Eelgrass is a MAJOR factor on pool 9 now. 20×20′ rafts of the stuff are easing down the main channel and clogging running sloughs.

Water temp on the river was 69 on Sept 23, down from 73 last weekend. The week before that it had dropped to 62, waking fish for their fall bite. With warm weather predicted over the next 5 days, many of the scaly critter will likely go back to snoozing–with the exception of bass which are even dumber than they normally are–and bluegills which are hanging in both rocks & wood.

Walleyes have been coming over the gunnel at a rate of about 1 per hour the past couple weeks. part of the reason is weeds, the other major factor water temp.

Perusing the fishing diary that i’ve kept for over 40 years, the surface water temp for Sept. 20 is a solid 10 degrees warmer than the ‘norm’ for the past 20 years 9with just a couple of outliers)

The diary also says Oct 12-20 offers some of the best fall action for SMB, eyes, pike & crappies. I hope to be out there every day during that time period. There are four days when i would consider guiding but not looking real hard for work.

Seems like every other trip a fish that refuses to be tamed decides to take the bait. Yesterday I was fun fishin’ for bluegills at a deep scour hole full of wood below a wingdam that usually gives up 3-4 tanks, fishin’ a bucket-sized opening between two tree trunks.

I was pondering why there were no bites when my 9′ St. Croix panfish rod bent DOUBLE, Then the fish got mad. I use 15 lb. braid on my panfish rods. If you’re fishin’ where the fish are, you’re gonna get hung up. With braid and a little technique you can get the hook back about 90% of the time, bend it back to function nd get back to fishin’.

The beast that ate my 1/32 oz. jig wrapped me up in wood twice, but came free with steady pressure. 15 minutes later I only had about 6′ of line out from the rod tip, 5′ away from the boat in a tangle of timber.

Ol’ ugly finally gave in to the pressure, hooked in the lip of a wide flat head, clearly visible just a couple inches below the surface, impossible to net. One Stevie Wonder headshake and the hook popped free, essentially bent straight.

She was at least 15 lbs. I don’t think she could have been much bigger. But tangling with a 15 lb. mudcat on a 9′ panfish pole in a woody jungle is about as good as fishin’ gets.

Putting a client on this kinda thrill is very gratifying. On the other hand, there are a finite number of times this will happen for me on this side of the dirt.

You can always make more money. You can never make more time