Smallies on Ole' Miss.

[EBass]

I'll be back on the water this weekend and will report on Monday. Good luck to all!

[EBass]

Went to the Rum - skunked, rained on, and left. Saw one miss and that was it.

[BigMike]

Went to Pool 2 on Sunday. Nada, Zip, Zilch... I worked the shore from minnehaha dump in up toward the dam as for as the rip-rap would go. I saw one boat catchin' crappies and another pull out one decent walleye around the island but that was it.

I haven't had much luck in pool 2 from shore, and I'm not up for catching carp and sheeps. Just one more reason why I need a boat! I gotta get off the shore!

[BigMike]

I forgot to mention, the water is WAY DOWN!!! Probably about 5-10 feet lower than normal. All the larger boats were having to turn around before the island. The island was double in size from normal! I was able to walk almost all the way up to the lock!

[HawgTide]

What the heck is going on? Who said that fall fishing was good??? I fished the Miss this weekend too, Champlin to Monti. 2 Smallies, 1 largemouth and 2 Pike. They just ain't biting.

[BigMike]

Hawg...

Any size to those bass or were they small?

It's been a tough go on the 'sippi in the last couple of weeks. I think the water levels from this summer's drought is starting to take an effect on the fishing this fall. The holes are just not as deep as they normally are.

I'm fishing from shore so that makes it even harder to get to those deep pockets that normally start to hold more fish this time of year. :-(

[Dan Wood]

We did okay on the croix for smallies but not a lot for size. Fish were in the 15-17" range. They were not very active - this was on Saturday during the front. We got all fish on the Case Lil Magic Stiks.

[FishinFix]

Both Thursday and Friday were fantastic days on the Rum for me. Thursday in 4 hours must have boated 30 smallies!!! Friday the numbers weren't there, but every fish was 16 inches or better. Majority of the fish came on large minnows. The bigger the minnow the bigger the fish. Then Sunday rolled around and I could't buy a bite. Managed 5 in the boat all but one were tiny weenie. And the one went about 19. Still a nice day.

[HawgTide]

BigMike,
No, they were all small. The Largemouth would have went about 1.5lbs. That's only the 2nd LM I've caught on the Miss this year. Maybe this weekend will be the start of the fall frenzy I keep hearing about .
Oh well, for some reason I keep going anyway. Call me crazy.

[BigMike]

DanWood,
I'm stuck on shore (no boat) and was thinking of heading up towards stillwater for some shore/smallie action. What would you suggest? Do you think this would be a waste of my time? I was thinking of walking along and working the rip-rap from stillwater and south. I've never fished over there and looking for suggestions.

FishinFix,
sounds like an awesome day on the Rum. You can't beat that kind of action. Were you above or below the dam in Anoka? Using minnows huh... sounds like that you may have found a hot bite. But with MN weather, one day is hot and the next day is ultra slow. I went up there a two weekends ago compliments of Ebass and pulled my largest smallie ever: 19.5 inch brute.

[EBass]

fishnfix, Wow, now that's a day on the Rum. But I can only get out there on the weekends which everyone and their mom shows up. And you used minnows. I've used minnows there before and got a nice pike, but that was it. Congrats! Please post back other reports.

[LOWinEYEin]

Is the Rum in Wis? Can you launch a big boat there? I want to hit it this week.

[FishinFix]

I fished above the Anoka dam. You can launch bigger boats out there and have plenty of productive spots to fish, north or south of the boat launch. But bigger boats can maybe travel 2 or so miles up stream before it gets to shallow.

[FishinFix]

WhaTT,
The Rum river is in the city of Anoka. The boat launch is right by the county fair grounds on Ferry St., north of Hwy 10

[Dan Wood]

BigMike,
I haven't fished the Stillwater area much. I've heard right along the bridge on the WI side in Stillwater can be good for shore anglers - both eyes and smallies.

Not sure when your thinking of getting out and I don't know yet my plans for the weekend, but I might have an open spot in the boat... shoot me an email if your interested...

------------------
Catch-N Tackle Pro Staff
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"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."
- Henry David Thoreau

[EBass]

Whatt, go 169 north and you'll run right into the landing just about a mile north of Main St in Anoka.

If you take a big boat you can go up a ways (as mentioned before about 2 miles) Also, it's all NO WAKE. They took out the No Wake bouys but the rules still apply. I saw a nasty note on someone's truck who apparently was not going by the rules. Also, a lot of canoers paddle this stretch.

If you take a smaller boat you can go up for a long ways then the river changes and its a little skinnier, shallower and faster with big boulders to watch out for. (I need a riverpro)

These fish are VERY pressured (FYI) Good luck

[HawgTide]

Ebass, how far up the rum do you have to go before it gets rocky? I've been up a ways, but it never seemed to change much. Do you think it is productive way up the river? I can get there, but the last few times out there I haven't had any luck.

