Current surface temp 46 degrees and rising daily. Water clarity is 1 to 2 ft in places and 3 to 5 in others. These last few days of warm weather has definitely improved the bite.
Bass- Some fish are still being caught deep (40 ft +), while others have moved into shallow water. As the shad move up and down the water column, so will the bass. A heavy jig head and minnow imitation has worked well, along with a jigging spoon in bright colors.
Crappie – the crappie are definitely making their way to the banks. On two trips in a row, we’ve caught crappie in less than 20ft of water close to the shoreline. Big females can still be caught on the main channel, but they are like finding a needle in a haystack. Pink and green jig heads have worked well for us tipped with a minnow or a small shad imitation. ALL of our bites seem to be when the lure is sitting perfectly still and not moving.
Walleye – the eater sized males have started piling into the river for their annual spawning run. They can be caught from Ragland Bottom all the way to Rock Island right now. Several 18″ to 22 ” fish have been caught close to the headwaters in the last few days. The big females are still staging in the main channel areas but can be caught at night or early morning on humps and gravel flats. Please do your part to preserve this precious resource by releasing those large 24″ + females, especially this time of year. Also remember the single hook rule is in effect from the sandbar boat ramp all the way to Great Falls Dam.
