Hot St Croix Fishing

Fished the St Croix for a full day float last Friday and short float Saturday.  The flows had come down from the record highs after the Memorial Day and the fishing was great.

Friday I had Matt and Mitch in the boat - who were both in the casting zone.  We hit a stretch above 70 in Grantsburg and caught fish entirely on top-water.  Mitch casted a Skitter-Prop and Matt a Hula-Popper.  Matt took the oars I had great success on boogle-bugs and JJ-Specials. 

We caught at least 50 and even caught them shortly after a passing thunderstorm.

Mitch caught the biggest fish of the day - right around 17 inches - right after the storm.  There was nothing bigger than that but a lot in the 16-17 inch range.  The real excitement when both Matt and Mitch hooked muskies on their top water lures.  Matt's fish hit and swam right at the boat - we both got a look and he was gone.  Mitch's took the Skitter-Prop right in front of us with an aggressive take.  He got good hooks into him and he jumped straight out of the water.  We estimated him at 45 inches - and after a pretty good battle with the landing net ready he bit through (or the knot slipped - it's still not fully know).

Anyway the following day I hit the St Croix with Donny up by Cty Road T.  The flows were at 1400 (in Danbury) which is about as low as it can be for me to float there.  Donny casted great as well and was rewarded with a dozen SMBs in about 2 hours.  We also finally got some pike.  I hadn't seen many all year and was getting a little concerned.  My thought is they really hide in the grass in the those high water situations.

I have some good video to put together - but next week I have off up at the cabin - hopefully I can get some good fishing and footage in - if Lou participates.

Another St Croix year in the books & Gus's 19 inch SMB

Labor Day weekend pretty much marks the end of smallmouth fishing on the Upper St Croix.  In the next week or two most smallies will start their migration downstream to the reservoir portion above St Croix Falls/ Taylor Falls.  I've tried catching them later in September, even during stable warm weather but they're gone. 

Another sign pointing to the end of summer is the MN State Fair (I think Henry enjoyed it?).

I took the boys out for their first trip in the drift boat Friday with Blake chaperoning us.  On Gus's 2nd cast, he landed a 19 inch smallmouth bass (now on referred to as SMB - it's funnier when kids say it). 

We got a bunch of fish but the water was definitely down and we hit a lot of rocks.  Blake finds it very humorous that I laugh every time a SMB takes a top-water.  We also enjoy coming up with household references during a good cast like - "you just put that one in his living room" or "right on the kitchen table". 

Blake, Matt L and I did the stretch from CCC down to Riverside Sunday.  That was the day the weather turned.

We started catching quite a few and Matt even hooked a Muskie (I think - it rolled and was fat with a white belly and red fins).  The river has changed since the heavy rains earlier in the month.  It moved sand a half mile from where it was before and improved some sections.  Not to mention that Riverside looks completely different losing 3/4 of its trees.  Rowing out the winds picked up - not easy rowing the boat and defintely not good for top-water.

The Mississippi is getting back into shape so hopefully that fishes well into October otherwise we've got Brule steelhead but really I'm looking forward to early November Flambeau Muskies.