Pool 4 11/10 report

Fished from 7-11 on Sunday morning. Weather was beautiful with sun shining and little wind. Little wind made it much easier to stay vertical for my boat. Started the morning pitching hair jigs and blades to rip rap shorelines. Didn’t have any success so after 45 minutes we switched tactics. Vertical jigging brought all of our fish to the boat. Best depths were 17-20ft of water for my boat. Appeared to be fish coming both shallower and deeper though judging by the catching around us. Tried various baits including blades (gold and firetiger), Dubuque rigging, hair jigs and straight plastics. Best bait for keeper size fish was 5/16 jighead with mini purple/chart tail pulse-r’s. Fishing seemed to pick up for my boat around the 10am hour…kept 3 15″-16″ sauger in the last hour of fishing so I would think more keeper fish could have been had if I could have stayed longer. Fish seemed to be scattered from the dam down to the Y and below. Lots of small saugers caught in the 10-12 inch range but larger fish were mixed in. Also caught one small walleye (14″). The saugers had absolutely zilch in their stomach when I cleaned them. I was expecting them to be packed with shad. Not sure but I’m thinking this means we are on the front end of a good bite. At least that is what I’m telling myself. Lots of boat out…I would like to hear what other boats found.

We fished from 7-12 yesterday. It was a fantastic day to be in the boat, but the fishing was pretty slow. We tried jigging vertically down stream with plastics and meat and 3 way rigged up stream with some smalls and a couple large enough for the box. I left scratching my head a bit for this time of year, but that is why they call it fishing!

Ryan

Great report. I took a couple of buddies out yesterday too. From about 9 till 4. Fishing did seem better in the morning compared to the afternoon for us. Tried by the dam, down to the Y, and a bit farther downstream too. We caught a few keeper sauger, and one 14-inch eye, and lots of tiny sauger. Bite seemed slower, at least for me, compared to the previous week. Very light bites for the most part. Vertical jigging (silver or gold), 5/16 oz, jig and minnow. I’d say most of the action for us was about 20 feet. I hope you’re right about being on the front end of the bite.

Great report, am thinking of going out later this week near Wabasha. May target walleye/sauger if the bite is picking up. As an alternative – are there any other species this time of year to consider if the we want to try something else too?

Thanks for the report. I had similar results last week. The bite is ok at best. I do, however, really enjoy getting out this time of year. It seems like stealing or something.

Forgot to also ask if anyone else on the water saw the nice buck trot past the WI sand down into the wooded shoreline above the new rip rap? He cruised through about 9ish I would say. I told my partner it’s only fair to be fishing and see a nice buck and then while in my tree stand, I dream of fishing! It’s a cruel world.

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Forgot to also ask if anyone else on the water saw the nice buck trot past the WI sand down into the wooded shoreline above the new rip rap? He cruised through about 9ish I would say. I told my partner it’s only fair to be fishing and see a nice buck and then while in my tree stand, I dream of fishing! It’s a cruel world.

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His antlers glistened in the sun. Very cool for sure!!!

I was out there with my buddy the exact same time all of you were too, from 0700-1200. Same exact tactics and results, great weather, fishing slow at best. We tried meat,hair,plastics dragging and vertical from dam to below Y. We 3-wayed below Y up thru the Y, same results. We even tried in front of Baypoint Park vertical jigging and nothing. I am still trying to learn Pool 4, but my buddy is much more versed on it. He mentioned the water level is the lowest he has ever seen, with literally no flow. No idea if that has anything to do with it or not. I suspect it does. Always good to get out though….

The River can sure be humbling, that’s for sure. Thanks for the report around Bay Point. I was wondering if anyone had any better luck there/down river. Sounds like not.

Ditto on Sunday for us too!
Lots of small fish.Afternoon was slow and nothing dragging after dark.
Of the two saugers I kept , one had an empty stomach and one coughed up a shiner.
On a side note: sound likes the guys duck hunting on the Wisconsin side by the dam had some action. Lots of shooting going on.

Ditto results and all the fish I cleaned had empty stomachs.

-Boogs

I think we found our scapegoat!!!! It was all the shooting from the hunters that must have scared all the fish down to Alma!!!!

Saturday was a real tough for my boat only a few nice ones, Sunday was ok sorted through a lot, ended up with 15 decent ones, plastics by far got nicer fish

Just checking the flow and it’s a bit higher then this time then the last two years at 12,000 cfs.

2012/5500 cfs
2011/10,500 cfs

Stage of the pool is close to the same though @ 675.

2012/675 ft
2011/675.5 ft

I would go with the duck hunters.

I did see someone catch a big catfish yesterday. I’m going with the catfish scaring em away.

all the more reason to club every catfish that comes to the boat.

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all the more reason to club every catfish that comes to the boat.

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That would be the only way you’re going to get a limit of eyes Mike.