06/14/2000
- Article
The
St. Croix's Night Bite
By
Turk Gierke
The
nighttime is the right time. For
all but second and third shift workers, people are free to sleep,
free to eat, and free to fish.
When free time is spent fishing for St. Croix River walleye
in the height of summer, and other popular recreational bodies of
water, success is based on fishing during the right times.
The
St. Croix, within minutes of the Twin Cities, is easily one of the
metro area’s most popular recreational waters, and provides many
fun things to do and see for all interested takers. Knowledgeable
anglers fishing the Croix, have arguably the best chance to see what
they want—lots of hooked fish.
All year people successfully fish the river for numerous
species of gamefish.
The
mid day summer heat and boat traffic, at times, seems to drive
walleye to parts unknown. Very early morning hours, dusk, and the
night are the peak fishing times for the Croix’s walleye.
On
the weekends walleye can be particularly hard to find during mid day
since, pleasure boaters bring out their boats and bathing suits,
cool down and relax on the St. Croix’s soothing waters.
The same hum of the motor that washes away boater’s worries
can drive the fish into a group of nervous wrecks.
Night
river navigation allows access to many angling destinations without
a care that a cigarette boat driven 85 miles per hour will churned
up your “honey hole” just minutes before you get there.
When the sun goes down after a beautiful summer day, and
night sets in, it might as well be early November, since the river
will be essentially yours alone.
Whenever
fishin’ I enjoy targeting spots that hold fish for only a certain
period of time. Cool
August nights after the heat of day, opens a night-time window of
walleye opportunity on river’s flats.
The
lower St. Croix River’s shallow flats such as: the shallow water
area just east of downtown Stillwater and north of the lift bridge,
the big sand bar south of Wisconsin’s Lake Mallalieu Dam, or the
Afton flats, all hold walleye cruising the night.
A key element of game fish that are on the flats a night
is—they are there to feed.
A
shallow flat is an area of lake or river bottom that is anywhere in
depth from one to ten feet deep, and the change in depth is very
gradual, the area is essentially an underwater plateau.
The best flats for angling are the ones that have deep water
surrounding the flat’s edges.
One
hot technique, I employ for summertime walleye on the Croix is to
cast crankbaits and jigs from an anchored position near a point or
bend of the flat’s that is also near the drop off to deep water.
On a trip last summer, using the standard round-headed jig and
livebait, I searched in all directions around the boat and landed a
limit of chunky walleye that meet the legal 15-inch minimum
requirement, and also caught and released a beautiful 27-inch
walleye.
While
casting make sure to take advantage of the two line per angler
allowance. A lighted slip bobber teamed with a jig and crawler is a
producer of bonus eyes, sauger, catfish, and more.
Past
experiences have produced the same results, normally I have to
re-anchor as much as half a dozen times to locate walleye though.
A key component to locating fish on the flats is to find
places where rock is intermixed in with the predominately sand
bottom.
After
the sun goes down fishing any body of water has risks and rewards.
Dead heads (submerged floating logs) are difficult to see at
night, avoid fishing a night after a big storm because those motor
smashing logs can break loose from the shoreline after an increased
water flow 9or motor slowly).
Naturally good navigation is needed anywhere night fishing
and be particularly wary not to anchor in the main river channel.
Good judgement and planning prevents problems, and pays off
in some great walleye and sauger fishing just minutes from downtown
St. Paul.
During
the night the fishing’s alright, find one of the Croix’s many
flats and you will be one more predator out there looking to catch a
meal.
Editor’s
note:
Turk Gierke owns and operates Croixsippi Fishing Guide Service.
He can be reached at www.croixsippi.com
or 1-715-377-0006.
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