If you are a river fisherman, you probably don’t need another person telling you how strange the conditions have been this spring and summer.
An unseasonably warm start in April, very wet and chilly for May, while ending up watching the stages yoyo in June and July.
August on the other hand has been better.(Not that the river has straightened out)but at least it has brought on a much welcome rebound in the panfish bite.
Being on vacation and staying at River of Lakes from Aug.6th-15th, I had plenty of opportunities to slow down a little and explore the vast backwaters of my home turf. Normally, this is my time to toss the oversized pike baits and work the bass a little while hitting a rock pile or two for some aggressive walleyes. Not this year!
The main channel and bigger chutes have really been whacked out. Dirty with weeds, weeds and more weeds.
Bluegills to the rescue!
—Gills—
What a terrific rebound the blue ears have made! Many know that pool 10 has struggled for the last few years, not so much in numbers, but the size. Legitimate 8 inchers were becoming rare.
When talking with fellow anglers, everyone mostly agreed that in a few years the bigger gills would come back. Well, a few seasons have passed and things are looking a little brighter.
While in search mode in that blazing heat week of August, there were a few critical things to look for. A slight flow of current, wood of course, and pads with a coontail mix. Mornings were outstanding in the brush but as the sun got higher in the sky, the bite turned on in the lilypad fields.
Having a ton of fields to work can be a tad daunting if a person is new to an area but it doesn’t have to be. When searching, try to take on the walleye hunters mentality, by this I mean, look for your obvious down points and seams. Anything that knocks that current in the [censored] a little and slows the flow is always the place to start. Down points, inside turns, huge brush piles. In other words, a good river fisherman will always look ahead for good structure but a savvy river fisherman will always be looking back behind him for a better read. It doesn’t take much, even a slight protrusion from a seemingly straight bank can create enough of a pocket to hold a few solid fish.
For bait, I always have liked a piece of crawler on assorted ice jigs. Leaf and red worms along with waxies will all produce too of course so I think it is just personal preference. Throughout the week however, it wasn’t really about the bait being used but how it was offered.
Don’t get me wrong, the vast majority of the gills being plucked from the river are enticed by a floating bait underneath a slip float or bobber of some sort. Effective? You bet, and you better have a stick or two set up that way. On the other hand, when eliminating the float and fishing with a long rod while "straight lining", you have another very valuable tool.
—Set yourself up—
For a few years now, there has been one outfit that is always in my hands while chasing panfish. In reality, it’s not so much the kind of rod and reel you have(as long as the rod is light and at least 9ft. long and the spinning reel is small enough to match up) but the type of line. As of right now, 8lb. Fireline crystal has been outstanding. Great response but strong enough to land the occasional bass and pike and tough enough to staighten the wire hooks on most jigs. Saves alot of time! Be sure to check for abrasions at times, remember, it’s still braid. Mabe a small flouro leader can solve that but I haven’t gone that far yet.
—Ring perch—
A population explosion on pool 10!
Literally, every weedline that was fished were holding small perch. Nothing big with most in the 5-7inch range. A few brutes were brought in but for the most part it looks like we are a few years away from some good ringer action!
Last week-end, after a few phone calls, I finally got the retired Mike C and Bret Clark to make the drive down. Things were a little slower to start but eventually a sunken tree in five ft. of water produced enough quality fish to keep us busy for the last few hours. A great day with two good buds! Thanks guys!
Finally, like last year, the last day was spent with my father joining me in the rig. We worked hard for the fish until the last area, then it was lights out for an hour until they shut off. Dad took home a great mess and left me with a better mess of memories. Love ya pops and thanks for the life lessons!
Hopefully the river will straighten itself out for the Autumn showdown but if you want to get bit and land some micro tornados, then the time is right now!