Monticello/Otsego Smalliie Fishing Reports

[fishface]

Haven't been to Otsego area this year, but around Monti the levels are just a bit deeper than last year. Maybe 8" to a foot deeper? Not having too much trouble wading. Just catching anything bigger than 13". No cats even lately. Doesn't seem like I'm seeing as many carp, (or any other fish for that matter) in the shallows. Just a very differant year than the past few. I have to admit I haven't been out as often, nor have I stayed out as late as in years past. Kind of lazy this year.

[fishface]

Between the high water and the weeds...

Guess I'll give the baot a try.

Didn't get skunked though.

here's a big one.

[bassfshin24]

has anyone been out lately? a friend and i are thinking about heading up there for the first time this weekend and just wondering what the bite is like. like i said this will be the first time fishing this part of the river...anyone have any advice on where to start? what boat ramp should we put in at? any help would be great.

[big musk411]

Fishing was OK yesterday. River is high and weedy making it more challenging than usual. Landed several bass, a pike and small eye. Jig and minnow.

The Dayton ramp is wrecked, all the others from monti south are good though.

Hopefully the water will drop soon and fishing will get much better.

[TunaCan]

What do you mean the Dayton ramp is wrecked? I plan on going out tomorrow - can a boat be landed at Dayton or is there something really wrong with it? Is it better to land at Elk River and go downstream instead?

[EBass]

Plan on unloading and loading the boat by hand. It's a mess. Crow dumped tons of sand right at the ramp. Use Elk or Anoka. Go and see for yourself.

[TunaCan]

Water is still very high with a lot of floating mats of grass/weeds. Caught four yesterday afternoon in about an hour casting off shore with a 4" megatube so they are getting more aggressive with bigger baits. Biggest was 19 1/2" - caught the same fish last Friday on a medium sucker. Bigger fish are actively following hooked fish during the fight. Water temps were about 62-63 on Friday.

[TunaCan]

Fished from shore a couple hours this afternoon. Smallmouth were congregated and aggressively hitting a 4" megatube dragged slowly in sand/rocks (black with red fleck - light colors did not produce). Size was not great with most between 14-16" (biggest about 17 1/2"), but significant numbers grouped in small areas. Fish were mostly inside the current seam.

[TunaCan]

Caught 15 in an hour and a half this afternoon. Equal numbers on 4" megatube (black with red flake) and medium suckers. Most fish were 15-17" with a couple in the 18" range. Surprisingly the bigger fish were caught on the tube. Water is down at least a couple feet from the peak and the fish have relocated to tight spots, but in the same general areas. One spot was about the size of a hula hoop and held 5 good fish.

[Presco]

Tuna, were you just south of the launch at about noon today with another guy? I saw one guy throwing what looked like tubes and another guy with minnows. I saw another guy in his car getting ready to fish/leave with a flyrod. I got there early and had been fishing for about 3-4 hours by noon. Bite was slower than previous days with smaller average size. Biggest was just a hair under 18", but most were little guys. TunaCan is right, they are packed in really tight, if you find them you can hammer them every cast. If you don't find them, its a lot casting/searching. I posted a pic of my largest to date in that area in the Bass Pics forum from the other day. Fish was a solid 20", possibly even 21". I didn't have a ruler, so was measured against my rod, which I then measured when I got home. Really nice fish, although the pic does it no favors.

[TunaCan]

I was by myself fishing from about 2:30-4:00 PM. I almost always fish afternoons this time of year.

[Dylan33]

I was out in Monticello with a couple of buddies on saturday from about 9:30- 11:30 am. managed to land 7 smallies and 2 small pike. Biggest smallie was about 15 inches.

[Presco]

Dylan, how were the water levels?

[Dylan33]

sorry for the late response, I've been out of town dealing with the in-laws.

Water was about a foot or more above "normal". I am basing "normal" off of last winter water levels.

Last year you had a couple of feet of rocky shoreline you could walk...last week you had a couple of inches of shoreline....that made fishing tough at some spots since you either had to fish with your feet in the water (okay if you have waders, I did not), or fish from an elevated bank.

Good fishing either way

[Dylan33]

Had a decent day in Monticello..here a couple...biggest was 16.5

[mrklean]

nice job do you go lighter with all your gear in the winter for smallies?

[Juan Grande]

Nice! You fishing with live bait Dylan?

[Dylan33]

nice job do you go lighter with all your gear in the winter for smallies?

I usually don't go lighter. 7' medium spinning gets it done for me in the winter

[Dylan33]

Nice! You fishing with live bait Dylan?

I mainly use tubes, especially since the water levels are high. When the water levels are lower, I mix in wacky rigged senkos. Never used live bait up that way.

[Juan Grande]

So you just use the same methods and fish the same spots you would from shore in the summer time?

[Dylan33]

So you just use the same methods and fish the same spots you would from shore in the summer time?

I actually don't fish that area much in the summer. In the winter, there aren't a lot of places to scratch the itch for open water fishing. But yeah, same methods and structure as summer fishing

[Dylan33]

A few from today...

[DuckBlind]

Nice pics!

[DuckBlind]

Does anyone know what the river is like right now around the Monticello/Otsego area...? Water still pretty high? Could a guy get out and wade in the river?

Thanks.

[mrklean]

river is high, has stayed high all spring, it will depend on the area getting out and wading around

[EBass]

I was out on Sat and it's higher then I've ever seen it. There are islands where normally it's dry in high water. Think of high water then add 3 more feet. Fishing was slow to. Just to much current and water up in peoples yards.

There's no place to wade right now as you can't see more than 8" and the current is fast, but if you must attach a rope to a tree or sumptin.

Someone could take a boat from Anoka to St. Cloud with no issues - heck I saw a 20 foot fiberglass I\O running around on full plane.

[Outdoor Authority]

I have been out around the plant and it's crazy trying to fish. I am thinking of trying down by the bridge one of these nights for some cats. Any one been in this area lately or should I launch the boat.

[mrklean]

are the docks out yet at montisippi?

[Brad B]

No the river is still to high and moving to fast. It doesn't help matters that all the water from the missouri river is going to be flowing into the mississippi. they are talking extended amount of high water this year as far south as st louis, mo . don't forget everything that comes from the upper miss (st louis back to the source) also has to pass through louisianna and look at what the corp of engineers is doing down there. I think this is just a really bad year and hope that it will change in the next year or so. look at how high the crow has been this year. along co rd 14 it looks like a lake and not a river.

[Outdoor Authority]

anyone been out to the river lately thinking of going out tomorrow am or pm.