Mississippi River Pool 4 Fishing Reports Pool 5, 6, 7 , 8 & 9

[joedavis]

Same story here...I was out a week ago Sunday with my two boys (sorry to all on the river who got to listen to them wrestle and laugh more than fish). I usually launch from baypoint (free) if I'm heading up towards the dam, but I thought I'd go out of Everts as I hadn't been there in awhile. I had heard that with Dean gone, the quality of service had gone down, but I hadn't experienced it for myself yet.

The guy there made me want to drive back down to Baypoint and launch! I felt like I was somehow inconveniencing him by buying some bait and jigs. His attitude was terrible. And I'm about the easiest guy to get along with there is. Unless everything else is frozen up, I will not go there again. And if that's the only place open later in winter, I'll make it a point to stop and load up with what I need before I get there.

I only met Dean once before he left (I just started fishing the river regularly a year ago), but I can see why he is sorely missed. Maybe he could be convinced to come back for one year and straighten things out like Bud did for the Vikes after the Les Steckel debacle...

[john36jan41]

Has Dean left for good, or just a little time away? I've been gone all summer and have not yet had a trip to the river. I hope we haven't lost the best information center

on the river....

[james_walleye]

He now works for skeeter boat center. He still has his website. In fact I just ordered stuff from him last week.

[Mike Walerak]

Dean is most likely out of Evert's for good. He has been working with Pierce County to purchase the ramp from the state and renovate the WI Channel Ramp. This will ensure we and our kids will all have a place to launch and fish Pool 4 in the winter months. To my knowledge they are going to add docks and have some sort of plan to keep the launches open. Nothing will happen this year but hopefully next year it will be a reality. Dean is truly missed down at Evert's but he can still be contacted at www.deanstacklebox.com . I also seen his products in Four Season's in Red Wing. Heck now that he is not in Evert's you will even see him out on the water fishing!

mw

[james_walleye]

Interesting Mike. Hope he gets it done!

[Elk_Addict]

That would be great. I sure miss the good old days when Gene had his bait shop, bar, and restaraunt at that location. Was a great spot to stop and have a burger and beer at lunch.

If I recall the government bought him out and demolished it. I had heard back then they were going to buy out the whole island, but that obviously did not happen. Many of the cabins have been gone for years but many still exist. Not sure why some got to stay and others sold out.

[JIvers]

The lock and dam ice-fishing is looking like a bust for the second winter in a row. Last winter the flow was too high to form safe ice below the dams; this winter it is simply too warm.

But, we still have February ahead...

[FBMH]

Dresbach is fishable. Fished at the end of the long wall sunday and caught 2 16in wallys and a 15in sauger. Went to the short wall, ice is VERY sketchy, stay on the path. Fishing wasnt near as good up there.

[JIvers]

I'm heading up that way this weekend, but I'm going to give the lock and dam ice a pass: if it was "VERY sketchy" on Sunday, I am sure it is no better now.

Panfish and Northern for me this trip.

[JIvers]

I went over the I-90 bridge this afternoon; there were two guys fishing on the ice just off of the short wall, and another one right below the long wall. There more people fishing the little backwater pocket behind the wall, but that always freezes up much quicker.

There was a lot more open water below the gates and rollers than I like to see if I am going to walk out there, so I'll leave the Dresbach lock and dam sauger alone for now.

[621vs]

Planning to head down to Pool 4 on sat 2/18/12 any tips would be appreciated.

[gloomiseye]

Heading up to red wing in 3 weeks for spring break, can't wait!

[Derek B]

What can you guys tell me about the Belvidere Slough Landing? Is it deep enough to launch v hulls or only flat bottoms? Which is the best direction to get to the main channel from there? Heading down this weekend any info would be much appriciated!

Thank you,

Derek

[Mr Special]

Gotta chance to hit P4 yesterday. with the warm temps, i guess i wasnt the only one who played hooky to go fishing. it was busy, but there was plenty of fish to be had.

Pretty much anywhere from 20'-40'FOW produced fish. all techniques caught fish but the good ole vertical jiggin w a jig/fathead produced the most. they seemed to like a very slow presentation yesterday. sometimes just holding your bait about 6" off the bottom worked better then jigging.

FYI, if you catch a small fish in deep water please try to reel them up slower. i know this doesn't always work, but i do think it helps. however, the eagles dwn there sure do eat well and i saw a couple scoop up the floating fish. pretty cool to see.

