'sippi this Saturday

[BigMike]

Well I lucked out! I finished moving WAY ahead of schedule and the lady said I can go fishing on Saturday! YEAH!

I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to get out for another week or two (you all know how long moving/unpacking can take!). So needless to say, I’ve got to figure out where to get out and see if anyone wants to hit the ‘sippi wading. I’m hearing that the water levels are dropping fast! Hopefully that will really concentrate the smallies.

[Mark Christianson]

Here is a link to a website showing current river levels, and historical data.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mn/nwis/uv/?site_no=05270700&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

[Royce Aardahl]

thanks for the graph! I have rocks I check out every time I cross a few bridges that tell me the level and this will be a good tool to see where it is at. man was it windy yesturday! still a good time though. the rocks work great for depth checking and if they are gone I'll know it's toooooo windy to go out.

[Lost]

Mike, I'd love to get out with you but I'll hafta see what my girlfriend and her family are up to. With their mom in the hospital right now, and possibly coming out and needing 24/7 care at home, I may not be able to get out much at all. But if I can, I'll let ya know! I think I still have your cell # around here. I'd love to go for some of them smallies, and with you being the smallie-magnet pro that you are... well.....

[BigMike]

Yeah, let me know if you are available. I'm not sure just when I'm headed out, but I am almost 100% positive that I'll be able to get out for at least a good chunk of time on Saturday. I'm thinking of heading back up to Monti or maybe St. Cloud. If I could get some info on the Elk River area and wading access I might give that section a try too! I still have about 3-4 major sections that I want to get out on and explore! With the low water right now is the best time to hit the river wading! Anyone else heading out?

[river rat316]

Hey Mike
If you can wait till sunday Im there all day if not than maybe next time.
I just got back and it was amazing, good action all night nothing huge but nice 14 and 15 inchers all night on the breaks around the boulders then after sunset there was some sort of hatch (little white flys) and the top water action was unbelievable. I was standing in waste deep water and there were fish coming up all around like I wasnt even there. Ive never seen that many fish in my life after the first half hour I put a heddon top water lure on and I never reeled in an empty line for an hour! there were big hogs in there to I caught four in a row that were well over 17 inches, I ve never seen anytrhing like it under the full moon you couldnt see ne spot in the river that wasnt boiling from fish coming up! I hope I get to witness this again sometime. Then as quickly as the bugs came they left and the river was completely still in a bout 10 minutes!

[river rat316]

Hey Mike
If you can wait till sunday Im there all day if not than maybe next time.
I just got back and it was amazing, good action all night nothing huge but nice 14 and 15 inchers all night on the breaks around the boulders then after sunset there was some sort of hatch (little white flys) and the top water action was unbelievable. I was standing in waste deep water and there were fish coming up all around like I wasnt even there. Ive never seen that many fish in my life after the first half hour I put a heddon top water lure on and I never reeled in an empty line for an hour! there were big hogs in there to I caught four in a row that were well over 17 inches, I ve never seen anytrhing like it under the full moon you couldnt see ne spot in the river that wasnt boiling from fish coming up! I hope I get to witness this again sometime. Then as quickly as the bugs came they left and the river was completely still in a bout 10 minutes!

[BigMike]

Wow, that sounds awesome! What section where you fishing? Monti, Otsego, Elk River, Anoka??? I've heard the mayfly hatch is in full effect and when they come out the action is awesome like what you just described. Unfortunately I think I'm going to be fishing during the morning & day. I don't think my lady will go for a 6am to 10pm all day fishing thing . Oh well, I probably would be exhausted after wading for that long!

[fishface5]

Big Mike, Are you interested in any week days?

[BigMike]

fishface, I would be interested in the weekdays but only in the evenings and those are becoming fewer and farther between.

As for a fishing report from this last Saturday. The fishing was alright to hot. I'll explain. I fished the Monti stretch from the trailer park to halfway down towards the bridge and had hardly any luck. The river is SO low that I practically waded out 1/3rd of the way across the river in some spots. I caught a nice 4.5lb northern and a 16inch smallie both on buzzbaits.

Things were slow (2 fish in 3 hours) so I headed downriver towards otsego and fished one of my new favorite spots that I discovered a couple weeks back while exploring and I fished the rapids & boulder fields and with the low current I was nailing smallies every cast on senkos & buzzbaits. Unfortunately they were all 12inches and under. No big fish, I know they are in there because I had a couple blowup on my buzzbait, but I could not get them to commit! So the action was hot downriver, but after a while, the smallie magnet gets tired of catching a million pocket bass and wants something larger. I'll tell you though, catching a 12incher in the rapids is a fun fight! Now why can't they just be 4+inches bigger?!

Oh well, I guess I'll have to settle for going back this week

[river rat316]

Hey Big Mike

I went out on Sunday and had much of the same lots of small ones then right before dark landed a 15 incher and a 17 incher in the current and man were they a load I had lots of long releases from what felt like a lot bigger fish but nothing would stay on so thats how it went for me. You goin up to Sartell this weekend?

[Lost]

Mike, wish I was there but life is so iffy right now. I was supposed to be out yesterday but didn't want to chance the weather nor be out in the skin-pruning humidity and sweltering heat. This Friday night I'll be at a cancer walk that goes from 7pm-7am otherwise I'd offer to go with ya this weekend (if I have my vehicle back from the shop... transmission is goin' out... good thing I got the extended warranty). I should know more about how my free time will be in another week or so.

[Doonbuggy]

Big Mike - let me know if you'd like a tag-along sometime for river smallies in Otsego.

I got the bug for them again after a pretty good trip to LOW, all fat 15-18" bruisers.

At any rate, I have waders (if needed) and a vehicle to get us there.

Weekday evenings can be tough w/ traffic, but weekends are pretty good. Drop me a line at ajdoon57 @ yahoo dot com. I live in St. Louis Park.

Will you fit into an Explorer!?

DB