As everyone in this country and throughout the world are being effected by the COVID-19 the only thing that has me and many others keeping our sanity is being able to go out fishing.   Fishing will help you relieve your stress level it is so relaxing and just being outdoors as long as you can keep your distance from others is enjoyable.

I Have had a pretty good bite the last 10 times out on the river.   There seems to be a pretty good stream of both walleye and sauger that have moved out of Lake Pepin and into the spawning areas of the Mississippi River on pool 4. You can catch these fish doing several techniques this time of the year.   Pulling rapalas on three ways is one way I did this during the last week.  Brice, Casey and Kendra got to bring in some dandy sauger today doing just that.   They learned today if you check your baits so often to make sure they were clean of debris you would be successful bringing fish in.   It was a great time teaching your grand kids Mr Franz and I look forward to another day out there with them .

The next technique I’ve fished this week is Dubuque rigging.  Again pretty much keep it clean and you will be able to take a few fish home for the frying pan.   I have done this technique the most due to the rising water levels as of late.  Over the last 7 days alone it has risen 4 ft.  That means major adjustment each day you go out.  And each day and spot I’ve fished I have payed attention to my Garmin 93 sv plus units to let me know what the walleye and sauger are doing.   My next choice is using my 5’10 mpg limit creek fishing rods for this technique.   I am a firm believer that with the weight of this rod and light reel combo makes it so successful on feeling the lightest bites when Dubuque rigging. 

The next way you can get the walleye and sauger to bite is pitching jigs to shallow areas that the walleye are trying to check out for the spawn.  This will get better and better as the river temperatures rise with the warmer temps in the horizon.  You will also be able to stab into a few white bass since they have started making their run up into the river now. This is the time of year we generally start seeing plenty of bigger fish being reported being caught.   Keep them in the water as long as possible before taking pictures and releasing     

Now that the river on both sides have changed to a slot limit and also new bag limits here they are.  Walleye have to be 15-20 inches long. And their is a 4 fish limit on this combo between walleye and sauger.  One of your fish can be over 20 inches and that will be either a walleye or sauger.   I’m betting several anglers have been checked on this already this season and did not know the new regulations.  

You can check my photos on my Facebook page due to the COVID -19 I cant get my web page checked out till this pandemic is over.   

Everyone be safe on the water, there are several dead heads floating around with these levels.  Don’t ruin your experience on the water due to just driving to fast.  Water temperature is right around 41 degrees and the clarity is right at a foot and a half.   

Good luck out there guys and gals !!!

Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Pool 3, Pool 4, Walleye Fishing, Sauger Fishing, Red Wing, Hastings