[gloomiseye]

Hearing on up for a few days, sounds like we will be met with a tough bite. Oh well things can change dramatically from one day to the next this time of year and I'm really only after one special fish anyway.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Wouldnt say its a "tough bite". You can catch smaller sauger all day if you want...none are really "keeper" size though. The problem right now is finding the bigger fish. There were a mother load of boats down around the dam yesterday and i think i saw 1 fish over 20" between all of them. Unless you fish the pool 4 area all the time, which i dont, it can be tough to find the bigger ones. I missed one towards evening that i had on for a few seconds that felt VERY nice.... Hard to catch a hog with your hands clutching your throat, oh well, hopefully that wont be my last chance.

Bottom line is the water is warming quickly- it went up 8 degrees in the last week- and the water level is low. The hogs should be making their way upstream in a hurry IMO

[gloomiseye]

That sounds encouraging! Thanks for the report! I figured these warm temps might get the big girls snapping soon.

[anchor man]

How long does a good bite last in the general area of the dam? Is it just a few weeks, then they move down out or do they stick around a while

Thanks

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

I only fish the pool 4 area after ice fishing and before walleye opener and I only get down around 3 or 4 times a year.... But I would assume since its a dam, just like any dam, it provides ideal habitat for fish and baitfish year round. So i would think you could catch fish there year round.

But this time of year the walleye and sauger will congregate up in the dam area for the spawning run and you would probably have a better chance at a big girl....

Alot of fish probably head back down to lake pepin to roam in the summer, but i would think some stick around.

[gloomiseye]

Very slow for us today only managed a few dink saugers, the flatheads were really snapping though. Going to go hawg hunting down river tomorrow.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Gloomis, are you fishing plastics or live bait? We had much better luck with live bait... although we saw one guy get like a 22"er on a ringworm and that was the big one of the day that we saw yesterday.

[MattL]

I fished yesterday afternoon into the evening. I was looking for big fish, but it was tough. Got on the water about 12:30 and came across a stalled out Jon boat. I wasn't in a hurry to start fishing with the bright sun and clear water so I towed him from the head of the lake to the back channel ramp. It was probably 2:30 by the time I got fishing. Landed a 20 incher quickly 3-waying an F-5 in firetiger in 12 ft. That was slow so I started pitching blades shallow as the sun got lower. Caught several small walleyes and missed 2 more, one of them was an absolute hog. Most of the action was after dark. I was pitching natural colors since the water was somewhat clear yet; the first nice one I had on was on black, and the big one hit on gold.

When I got back to the Colville access at 9:00 pm an ice sheet had plugged the channel. Luckily it was thin enough that I was able to bust through slowly with the boat.

[gloomiseye]

Gloomis, are you fishing plastics or live bait? We had much better luck with live bait... although we saw one guy get like a 22"er on a ringworm and that was the big one of the day that we saw yesterday.

We used both. Hair jigs with fatheads, and pulsr and moxi ringworms.

[gloomiseye]

Btw water temp in our boat ranged from 43-44.

[gloomiseye]

They seem to be bitting better today so far. Got a few that just slammed it. Catching fish vertical jigging plastics. No big girls yet though.

[gloomiseye]

We did really well today on big 18-22.5" fat saugers. It was funny to see the look on people's faces when we would throw those girls back in right in front of them.

[james_walleye]

How is the water clarity loomis? Any midday action?

[gloomiseye]

Really good probably around 2 feet. They were bitting good through about 2 and then it slowed quite a bit.

[WalleyeChaser]

We did really well today on big 18-22.5" fat saugers. It was funny to see the look on people's faces when we would throw those girls back in right in front of them.

Sounds like maybe there is movement starting for the saugs? Were you north or south of Red Wing. Don't need specifics just wondering how the migration is going. It is funny to see what people do when you throw them back. Some just don't understand that those are the fish for the future sitting in those fat bellys!

That and a sauger of that size has been in the water a few years longer than a walleye of the same size = more contamination. I will not keep a sauger over 16" for that very reason. They tend to get a pretty awful tasting laterline once they get bigger than that in my opinion. Just my .02

[gloomiseye]

South. Water temp was around 44 today so it won't be long. People have been catching them pretty good up at the dam though too. I agree with the 16" rule. Those 20+" saugers are equivalent to like a 25" walleye, they are the broad stock for the fishery.