? for u pool 4 hog pros

Just looking for a little help from all you guys who catch 10 plus pound eyes on pool 4 ive been fishing out of evrets for three years now and am yet to hook up with anything over 26 inches ive caught several 9 plus fish in alma and the fowx river and i cant figure out y its been ivading me on pool 4 the quanity has been there almost every time ive been there witch has probaly been 30 times the past 3 years any tips would be greatful send me a pm or post thanks a lot

don’t feel left out it takes a lot of attention to the little things. I’ve been fishin pool 4 for 8 years now and I have yet to break the 10lb mark. came close a few times but never gotten over it.

Im not down to pool 4 a lot but my guess would be to fish shallower.

Not sure if I fall into the hog pro category, but I’ve been fortunate enough to hold a few of them. I can tell you that 10#ers generally don’t hang out with schools of smaller eyes, so if you’re catching them in quantity a really big one in the same area would pretty much only come by accident. Fish shallower for sure, and put a ton of time in. Normally you should expect just a few hits per day when targeting big fish, and sometimes not even that many. And remember that even when you’re catching big fish a true 10# walleye is very rare.

If you want more specific advice, I’d recommend tying on a 1/8 ounce chartreuse jig with a firecracker/chart tail ringworm and casting it all day long (this assumes you’re using 8# mono, by the way). That color combo is about as sure a bet as there is and you’re going to need something proven to stay confident. Put your boat in at Everts and don’t bother starting your outboard — run your bow mount trolling motor and cast all day between Everts and the dam. Never fish deeper than 10′, even a high noon. Cast and cast and cast, and focus on the areas where the 1/8 head feels like just the right weight. The 1/8 ounce head will sort of lead you to the fish because if it’s too light the water is probably moving too quickly and/or you’re fishing too deep. If it’s too heavy there probably isn’t enough current to attract fish. Obviously this is not a hard and fast, guaranteed rule. But it’s a great place to start. I’d bet anything that if you dedicate yourself to spending 10 full days doing this between now and the spawn you’ll at least get closer to your 10# goal. More importantly, you’ll learn a lot in the process which will eventually allow you to refine your presentation.

Bottom line is that on Pool 4 you’re either targeting numbers or big fish. It’s almost impossible to do both at the same time.

thanks guys keep the tips coming also u said use 8# mono ive always used 6# dragging pitching and casting is that bad

I’ve been fishing as long as i can remember and i can’t break double digits either 9.75 is my biggest-so far, keep the faith you’re not alone

Some very good tips so far!!! Like others have said move a little shallower. When we get a little closer to the spawn I tend to fish from 0 to 10 feet deep. Mostly 0 to 6 feet.
It is a big patience game really. Put in your time ONLY fishing for big fish and it will come. There has been numerous times that I will spend 3 or 4 whole days looking for big fish and only get 1 fish with 3 or 4 bites total.
Also dont get discouraged just because you see all the pictures. You have to remember that there is probably at least 100 boats out there per day, and only a couple big fish brought in a week. That is a lot of people and a lot of hours for the number of fish that you see over the course of the year.

I agree with all the previous post. Think big think shallow. Don’t worry about all the boats pulling in shorts running in the “gut”. Deep usually produces numbers but not size. Stay late. After fishing pool 4 chasing the pig…I have caught numerous pig sauger and lots of mid 20’s eye but could not find my first 10+. Dragging 2 years prior watched with head lamps my buddy pull In a 13 lb. Hog wondering what I am doing wrong. Yesterday no fish all during the day targeting shallows, 30 minutes after dark my first 10+ eye. Some luck, some time spent. Better yet a 22 and 24 double. Hang in there, time and luck always prevails.

Go fishing with OLD GUYS like us Yoopers!

Seriously…you have been given some great advice but I am going to vary a little on this. I have been lucky to catch several 10+ Walleyes in the 9 years I have been fishing P-4.
I really don’t “target” big fish. But I do try to find a pattern for what the fish are doing when I am there… The first part is to follow the reports on IDO closely…always check with Everts when you arrive for the latest bite info… Stay away from concentrations of other boats…
I always laugh early in the morning as the first few boats anchor on either side of the dam and the next 30 boats home in on them like radar. Did those later boats really intend on dancing cheek to cheek? No…they didn’t have a plan so they just went where the other boats were…
If you watch the “IDO Pros and Guides” out there…they avoid the crush of boats like the plague. If you see me out there anchored I am trying for Sauger for a fish fry!

