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St Anthony to Ford Dam


popriveter

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is there still ice built up below st anthony by the arch bridge? Might try for some cats this weekend if the weather stays nice.

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  • 4 weeks later...

yea there are a few out there, i only went down there once this spring and it was frozen up when i went but there are a few there

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Is there a good spot to put a canoe in on the st. paul side of the river? I'm thinking with gas prices this year, that section of the river might see a few visits from me smile

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Yes do U know where honk your horn is. thats what we refer the spot as. u go on north side of stone arch bridge turn down the driveway to your left go past the sign that tells u to honk your horn. and under the 35w bridge thats a good spot to put a canoe in.

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I went down there when it was frozen up and did real good on crappies an sunnies, with a couple bass as a bounus, one being a large mouth. but the last few years those cats are far and few between from years past. that draning messed everything up

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Hey guys, any recommendations as to what type lures to use fishing from shore in the boom island area? Would it be worth pitching and briniging back plastics for walleyes/saugers? What about cranks or rapala style lures for bass? I recently moved into NE mpls and have been meaning to give it a shot for a while, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!

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I have had good luck working crank baits (Rapala DT4s) towards shore from a boat, i don't know if they would work as well going the other way as the strikes seem to happen as the lure drops into the channel.

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Crankbaits are the go to bait.

Fished this stretch at least a dozen or more times with jac714 last summer.

If you really worked the bank slow, you can catch Bass on Senkos, Yum Dingers, Zoom Flukes.

Tubes and Jig and Craws would probably work to.

Caught several larger Bass on Double Willow Spinnerbaits too.

Any crankbait that runs 2 to 6 feet will catch fish.

DT4's practically make fish jump in the boat, just have to figure out the color they want........that is one secret I will not reveal. wink

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since Im seeing no new topics or reports i guess everyone is to busy fishing. I just got layed off for a couple weeks and will try to put something worth reading about up soon. Tip of the Day if the water is way up and fast like everyone has been reporting all U need to do is find some good slack water areas of any kind and U will eventualy find some fish Temps wont realy matter that much. But of course the warmer the better. There will be fish caught this week. smilegrin

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Well went out today and found some slack water and had a pretty good fishing day. Myself and one other guy showed up and fished fairly close by. He started out with a smaller walleye then he caught a pretty nice fat one it was 20 or 22 inches I forget but i did take a pic. and some pics of the fish I caught. My first fish was a pig. about the biggest Smallie Ive ever caught, 20 inches and fat as a football. caught a few more nice ones and four pike. and missed 1 fish and lost another. I never learned how to post pics on here. if anyone would care to ill send them to U. all caught on a slip bobber and crappie minnow in the river. ultra light Ugly stick. The other guy also caught some pike and carp. All C&R grin

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  • 2 weeks later...

Went out and casted from shore in the boom island park area yesterday evening. Started just above where the river branches around Nicollet island, worked my way up to the boat launch at the park. Casted walleye jigs and some 4 and 6 foot running cranks. Tried to find slack water from shore, but it really was non-existent with the river so high still. Then casted a bit in the harbor in front of the boat launch, nothing for me, but another guy fishing with live bait caught a nice smalley. There were also a ton of carp or buffalo in the harbor, which looks like a pretty nice place to go and fish with a bobber and hook. Beautiful day as well, so no complaints really.

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That area follows the inland water season and is still closed for gamefish..... just an fyi

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wow - good to know, definitely thought it was the same as the river down by redwing...where does the river change to being able to fish them all year?

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Ford dam, pool 2 (ford dam to Hastings dam) is catch and release year round, south of the Croix confluence is border waters and is open year round

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  • 4 weeks later...

I was down by the river checking it out yesterday, the flow is extremely high as is the water level. The locks and dams are closed to recreational traffic. It will be a few weeks without major rain (yeah right) before this stretch is fishable.

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Need to fish heavy jigs with minnows, those are there, you may lose alot of jigs.

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You Guys should take advantage of the high water right now, the morning and evening bite has been alright. I fish slack water where I can even use a slip bobber at times. took the girfriend out the other day for four eyes 4 catfish a carp, a smally,and a largemouth, in a few hours time. seen a couple crappies caught too. 2cwhistle

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I agree with Dragon, the fish are easier to get to from shore when the water is high. Once it goes down there is less current in the main channel and they can move around easier. Look for current seams and you will catch something, that goes for any stretch of the river in the metro, but in my opinion this stretch even more so since there is so little back water.

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Went out yesterday morning from 8 to noon. the water has dropped about a foot or two and the bite was way off from past couple trips. But after switching spots a couple times I did manage 8 smallies. smile

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a unusual day lasy saturday on this strech of the river. since the bit had changed or slowed up by the locks so I decide to trydown river. I went without hittting the bait shop because i can usualy catch a few small shiners with my dip net. but none were to be found within reach. so i checked between the mile and a half or so i usualy fish when in that area and only seen one spot but they were to far out for me to reach so i started pitching shad raps for a while here and there for 5 smallies. then around noon i started to leave, when i got back by the spot where the shiners were next to these logs i tryed and managed a half dozen of the nices shiners i have ever dip netted about three to four inches and fat. so i thru one on a hook cast out about 30 to 40 feet and a few minutes later a walleye. I have fished this area or spot for about 15 years and have never caught a walleye in that exact spot. and fishing always slows down after 10 or 11 oclock. But that day i caught walleyes back to back from 12 grintill when i left at three fortyfive. nothing but walleyes.11 to 13 inchers. was a good day all in all but freakishly unusual

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I fished the stretch from st. anthony to the ford dam twice last week and caught a ton of smalies a few sheephead and a nice northern. Lots of small smallies with quite a few decent ones mixed in. They were hitting on deep diving cranks and on a jig and swim bait.The cranks only worked if you were banging the bottom consistantly.

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I hit the shoreline a little last week and picked up smallmouths on cranks and tailspinners. It is not easy shorefishing where I was. I am anxious to take my boat through this stretch, but the days I've been able to launch on the river, the water has been so high that the locks were closed for recreational use.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • mulefarm
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