this might be good or it could be bad,time will tell.Not as many shad will survive in the bayport area as they have in the past,thats good for fisherman.However it could keep the fish in the area scattered meaning they may not be in the areas people usually go in the winter.

This will be an interesting winter out in the Bayport area,for those of you that have fished this area in past winters keep in mind that just because the discharge plant is closed you have to be very careful where you fish.The ice thins out more on the mn side than the wis side,the original channel of the river still tends to hug the mn side.This comes more into play from the highline point north.Also,I dont think that just the older shad die off,Ive seen many shad laying under the ice when it is just forming and most of them were a couple inches long.That being said ,im sure that not all shad that reach maturity are 6to8 inches long either.

Keep those boats in the water out there as long as you can,I was out sunday and there was skim ice from the Stillwater bridge down to the Highline point in the morning.Water temps ranged from 38 to 41 on Sun and still marked plenty of shad..............Good luck out there..........

[Walli1]

Looks like the saugers and eyes are starting to get more aggressive, 6 in the box (15-17") in alittle over a hour caught in the channel by prescott using green short shank 3/8 jig tipped with a fatty!

[hondavxr]

I think shad can be bigger than 6-8 inches. I have cuaght a few shad that were pushing closer to 12 inches. I usually catch them by accident, like a rapala hooking them, or they take the bait. I do notice that the pass few years the shad population have been booming.

[Stratosman]

I might try to hit it tonight, anyone going?

[use2bwalleyefanatic]

Stratos, did you end up going out? If so how did you do? I was in Prescott again for about an hour and managed 1 tiny sauger but you won't hear me complaining because it's always nice fishing in 70 degree weather in November.

[Walli1]

Eyes according to Jim have been biting in the morning hours 7-11 Prescott area slow today but up accross from buffs park to barkley cove boxed 5, thanks Jim! call me before you leave for the big hunt!

[Stratosman]

I did go out from 3-5, not much going on near Prescott, would have moved but was waiting for a friend to show up, which of course he never did... Would have jumped around a bit otherwise. Not sure when I'll make it out again, maybe Tuesday. Sure was nice weather..