Coon Rapids Dam to 169 Bridge

[Riverratpete]

Since no one talks about it I will start a thread. Been hitting it lately in the evening, Fishing mostly Catfish, not much going on. Water temp 76, water flow medium I'd say, water is clearing up really nice..I have to say after many years fishing the Mississippi (since 73) it has really cleaned up well, don't have the staining on my boat  I've had in the past. As usual there's lots of pleasure boats, jet skiers etc but seem to be able to get away from them for the most part. Mayflies (the little white ones) are starting to hatch in the evening.  Good Luck.  

[MSRiverdog]

Interesting area from year to year, can be really good come September, this time of the year is tough if you don't know spots. One of my buddy's comments was "this area has to be fished like a lake, Smallies move from deep to rock piles and back again most of the year to feed". There are a lot of small culverts that have rock piles by them but you don't know where they are because of the higher water. Now that they don't plan a winter draw down they'll be hard to find, if they do and you have a jet go find them, Try watching for where streets are close to the river a lot of them drain into it. Raining? The shore by the college can be red hot from a boat, big Northerns and Smallies. I had one year the 16/19 inch fish lived in front of my old house, caught them on a daily basis then they were gone. Hard to fish because of the boat traffic in summer is an understatement. 169 up to Kings on the Champlin side has been very, very good to me over the years, lots of 18+ fish and most of the folks that live there are friendly.

Not Kings, I meant North River Park, I usually started at the last house before it but you will find fish in the shallow weed patches to the park. Upper end of Kings Island has everything, Walleyes , Northerns and Smallies.,

On that Champlin shore stretch, there are a few deep holes 50/75 feet from shore so it won't hurt to as you do the shoreline to cast out into the river to.

[Riverratpete]

Well if you can dodge the wake boarders, jet skiers and casual pontoon boat cruisers there are some fish to be caught. Got out the other day with an old friend after work. Worked from the Rum River down to the Dam and put some fish in the boat..nothing too big but fun..did get the single Walleye again..can never seem to put a pattern together. Did start doing some hucking for Muskies also. Tip of the trip..Shadraps 

Edited August 12, 2015 by Riverratpete

[MSRiverdog]

Mouth of the Rum can be decent on the downriver bank but spotty, got the only Walleye I ever caught in that stretch at the park side with a cast, nice one to, on a Shadrap, to the shore 10 feet away from shore fishermen at night, didn't see them until I hooked the fish. That side of the river has a lot of big culverts that can be good for Smallies and Cats, tubes and Senkos. White has always been the go to color, spinners and buzzers.

Edited August 17, 2015 by MSRiverdog

[Marshall]

I wanted to know how big a boat can you launch in the area of the rum and Mississippi? I have a deep v and wanted to know if I would be able to fish that area of the river with the boat. Any info would be great! Thank you

[MSRiverdog]

The launch is usually pretty good, take it slow and stay between the marker buoys, if it's a heavy boat keep it trimmed a little high, mid way down there a shallow spot but you should be fine.

[mn82bronco]

Fished for 4 hours.  Caught 2 under 12" smalllies and 1 17". All hit on a 3" black grub bounced off the bottom in mid channel in about 10' where the bottom was rocky.   I forgot my net last weekend and lost at least another 17" in the same area.

Regarding the Rum boat launch, you can go upstream nearly to the dam  if you stay between the bouys....smallies like the bottom in the faster water north of the launch.