'Lil help with the mighty Mississippi???

[Rob LaMoy]

Hey folks, as you know I'm headed to the All American the last week of May on the Mississippi between IL and Iowa. I have been unable to pull up any useful info from the web so far as to prevalent patterns and/or baits that time of year for out there. Anybody here familiar with it? If so and you wouldn't mind helping me out, I would greatly appreciate any tips that can help since I'm only getting 1 day to prefish. My wife and I talked and we really can't afford for me to go out before the cut off date. Also, doing it this way has worked pretty well for me so far.

As of right now, I'm planning on flippin a jig (black or black & blue) and throwing a buzzbait and/or a frog. Frog colors are black or regular green frog. Buzzbaits in white/chartreuse or black. Sound good? I'm heading for back waters.



Again, any help would be greatly appreciated. Just e-mail me, my address is in my profile.



Rob

 

[fatrap]

Rob

I'm originally from that area. I don't know specifically what areas your going, but I used to haul my tin bass boat back there and fish every summer and visit relatives. I'm from Clinton Iowa originally. Lock and dam 13.

I fished it from McGregor IA to Comanche, IA. There used to be some decent back waters on the Iowa side my Lansing, IA Lock and dam 9. The pads are always good. I can call some of my relatives though most are catfisherman. Up around Prairie du Chen/McGregor one hundred foot limestone cliffs on each side means rocks and smallies. North of Dubuque around New Albin,Ia The Upper Iowa River connects it is one of the best Smallie streams in Iowa and it empties into the Miss not too far from here.

All in all you can fish the wing dams for smallies if the water is stable but your better off in the back waters if the river is high and muddy for largemouth. One thing is I've never caught a largemouth bigger than about 3 pounds. The backwaters can be accessable one week then cut off the next. Some guys fish the lock and dams but I've never had much success with them.

One thing for certain about the ole Miss is if you haven't hit something in the past thirty minutes your ten minutes overdue. If you don't stay in the channel when running your just rolling the dice. I have pictures of guys getting hauled in with the lower units hanging by a bent bolt. Prop shops do a bang up business.

Another word of advice. I learned the hard way to always enter backwaters with current from the down current side. Do it the other way around and you'll find out why. Bring your spare prop for sure.



fatrap

PS. Years ago I was fishing with my Uncle and we were catching huge crappie but tying to barge pilings and dropping minnows straing down between the pilings. I dropped mine a little lower than usual and caught a decent river largemouth. Then proceeded to catch a dozen more doing the same thing until I hung up on the cables and got cut off.

 

[David Munaretto]

Rob, I'm a river rat - which pool are you going to, where you staying?



David

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Pools 13-17 launching near Moline IL.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Rob,



Shoot me an address by email and I will fill your mailbox with everything I can gather up.



That is some good water. And, look into as cheap a deal on airfare... I can pick you up at Ohare, drive you out and give you a tour and a day on the water... Anytime... You'd have to fish in a tin Deep V walleye boat but a fake moustache and glasses should preserve your image... I'm pretty knowledgeable about 13-14 and 15.



And, let me know about the travel program... You have to drive right past me. I'd be hapopy to come along and be your towel boy and help out if I have the time available (and I can make time, usually). ANother possibility, there are some good campgrounds... I'd handle houemother duties so you can concentrate on fishing... I have all the camping gear you could possibly want... So you could be comfy and well cared for... We could maybe get a few other guys to come over and join us and help out.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I think I might take you up on that Greg.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Dave,



Wanna join us at the campground thing? Anybody else in the area... We can party like animals while Rob tries to sleep...LOL

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Oh...I'll sleep. Like the dead. Great thing about the hours I work now....when my head hits a pillow....the lights go OUT!

 

[Mini]

I have fished 9, 10 & 11 before Rob and I may have some map books that cover the area you are fishing.



Dont overlook topwater, cranking rip rap for smallies and swimming a jig for largeheads. black and blue jig, green pumpkin fat alber trailer or a zoom chunk. Monsoor won alot of money on the upper Miss swimming a jig. And yes on the frog.



I had some good smallies in pool 9 in the Fed Regional I fished up there. could only get to em one day (boat pros and fog delay first two days). Had a couple of 4's crankin rip rap between channel markers.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Rob'



When you can sleep in the cargo bay of a C130 in the air... Then you have learned to sleep...anywhere, any time!

 

[David Munaretto]

When is this? I could probably have my arm twisted fairly easily, I know Savanna pretty well and have won money there on a number of occasions... although it isn't a big smallie pool :-(

 

[Rick Cohoon2]

Greg, when you have spent time sleeping strapped into and ejection seat in a BUFf you define anywhere. Best of luck Rob.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Dave,



Looks like a scouting and prefish trip with Rob on the 15, 16 and 17th of May. We could use all the help we can muster...