Spring Break Fishing

[Red Childress]

I have been enjoying the super high water the past few days......very challenging....been getting some nice trout but having to dig them off the bottom in this higher current, plus the water temp is 40. Also, got some nice walleye mixed in as well but it hasn't been easy.

Fishing a narrow-ish river from a boat that is 5-6 feet above normal with temps around 40 is some of the most challenging fishing a guy could ever do. This cold water has made it even tougher. No live bait either. Most all the islands are underwater. Trees and logs floating down the river. For me to catch fish, precise casting and zero-mistake boat control are required.....there are so many things going on simultaneously and little room for error. It is like a casting/boat control boot camp. The day just flies by too!

BTW, I have seen a few trout rise in the middle of the channel if you can believe that.


Good luck out there. I may take the day off tomorrow but back at it Wed/Thur/Friday.

[Red Childress]

Still been out chasing big trout in high water. I have been doing a mock tournament against the clock just to make things interesting. I have been launching the boat by 7 and fishing until 5, if necessary. The goal has been to catch 1 trout over 20. Yesterday was a much tougher day as it took me almost 9 hours to finally stick a brown over 20. It was the only trout all day. I quit as soon as it was released. The day before (Tuesday), a 21 inch rainbow saved the day with 3 more browns between 17 and 19 plus 4 legal walleye.

As the river discharge decreased, things kinda got tougher. Not sure if it was the weather or a negative response by the fish to the new river flow but it was very hard for me yesterday. The wind made boat control even more of a nightmare. Probably taking today off to do some yard crap and then back out Friday and Saturday. Rain on the way for the weekend.

[25homes]

so you havent been chasing the toothies at all huh? you doing any of that next couple days?

[Red Childress]

Been leaving the toothies alone and doing some different stuff while the water was super high. It would have been super tough digging them out when the river was up (except in the dredge holes). On Sunday and Monday, I played around with some blade sizes on the Musky Bombs and caught a Paddlefish if you can believe that! I will be chasing the toothies Saturday and Monday so did not want to burn them until then.

[Red Childress]

Here are a couple pics of the paddlefish that was hooked in the mouth. It hit it on the drop and felt like a walleye tick on slack-ish line. Fought like a really big walleye too.

I guess she liked the glow-in-the-dark pattern Andy made for me.

Attachment 26497
Attachment 26498

[25homes]

That is unbelievable I cant believe it hit the lure and wasnt foul hooked I thought those things only ate plankton and what not that is crazy

[Red Childress]

Scott hit a nice musky yesterday and just as I was getting ready to net her, she gator rolled and the line was cut. Fish gone with lure still in mouth. It looked like only 1 treble was hooked up and the lure was on the outside of her face. Hopefully, she will be able to free the lure over time.

Bittersweet.

Breaking off on a musky had only happened 1 other time. 15 or so years ago, a big musky jumped and landed is such a way that the 80# fluoro leader broke. That was the last time I ever used 80# leaders again.

[Red Childress]

Well, we finished off the last day of Spring Break fishing by missing a nice musky yesterday. It was the only fish we saw after the skies got super bright and the outflow was reduced by 8 inches in a matter of minutes. Back to school!