croix tactics

[b1gf1sh1]

cjacs post in brets awsome day post gave me some motivation for a couple things to try out there.

if there really is such a thing on that river as a tactic.

it's so unpredictable it's disheartening sometimes, and then theres unexpected jubilations. ( i'll make it pretty simply put)anyway... above the boomsite launch theres a whole bunch of islands. find water getting funneled between them. fish those areas and any eddy's created near the main channel, and faster currents. theres a billion little eddys and tiny points on the east side. the points are best visible in lower water, like now but always a point, just sometimes they are underwater points . fish them. any backwater areas over 5 feet are worth a try. big pike hang outs too. moving down river of the launch and the launch area theres some backwater areas that need attention. also a few more smaller islands but they are better in higher water. really too shallow right now except the main channel areas. next to the east shore theres a nice sand bar right at the start of the open river ( just on the down side of the last tiny island) fish that area and the huge bay there. west side theres a wall and a large eddy. fish that too. other side of the gondola is another smaller eddy. fish it to the bridge and beyond veering out to the bouy, making sure to fish the wall the whole way. after the bouy head to the east side or fish past the paddle boats in the smallish bay then past the rocks, smallie haven too, all the way to the next marina and fish the docks. gets really shallow for a bit so unless you go to the east side from the bridge and work down again, skirt around the shallows fishing from the deeper water coming back to you into mabe 7=8 feet. then fish everything all the way to excel. jump river to the point across the river. fish the heck out of that, moving north back to the next bouy and a really nice point. by the time you get back to the bridge you can decide if they've had enough and go home or brave the hazards of night fishing on a river.

next trip launch at beanies on the river just south of the 94 bridge. really nice people. when you launch you'll notice a vast wide open area from the bridge to the bend. it's a flats area except the 60 ft hole and it also gets about 40-50 feet for a looong ways there. fish the whole shallower flats area. under and above the bridge too. if you are lucky enough to see a pod of dollar bill size shad follow them around if you can and fish underneath them with a crank, spinnerbait, bucktail etc... when they built the 94 bridge (really any bridge) they put all the rocks they dredged up in piles. find the rocks you found any and every kind of fish in that river. i'd give you an idea but... hey, i had to find 'em it's easy, can't miss them when you see them. theres a bay/eddy above the bridge on the west side (all no wake). fish it too. if you like trolling... weave and bob through the pillars and around the bridge and if you like that whole flats area. better to cast it IMO. good night.

[JRedig]

*noted*

[RuKiddingMe]

WOW - The holy grail!!! Been wanting to get on the Croix for Muskies but never knew where to start.

RU

[JRedig]

*hijack*

Heckler, are you capable of doing lure, specifically a creeper, repair? I had a friend go crazy with a cutter on one of my really nice creepers. I'll email you some pics or something.

Thanks

Jeff

*end hijack*

[b1gf1sh1]

send me a pic at [email protected] <~~~~ copy paste that, and i'll see what i can do.... with the pics, if it's not obvious, please explain the damage. thx red.

RU. i might be dumb but i'm not doopid. those areas are a start. holy grail? hardly. really theres like 200 holy grails on the croix. at least i think they are. all those areas a guy can do easy and would find them in one season anyway. just know this... real simple now, follow along.... find an eddy. real simple. oh, and most times the smaller the eddy the better. if you only concentrate on eddies and eddies only you'll do just fine. there are all kinds of other types of structure/areas but they can be learned later. this is true in any river not just the croix in my experience. eddies. and if your missing the lake scene theres all kinds of weedy bays too. also, this is where time reins supreme, there are areas that will have weeds one week and gone the next. and areas that don't have weeds one week and do the next. it's all based on water level and what depth they will grow at. on the flip side theres times they are choking the heck out of an area and it can't be fished. in a week it can be fished. that's one of the main reasons i love rivers. fresh spots to fish every time i fish it.

also down by prescott theres a nice weedy bay that produces smaller ones in the 43-44'' class fish and mabe 47'' max, have heard of bigger ones just never got one bigger there. the bay is just above the railroad bridge on the west side. look around there and north and east, never know what you might find. good luck

[RuKiddingMe]

I have spent alot of time fishing the Croix all of which was launching at William O'Brian park and fishing just south of there for Smallies, man we used to get some pigs down there, lots of fun. I did that fishing before I came down with the musky illness, so probably all of 10 years ago. I haven't spent much time fishing the Croix anywhere south of the tall railroad bridge just north of Stillwater. Got some stories about the bridge also from my young and dumb years. Anyway any tips to fishing the Croix for muskies are appreciated.

I in no way think you are dumb, nor doopid, actually just the opposite.

RU

[b1gf1sh1]

RU, i wasn't really implying you thought i was doopid. i was just saying, in a less than colorfull way, that i don't mind giving a few things up.... as long as i did'nt have to work real hard to get it myself, then i'm a little hard to talk to, but i won't lie or hide it i just don't give it. with that said...

at the mouth of the croix (mississippi intersection) the water on the croix meets the mississippi and the clearer water of the croix and the almost revolting water of the mississippi give fish a way to ambush prey. theres a nice open river eddy created. it's exact location is dictated by current speeds, water level and in some cases even might be affected by trees caught up on the point there. but it's there. anchoring isn't an option, the current is really fast from the miss. if your good at slipping this is a real good area to do that. i have casted into the clearer water, and reeled back to the darker with success. but by far my favourite is just letting the currents do the work and just hold a spinnerbait, white, with willow blade(s) because of the speed of the current there. any others won't stay down. i try and keep it going inside and out of the different color waters. works, but it can get boring. just down river theres some docks where the waters converge too. not always but worth a look. also the current isn't as strong there. further on theres wing dams on the same side as the docks (east side).

important river tip two of my friends ignored and paid the price. if you go to any river and have a stainless steel prop... change it to an aluminum one. aluminum props break before your lower unit shaft does. if nothing else they're cheaper. and yes, you do hit stuff regularly until you get to know the river at every water level. then theres the dead heads...