Looking for spots on the Mississippi

[UPOW]

Looking for carp spots to fish on the river. Just got hooked on carp fishing the end of last summer. The only spot I know is the Coon Rapids Dam. Any advice would be great. Also interested in what type of rig set up people use and where to get the takle. How early in the spring is it worth going out? Thanks again for any help.

[Rick G]

Guessing that you are located somewhere in the North metro? Look for slack water areas on the Miss. there are plenty of fish up and down the river. Look for sandy areas, slack water and feeder creeks to be holding fish. I like the creeks the best, the fish will travel up theese because the water is warmer than in the main river. While you can get fish right after ice out the best bite dosen't start untill the night crawlers start coming out of the ground.

[Cthulhu]

Carp Spots - Feeder creeks are good - especially when the water is high. Eddies and slack areas below dams are good. When the water is over banks fish flooded parks and things like that. Any backwater can be good, ones with shallow flats are usually best. Warm water discharges are good, especially early and late in the year. Marina areas are good often in summer. I don't fish that area so I can't give more specifics - most of my carping is a little farther south. Lakes can be good too. You can catch carp very early in the year if you can find warm enough water, which means WW discharges and shallow mud bottomed bays/backwaters.

Honestly I hear Coon Rapids dam area is a pretty good spot

Rigs - Any generic bottom rig will work - just a hook and sinker. I like size 2 or 4 circles but any "medium sized" hook will work most the time. I usually use slip sinkers, use the smallest one that stays put. Any "medium weight" gear will handle most carp that you'll find in the river. Use whatever you have, something like 8-10lb line is what I like.

Bait - Corn is popular for a reason, worms work too and you'll pick up lots of bonus fish of all species. But I like to have corn on hand in case the sunfish or drum are robbing the crawlers too fast. Bread works at times too.

Where to get tackle - if you just need general tackle lots of places have you covered fleet farm, gander, wally world, any small bait shops, some gas stations.

[Stick in Mud]

I suspect this spring will be a little later than last spring.

I always looks for big eddies early in the year if I'm looking for carp. Flooded stuff can be awesome, especially if you see big carp swimming around. I also spend a ton of time fishing feeder creeks, though this year I suspect I'll have to wait a bit longer than usual for "my" spots to get going, unless it gets crazy warm soon.

[OnAFly]

I don't start fishing carp until july, but I'm throwing flies so it's a bit different. I look for pools of shallow slow water. The slack water is where I catch mine.

[hydro]

For tackle I like a three way swivel with droppers to a sinker big enough to hold in the current and then about a foot of line to a #2 carlisle hook (long shank, holds more corn). The three way rig keeps the sinker from rolling on the line and twisting it up.

I second the Coon Rapids dam, west side, from the overlook patio. Cast out to the eddy and hang on. Another good spot is where a storm sewer drains into the river as there will be water flow and a small pool at the outlet. With the right water conditions these can be very good. Third spot is the St. Anthony Falls lock wall on the west side. There is a large storm drain and an eddy forms at the end of the lock wall. Tough to get down there but it can be a great carp spot with the right water flow.

[Nhamm]

How would you get a fish up to the patio? Hope you have a gaf hook on some rope

[hydro]

We used 12 or 14lb mono line and just pulled them up hand over hand. Not too hard to do.

[Stick500]

Third spot is the St. Anthony Falls lock wall on the west side. There is a large storm drain and an eddy forms at the end of the lock wall. Tough to get down there but it can be a great carp spot with the right water flow.

Hydro; I'm looking at google maps trying to find this spot but I'm pretty confused. It appears there's two locks at St. Anthony's, one just north of the Stone Arch bridge and a second one down by 35W. Could you give us a few more details on where this storm drain is? I would love to try that spot sometime. There has to be some monsters cruising around that area.

[hydro]

The lower lock on the west side, under the 35W bridge.

[MSRiverdog]

Take a walk over the Stone Arch Bridge in Mpls. years ago when the 35W bride went down I saw the biggest carp I have ever seen swimming there, a lot of easy 3 footers. When I was a kid we would go down in that area, before the dam broke (that spot is dry now) and at that site would bow fish below it, the Carp were huge, 20/30 pounders by the dozen. I don't know if there are any spots to fish there anymore but it may be worth some looking around on the S.E. Mpls. side.

[mrklean]

Take a walk over the Stone Arch Bridge in Mpls. years ago when the 35W bride went down I saw the biggest carp I have ever seen swimming there, a lot of easy 3 footers. When I was a kid we would go down in that area, before the dam broke (that spot is dry now) and at that site would bow fish below it, the Carp were huge, 20/30 pounders by the dozen. I don't know if there are any spots to fish there anymore but it may be worth some looking around on the S.E. Mpls. side.

There are some hogs there have fished around that area over the past two years and there are tons of them

[MMarah]

Where can a guy launch a boat near there and spot fish? Is that a place you can even have a boat? I dont know much about the Mississippi.

[hydro]

You launch at Hidden Falls in St. Paul and go upriver through the locks.

[MMarah]

I have never been there is it worth it bringing a boat up there to shoot some carp? Actually never been through a lock and dam either is that self explanatory?