Mississippi River muskies?

[Muskie maniac]

Has anyone attempted to fish Pool 2 for muskies? I've looked at the stocking reports over the last decade and in the late 90s and early 00s fingerlings and fry were stocked almost annually. The MN DNR publication on Pool 2 from 2008 doesn't report any muskies being netted over the last 4 surveys, which I suppose isn't all that surprising given they weren't targeting muskies.

[ole matty]

There was one guy that goes by b1gf1s1h that fish river tons. Go look back on this forum and try to find info. Tons of good info wrtten by him.

[bronzeback]

I don't think he fishes the 'sippi in that area, but ole matty is right about b1gfish1's river info. He's really got a wealth of knowledge and reading through his old posts is a lot of fun and very informative. Good writer.

As far as pool 2 goes, are there lakes or areas that the fry/fingerlings could run to when the water is high after they are stocked? Kind of like the whole Zumbro area? i'm not too familiar with metro river water but I don't think pool 2 would be your best river option in the area.

[Zelmsdawg]

From what I've read, the St. Croix seems to be the river to fish in the metro area which I think is what b1gf1sh fishes the most

Zelmsdawg

[Nick Kuhn]

As far as pool 2 goes, are there lakes or areas that the fry/fingerlings could run to when the water is high after they are stocked? Kind of like the whole Zumbro area?

Depends on how mobile they wish to be. I believe most are stocked near Grey Cloud Island which has a whole mess of shallow stumpy backwater area. Upstream a bit you also have Pig's Eye. However if fish wish to keep moving, there are no obstructions on the Minnesota river for 250 miles from where it dumps into pool 2. Any surviving fish can really go anywhere they want.

[Muskie maniac]

Thanks for the information everyone! My main interest in the Mississippi and specifically, pool 2, is the year round catch and release season on that stretch. I thought it might be an option for a few preseason skies.

[Nick Kuhn]

Pool 2 is only open year round for bass walleye and sauger. Muskie and pike are not included.

From page 44 of the 2010 regs book:

Quote:

Mississippi River Valley (Ramsey, Washington, Hennepin, and Dakota Counties) walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass: Catch-and-release with a continuous season in the following stretches: a) Minnesota River downstream from the Mendota Bridge; Minnehaha Creek downstream from Minnehaha Falls; and c) Pool 2 of the Mississippi River between the Hastings Dam and the Ford Dam, including all backwater lakes and connecting waters except Crosby Lake, Pickerel Lake, Upper Lake, Little Pigs Eye Lake, and North Star Steel Lake.

[blakeb]

this has always had me wondering, i fish back by GCI alot and have been told by a CO that that is where that they stock musky at, seen thousands of fish just no musky ever.

They have to be in there way to uch forgar base to ignore, but also way to much hidden backwater to cover.

[Muskie maniac]

Good to know! I guess I will continue heading down to Clear Lake, IA. Thanks again for the info and clarification.

[Musky Buck]

What's pre-season skies ? May be misunderstanding but doesn't it state you can not fish for any specie during it's closed season ? I understand pool 2 is C & R and it likely is for all species on that stretch I'd assume but I'm confused a touch. I saw 3 guys on a lake on Sunday and they looked guilty as ever, panfish didn't seem to be on their radar. I've seen these so called "pike fisherman" after walleye opener hucking traditional muskie gear, I'd like to see a few fines dished out or why am I waiting, I'm waiting because it's the right thing to do.

[BrianF]

I fished Pool 2 last year for half of a day, targeting only muskies with a DCG. Nada. We fished current breaks and other obvious structure that river muskies tend to relate. In researching this body of water, I came across a couple of reports of muskies in the high 30 inch range being caught incidentally by anglers targeting other species, but it seems they are few and far between. I left feeling my time was better spent else where, though wouldn't doubt some big ones are in there and suseptible to a more ambitious angler willing to spend lots of time figuring out this body of water.

BrianF.

[JRedig]

I've checked with several people at the DNR, muskies *ARE NOT* included in the pool 2 regs for year round fishing/c&r. FYI.

[Musky Buck]

Right on J, didn't want to ruffle feathers but it stinks to be jigging eyes with definite walleye gear watching "pike fisherman" figure 8ting northern pike. I'm sure it's a sticky one but some are getting 3 weeks of musky angling before it begins. Oh well.

[brad coin]

heres a project that will get you some answers if you have the energy??

I tried to track it down but gave up,,,from what I understand there is still one Native American tribe member who can still do some netting on this section and I was told he was part of the Mystic lake tribe and basicly does it just for tradition,,,If you could track down who/which tribe it is Im sure a conversation with him would give you some insight into how often he has had muskies in his net,dont know if it still exists but it would be a good benchmark of the population

[bronzeback]

I figure eighted a dogfish once.

but it was muskie season anyway. haha.

And last season I was itching so bad to try out my new Revo SO i went to a body of water that held no muskies and started throwing a big 2 ounce spinner bait and to my surprise caught a nice fat 8 or so pound pike. My problem pre-season wasn't that I wanted to chase muskies so bad, I just wanted to use my new gear and see my new baits in the water. We boated two muskies pre-season last year on bass tackle-I didn't feel guilty at all and both fish were less than 30".

