St. Paul or further south?

[LanceJ]

Hi all!

I'm looking for some starter advice for fishing on the river. I've only been out on it a couple of times and I liked it alot, so I'm eager to learn more. I'm looking for walleyes, large/small mouth, and whatever rouge northern/misc happens to come my way. I've put in at Lillydale a couple of times this year, so that's the launch I'm familiar with. Is there some decent fishing in that general vicinity? I'm fishing in a 14ft'er with a 15hp. so I'm able to cover some water if need be. It sounds like crankbaits are a go-to for the river. I was having decent luck pitching a jig. I'm not looking for anyone to give away the farm, just maybe a few pointers for general locations. Is the Lillydale area all that great? Or should I try closer to Hastings or something? I've done my fair share of fishing so its not ALL Greek to me, but its a new experience nonetheless. Thanks in advance to everyone.

[Dave B]

The crank bait bite upriver of Lilydale is consistant for numbers. Most eye fisherman downriver of St Paul cast the wingdams and catch fewer fish, but most are 22-27".

I havent had much success right around Lilydale itself-but havent put in much time there. I am upriver of 35E or downriver of St Paul.

Remember this general rule on that stretch, when flooded, look for slack water and current seams (edge of slack and fast water). When the water is low, oxygen is low (lack of vegetation), so look for faster water. Even the faster water might be just barely moving. A good "clue" is that the Corp of Engineers puts rock where the fast water is to avoid erosian. Low current has sandy shorelines.