Oct 23, 2020: Water temp 46-48, stage 3.6 ft, flow 18,400 cfs
The fall bite is here on Pool 4 of the mighty Mississippi River. With low stage and flow, fish are spread out but are actively feeding. We enjoyed great success pitching soft plastics to main channel edges and rip-rap shorelines with adjacent deep water for a nice mix of quality walleye and sauger, most 15-20" long, with bonus jumbo perch and slab crappie. Best baits were 5" jerk shads rigged on 1/4 oz jigs. When picking a jig for soft plastics, look for a long shank hook and a wire plastic "keeper" - VMC Neon Moon eye jigs are perfect. Rig with 20 lb test hi-vis Seaguar Smackdown in Flash Green to visually track your jig, and use a 2' leader of 15 lb test Seaguar InvizX to protect your presentation from rocks, zebra mussels and sharp teeth. A medium or medium light power, fast or extra fast action St. Croix rod equipped with a 2500-series Shimano reel is ideal. Let your jig hit bottom after the cast, and then work back to the boat with a series of sharp upward snaps - then let it fall back to the bottom. Rest for a moment before you repeat the process, as bites will occur on the fall, or when the jig impacts the bottom. Do yourself a favor and fish plastics in the fall - your catch rates and especially the quality of fish will far exceed those of the minnow-soakers.