Pool 9 is now at normal summer pool levels and should remain stable for the foreseeable future. In many ways this is a mixed blessing. With River levels down six feet from where they were just a couple of weeks ago the fish population is more concentrated. The downside is, navigation beyond the channel is difficult, bordering on dangerous. There are several channels running between the main channel and Minnesota slough, several more between the main channel and Lansing Big Lake. I’m not going to run any of them until River levels come back up again. It may take more time to go the long way around, but getting stuck on a sandbar for an afternoon or overnite when its not intentional is not fun.

Perch and some nice bluegills have been tearing up my Perchanator with a little piece of crawler around elodea (coontail) weeds in 3-6 fow back in the running sloughs, with crappies and gills also relating to wood in a little deeper water. With the plug now pulled after extended high water there are many, many fresh deadfalls which will be fish magnets this fall and in years to come

There has been a super topwater and just subsurface pike bite the past few days. I’ve had the best luck on a black buzzbait, Custom Caster Shaker and where there is some open water over weeds the Rat-l-Trap Red head Uncle Ted.

SMB have been on fire lately throwing topwater baits along current breaks in the morning before the sun becomes a factor and with Chompers salty sinkers once the heat comes on, trying to target any available shade.

The wing dam bite for wallies and smallies is going great guns right now. I should remain good until the grass starts coming down in a few weeks.

Use caution when navigating in the backwaters. If possible enter from the downstream end, Coming in from upstream can be like the ol’ Chinese finger trap–the sandbar will keep getting shallower until you’re hung up. Attempting to fight the current is like boxing with God. You ain’t gonna win.