Gulstad's Hot Bites - Lurenet.com Newsletter June 2005
It’s funny how the Elk River didn’t produce the way it should have in March.
Cabin fever makes you do foolish things. You can only organize (and then rearrange) your tackle so much during a Minnesota winter. Eventually you just have to get out and do it.
Every year as a kid, no matter how much I knew better, I embraced the first 40 degree day by stubbornly grabbing my rod and reel and heading down to the only open water I could find. In my hometown, that meant the spillway below the Lake Orono dam.
I would crawl down the snowy banks armed with a handful of new lures that didn’t have a prayer of catching a fish. Nevertheless, I’d chuck that 1/2 oz. bright chartreuse spinnerbait behind every rock with unfeigned optimism. I’d work a Zara Spook around the bridge pilings like I was Bobby Murray wrapping it all the way around a tree trunk.
Mind you, had I fallen into the water I’d probably have immediately gotten hypothermia. I’m just not the most patient guy at times. However, good things come to those who wait. As ridiculous as it might seem to throw topwaters in near freezing water temperatures, it’s understandable when you get to fish rivers in prime conditions.
LIKE RIGHT NOW!
Yep, it’s crankbait time. River fishermen in the Midwest know that when the water temperature hits the mid-60s it’s time to pull cranks for walleyes. There are guys pulling livebait rigs on lakes, but they’re missing out on where the real hot bite is happening.
The lake fishermen are complaining about having to use longer snells, smaller blades, finesse this, finesse that, etc. Meanwhile, the river rats are pounding fish by pulling Cotton Cordell CD14 Grappler Shad, Jrs. up current at 2 mph or above. Add the current speed to the trolling speed and the bait is actually going much faster.
The Grappler Shad, Jr. has the perfect action and size (2 7/16” and 1/4 oz.) for this time of year. It runs true out of the box and is capable of extreme speed. Most of the river rats are fishing it in current breaks in 4’ to 8’ of water. They’re targeting hard-bottom areas that have sand mixed with rock.
Some are searching for the fish on the channel edges by dropping down to 6 lb Super Silver Thread. The small line diameter of this co-polymer line allows the bait to dig down to 9 feet. The best colors are White Perch, White Perch and White Perch. You can also try White Perch.
Guess what my favorite color is?
There are actually 14 colors in the CD14 Grappler Shad, Junior. These colors should cover all water clarity and fishing situations that any walleye river will present. Or, you could try White Perch.
Pool 2 of the Mississippi River is producing 25 walleyes a day with at least a few being over 26” in length. These fish are hitting a Grappler Shad, Jr. that is moving a minimum of 3 mph. Finesse that!
Do yourself a favor and put out the Gone Fishin’ sign if you live near a river that is in this magic water temperature. Watch out, though. You might get hooked.
If so, don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of company.
I’ll go ahead and look for you below Lake Orono sometime in March.
Good fishing!
Chris Gulstad
Sign up to receive this newsletter monthly along with specials and Lurenet News.