River Fishing

[watertower]

Just getting used to this site, still a newbie....but anyway here it goes.

Has anyone every had much experience witht the river that comes out of Lake Panorama. I've heard good thing s and i want to fish it soon for some smallies. How do i get there from DSM and what tackle should I have. I'd be in waders, so no boat. Is this place a good time and what else do I need to know.

Thanks all

[watertower]

must be some uncharted water over that way.

[PikeBayCommanche]

I wouldn't know the directions on how to get there but could tell you some of the baits that I would throw.

First a Rebel Crawfish Crankbait or original floating rap. next would be a rocket shad spinner bait or you can't go wrong with mepps in-line spinners.

Last i would throw a small swimming jig or pig and jig. You should find some fish with some of those.

Good Luck

[watertower]

pike bay-

thanks for the advice.

[Tony]

Watertower,

I grew up fishing that stretch of the Middle Raccoon River downstream of Lake Panorama. In the 70's and early 80's it was the best smallie river in the state. Big flood events in the 80's and 90's really degraded the habitat and population assessments conducted by IA DNR documented an almost complete collapse of the smallmouth fishery in that stretch. I'll save my tirade on land use practices for another day. This is usually a very wadeable stream. I would start downstream near Linden. There is a public access off a gravel road that runs west from Linden. I would just keep wading upstream and casting. There's a fairly good gradient to that stretch, so you'll have rock and riffle areas to fish. Don't overlook downed trees, either. My best lures used to be a small black jig or a small silver floating rapala twitched as a surface lure. We also did really well on live grasshoppers, seined up minnows or crayfish. We used to catch bass upwards of 4 pounds out there, and good numbers of 12 to 16 inch smallies.

I haven't seen that stretch for a long time. Tell me what you find there.

[watertower]

Tony-

Thanks for the info. I made it over there and had a blast didnt catch a lot but managed some.

I'll definitaly be going back to try it again