Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27 at IDOfishing.com

Took our annual fall trip to Pool 4, with a seat that opened up last minute when one of the regulars had to cancel for work conflicts. Diesel of IDO was able to fill that seat, and saw quite a different bite from what we saw on his virgin trip of three weeks ago. Now he knows what all the hoopla's about.

Dean informed us of the good 3-way bite ahead of our trip up, so we came prepared just in case. But being somewhat set in my ways,or so say my wife and buddies, decided to give other river tricks a try first, and was glad we did. The day bite was slow by Pool 4 standards for this time of year by picthing, dragging, and jigging techniques, but we managed to keep the interest level up by getting a few fish, trying some untraditional areas, patiently awaiting sundown to see if that magic hour would develop, and we were not dissappointed. The pattern we stumbled on Saturday evening proved effective for the early morning and evening bites for the rest of the trip.

We anchored in a position to cast rip-rap , and Diesel set it off by by boating a nice eye on his third cast with a blade. After another fish, his boat partners also switched to pitching a blade and participated in the fun. Well, as a die-hard plastics guy, I had to prove that if they try to eat metal, they will surely enjoy plastic, and two casts into the current yielded the first of many fish caught on plastic by all. We didn't get off the water until 8 or so on Saturday, and back on early the next morning. Diesel connected on this nice 24.5 eye, his PB, on evening one.

The signal that we found was the sign of the dinner bell for feeding eyes, was all the surface activity of shad. It was like clockwork...when we saw that shad activity was starting, we just knew the fish were in there eating, and immediatedly started connecting. The bite died as the surface activity stopped. While we started out with paddle tails and ringworms on 3/16 or 1/4 oz jigs, other plastics worked as well, as our supplies began to dwindle due to the hungry rocks and other goodies laying in the depths, one of which I boated as I pulled my anchor on evening three. While none of the other fish we got exceeded Diesels PB

, the cookie cutters we pulled out each day were like the 18 to 21 inch eyes shown on the stick, or the 21 inch sauger shown, which seemed like big fish in the eddy current we were playing in. So here's a question for the Pool 4 experts, that we were discussing. Are the walleye following the shad as the shad move in and out of such areas, or coming into such areas to feed in low-light, where the shad tend to hang all day?? Gonna stay awake thinking about that one for a few nights.

After catch and release for some of the time, we targeted crappie on the last afternoon, and managed to get a few slabs with some help from Dean.

Had a special delivery for BK of the Polish pop he had ordered, after enjoying the Catfish beer he turned me onto during my last trip there, three weeks ago

. Good stuff, despite the name. And ran into Lenny who was launching bright and early one of the mornings. Also saw a few familiar faces as Tom and the Yoopers invaded camp, and had the pleasure of visiting with a few on the water, and in the fish cleaning station. So all in all, another excellent and memorable trip to pool 4, and another believer in Diesel, who I think will be returning.

My next trip will probably be the annual March trip, unless of course, anyone happens to have an open seat in December...

Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27

Re: Pool 4. 10/24 to 10/27