Pool 9 has been on a steady rise for the past several days, with plenty of color and horrendous weeds part of the picture. Water temperatures have dropped back into the mid-40s after reaching 50 degrees last week

The best way to target walleyes for the next few days will be vertical jigging with blades & hair. Pulling & pitching dragging is like mowing tall grass with a hook.

Taking down my guide shingle for the year as of today. Once water temps drop below 40 bite is unpredictable—sometimes they wanna dance, sometime they don’t. I still plan on getting out there and checking those scaly critters mood pretty much every day until the tundra swans migrate out of here but the fish get to vote, and their vote counts more than my serious attempts at catching them. This is the same reason why i no longer guide ice fishing–besides the fact that it is too much work for these old bones.

Lord willin’ will be back on the water working again with a brand new Yammie on the Lund’s stern about March 15.

Until then this blog won’t be so regular. Have deer to harvest and working on the next book MORE Tails, Trails & Tales with the Old Guide. The first volume of T, T & T is available at multiple outlets here on Pool 9, also on Kindle and Amazon.com.

Sighting in the new AR yesterday put me in the holiday spirit: red laser superimposed on the green crosshairs of the holographic sight Ho! Ho!Ho! Regardless of what happens going forward with that bat disease thing, lockdowns, etc. I find peace in knowing God is in control and I shall be forever free here on the River.

Any entity which wants to reign in my Constitutional rights to this freedom will find themselves downrange from holiday optics. Stay safe out there! Don’t forget to wear that PFD!