Garrison Dam Tailrace - Friday, August 19, 2011

That ain’t fight’n like no walleye I ever caught.

Less than 5 minutes in the water and a jointed 5 in Firetiger is zipping downstream. That ain’t fight’n like no walleye I ever caught. Maybe the best part of the Tailrace is the surprise. You never know what you’re gonna catch. First fish turned out to be an impressive Chinook Salmon.

Word has been leaking out about the tremendous fishing on the river just below the dam. For many it has not been an option due to the difficulty of gett’n on the water. The Corps closed the only ramp early in the season leaving the upper section of the ND Missouri without boating access.

That all changed as of today. I didn’t get on the water till 9 am and the wait was killing me. The morning radio report was scheduled for 8:20 and I wanted to be in a good signal area. By the time we launched, 25 boats were in and many were running the livewell pumps.

I already had the jigg’n rods out and planned to hook on a fathead. A quick look around in the honeyhole and just downstream changed my plans. Out came the cranks. How can I pass up 9 to 10 feet of water with a sand bottom?

By now my pump is running and it ain’t the livewell I’m talking about. Second fish on and yet another Salmon, almost a twin to the first. Before the Salmon flurry is over I’m beginning to wonder, “Are we gonna catch a walleye?”

Some days are magic. I think of them as a gift. The next wave of fish were walleye. I run through the cranks giving each style a fair shake but settled on jointed cranks most of the day. Late in the afternoon I switched out two for Bombers 24a’s and they stayed on till the end.

You never know what is next at the Tailrace. For us it was Sauger. Some of the best and biggest Sauger I have ever caught. No not deep, I stayed in 9 and 10 feet just below the ramp all day. In fact the small area I fished got so clogged up with trail I had to clear it to see where my boat was running on the GPS. I still can’t get over the Sauger.

Walleye? Salmon? I can’t tell but it has got spunk. Next wave was the Northerns and while we didn’t keep any, we did have fun. Put a 15 plus anything on the end of your line and tell me you’d rather be home mowing the lawn.

I’d like to state for the record that our epic day on the water had little to do with fishing savvy. Some days it is decreed to come your way. All we did was drive up and down in the river at around 9 and 10 feet with cranks in the water. No special speed. No special technique. Anyone could do it. Like I said earlier, our day was a gift.
If you have never been to the Tailrace do it now. Sure it will be crowded but bring plenty of patience and bait. Be prepared to catch anything. Our list today was Walleye, Sauger, Northern, Salmon and Cisco. I’m certain your list will be different as the list of possibles is much longer.

Most fishermen run the electric in the back water of the honeyhole. Jig and minnow or jig and half of crawler seem to be the preferred bait. You can cast, vertical jig or just drift with current. All seem to work as the fish move up and down in the current breaks.

The closure of a boat ramp may not seem like a big deal but its impact can be heavy. Particularly, if you run a seasonal business dependent on fishermen and bait sales. When you get here stop in to Scott’s Bait and Tackle. Fill’r up and get some bait and snacks. We have all been impacted by the flood one way or another. Think of it as a gift.

GPS Google Earth Locations, Video and Pictures of this report please visit:  www.ndlive.com

Tags: rsquo, tailrace, walleye, water, dam, august, garrison, 0, friday, caught

Region: Garrison Dam Tailrace

Categories: Fishing