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the open sections of the Miss below the nuke plant

Grant

By Grant
in Mississippi River North Fishing Reports

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Grant Rising Star

Grant

Posted
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does anyone fish this at all? I'm wondering if it's worth sitting in the cold to cast from shore for roughfish or whatever.

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river rat316 Mentor

river rat316

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I haven't since the nuke plant shut down, I think that whole event stressed out the fish enough this winter, I'm gonna just wait for opener.

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big musk411 Rising Star

big musk411

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I did pretty well out there last winter. I might give it a shot if the temp gets a bit warmer. Caught mostly smallies but found a school of walleyes one time. I have had best luck with jig and minnow.

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river rat316 Mentor

river rat316

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Quote:

I'm one of those guys not real good at waiting
wink.gif

Well wait now or have wrotten fishing all summer.... I choose wait now grin.gif

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river rat316 Mentor

river rat316

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Wasn't trying to be a jerk about it, but if you think about the whole situation I think the fish that survived had to be really stressed, water drops 20-30 degrees in a matter of minutes, kills most fish in the immediate area, the rest for miles down stream are now stuck in sluggish mode and they are not in good wintering areas. These fish have to move down stream to a good wintering area (I wont elaborate on where that is cool.gif) and try to survive in water colder than most have ever experienced with the plant around. I know overall impact wont be that great in the grand scheme of things but at the same time it could be if we start sticking these fish and pulling em out of the water and handling them for release and such.

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mike bregenzer Rookie

mike bregenzer

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although it is not my intention, the following post may upset some people. i spent a total of 8-8 1/2 hours fishing the river this past weekend and had great success. using only one crankbait and one jerkbait. landed and released 32 smallies and 2 northerns. all appeared to be very healthy and not the least bit sluggish. for what it's worth, i did see two dead beavers, the remains of one swan, a few dead catfish, carp, suckers, one dead walleye and NO dead smallies. i'm sure the shut down did have an impact on the river but if it weren't for the dead ones you see laying on the bank you wouldn't know it. all that being said, if any of you have a chance to go before the 25th, have at it.

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river rat316 Mentor

river rat316

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Being from TN I suppose you fish the river all the time and know exactly what the river was like immediately before and after the shut down confused.gif...... I'm not saying the fishinery is not healthy... but sometimes people need to use better judgement...... fish that were stressed should maybe be allowed to recover.... but hey thats just me... Living in the area and having children I just want to make sure that my kids can enjoy the SAME river I enjoy in the future... so maybe Im a little bit paranoid about things but I aire on the side of caution

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Grant Rising Star

Grant

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Thanks for your thoughts on this too- it seems as tempers can get a bit heated around here in some cases. I've talked to a few people off-forum as well whose observations mirror yours, as well as those of RR316. Whereas there definitely was an effect during the shutdown, the richness of the fishery does a fine job of adapting to our human follies. Perhaps the moral of the story is to have faith in nature to find a way back to normal when the unexpected occurs. Perhaps there were several thousand fish killed during the cooldown- even at that it was a small percentage of the total biomass in this section. it seems as the vacuum was created by the fishkill, it was also filled in nearly as quickly. I'm not saying that the river is immune to human input, just that perhaps nature is more resillient than we give it credit for.

Anyways, enough rambling on my part. As I've alluded to in an earlier post, I fish rather slowly and don't hook in all that much. I don't target any particular species, just like to sit there and enjoy the water.

Keeping it simple,

Grant

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mike bregenzer Rookie

mike bregenzer

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here's a little info about me...born and raised in monticello. started fishing monti and alex area lakes and the river at age 4. left monti in 1988 at age 18. my sister still lives there year around and my parents spend the summers there and the winters here. i average 2-3 trips a year, 4-7 days each, to monti and make it a point to spend some time on the river while i'm there. between the time i spend in monticello, the area lakes where i live in tn and a couple of trips a year flats fishing in florida, i am on the water 100+ days a year. i too have kids who enjoy the outdoors so rest assured i am not going to risk harming the river or any other fishery.

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river rat316 Mentor

river rat316

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good for you.... maybe you should use your head then instead of inviting the whole world to come fish a area thats still in recovery.... just my thoughts

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mike bregenzer Rookie

mike bregenzer

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temper temper...i simply suggested that grant or anyone else who is willing to battle the elements bewtween now and the 25th do so because it is going to be three+- long months before they can legally do so again. as for telling the whole world, countless forms of media capitlized on that a long time ago. i.e. field&stream, bassmaster magazine (the issue with a picture of KT and you know what towering over the trees in the background), in-fisherman and angling edge television episodes, etc... if it makes you feel better, which i hope it will, the fish and wildlife will not just rebound they will rebound quickly just as they do all over the country after a freeze out, hurricane, wildfire or any other curve ball that mother nature throws at them. i completely understand your concern for the fish and the fishery but i promise those fish get nowhere near the pressure the fish down here get. one example is no closed season + open water + mild temps + fewer accessible lakes. i welcome any further questions/comments from each and every one of you.

Edit...Mike, Sorry I had to nix your email. Forum rules.

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Kevin Turner Experienced

Kevin Turner

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Posted

River fishing is getting popular all over the US. It's not a secret any longer.

To my good friend RR316. Stuff happened...fish died...bummer. Don't worry, there will be lotsa fish to be caught and released...

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united jigsticker Mentor

united jigsticker

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Quote:

Are you a cop?

No, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night......

Seriously, please calm down a bit.

Everytime I go fishing in my 5 gallon bucket, I catch everything out of it with a fillet knife. Don't tell everyone, or they'll be rushing to my house when the hot grease is snappin' and crackin'.

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