After spending serious time on the River for the past six days lightning, a 40 degree drop in ambient temperature and the probable invasion of weekend warriors combine in a trifecta that will keep me off the River today.

This time next week the convergence of several critical factors may force me to launch the Lund, with the 75th anniversary of Barnum & Bailey’s clown show-a-palooza scheduled for Pool 9 the only thing that might keep me away from my beloved Mississippi River.

Perch are spawning now with the bellies of female walleyes caught yesterday in 16 fow beginning to soften. Water temp is a solid 44 degrees, with some backwater areas with dark bottoms actually tickling 60 yesterday, where pike & LMb were eager to chew.

The next full moon is April 12. All these factors combine to indicate the marble yes will get serious about procreation by April 9.

But a River level which is on the way up may be the final factor that forces me to join the soiree next Saturday. USACE forecasts a five foot River rise to 625 by next Saturday–this is just a couple 10ths shy of ‘Action Stage’ where west side access in New Albin at the Army road launch closes.

Many years the River is flowing a foot or more above Action Stage when it’s go time for the dual-dorsaled denizens of the low light that consume so much of my higher thought processes.

As of 10 a.m. on March 29 the rocky rubble bottom where these critters will be playing beach blanket bingo next Saturday are still dry ground.

I like to swim plastics for River ‘eyes in the Spring once water temp warms past 42. Prior to that my offerings are usually B-3 blade baits or hair jigs. But B-Fish-N tackle Ribb Finn plastics will also put fish in the boat.

At 44 degrees I switch over to the Pulse-R plastics.Lotsa purple, but if SMB are in the area I may pitch a Sassafras pattern. Jighead weight is also key when fish have stairstepped shallow into less than 10 fow to drop their eggs.

Next weekend i wouldn’t throw anything heavier than 1/4 oz. There are a couple spots where something as light as 1/8 oz. might work…but the IDEAL is usually somewhere between 1/8-3/8 oz. this is one reason why I’m a huge fan of B-Fish-N tackle’s “Precision” jigheads. These jigheads come in “oddball” weights between the standard sizes.

Next weekend 3/16 or 5/16 jigheads in pyrokeet pattern will likely be my weapon of choice. I may throw a Northland tackle Deep-Vee spin jighead.

I use exclusively braid line tied direct to the jig. Something hi-Vis, like Sufix 832 in obnoxious yellow. Sometimes you see the bite before feeling it, even with an ultra-sensitive St. Croix rod.

Please know that hyping certain products in a fishing blog is something i consider personally cringeworthy BUT I feel compelled to do so in this case cuz i have faith in this gear thru experience based on 170+ days on the water over the past 50+ years.

2024 was gonna be my last year working as a fishing guide. But my health is still good (for a geezer) and the wisdom that sometimes comes with age with over 10,000 days on the water is something I feel driven to share with folks serious about learning the River until the Great Rainmaker calls me home.

With the knowledge that a man only has a finite number of days to fish in a lifetime I’m only gonna guide a max of 2 days per week going forward.

The headline of this blog speaks volumes about personal priorities. tight lines, y’all!