With water temperatures now solidly in the mid to upper 60’s bass are going crazy in <6 fow in preparation for spawning.

Swim jigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps are all super search baits. Once you find a pod of active fish switching to a finesse presentation like the senko or a tube might put more fish in the boat.

Edges are still a key to fish location. With a dropping River more edges appear every day. With water coming down out of the trees you can find submergent vegetation in what is usually dry or almost dry ground. Not aquatic weeds. Plants like smartweed and other cover like buck brush & willow.

LMB are cruising in this ‘instant” vegetation where there is at least 2’ visibility. A lure like senko or tube can be finessed right over these weeds, often provoking a strike.

SMB are hanging in more significant structure. Mostly wood or rocks. Great place to fish a Z-Man TRD or tube on a Ned rig!

Pike can be anywhere in the shallows now chasing food. A spinnerbait with a little chartreuse and ORANGE with a 4″ swim jig plastic trailer is tough for them to resist.

Walleyes are hanging on the slack side of current seams and closing dams right now. A good tactic is pulling a deep crank like the Bill Lewis Lures MR-12 in RED/ crawdad pattern on top of the closing dam, occasionally ticking rocks. You will get snagged. Once you’re sure the hang-up is a snag and not a fish just allowing slack will usually fee the bait. If it suddenly ‘snags’ again, SET THE HOOK!

If the River continues to fall in line with USACE predictions migration routes back toward the mainstem are a super place to ambush fish. These conditions should develop in the next week or so.

Meanwhile, the fish catching pyramid is pretty much edges>water clarity>presentation.

Regardless of pyramid building block placement and size the baseline is time on the water. So far this month I’ve been on the Miss 9 days. Today’s adventure kicks off in about an hour.

Be careful out there! Still a lot of dunnage coming down as wood floats out of the trees. Be prepared for self rescue. You may not see another boat for hours–if you’re fishing where the fish are!