Greetings All:
Wow!!! What a great weather forecast for the weekend here in the upper Midwest. With wonderful weather on tap, hopefully you can get out on the Mississippi river and catch some of the great fish that are biting.
Right now, excellent smallmouth bass action is happening in rocky areas with slight current. Fish small crankbaits over these areas and you will catch fish. All other species are biting also with some excellent Northern fishing in running sloughs near weed edges using spinnerbaits and flashy spoons. Some nice healthy Northern are being caught.
If possible, put your "Honey-Do" list on hold and get out to wet a line. You will be glad you did.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast113@yahoo.com
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
SMALLMOUTH BASS ON THE BITE!!!!
Greetings All:
With the fairly stable weather we have been enjoying, all up and down the Mississippi River the smallmouth bass are going on the feed. From the La Crosse, WI area to the North to around Pool 14 South, smallie fishing has been getting hot. Small crankbaits cast along and near steep tapering rocky shorelines and near rock piles are catching many fish. Crayfish colors are working well. For some real fun, fish these small baits using an ultralight setup and you will have a blast. Best times seem to be just before and into dusk and then again in the early morning. That's not to say you cannot catch them all day long, it's just that those have been the hot times for actively feeding smallmouth.
With great weather predicted for the upcoming weekend, hopefully you can get out for some explosive smallmouth bass fishing on the Mississippi river.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
With the fairly stable weather we have been enjoying, all up and down the Mississippi River the smallmouth bass are going on the feed. From the La Crosse, WI area to the North to around Pool 14 South, smallie fishing has been getting hot. Small crankbaits cast along and near steep tapering rocky shorelines and near rock piles are catching many fish. Crayfish colors are working well. For some real fun, fish these small baits using an ultralight setup and you will have a blast. Best times seem to be just before and into dusk and then again in the early morning. That's not to say you cannot catch them all day long, it's just that those have been the hot times for actively feeding smallmouth.
With great weather predicted for the upcoming weekend, hopefully you can get out for some explosive smallmouth bass fishing on the Mississippi river.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Sunday, July 27, 2014
WINGDAM WALLEYE BITE STARTING!!!
Greetings All;
Well, even though the river is still somewhat stained in water clarity, there is a decent bite starting for some walleye on the wingdams.
Fished Pool-12 and did fairly well dragging lively nightcrawlers on a crawler harness. I make my own style crawler harnesses but you should be able to use store bought harnesses and have success also. The walleye I caught were nice healthy fish and hit very hard. There were no "short strikers" at all. I also used another rig I fish a lot and had equal success. I use a small, gold salmon egg style hook and back troll a juicy crawler on a three-way rig. Hook the crawler once through the nose, use about a 3 to 4 foot leader and your ready to go. Make sure you have a heavy enough dropper weight to keep constant bottom contact. Vary your trolling speed till you find what the fish are looking for. I found 1-1/2 mph., worked well for a starting point.
The wing dam bite is there and getting better. Hopefully you can get a chance to get out and enjoy.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Well, even though the river is still somewhat stained in water clarity, there is a decent bite starting for some walleye on the wingdams.
Fished Pool-12 and did fairly well dragging lively nightcrawlers on a crawler harness. I make my own style crawler harnesses but you should be able to use store bought harnesses and have success also. The walleye I caught were nice healthy fish and hit very hard. There were no "short strikers" at all. I also used another rig I fish a lot and had equal success. I use a small, gold salmon egg style hook and back troll a juicy crawler on a three-way rig. Hook the crawler once through the nose, use about a 3 to 4 foot leader and your ready to go. Make sure you have a heavy enough dropper weight to keep constant bottom contact. Vary your trolling speed till you find what the fish are looking for. I found 1-1/2 mph., worked well for a starting point.
The wing dam bite is there and getting better. Hopefully you can get a chance to get out and enjoy.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Thursday, July 24, 2014
TIME TO GET OUT AND FISH!!!!!
Greetings All:
Finally, the Mississippi River is getting back to some normalcy. All along this great river water levels are returning to seasonal levels and the fishing is picking up. Many of the lock and dams now have the gates back in the water so within a few days, look for some good fishing to once again to start up in the tailwater areas. Backwater areas have slowed due to the drop in water levels but main river fishing picking up. Good catfish action on wingdams and also some really nice smallmouth bass along rocky areas. All in all, the coming weekend looks to be a fine time to get out and try some angling on the Mississippi.