Also, if they've taken the buoys out, how are you supposed to know that it's no wake? The last time I was out there I was doing no wake until I saw several other boats cruising along and then I started going fast also. I thought maybe that only applied to a time period during the summer. I guess I'm wrong.

[BigMike]

I don't think I would be giving away any secrets by saying that the rum is in MN. But if you have a larger boat, I would not suggest this river at all! When I went with Ebass we would have never made it up stream if it wasn't for his flatbottom jon. It goes REAL shallow (less than 18-24'' in main channel and in numerous spots) just a 1/4-1/2 mile up stream from launch.

[LOWinEYEin]

I have access to both types of boats. I'm not asking for "the spot" but just where the rum is. I've heard good info, other than this web site, about the river. And maybe try it this weekend, so any info would be great.

[This message has been edited by WhaTT! (edited 10-14-2003).]

[EBass]

HawgTide,

When the water is high you can go up miles and miles and miles.... As for right now which is normal to low water levels you can make it past Ron Schara's home (by the boy scout camp?) There's a big ol island there and you can keep going about maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile before it get's too shallow. Less than a foot with boulders here and there. If you take your time you can get past that. I think I've made it up about 20 miles before or something like that. It was high water though, and it was a blast. I just wanted to keep seeing what's behind the next bend.

As for the no wake thing. It still applies and not to many people follow the rule. But if you make it up stream a few miles the no wake doesn't apply. (big ol sign that says "end of no wake" on right when going upstream) It's also a canoe launch I think. It's a ways though to putz up(guessing 5-6 miles). You do have a point though cause there ain't any no wake bouys. But if you lived on the river and paid the taxes you'd probably want no wake to. My buddy did get nailed for speeding before, the ticket was super spendy. I think it was $175 and that was a few years ago, so it's probably more. The locals do watch and will report, heck even the canoers.

Yes I think it can be productive way up the river even now. Ask Big Mike. Not all fish do the same thing and the same time. The deeper section (first couple miles) get's packed ALL THE TIME. Thus I like to venture north cause I don't like to fish next to other people. However, being that this is the coming into mid Oct most fish will move to the deeper section, but not all.

I don't know if this helped at all, but good luck and post your results.

[HawgTide]

Thanks EBass,
I haven't been that far up the rum where there are boulders visible. I'll have to give it a shot one day. I've had better luck with smallies around rocks and boulders than I have with most of the structure on the lower part of the rum. I'm probably going to give the largemouths a shot on one of the local lakes this week. Getting tired of not catching anything. Maybe next week the smallies will kick it up a notch.

[BigMike]

I think we should change the name to Smallies on 'ole Rum LOL :-). I'm glad to see all the posts. Keepin' coming.

I'm trying to get the bronzie I caught on my outing with Ebass posted on here. They weren't biting much that day, but at least we both landed a couple nice smallies. We lucked out too, no people and beautiful fall colors.

I was down on the 'sippi last night for a couple hours (downtown mpls). I found a deeper pocket in the back channels and they were poppin' the surface like crazy so I threw topwater most of the evening but only one taker. Only one 10'' smallie but lots of swirls :-(.

[EBass]

Look at the BigGrin on BigMike. You should've heard him while he was fighting this beast of a bass. LOL Mike, I wish we caught more!

[vern]

Great looking fish! Especially from a smaller river like the Rum. Nice job, Vern

[BigMike]

BigMike would like to give a BigThanks to Ebass again for that afternoon out on the Rum AND for taking the picture BigSmile :-). That 19.5 incher is my largest smallie to date and was definitely a blast to haul in! Good battle. We may have only caught a couple that day, but with a fish like that it didn't really matter. Thanks again ebass.

[EBass]

No problem, and BigMike is a big guy. If I was holding that smallie it would look a lot bigger. LOL!

Signing off little ebass. U hitting the croix with Dan? Good opprotunity..

PS I always like to see this being the top thread, so people contribute!

Anyone been on the sippi in the Elk River Monti area?

[This message has been edited by EBass (edited 10-15-2003).]

[EBass]

Nice find BigMike, should've tossed out that senko/tube. Gotta run
Later,
EBass

[Dan Wood]

Here is BigMike with a BigSmallie... That is a real beauty Mike. Fish was caught on the Rum River and taped 19.5".

[BigMike]

Ebass...I like to consider myself as "big boned", or you can look at it this way... Ebass = pocket bass and BigMike = Hawg Bass. LOL.

I am working on getting out with Dan on Saturday! St. Croix, here I come. It's suppose to be a great weekend weather wise, so I'm hoping that the fluctuations don't mess with the fishing activity.

[EBass]

BigMike you crack me up lol Good luck if you go. I'm sure I'll be on Tonka on Sunday along with everyone since it's going to be 78???