Deliberately targetting these fish pre-season is a good way to ruin your next few seasons, whether you get caught, or just rough up a fish before it gets the chance to spawn. I suppose some metro bodies of water don't get successful natural reproduction, but it can still be detrimental to harass these fish during such a fragile process.

[Zelmsdawg]

I'm just like you bronzeback, I can't wait to take my new musky gear out and play around with it, but on waters with no muskies. Its all the guys I see on musky lakes like Indy who are fishing for pike that I don't like. Now some might be legit and nothing can be proven but theres plenty of pike lakes without muskies that are just as good or better if they're intentions are pure

Zelmsdawg

[chief]

Quote:

Its all the guys I see on musky lakes like Indy who are fishing for pike that I don't like. Now some might be legit and nothing can be proven but theres plenty of pike lakes without muskies that are just as good or better if they're intentions are pure.

Your post needs clarification. Are you saying those with pure intentions should wait for the muskie opener before pursuing pike in lakes containing both species? Exactly how do you determine which anglers are "legit" and "pure". How do you feel about bass fishemen on Independence prior to the muskie opener?

[Zelmsdawg]

Quote:

Your post needs clarification. Are you saying those with pure intentions should wait for the muskie opener before pursuing pike in lakes containing both species? Exactly how do you determine which anglers are "legit" and "pure". How do you feel about bass fishemen on Independence prior to the muskie opener?

Thanks for calling that out and sorry for being unclear, guess I must have been in a hurry when i posted that. I also try not to post books but the more I type about this the longer it gets. I don't think I can draw any solid lines anywhere as there is so much gray but I'll try to explain my thoughts.

First off I have nothing against bass guys on musky lakes. I chase bass a lot too and consider the first few weeks of bass season as my musky preseason. And I know accidental catches happen so if a bass angler is lucky enough to catch a ski, good for him/her. Hope they have a good release. The point I was trying to make was more the thought. If it was an angler who says they're targeting bass but in the back of their mind they are trying to catch a musky is what I don't like. And its something that is impossible to prove. I do think that people who are trying to target muskies illegally through another fish happen to be pike anglers much more often than bass though.

I can't say that all pure minded anglers can't fish pike on musky lakes until muskies are open. Theres a lot that is wrong with a statement like that. Where I was going with that is there are a lot of pike lakes out there w/o skies and a good number I think are better than the lakes that have both, just based on pike numbers/size/pressure. So I feel if someone is just trying to catch pike, they wouldn't be on those lakes at all. But I'm sure some lakes are close or people live on them so its convenient and go for it.

Its just the when I see someone repeatedly casting to a musky that is laying up shallow or when I talk to an angler at the launch and ask how it was the first thing they say is something like I had (so many) follows or something in reference to muskies and not pike that bugs me. And I know not everyone is aware of regs-though they should be- and i'm not going to do anything if theres a kid or fishing newbie thats excited by seeing a monster fish and trying to catch it. Its when you can tell that the anglers know what they're doing, they have all the gear, or etc and still do it...if that makes sense? But its all a guess, just based on assumptions in the end and I'm sure I've been wrong before.

Hopefully that cleared some of it up? I'm not out after anyone, just was trying to share some of my thoughts.

Zelmsdawg

[Zelmsdawg]

What I mean by fishing bass as my musky preseason is I'll fish bass almost solely with topwaters to re-awaken my reflexes in a way so when musky season comes I don't twitch and pull the lure away when I first see or hear a fish on my bait.

Zelmsdawg

[brad coin]

I was out walking the dog around lake harriet on saturday,,,there was a guy out in a boat throwing Buzz baits,,not musky size but bass size,,,I dont know of anybody using buzz baits for Crappie and Sunnys,,,should I have called TIP???

[bronzeback]

absolutely. that's not even tip-toeing the fine line between some panfish and bass baits.

[ole matty]

Man I love those type of people. I once run in one guy at chisago lake access years ago with limped out bass boat as I was asking how's crappie fishing, he say it was slowww.. As I took a peek in his boat, 6 rods rigged up for bass. Cranks, senko, spinnerbaits, tr, cr, and Zara spook. Ummmmmmmm........ Okkkk

[rugbymn]

I'm just like you bronzeback, I can't wait to take my new musky gear out and play around with it, but on waters with no muskies.

Maybe this is a stupid question, but what if a guy were to take the hooks off an old lure and go to a lake with absolutely zero muskie population and practice casting with his new rod and reel? Would that be frowned upon by the CO or is that not considered "fishing" because there aren't any hooks?

[Musky Buck]

Zelms you really need to re-awaken your reflexes ? Give ya a hint when you feel the weight of the fish set the hook and relax and settle down a bit, you sound like you get a bit jumpy when one first blows up on it, take it easy.Hope you don't work with nitro glycerin or anything. The world will not end if you don't land them, sure it's frustrating, toppers are at times the toughest bait to get a good hook set on, not every blow up is like feeding or crushing your bait. jk, but loved your post.

[JRedig]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but what if a guy were to take the hooks off an old lure and go to a lake with absolutely zero muskie population and practice casting with his new rod and reel? Would that be frowned upon by the CO or is that not considered "fishing" because there aren't any hooks?

If you want to know what a CO thinks, why don't you call them and ask? So crazy it might work!