st cloud St Cloud Fishing Reports

[JeremyCampbell]

Picked up a pack of fluorescent yellow grubs,crappie magic.Worked well today.Used a different tactic by casting up stream and retrieving down instead of just casting out in front of me I would cast along the river if that makes scence .Fished for one hr Got a limit in a hr.Nice to change it up it makes it more interesting.

[Rick G]

Was back at it again tonight, fish were biting, and had a pretty good lightning show between bites. The big ones were on the prowl they wanted big chunks of cut sucker...and were hitting hard. Here are a few pics of two of the nicer ones.Traderlee's 28in and my 30in fatty

[Mnchickenfarmer]

Any recent reports for the chain? A buddy and i are heading down there next weekend and are looking for some cats?

[Rick G]

I haven't been out there in a while, but have heard they are biting very well. I would either use slip bobbers or Lindy rigs fished around points, weed lines or large shallow bays. The 10-17ft depths should produce some fish for you.

[DougP]

Went down by the little spillway with the bridge over it on the sauk by whitney soccer fields. Fished for awhile right above it and caught some nice little smallies on a #3 mepps. then went down below and fished in the faster water and caught a couple nice ones just using a 2.5 inch pearl white minnow grub.

[Rick G]

Good report Doug, sometimes those out of the way spots pay off

[Mnchickenfarmer]

Thanks for the tips rick. That is about what we were planning on doing. This will be a first time for me on the chain so looking forward to learning a new lake(s). And of course catchin cats is always awesome.

[Mnchickenfarmer]

We are planning on putting the boat in the chain at the access just of 22 on the river. Is that the best choice or is there a better access?

[Rick G]

Yes, the access off 22 is a good choice. You shouldn't even have to leave Horseshoe lake to find some good catfishing.

[Mnchickenfarmer]

Thats what i have heard from others as well. Thanks again rick!

[Jared_P]

Got out this morning...felt like I should have been setting goose decoys in this weather. It was a great sweatshirt morning. Found some bass to go after...managed to pull in a 22.5", 21" and another 21". Caught some other smaller ones and some snake northerns but all in all it was a great morning to be on the lake.

Also stumbled on this good size northern floating belly up...when I flipped it over I found a good sized crappie lodged in its mouth...guess he bit off more than he could chew

JP

[JeremyCampbell]

Doug,Nice smallmouths! Im glad you gave a report about Sauk rapids,I was just thinking about going out there in the next couple of days. Jared ,that's a pretty cool pic you got there with the crappie snack.Telling by the pics u must have been fishing alone today .

[Jared_P]

Yup...brought the camera and forgot the holder...decided to use the reverse angle camera phone. If my arms were longer I could have got better poses. Nice to be on the water...

JP

[Rick G]

Some nice fish you caught JP

I too made it out, but much later in the day... Man it was cold out there with that wind howling. Despite the cold snap the fish still were biting

Now take note, I'm in my ICE ARMOR and it's July 27th

[Brad B]

Rick,

nice fish. by the way since you broke out the ice armor does that mean ice season is only a month away. LOL

part of me wants the ice season to get here but the fall open water season is fun also. care to take bets as to when the chain will lock up this year. I say the first week of December. hope it is walkable by then.

[JeremyCampbell]

The second pic is Heavy Metal.Looks like the cat is around 30"

[Jared_P]

Sweet pic's Rick...looked at my ice armoire when I grabbed my sweatshirt yesterday morning...

JP

[DougP]

went down by the beaver islands this afternoon. Had two hours to fish and we only caught a couple but was still a beautiful afternoon to walk up and down the river! again #3 mepps was only thing we caught anything on. quick question for you guys who walk in the river and fish. what is your go to at this time of year.

[eyeguy 54]

tubes and stick baits.

[JeremyCampbell]

Fished the rocky shores of the river today and the last couple evenings the bite slowed down.The real bite only lasts for 15minutes .Found a crappie around 12" with mostly eights .Today the numbers and size dropped.GRUBS,tubes,plastic minnows were my baits.Must be the coldfront and a little bit of river level change

[Rick G]

Doug, swinbaits are always good this time of year, or like eyeguy said, stickbaits or tubes.

I too was on the river for a while today. Bass action was pretty slow except for prime time. Fish were hitting topwater fished close to rip-rap shorelines. We got fish, just nothing to brag about. Water temp has fallen to 70-71 in the last few days. I think this cooling water combined with the high pressure system that rolled in had something to do with the bite being off. We ended up spending a few hours after the cats as well, they were a little more willing to bite here is a nice healthy one I got and a very thin 29.5in fish Traderlee got.

It was cold again tonight, just not cold enough to break the Ice armor back out

[JeremyCampbell]

Doug,if all else fails an old fashion hook and worm or live minnow sometimes works too .Try what Rick and eye guy said first.Jigs are another alternative too.

[KenM1987]

does anyone know anything about the Mississippi acess in clearwater. I have heard it can be really shallow from clearwater to monticello but I'd like to start fishing it possibly upstream from there for catfish. Is their safe and fishable spots for a 16 ft boat at the clearwater access or is it mainly for canoes?

[Rick G]

Right now it should still be ok. When the water gets lower there is a rock bar just in back of the access hole that creates problems. There are some nice spots with in a mile and a half of the access. Take a look around the deep hole near the first island up river

[JeremyCampbell]

Scored a bigger crappie above the sartell dam on the west side.

[DougP]

nice crappie! what were you using?

[Rick G]

Nice one Jeremy! Did you get that on plastic?

[JeremyCampbell]

Today I broke down for live crappie minnows in the morning above the dam then in the evening I went back to my usual grubs and gulp minnows below the dam.Found some bass,crappies and redhorse this morning with some fatty crawlers.I brought two rods with me ,one for bigger swimmers and the other for crappies.Best times for me today was 9:45am and 3:pm

[Jared_P]

Scored a bigger crappie above the sartell dam on the west side.

Is that bucket regulations size or what ...Nice crappie Jeremy!!!

JP

[JeremyCampbell]

Went back over to the drainage pond in st cloud.I Found an abundance of Sunfish.They were 6" mostly.Caught one carp today.The carp were jumping out to far out of reach for me to cast,need a raft to get out there or next time bring waders.