LABOR DAY FISHING ON THE GOOD SIDE!!!!

Greetings All;
Well, here we are with the Labor Day weekend upon us once again. Where did the Summer go?

With that thought in mind, many folks are heading out for that "last blast" of the season. The good thing is that fishing all up and down the Mississippi River is good for many species. The river has risen slightly with the recent rains but it is in excellent shape. From Pools-5 up North down to the New Boston area, the bite has been on. 

Look for species like catfish and bass to be doing very well. Walleye on the wing dams in their Summer pattern. Fish those many backwater running sloughs for some fine crappie action along with good bluegill along the weed edges. As a bonus, many nice northern are showing up by casting flashy spoons near creek mouths and inflow pipe areas. 

Hopefully you can wet a line this weekend. Be safe on the river and save a few for me.......

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

CATFISH ON THE PROWL!!!

Greetings All:
If you like great catfish action, now is the time to be fishing the Mississippi River.

From Pool-9 down to Pool-14, catfish action is hot. Fish those snags and deadfalls laying in the water if you intend to fish the many sloughs and backwater areas and use your favorite "Stink" bait. If you prefer to fish the main river areas, look for deep holes on the outside river bends that have some structure on the bottom such as old sunken timber. For these main river locations, try using cut baits either fished on the bottom or just off the bottom.  If you can catch a few suckers, you can use them as cut bait with excellent results. I have had great success this past week fishing a cut bait deep, just suspended off the bottom near these structure areas. Which ever bait and method you use, get out and enjoy some of the excellent catfishing that is happening right now on the Mississippi River. 

Note: Very hot temperatures are forecast for this upcoming weekend so make sure you stay well hydrated. Bring along some water in your ice chest and take a drink often. 

Good luck and great fishing.

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

MISSISSIPPI RIVER CRAPPIE ACTION STRONG!!!

Greetings All:
If you like to fish for crappie as much as I do, then it's time to start fishing the running sloughs all along the Mississippi. Right now the crappie bite in these running sloughs is hot. Many nice fish in these areas on minnows fished near deadfalls and downed timber. Use a very simple presentation for best results. I have been using a small, gold salmon egg hook fished under a slip float with excellent success. Add a split shot or two about a foot above your bait, hook the minnow lightly midway between the dorsal fin and tail and you are ready to catch fish.

Look for this good bite to continue until river levels drop another foot or so. When this happens, the crappie will migrate again into the deeper waters of the main river until Fall. 

So if you are heading out on the Mississippi this coming weekend, don't forget to hit those running sloughs and cash in on the fine crappie fishing that's happening now.

Regards: Lastcast   Mike Cyze   lastcast13@yahoo.com 

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND TO GET OUT AND FISH!!!!!

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

 

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 

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  

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, 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 

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









 

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