St. Croix River Fishing Reports

[budboy]

How deep where you?

[magic_minnow]

Hi:

Just wondering how its looking out there with this recent "heat wave" Can I get around with a car or is there mucho slusho? thanks.

[FishinFools]

We were off the ice by 11 this morning, and did not see any slush. Was a traffic jam getting on at Bayport just before dawn. Had to laugh.

Some fish marked, not many. 28-36 fow. Kept one fish.

[monger]

No slush. I spent most of the day on shantytown. Slow as usual. Few nice fish on plastics. Missed a fee bites as well. Did not mark as many fish as usual.

[LeeY]

Was a slow day today, got there around noon fished till 5:30ish. Managed to pulled in a 12in crappie which for some was not the biggest but it was my best this year. Also pulled in some average 9inchers. Total of 7 acceptable keepers beside that let loose a bunch of bald eagle sizes. Today was hitting on wax worm or either spikes

Afar from today, on Saturday Jan 11, which was yesterday was probably my best day yet. They were hitting here and there with minnows. Managed to hit a big crappie that never came up the hole and got loose after that (Was using Spikes on tungsten jig head). It wasn't a whitebass either since I somewhat know how they pull like. That day was a good day, pulled in quiet a nice amount of crappies all 9in plus.

[Flaco651]

Fished from 3-6pm yesterday. Found some bluegills with a couple crappies mixed in. Jigging a Gill-Getter tipped with spikes, along with a moonglow w/ a crappie minnnow under a float is what worked best for me. 30 FOW with deeper water near by. Do many people catch gills out there? I never hear to much about them on the Croix in the reports.

[Croix1959]

Ive been ice fishing this river for five years now and haven't been able to have great success. Ive had better luck when fishing 34 fow or deeper and early am(I go out all hours of the day) but I refuse to fish near the shanty towns. I typically fish with a jig and minnow on one pole and a spoon with a minnow head on the other. Ill also try plastics, rattle spoons etc but still struggle to leave w/o more than two-four crappies per trip out. (only keep 10" and above) And where are the walleye? Thanks for the tips ahead of time.

[aanderud]

Ive been ice fishing this river for five years now and haven't been able to have great success. Ive had better luck when fishing 34 fow or deeper and early am(I go out all hours of the day) but I refuse to fish near the shanty towns. I typically fish with a jig and minnow on one pole and a spoon with a minnow head on the other. Ill also try plastics, rattle spoons etc but still struggle to leave w/o more than two-four crappies per trip out. (only keep 10" and above) And where are the walleye? Thanks for the tips ahead of time.

Hate to say it, but the shanty town is a shanty town for a reason -- that's where fish are being caught. Typically, if you can hit the same locations earlier than the rest of the folks show up (early Dec), you'll do well. While crappies will hit deeper basins off breaks, you'll have better luck for walleyes on rocks or similar structure.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Monday report:

Started fishing Wi side out of Bayport at 5:15am, well, because I can. Retiring early has it's benefits!

Fished 'til 3pm. Nothing hit early as usual, fyi. 1st fish at 8:30am.

10 Crappies, 2 White Bass & 1 Mooneye. Ummmmm... Mooneye.

[Croix1959]

Been out tues- thurs this week w/o much to show for it. Been fishing south of shanty town in 36-38 fow. Was out from 11-5 all week and marked a fair amount of fish. Kept one 11 crappie tues, 11 & 12 on Thursday and caught a small crappie, sheephead and a tulibee yesterday. We've caught everything deadsticking with a white/pink tungsten jigs. Ive used about every lure and bait combo in my arsenal with no luck. Anyone ever try fishing by the open water by the power plant? I hear that's where to get into the walleye? Thanks and good luck!

[GeluNumber1]

Croix1959, fishing at the powerplant can be hit and miss, especially in winter. However, it can be a good option at times for walleye, pike, and bass. For walleye and bass, use shiner minnows. For pike, snag a good-sized shad and freeline on a treble hook. Also, if you don't mind me asking, what bait were you deadsticking with those pink-and-white jigs?

[tengy]

I believe its a mooneye and not a tullibee.

