Pickstown

[jr712]

Has anybody fished the boat bay at pickstown the last week or so. Coming through there weds. afternoon and thought I would try it. My usual travel hot spot at ft. thompson has such low water level, little depth in the backwater and not drawing many fish.

Does anybody ever try casting the moving water below any of the dams in winter?

Will be finishing up a meeting at Pierre midmorning Weds. Any info on a bit at any of the three dams would be appreciated.

[jr712]

Forgot to ask, can you get on the ice in boat bay? without getting wet, of course.

[Guest]

Sorry I didn't post this earlier but I did stop by at Pickstown and try the ice. The bay below the dam had a little ice on it. I didn't feel real safe on it. The ice went from 7 to 3 inches from shore out. When they started letting water out of the dam the ice really started moving ALOT. So I took off with no bites. Five boats did show up by 9:30 am so I think they were getting them out of boats. ck

[jr712]

Thanks anyway. I ended up fishign Ft. Thompson that evening. C&R about 20 'eyes. Maybe 1/3 of them would had been just over 15". Only one around 19". Smaller fish then usual. water level and came up some in the past few weeks.

Ice moving around is not good. I think it was wise for you to leave.

[Muskeez]

jr, did you fish from boat, shore or ice?

[jr712]

Fished the ice. Normally I fish the emergency spillway chute but that has been so shallow this year. I fished between the chute and the open water to the south. Ice was around 18" near land but was around 10" were I was. Several boats where working the edge of the ice but one advised they didn't do any good. It is only about 6' deep out there. They said the could see fish in the clear water come out from under the ice but scurry back when they saw the boat. I found water from 6 - 11 ft where I fished. The deeper water was to the west towards those old bridge abutments but my best bite was east of south of the chute and just a little west. Oh yes, most of the fish were caught during 45" that they were releasing more water and the current came up in there. otherwise they were pretty inactive.

should be more fishing showing up there in the next couple weeks. have had great shore fishing at night there during the 2nd half of March.

[jr712]

should had read to the east of the abutments, south of the chute and a little west.... about a 100 yds off that point.

There was a lot of people fishing the chute but didn't talk to them. Only a couple in the area I was at.