It’s been a busy couple of weeks between school, work, and other commitments so I didn’t let 30+mph wind and occasional rain deter me from getting out and catching fish this afternoon. Though the conditions weren’t great, the fishing was good and got better as the day progressed–likely due to rising water temperature. Read more
We’ve had quite the change in weather between Saturday and now. Several days in the low- to mid- nineties quickly shifted to sixties and low seventies overnight. With that we’ve seen the water temperature drop four degrees over the last couple of days. My guess is that the rapid change in temperature messed with the metabolisms of the fish. Fishing was slow, but not bad. I still caught plenty of fish, but they were infrequent. Smaller, bite-sized baits were key. I wish I could have found some frogs since it had just rained. After the temperature stabilizes a bit over the next few days, fishing should continue to be excellent.
UPDATE (8-20-15): Fishing is still slow, but the fish have been bigger than earlier in the week. Several times fish came up and tasted the bait and passed it up. Be patient and use smaller presentations (goldeye guts worked well). Warm weather tomorrow and Saturday will hopefully get things going again. Good luck!
I’m back! It’s been a while since I posted my last fishing report. I’ve been working 6-7 days a week and fishing different bodies of water when I get the chance.
Fishing is great right now. Early in the morning (and I would assume later in the evening) fish are aggressive as ever. Frogs and goldeye guts are turning big cats, though mid sized cats will even hit nightcrawlers. The water is low right now (just like I like it!). The river sits at 14.87′ @ Fargo as of posting this. Fishing with a 1/4oz jig and a nightcrawler laid on the bottom is a fun way to catch a mixed bag and feel the bite. Give this often overlooked technique a shot!
Good luck!
Rain + warmth has been the equation to produce a hot bite. Catfish are on fire right now. Catch big ones on fathead minnows or suckers. If you fish with nightcrawlers, you’ll catch a mixed bag of carp, drum, bullheads, and channel cats. Suckers will produce the biggest fish. Fish in current seams where the fast water meets the slow water. I had one large catfish hit a 1/4oz jig tipped with a single fathead minnow in about a foot of water right near the bank. They are aggressive!
The water temperature is still low from the cool down over the past week. The rain has been great for the bite, but a few days of sunshine to raise the water temperature would do wonders. More water means faster current (still very manageable) and heavier sinkers to keep bait in place.
I still managed a mixed bag today. Lots of small catfish, a few drum, a few bullheads, and one unlucky goldeye that became a meal for a 31″ channel catfish that was the highlight of my day.
It’s muddy. It’s messy. It’s cold. It’s windy. But the rain has kicked the fish into high gear. Last night I had a fish on dang near every cast. The water is cold. It dropped 12 degrees from a week ago when it peaked at 64 down to just above 52 right now. The cool down has the fish biting light. I’ve found again that the best presentation has been a nightcrawler or leech on a 1/4oz jig. Fish have been hitting about every cast whether in the channel or in slack water. Just be patient. Let your jig sit on the bottom, or retrieve very slowly.
P.S., if anyone fishing upstream of the 32nd Avenue dam in Fargo finds a 20lb carp with a pink 1/4oz jig in his lip, I’d like my jig back.