Dont be afraid to look at the river structure more like a Bass guy fishing shoreline…any little structure that breaks current will offer less resistance for the big females as they move up/down river.
Have the best tackle you can afford…the big girls are NOT aggressive in the spring when the water temps are 40 degrees…but thats when they are there. A moderate action, low modulus rod will not offer the sensitivity or backbone neccessary to fish the 3/32-1/16oz jigs we use to pitch shoreline cover with a Kalin or Ringworm.

Bottomline…fish hard where big fish should be…especially in early March when they move up..pay close attention to the little details you pick up here or at Everts…and remember those fish you see in the pictures here were likely caught a good ways upstream…
Good Luck!

Shallow sand areas on sunny days pitching blade baits is how I’e come close to getting my first 10 lb pool 4 eye. I’ve caught a few that were around the 8 lb mark doing that.

dd

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thanks guys keep the tips coming also u said use 8# mono ive always used 6# dragging pitching and casting is that bad

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No…I have never used anything but 6# Mono or Flouro on the River and use 6/1 braid for dragging upstream. Everyone has their own ideas on line. 8# has too much resistance for me…but others may have a different opinion.

3 or 4 bites a day? I thought you guys were reeling in hogs all day! Thanks for the info I always give up after a short time of pitching shallow due to no action. Typically how long will you stay on a piece of structure? I know it depends on several factors but as a average?

You can successfully pitch jigs with 6# mono, fireline, or whatever other line you want. But for my 1/8 ounce jig recommendation to work you’ll need 8# mono. That resistance Tom talked about is what makes it work. Without it you might need a lighter jig, or you might need to fish it differently. So the 8# line is part of my recommendation for fishing the 1/8 jig correctly.

Also, I’ll stay on a spot until I lose confidence in it. It might be hours on end. When you know a spot is right, sometimes you just have to wait for the fish to move in or turn on. I’ve had many experiences of fishing a spot with no hits hours followed by 2-3 big fish in 30 minutes. I’ve also spent an entire day fishing one or two spots without a single hit. Maybe that means it was a mistake? I’ll never know. It’s cool either way because you’re always just one cast away from netting a monster. That’s what makes it tough to call it a day sometimes.

Developing confidence in what you’re doing is a huge part of becoming successful with big fish. You’ll have to dedicate yourself to a learning period during which you’ll catch very few fish. Eventually it will start to click and you’ll feel like a whole new fisherman. My opinion is that ten days of casting nothing but an 1/8 jig and ringworm is a good start. I’ll tell you that it took me a lot longer than that to feel confident! The bottom line is that developing confidence in a specific presentation and learning how to do it very well is key.

Then again, targeting big fish is not for everyone. I have buddies that can’t stand it and I’m happy to go for numbers with them. If you find yourself looking over your shoulder at the guys catching smaller fish out deeper, go join them and have a good time — seriously! Fishing should be enjoyable or why would you do it?

Hey, one last point: if you do start catching big fish more regularly please let them all go. Know that the big one you just released will be followed by more big ones. You already know how to catch eaters if you’re hungry. If you want one for the wall, go for a reproduction because I want to catch the 10#er you’ll be releasing soon! Plus, as I mentioned you’ll catch another one (and another after that) before you know it.

thanks guys u all have been helpful what kind of bottom do u look for in late feb early march and with 3 rods in the boat what would u suggest for line on them

Shallow sand is my favorite that time of year.I would suggest two hi-vis mono and one 8# hardline set-up for blades and or dragging upstream.Keep us posted on your efforts& good luck!

Far, from an expert, but my best experinces on P4 are right on Par with what everyone is saying, had an amazing day 2 years ago put up multiple 5,6,7 pound fish all day, not a ton of fish, but all solid quality fish, couple fish an hour, same techniques everyone is talking about, ended the day with a 9.6 and 10.4 being the biggest fish of the day.

Sad part of the story though I primarily picked the areas we fished my buddy caught 90% of the fish that day including both the big ones. In part if made me feel 1000x’s better that I knew where to go, and what to do I just gotta figure out what exactly I wasn’t doing right, we just couldn’t quite put a finger on it. So you may be right on everything, but one little thing can make a heck of a difference.

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Sad part of the story though I primarily picked the areas we fished my buddy caught 90% of the fish that day including both the big ones. In part if made me feel 1000x’s better that I knew where to go, and what to do I just gotta figure out what exactly I wasn’t doing right, we just couldn’t quite put a finger on it. So you may be right on everything, but one little thing can make a heck of a difference.

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Janms helped me out with this a big part is your position in the boat ( AND BOATS POSITION ) relative to the structure your fishing. One person allways has a better position then the other.

Everyone knows that Hogs prefer…….CORN

I hear ya tom, his boat, he had the better position, still way too lopsided to claim is was boat position only… I maintain boat control is probably one of the most overlooked factors.