[old timer]

Fished Thurs in the wind. 9:00 am - 12:15 pm. South of shantytown. 38 fow Fish caught 28 fow - 34 fow. Fiska white and pink with a minnow. Fiska white and pink with red little atom nuggie. Lots of lookers. The five fish we did catch were active feeders, (moved to the bait). Roads drifting over pretty good on Thursday. We blasted through a few. Can't say what it is like today.

[old timer]

Fished Fri, Jan 26... 8:30 - noon. Usual spot south of Crappie town. No fish marking. Actually moved to Crappie town in a moment of weakness. Scouted all around 32 - 40 fow. Very few fish marking. Set up on the southern perimeter when we marked some fish. Had one bite and missed it.

Tried banging the bottom to stir things up, which worked in past years when it was slow. Nothing. Not real encouraging given the difficulty of getting around with the snow. I hope others are doing better.

[minky]

Thanks for the update!

Hope you get some better luck the next time you go.

[MNPIKE]

I was out late on Friday Night with my daughter south of Shanty off, on our own, and caught some nice crappie (9"-11") from 6-9pm. Fishing slowed after 8pm. Had the best luck again on a white glow fatboy....that was her pole

[ETH310]

Out on the river right now. We pretty much have the place to ourselves. Fishing is ok all things considered. Have 7 on the ice and threw some little guys back. 36fow.

[monger]

How is the road? Lot of drifts? Haven't been out since we hit the first Arctic front. Got 4x4 but hesitant to come out if no ones out and get stuck

[DonBo]

Out on the river right now. We pretty much have the place to ourselves. Fishing is ok all things considered. Have 7 on the ice and threw some little guys back. 36fow.

Nice to hear a positive report once and a while. Being out there today, you deserve to catch a few fish.

[budboy]

how is travel

[Croix1959]

GeLuNumber1 every fish Ive caught this year has been on a tungsten wht/pink jig with a crappie minnow. I was out all last week in 38 fow and caught 2-6 fish out each time but only 5 were keepers with my biggest ever at 13". I caught that one on Thursday afternoon at 4:00. Earlier around 1:00 my girlfriend caught a 20" flathead which was pretty cool. Planning on going out tomorrow. Good luck!

How to I upload pics to this thread?

[DonBo]

How to I upload pics to this thread?

Pretty good tutorial here:

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...s_h#Post1219014

If you still can't get it, let us know.

I find it easiest to open a "Photobucket" account. It's free and easy. Upload photos there. They automatically size them for you. Just open a photo there, click or copy the "IMG" code, then paste it here in your response.

[GeluNumber1]

Well, Croix1959, assuming that you've uploaded the pictures to an image-hosting website such as imgur, the first step is to go to the full reply screen. Then, click on the icon of the triangle, square and circle. Enter the url of the location your picture is hosted on. Hope that helps!

EDIT: well, looks like DonBo already answered that question. whoops

[ETH310]

Travel is ok with 4x4. Got to look out for the deeper drifts. Saw two cars stuck on Monday.

[Tdubbers]

Fished with a buddy in 35 FOW SW of shanty town today from 1-5pm. Marked lots of fish on the vex but only one small crappie to show for it. Tried many lures and live baits, the only thing they paid any attention to was small crappie minnows on a small jig.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Fished out of Bayport all day Saturday, 6:30am to 6pm.

Managed to ice 9 fish... somehow... They sure were finicky...

[scott am]

Be careful on the river the snow is deep and if you don't have 4 wheel drive and good vehicle clearance you can get stuck. Even if you stay in tracks of another vehicle. Saw a lot of stuck vehicles yesterday 02/01/2014.

[Tdubbers]

Fished out of Bayport in 32 FOW from 4-6:30 today and had much better luck. Caught a bunch of sauger all on crappie minnows on a plain red hook. Tried spoons, jigin raps, and buckshot but they only bit on the live minnows. Bite did shut down at 5 but i'm stubborn so I stayed till 6:30 Anybody else having any luck??

[Tdubbers]

Fished out of Bayport again today, got a sauger and a crappie from 4-6. Forgot my vexilar but did get one other good bite. Sauger on live forage bait and crappie on a crappie minnow.

[Croix1959]

Does anyone know if St Croix bluffs regional park is open to access the river via the boat launch or is it gated off?