Be safe, wear those PFD's and enjoy all the river has to offer.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Finally, the Mississippi River is getting back to some normalcy. All along this great river water levels are returning to seasonal levels and the fishing is picking up. Many of the lock and dams now have the gates back in the water so within a few days, look for some good fishing to once again to start up in the tailwater areas. Backwater areas have slowed due to the drop in water levels but main river fishing picking up. Good catfish action on wingdams and also some really nice smallmouth bass along rocky areas. All in all, the coming weekend looks to be a fine time to get out and try some angling on the Mississippi.
Be safe, wear those PFD's and enjoy all the river has to offer.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
FINALLY, FISHING STARTING TO PICK UP AGAIN!!!!!
Greetings All:
Well, I'm so very glad to be back here reporting that the fishing here in the Midwest along our rivers is once again starting to pick up. With receding water levels on the Mississippi and many more boat ramps now open to launch, anglers are starting to once again enjoy going fishing.
Myself, I have been recently hitting the many backwater areas and enjoying some really great cat fishing action. Using dip bait, I have managed to get enough tasty catfish fillets to fill my freezer for the upcoming cold weather season. Something that I have also been enjoying is fishing for catfish with a fly rod. With the large hatch of Mayflies happening, the catfish have been gorging themselves on them. When I'm in the backwaters in the early morning hours I can see the catfish sucking them off the waters surface. I tied some mayfly looking large flies at home and they have been doing the trick. I made them to float so when I cast them with the fly rod they sit on the waters surface. I just twitch them slightly and that drives the feeding catfish crazy. I'll tell you folks, catching a nice catfish on a fly rod is a real blast.
For you panfish and bass anglers, fish the backwaters and you will do well. Many nice bass available on spinnerbaits and plastics. Bluegill on larvae baits under a small float. Crappie have moved deep and are scattered out.
As I mentioned, glad to be reporting once again. Hopefully with the great weather forecast for the upcoming weekend you can make some time to head out and do some fishing. Be safe and enjoy.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Well, I'm so very glad to be back here reporting that the fishing here in the Midwest along our rivers is once again starting to pick up. With receding water levels on the Mississippi and many more boat ramps now open to launch, anglers are starting to once again enjoy going fishing.
Myself, I have been recently hitting the many backwater areas and enjoying some really great cat fishing action. Using dip bait, I have managed to get enough tasty catfish fillets to fill my freezer for the upcoming cold weather season. Something that I have also been enjoying is fishing for catfish with a fly rod. With the large hatch of Mayflies happening, the catfish have been gorging themselves on them. When I'm in the backwaters in the early morning hours I can see the catfish sucking them off the waters surface. I tied some mayfly looking large flies at home and they have been doing the trick. I made them to float so when I cast them with the fly rod they sit on the waters surface. I just twitch them slightly and that drives the feeding catfish crazy. I'll tell you folks, catching a nice catfish on a fly rod is a real blast.
For you panfish and bass anglers, fish the backwaters and you will do well. Many nice bass available on spinnerbaits and plastics. Bluegill on larvae baits under a small float. Crappie have moved deep and are scattered out.
As I mentioned, glad to be reporting once again. Hopefully with the great weather forecast for the upcoming weekend you can make some time to head out and do some fishing. Be safe and enjoy.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Saturday, June 21, 2014
EXTREME WEATHER AND VERY HEAVY RAIN REALLY HAMPERING ANGLING!!!
Greetings All:
It looks like Mother Nature is really making up for last years drought here in the Midwest. From upper Minnesota to down south, the rains have been falling in earnest. With the wet weather forecast to continue into next week and flood warnings posted, look for the rivers and streams to continue to be high and dirty. Fishing right now is virtually at a standstill on the Mississippi River. Fast current, very muddy and dirty water with debris is all over. Even the catfish that are spawning are just about impossible to find right now.
My suggestion? What a great time to to a tune-up on your fishing equipment. Clean those rods and reels, put on fresh line, Etc. This way you will be ready to go when the rivers here in the Midwest get back to normal, fishable stages. It's also a good time to do any needed work on the boat.
