Mon. 8-9 on the Esc. River

[raywriter]

A friend and I spent Monday working a series of spots along the Esc. River between dam #1 and dam #4 (Boney Falls). These are places we have fished for over fifty years, since the days we pedaled our bicycles along the same route.

Anyway, we sure had some fun - as usual. The final tally was 23 smallies and one walleye - all released. The bass were from 10" to 16". Most of the action was from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We wore hip boots and casted with spinning rods. No live bait is allowed and I had the best luck with 1/2 half ounce Floating Lewis Rat-L-Traps. They cast farther then most lures and allow you to cover a lot of water from one spot. Black/white/silver/gray colors that mimic the natural river shiners were best. Most of the fish were in eighteen inches to three feet of water.

We had to cast straight across the river and use slow retrieve speeds as the lure swung downstream to get hits. They would not take upstream casts. I also tried pure surface lures like Tiny Torpedos and Chug Bugs with no results. They wanted lures that would dive a foot or so when twitched.

[Big"D"]

Sounds like fun! I've only fished that stretch once this summer but had similar results. I have been meaning to get out there the last two weeks but had too many excuses: Too hot! Too windy! I guess it's like i tell my wife, "I've never caught a fish from the couch!" thanks for reminding me!

[YooperTroll]

Thanks for the report. Question: Would that part of the river up there be wadable for an 8-year-old? My boy's been bugging me to get him on the water in waders...obviously he's limited at that age. If so, please PM with some specific access points that might be good for him.

We'd just be doing catch and release...so I'm not asking to clean out a spot or anything.

[raywriter]

All of the access points are wadable. We use hip boots and are usually standing in water about knee deep as we cast. For an 8 year old, it would be OK I think, but stay with him because the bottom is almost exclusively rock and uneven. We stumble frequently. Go slow and take short steps.

Since the river is higher than usual this year, bass are often in shallower spots (places that would be ankle deep in other years are now fishable).
This allows you to fish places like bridge crossings where people usually don't put much pressure. Also, we often enter the river at the public access points, but hike a half-mile up or downstream along the bank to get to less pressured places. The current flow is also a little stronger, but still nothing to worry about except possibly in spots like the stretch below #1 dam.

Finally, remember to experiment with different lures. I use almost exclusively lures that float at rest, although some can be worked down a foot or two below the surface with soft or hard twiches. I can guarantee you that the fish won't look at one lure, but consistently smack another. You have to be flexible. I take a small selection of lures in a small plastic box about the size of a paperback book. I often just slip it into the leg of one hip boot. Oh, and carry needle nose pliers - you'll be unhooking fish!