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Wading near Sartell [Smallies]


fuzzyray

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I have always wanted to wade the Mississippi near Sartell (near the Bridge of Hope) and finally made it out this week. The water is pretty low and you can really cover some ground. I walked in at the access south of the bridge and worked the river from there up to the bridge focusing further out into the river and around the island. Tuesday I caught 4 smallies and had a few other hits, one was a real brut...I decided to try again Wed and didn't get a single stike. I was out at about the same time (5-6:30), used same tackle, ect. The only difference that I could see was that it was a little bit brighter out on Wed. Just wondering if anyone could help me out in understanding smallie patterns this time of the year, especially being that the water is pretty low. I caught all my fish on original rapalas (black/silver).

Also, I know there are some walleyes in this part of the river as well. Has anyone here had success in targeting them?

-Fuzzyray

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Try out some weightless Senkos, hooked wacky style.

Toss it up current, and let it drift down, twitching it very lightly.

We killed bass last Sunday in water 1-3 ft from about noon to 2pm.
Biggest was a 19+ incher. Lots of 13-14 inchers.

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Where are you getting those senkos? Ive looked all over and cant find em. Ever try chompers? they work pretty well ( and in a pinch could be a snack since there salt and garlic flavored.... lol) wacky style is just through the middle hooked once right?

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That is a nice smallie indeed, I don't have much for pics to show being that I usually wade alone. Thanks for the responses, keep them coming!

~fuzzyray

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Nice hawg! Smallies that big make everyone day - week - heck year for that matter!

River Rat - senko is a product made by gary yamamoto (sp??). But the bait concept is the same used by chompers, yum, case, etc... instead of thinking "senkos" we should say stick baits... and wacky rigging is bending the bait in half and then running the hook right through the middle (this is best done with a wire guard hook or circle hook).

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Darnit now I got to go to sportsmans wharehouse again mtomorrow thanks Mike and Hawg you guys are filling my tacklebox with all this stuff

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Darnit now I got to go to sportsmans wharehouse again mtomorrow thanks Mike and Hawg you guys are filling my tacklebox with all this stuff

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