So with that in mind, hopefully things will turn around in the near future and we can once again enjoy the wonderful fishing here in the Midwest. Stay tuned for updates here as soon as things start to change.
Regards: Last Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
It looks like Mother Nature is really making up for last years drought here in the Midwest. From upper Minnesota to down south, the rains have been falling in earnest. With the wet weather forecast to continue into next week and flood warnings posted, look for the rivers and streams to continue to be high and dirty. Fishing right now is virtually at a standstill on the Mississippi River. Fast current, very muddy and dirty water with debris is all over. Even the catfish that are spawning are just about impossible to find right now.
My suggestion? What a great time to to a tune-up on your fishing equipment. Clean those rods and reels, put on fresh line, Etc. This way you will be ready to go when the rivers here in the Midwest get back to normal, fishable stages. It's also a good time to do any needed work on the boat.
So with that in mind, hopefully things will turn around in the near future and we can once again enjoy the wonderful fishing here in the Midwest. Stay tuned for updates here as soon as things start to change.
Regards: Last Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Friday, June 6, 2014
EXCELLENT CATFISH ACTION STARTING!!!!
Greetings All;
Well, those catfish that roam the waters of the Mississippi River are on the feed. The many backwater areas are seeing catfish starting their spawn and they are hungry. With the main river still muddy, get into those backwater areas and look for the cleanest and clearest water you can find and you will find good catfish action. I sampled some of the action the last few days and the cat's were really biting. Using dip bait, I caught many nice fish in numerous sloughs and backwater areas all along the Mississippi. For years, my favorite dip bait has been made by G&S out of Milledgeville, IL. I exclusively use their Cheese Bait and have had excellent results. If your local bait shop does not carry it, you can look G&S up on the internet. Let them know you heard about them here on my blog. They are great folks that make an excellent, fishing catching cheese bait.
So if you planning on heading out for some catfish soon, hit those backwaters and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. The catfish are plentiful and they are hungry.
Regards: Lastcast Mike cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Well, those catfish that roam the waters of the Mississippi River are on the feed. The many backwater areas are seeing catfish starting their spawn and they are hungry. With the main river still muddy, get into those backwater areas and look for the cleanest and clearest water you can find and you will find good catfish action. I sampled some of the action the last few days and the cat's were really biting. Using dip bait, I caught many nice fish in numerous sloughs and backwater areas all along the Mississippi. For years, my favorite dip bait has been made by G&S out of Milledgeville, IL. I exclusively use their Cheese Bait and have had excellent results. If your local bait shop does not carry it, you can look G&S up on the internet. Let them know you heard about them here on my blog. They are great folks that make an excellent, fishing catching cheese bait.
So if you planning on heading out for some catfish soon, hit those backwaters and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. The catfish are plentiful and they are hungry.
Regards: Lastcast Mike cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Thursday, May 29, 2014
BACKWATER RIVER BASS ACTION GETTING HOT!!!!!
Greetings All;
If your looking for some fun on the water, it's a great time to head into the many backwater areas all up and down the Mississippi River. Even though the river is still up, there is some great bass fishing going on. Backwater areas and sloughs are producing excellent bass fishing on plastics right now. I have been using 5" to 7" floating plastic worms and have had the bass tearing them up. In most instances I have been fishing them weightless and working them across the waters surface in the weedy areas with excellent results. After you cast it out, use a nice steady retrieve with an occasional brief pause. The bass are really eating this presentation up. Best colors have been on the dark side. Black, purple and motor oil have been the top producers this past week. Use a longer rod to easily cast this lighter offering along with a quality 6 to 8 pound test line and your in business. Don't forget to rig your hook weedless, even though you are fishing over the weeds. This will help the worm glide along easily over and between the weeds.
I'll tell you folks, if you like to bass fish as much as I do, it's a great time to hit the areas I mentioned and you just might catch the biggest river bass of your life. So with that thought in mind,,,Get Out And Enjoy!!!!!
