2/16/12--- Pool 4(Red Wing) Water Temp:36 Level:@2.3 Flow:@8000cfs
Things are still in good shape as water clarity is 5 or 6 feet and flows are very low.
The sauger bite is still going strong with good numbers and size. Concentrating on the deeper stretches (18-30') has been the best bet to coax these still very aggressive fish. In just a short time dragging jigs upstream yesterday we were able to catch quite a few nice saugers on pro blue and fc/chart ringworms.
Walleyes are a little tougher during the day but still catchable. Throwing jigs/minnows was about the only way we found to fool these shallower water dwellers. A few 16-19 inch eyes, northerns and smallmouth bass found their way to the boat while staying in less than 16 fow.
Spending a little time with the camera in the water yesterday showed us first hand what a bountiful fishery we have. Let's just say that the walleye/sauger population on the upper stretches of pool 4 is flourishing.
1/29/12--- Pool 4(Red Wing) Water Temp:36 Level:@2.3 Flow:@7500cfs
Normal winter conditions exist on the river near Red Wing. The only change I am seeing is in water clarity. We get just a little clearer each time I go out. I would estimate clarity now @ 5'.
This will go down as the best January I have seen since being on THIS stretch of the river.(10 years) Warm temps and the delayed upstream movement of fish this fall have led to the "Perfect Storm" so to speak. Trips all month have yielded gaudy numbers of fish in the 14-19" range.
The presentation of choice for my boat has been pulling jigs/ringworms upstream in 15-25 fow. I normally call this tactic dragging but is really more like jig trolling. Slow steady boat movement upstream keeps jigs cruising just above the bottom to trigger very aggressive strikes. Different colors depending on time of day and cloud cover are the variables we need to sort out each day.
On Fridays trip with my son we decided to experiment a little with other presentations. Knowing that dragging wasn't the only way to fool these pretty willing fish, Bridger and I not only caught fish dragging upstream but also fooled a few dragging light jigs downstream. Just to mix it up a little more we made a few drifts vertically with jigs and plastics and found this to be good as well.
I'm guessing that this suicidal all day bite will give way to a more sporadic, smaller windows type of thing as we go into February. Looking at the warm forecast it should be fun trying to sort out next months puzzle.
Denver and Bridger are shown with a couple chunks from last week
1/11/12--- Pool 4(Red Wing) Water Temp:37 Level:@2.1 Flow:@9100cfs
Very normal conditions exist on the river other than water temps which are a touch high due to the warm weather. Water clarity is about 4'.
The start of the new year has been a good one. With all the warm weather, we have been able to get out quite a bit in the past ten days. Dragging jigs has taken up 90% of my time recently. Either dragging up stream in deep water during the day or shallow at dusk and after dark. Ring worms in various colors have been the bait of choice for my boat on every trip.
Our catch during the day has been made up of mainly saugers with quite a few that are too big to keep. The walleyes have been more common as the light of day disappears and gives way to the bright moonlight we have been having as of late.
Tom Klanchnik is the poster child for this week as he shows off some fish in the first few pictures. Yours truly with a sauger that weighed in at 4.5 lbs is next. Bob Wilson was in again on Tuesday with his grandsons Patrick and Andrew. Andrew is a pretty good fisherman and also did a good job as captain as well.
Back to reality as the snow is flying while I update this report. I do see some not so bad temps predicted for the weekend. Maybe the break in fishing will be a short one.
