Guttenberg Cigar Fest

I fished below the lock and dam in Guttenberg today, and got five keeper-sized saugers, the biggest of which was 14″. I also released a lot of hotdog-sized saugers, along with a couple small walleye. The bite was good from the forenoon when I got there to mid-afternoon, when it slowed way down.

The Corps has a good flow going through the west side of the dam, so all the action was on the east side in the back-current. There were some boats working the wing dams downstream from the launches, but I do not know what any of those produced. The other boats below the gates were having the same results as me–lots of small sauger with some decent ones and the occasional small ‘eye mixed in.

Is there anymore recent news on the fishing below Guttenberg?

I am thinking of possibly making a trip up there this Thursday and would like some information on what to expect

Thanks
Channon

I was up there again last Saturday. The Corps let a little more water through the gates on the east side. It wasn’t a lot, but the fish seemed a little more scattered and less eager to bite.

was up there today with my old man and my buddy. We limited out by 2:30. Only two real nice ones, we had one walleye at 19 inches and one sauger and 17 inches the rest were smaller saugers but we wanted a good meal so we took our limit home. Heading back up there in the morning as well. Never have fished out of a boat this late in the season I am normally ice fishing but oh well this will work just as well

Mind me asking what they were hitting on? I am sure it will change by Thursday when I get up there!

Thanks for the updates guys. Sounds like they’re there if you work for em. Hope to get up there sometime soon and post a report.

Thanks,

We were up again yesterday and it has slowed down alot from thursday but still did manage our limit. Biggest two were 19 1/2 and 18 all were saugers today. We were using just a speed jig and twister and vertical jigging. I was using a 5inch chart. pearl K grub and it was working great.

I was up at the Guttenberg tailwater again this morning–I am starting to think of that water as “the humidor”. I managed to get myself out of bed on time to hit the early morning bite, and my first fish was a 17″ sauger. After that, everything was small, with my biggest sauger going 13″. I also snagged a small, dazed, channel cat. I ended up catching a dozen or so fish, but they were mostly cigarillos. Unlike my previous trips this winter, I didn’t get any walleye.

I spent most of my time slooow-trolling three-ways tipped with minnows, and seemed to catch as many fish as anyone vertical-jigging. The fish were hitting reaaally light today–I wouldn’t really feel a strike, and couldn’t tell for sure if I had a snag or a fish until I got my rig close to the boat. Stinger hooks were a necessity.

The river is up a foot or so from when I was last there two weeks ago, and there was more water going through the gates on the west side. The grass in the water wasn’t as bad as Xmas weekend, though. There were several boats working the wing dam below the launch, but I don’t know how they were doing. The bite was steady, but not great, on both sides below the dam. The IDNR was asking for otolith samples, and right after the guy doing it took mine one boat with several nice sauger came in. I didn’t see or hear of any other big fish besides those and my 17″.