mississippi above sartell dam

[wheelierida]

anyone else having a rough time catching walleyes above the sartell dam. I started fishing up there 2 years ago and the walleye fishing was excellent. last year was good too! I went there on opener and we boated 2 keepers. Ive been there three more times and havn't caught [PoorWordUsage].

[badfisherman]

come on! No one has any input on the walleye fishing near Sartell. Is it that hot right now that nobody is gonna post about it online.

[Rick G]

Havent made it up there in the last two weeks but the last time up I found a mix of smallies walleyes catfish a few suckers and all the rockbass I could handle. I was finding active fish on the down current side of sand bars and a few in the main river channel. Like I said I havent been up in a couple weeks.

[eyeguy 54]

maybe you caught em all.

[Rick G]

I might have but they all went back into the river to live another day. This time of year I like to vertical jig with a half a crawler on as heavy a head as it takes to maintain bottom contact. 11-14 ft was working best.

[Stick in Mud]

I haven't been up there, either....been catching too many in the BWCA to bother with fishing for them down here!

[Rick G]

Carmike how long were you up for? Any hoggs?

[badfisherman]

figuered I'd try again fishing was horrible it must be all the mayflies oh yeah and that front that moved through

[CaptainMusky]

figuered I'd try again fishing was horrible it must be all the mayflies oh yeah and that front that moved through

I was always told that fronts did not have the impact on fish in rivers that they do on fish in lakes because the pressure is constantly changing in a river anyway.

I dont know if I subscribe to this, because I noticed one day we caught many fish and then the next day we could see them, but wouldnt bite and there was no real weather changes.

[river rat316]

Lots of other factors might have changed to them not biting, usually if you see them its to late, there not gonna bite

[Revermann]

I have been going out there the last few weeks and have only been catching walleyes that have been around 12". On occasion I have been catching some a little bigger but 15" fish are the biggest. Almost all of the fish are being caught vertical jigging minnows in 13' to 16' of water.

[Stick in Mud]

riverfishing,

I've been up there five times this year--soon to be six--with most trips being between three and six days. I actually haven't fished as much this year as in years past, but I still try to get out for an hour or two before it gets dark.

We didn't catch any monsters--just good old 16'' and 17'' fish (and lots smaller) that are easy to catch and fun to real in. Maybe a few were a little bigger, but nothing huge.

I did catch a 21'' largemouth on my last trip--the first largie I've caught up there. I ended up catching 10 or so in the bay, and it was fun to catch a species up there that I wasn't used to fishing for. And the fish were absolutely beautiful--dark, dark green. And the water was really shallow...maybe a foot at the most in places...so I'd see a wake going towards my lure whenever one was chasing it. Can't beat that!

[chifan]

Are there any good cats near the Sartell Dam? If so, how are you catching them?

[Stick in Mud]

I don't know what you mean by "good cats," but I've caught hundreds up there...And when they're biting, they'll bite anything. I suppose crawlers have always worked for me--I've never even tried cutbait or anything like that--but we get them on plastic worms, crankbaits, minnows....just about anything when they're biting.

[eyeguy 54]

I can remember running out of bait. Nightcrawlers are gone lets try these old minnows in this jar. Theyare gone, lets try these old salmon eggs, well time to quit, no more bait. lol Catfish can really get hungry!!