Spring Lake / Pool 13 - May 9 & 11 2013

Fishing the Mississippi River last week, the water was high by a few feet, not sure for certain as it was my first time out there.  The weather was overcast with intermittent rain throughout the day.

May 9: 

I launched out of Big Slough Rec Area, and headed south fishing the docks and channel that runs along the launch side.  The current was moving pretty fast and the water was in the low 50s, no fish.  I headed for some back water, fishing in 2-4 feet throwing and managed a few pike on a chartreuse Revenge spinnerbait, I was looking for bass though.

Still further south toward the lock, I spent a little time checking out the water and noticed the carp spawing back in some flooded reeds.  Time to head north.

Further up the river, I managed a few keepers fishing the flooded trees and brush on the island and a small slough on a spinnerbait and a Rage Tail Eeliminator.  The fish seemed to be around the outside of the brush and tree limbs in 3-5 feet of water.

May 11 -

We headed north and fished around a larger island in Spring Lake.  The morning was mostly cloudy and the fish came on a black and gold spinnerbait with double gold willow blades.  Later in the morning, the sun came out and the wind started to pick up big time.  20+ mph winds from the north shut the fish down.  I switched to a tandem white spinnerbait and managed to put another fish in the boat.  My boater also landed 2 on spinnerbaits.

After a trecherous journey to Edich, we found that the wind was ripping across and we were moving down stream like a piece of drift wood.  It took a while due to wind/waves/navigational hazzards, but we managed to get back to the area we were fishing the morning.  We found some water that was partially protected from waves and wind and started casting.  

I tied on a Yum Crawbug in a spring craw color (blue/orange).  This is one of my favorite baits when the water gets muddy.  It has a big profile, and the color seems to be visible with a lot of particles floating through the water.  

I boated a few more fish, 2 being keepers,  dragging the crawbug through submerged sticks, reeds, and pads that were 20-30 feet on the outside of the brushline.