The year on the river has been something completely different than I’ve ever been able to see and fish. Here in Minnesota we have gotten little to no rain all season. It’s been constantly 80 degrees and blue bird skies.  For the rivers in most years that’s a good thing.  The river is stable and not in flood stages. Well all of that is different this season.

This season the rivers are the lowest they have been in over 20 years. Which makes everything stage up different then past years but it also shows all the different structure in the river that you haven’t  been able to see before. It’s incredible to see all the rock bars in the middle of the river that you have driven past for many years and never even knew about. Now knowing exactly where that structure is, you will be able to come back in high water and fish that spot, which could end up being a gold mine. This is the year to learn a river inside and out while learning exactly why fish set up on those specific spots.

 

Most of the water we fish in the river is only a few feet deep which makes the buck tail and topwater bite absolutely incredible. Burning a Quad B from Beavers Baits or the IC9 from Musky Frenzy as fast as you can over the top of rock bars and grass has been key to putting fish in the boat. With how shallow we are fishing a flap tail is the first top water coming out of the box. The Wirth Flap and the ZM Bait Co prop flap have been what the big ones have been chasing down.

 

It’s been an incredibly fun year to learn the rivers inside and out while having a completely different experience than in years past. It’s going to set up to be a very interesting and fun fall to say the least!