So I managed to sneak out for a few hours on Sunday night. Headed down to the river and could hardly believe my eyes. The water is really low, down to late August levels!
Not much vegetation yet mostly dead stuff from last year and a bit of grass, had to get the toes wet to reach the deeper pools.
I spent about a hour casting various top water lures along weed lines and around logs.
Not much action but caught 3 small pike.
Re-Learned all the things that I seem to have forgotten since last year.
- keep the camera in the right hand pocket if you usually hold the fish in the left hand.
- keep the net closer
- use the chin-strap on the hat when it's windy (luckily it blew back onto shore)
- wet feet and high winds = really chilly toes (ie. don't wet wade in May!)
- new shiny lures sometimes don't beat the tried and true ( old school Jitterbug in Frog White was the only thing bit)
If you're right handed don't try to take pictures with your left hand... they don't turn out very well. Oh well at least I wasn't skunked.
Mississippi River Opening Weekend
Re: Mississippi River Opening Weekend
Better than nothing anyway Mike.
Good to see you back on here. I thought you had moved away as I hadn't seen you on here since last summer.
Cheers
Good to see you back on here. I thought you had moved away as I hadn't seen you on here since last summer.
Cheers
Smitty
Straight shooter
Straight shooter
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Re: Mississippi River Opening Weekend
Hadn't heard if the fishing was any good this past weekend on the river during the annual eye opening tourney. You're right though, water is quite low already. That can sometimes be a good thing for fishing though.
Re: Mississippi River Opening Weekend
Congrats on a nice pike and great pic
Re: Mississippi River Opening Weekend
Was out a week ago Saturday upriver from Almonte - looking for perch/crappie and really just getting in a first paddle. The water was relatively low though not quite summer levels but as you noted, the vegetation is weeks behind last year. Nothing much is growing in the water. The small (scrawny) pike were hungry though - they were biting anything in the water no matter what was thrown. Just couldn't avoid them so had to stop fishing. Lots of beavers around too and plenty of changes on the banks near the large new housing development. I was quite surprised how much of the treeline has been shoved over into the river. "Progress" has no boundaries.
Hopefully this weekend will be improved and the river more alive, especially now that we can go top water.
Hopefully this weekend will be improved and the river more alive, especially now that we can go top water.