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
If your looking for some fun on the water, it's a great time to head into the many backwater areas all up and down the Mississippi River. Even though the river is still up, there is some great bass fishing going on. Backwater areas and sloughs are producing excellent bass fishing on plastics right now. I have been using 5" to 7" floating plastic worms and have had the bass tearing them up. In most instances I have been fishing them weightless and working them across the waters surface in the weedy areas with excellent results. After you cast it out, use a nice steady retrieve with an occasional brief pause. The bass are really eating this presentation up. Best colors have been on the dark side. Black, purple and motor oil have been the top producers this past week. Use a longer rod to easily cast this lighter offering along with a quality 6 to 8 pound test line and your in business. Don't forget to rig your hook weedless, even though you are fishing over the weeds. This will help the worm glide along easily over and between the weeds.
I'll tell you folks, if you like to bass fish as much as I do, it's a great time to hit the areas I mentioned and you just might catch the biggest river bass of your life. So with that thought in mind,,,Get Out And Enjoy!!!!!
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Friday, May 16, 2014
AMAZING FRIDAY MORNING ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER!!!!!
Greetings All:
Well, it is hard to believe with the Mississippi river in such sad shape from flooding, but here is what happened this morning.
I headed out for a few hours of fishing and decided to check some areas I have fished for years in Pool-13. I really did not expect much but boy, was I surprised. I found an area down river from Bellevue, IA that contained huge amounts of walleye that were very eager to bite. In the hour or so I stayed there, I caught walleye after walleye, all big fish to boot. With the river in it's current flood stage, these fish were schooled up and the catching was fast and furious. After about an hour and a half of great walleye fishing I headed home with the biggest smile on my face, and a few walleye for the frying pan.
As I was heading back to the dock, I thought about all those folks that are fishing the Walleye tournament tomorrow out of Bellevue and how they would love to know where this spot is. Well, I'm heading back there in the morning, knowing the fish will be stacked like cord wood again. Walleye after walleye, eager to bite. Without a doubt, enough big fish to win most tournaments, let alone one with the current river conditions. Hopefully those tournament anglers won't spot me out there and crash the party, LOL. Good luck folks in the tournament and I'll save a few for you all, that is if you can find this spot just loaded with many big Walleye.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Well, it is hard to believe with the Mississippi river in such sad shape from flooding, but here is what happened this morning.
I headed out for a few hours of fishing and decided to check some areas I have fished for years in Pool-13. I really did not expect much but boy, was I surprised. I found an area down river from Bellevue, IA that contained huge amounts of walleye that were very eager to bite. In the hour or so I stayed there, I caught walleye after walleye, all big fish to boot. With the river in it's current flood stage, these fish were schooled up and the catching was fast and furious. After about an hour and a half of great walleye fishing I headed home with the biggest smile on my face, and a few walleye for the frying pan.
As I was heading back to the dock, I thought about all those folks that are fishing the Walleye tournament tomorrow out of Bellevue and how they would love to know where this spot is. Well, I'm heading back there in the morning, knowing the fish will be stacked like cord wood again. Walleye after walleye, eager to bite. Without a doubt, enough big fish to win most tournaments, let alone one with the current river conditions. Hopefully those tournament anglers won't spot me out there and crash the party, LOL. Good luck folks in the tournament and I'll save a few for you all, that is if you can find this spot just loaded with many big Walleye.
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
WEATHER COOL, RIVER UP,,FISHING DOWN!!!!
Greetings All:
Well, Mother Nature continues to bring us very unstable weather here in the Midwest and it sure has affected the river fishing. Right now the Mississippi, Wisconsin, Rock and other rivers are high, dirty and very turbid. With more rains forecast the next few days, look for no improvement to happen soon. If your chomping at the bit for some fishing, keep hitting those farm ponds and lakes for so good action. The truth be known, there is still more water coming down from up north, so look for the high water to be around for a bit.
Be safe and get out and enjoy the Great Outdoors, It's right Outside Your Back door!!!!!
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
Well, Mother Nature continues to bring us very unstable weather here in the Midwest and it sure has affected the river fishing. Right now the Mississippi, Wisconsin, Rock and other rivers are high, dirty and very turbid. With more rains forecast the next few days, look for no improvement to happen soon. If your chomping at the bit for some fishing, keep hitting those farm ponds and lakes for so good action. The truth be known, there is still more water coming down from up north, so look for the high water to be around for a bit.
Be safe and get out and enjoy the Great Outdoors, It's right Outside Your Back door!!!!!
Regards: Lastcast Mike Cyze lastcast13@yahoo.com
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