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riverdancer

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My hubbie and I just got serious about fishing this year. We live close to Wm. Obrien state park and wanted to fish the river. We are looking for crappie or walleye and sauger., Any tips on where to go?

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I would start with the dock at the Osceola park. I have caught lots of eyes and crappies off of it. Day break or sunset is the times there. Lighted bobbers work well there also. This is a easy shore spot to fish.
Second would be rock island. You can see it up stream from the Fronconia trail landing. I caught some nice crappies there a week ago. Try jigs along the cliffs. just keep working them up and down around the rocks.
Minnows or plastic baits work well up here.
Be carefull on the upper strech of this river it can run very shallow with lots of hazards. I got to see a nice bass boat park itself on one of the wingdams up here last weekend. It was a bigger boat with a 150hp on back. Way to much boat for this strech of river for this time of year.
Good Luck fishing

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Mike,

I had to laugh at your post, since I too fish the upper stretch of the Croix. I haven't seen anyone stuck on a wingdam yet, but I do recall a dozen or so canoes caught between the strong wind coming up the river towards Rock Island and the current bringing them there. The wind would push them upstream past Rock Island, while getting past Rock Island, the current would bring them back. We had a few requests to tow them somewhere away from wind or current....

I use my outboard only selectively, with my trolling motor being the main source of power. Be cautious folks. When the water is "high" for the season, be prepared for debris floating downstream (i.e. branches, logs, etc.). They are tough to spot any wind on the water.

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God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides (Twin Cities Guides) www.totalbusinessware.com/guide.html

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Sounds like you must have been out on saturday. I also seen alot of canoes turn around at rock island that day. It was looking like the water level was starting to head down towards normal that day. I here it is on its way back up now. What are you guys running for a boat on this stretch of river.
I run a 14' john with a 15hp. There has been alot of bigger boats up here this year.
You guys catching any fish. Im sure you are.
Im heading back up to rock island and the area friday afternoon.
Good luck fishing

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Mike,

I am crazy enough to have my bass boat out there (with a 150 hp - although I haven't been stuck yet...). We worked Saturday morning & then Sunday night. Sunday the water was UP at least a foot from Saturday!

Fishing was decent for smallies on Saturday, with a 20" sheephead to boot. Sunday was tougher with the water whipping through there, but we did boat a couple smallies, a few good northerns and raised a mid-40" muskie. Sunday night we got to listen to the square dancers on the paddle boat.

I would be out there again this weekend but I have a guiding trip on Saturday on a east metro lake....

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God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides (Twin Cities Guides) www.totalbusinessware.com/guide.html

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Hey Judd
I am going to miss this next weekend also.Being labor day weekend it isn't a bad weekend to miss over there. I do plan on making up for it by heading out wens. afternoon and all day next tuesday.
Taking my heighbor out tommorow afternoon. Last trip for him down here. He is buying the pines resort on Winnebegosh.
I am suprised on the smallie report. They have been easy pickings for me in the openings to the backwaters. Did you try the crappies at rock island? I was also getting some nice ones there on crappie getters by sothern pro. I think that is who makes them.
Do you think the water is ever going to go down this year. I cant remember launching out of Osceola this late in the year.
I never did get up to fronconia this weekend. Friday night i went south out of Osceola. Found the bass in the channels down that way also.
Do you ever fish between Stillwater and Marine on Croix? This is where i plan on going next tuesday for the day. It will be my first trip down there. Any Info would be great. Landings, Holes ETC.
I even tryed Elk River this weekend. I wasnt to inpressed for my first trip over there. Caught a few smallies but nothing to talk about.Maybe it was all the development that turned me off.
I did see a couple of bigger boats at eagles nest on sunday evening. Was that you?
Good luck fishing

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Oh Yea

Riverdance did you ever make it out on the river. I did talk to a couple fishing off the dock at Osceola this weekend that was catching a few fish. The eyes are on a late evening bite there but are running small. I was getting a few legals there last fall. 2 or 3 per trip.
If you made it out lets here the results.
Good luck fishing.

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Hey guys. Sounds like the upper croix is the place to be. I have been pounding the lower croix by hudson and nothing to really talke about. You talk of pike and skis got me interested in the upper croix. I mainly chase them so if you guys have any info on where to go or what to do that would be great. Thanks for any help.

FH

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Mike W.

Tell me more about the dock at Osceola park!
Is it N or S of the bridge? I haven't done any bank fishing on the Croix this year cuz my spots have all been screwed up with the water levels. This may be a good weekend to give it a try!

Thanks in Advance!!!

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It's south of the bridge on the south end of the park. It has a slack water bay behind it which should be really high this year. Haven't been the for a while, but have caught Sturgeon there in the late fall. Actually the time of the runs is getting close now. Have yet to break the 50 lb. mark on those prehistoric things, but they get MUCH bigger than 50.

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<The Sucka{
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wel it looks like we're going to make it out this weekend. My hubby is picking up a little motor for our 14ft boat and we're back in business(somewhat) though I really miss the skeeter. We are going to try north of obrien, maybe head up to osceola and try the spot by the bridge, I hope I remember how to fish it's been sooooo long. Oh well The tackle box needs going through, good luck everyone.

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Hey Labrat

The dock is a good place to hit from shore this fall. I pulled a 8# eye of of it about 5 years ago. Last fall the legal eyes where in there after dark. The bite doesnt start until dark. It can be pretty slow before that. I like the lighted bobbers there with minnows. You will catch some small crappies with them. The eyes are still on a crawler bite. Bring your rubbers because the ramp to the dock has been under water for most of the year. It is only about 5' out to dry land. Good luck if you try it. I will probally be giving it a try some time soon. It has alot more room than my boat for my son to play around in.
Oh yea. If you are there on a weekend night the park patrol may chase you out when the park closes. You can park at the landing and walk back down there.
There is also a spot north of the bridge on the MN side that might be worth trying. It used to be a good spring eye spot. I did pull one 45# flathead out of it also.

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Thanks Mike!

I did stop and drop a crawler in for a bit on Sat. afternoon. Didn't stay too long, I just wanted to check out the dock. Got one small Small Mouth just in front of the doc, but it was so windy that it was hard to detect a bite on the bottom rig when out deep. Nice spot tho, I plan on returning later in the fall, when dusk is a bit sooner!

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