FALL SMALLIES ON THE UPPER SAINT CROIX RIVER
Sun danced off the river and the bright fall colors on shore as I flipped my crankbait towards the rocky bank. I got the bait half way back to the boat when it jolted to a stop, feeling a fish pulling back. The fish tore off as my spinning rod was doubled over.
Dark blue water, bright fall colors and a cloudless sky make for a good day of fishing on the Upper Saint Croix River.
“Here we go,” I said. “This is a better fish.”
“Need the net?” Scott asked.
“I might,” I replied. “Let’s see what I have.”
The fish charged for deeper water as it passed the bow heading for the middle of the river. I swiveled around on the front seat to keep up with the fish. It made a couple of short runs but I turned it each time and started getting it coming toward the boat. Finally we saw the fish and it was a football size smallmouth bass.
“I think I’m going to need the net,” I yelled to Scott. I heard Scott moving around the boat and then saw him extending the net. The fish pulled away as I tried to lead it into the net. I tried a couple more times before I finally was successful and Scott brought the net up under the fish. The fish was a fat, brown, sixteen inch smallmouth. Even in the boat it still had a lot of energy as it twisted in the net, making it difficult to get the fish out, unhooked, photographed and dropped back in the water.
Crankbaits are a productive bait for river smallies.
It was the second fish of the day. A few minutes earlier I caught a smaller bronzeback. Both fish were caught on crankbaits. Scott Clark, of Hudson, Wisconsin and I were fishing the Upper Saint Croix River. We launched my boat on the river from Lions Park just north of Saint Croix Falls and motored upriver.
It was a bright fall day. Temperatures were cool enough in the morning to have several layers of clothes on but by late afternoon we were in light shirts. The wind was out of the south and brisk, at times gusting to over twenty miles per hour. Water temperatures were hovering around sixty degrees. With the exception of the wind it was a perfect day to chase smallmouth bass.
THIS IS THE TIME TO CATCH SMALLIES
Anywhere from late September to early October the smallmouth bass fishing turns on in the Upper St Croix River. Although fishing season is starting to wind down as temperatures cool off, smallmouth bass fishing in the river begins to heat up. The smallies are feeding aggressively this time of year as they fatten up for colder weather. It is the perfect time to fish for smallmouth bass.
Mike Yurk shows off a big Saint Croix smallmouth bass.
Scott yelled he had a fish on and turning I saw his rod bent in half and bouncing as his fish raced off. I took a couple more cranks on my reel and a fish slammed my bait. I yelled I had one too.I heard a fish splashing in the water next to the boat and glancing to the back of the boat I saw Scott bring in a foot long smallmouth bass. A minute later I was lifting my fish into the boat. My fish was a twin of Scott’s fish. We had a double. I caught my fish with a crankbait while Scott caught his with a Ned Rig.
“I knew there would be fish here in the deeper water off this point,” Scott said as he slipped his fish back into the water. A couple minutes later he emphasized his point by pulling back to set the hook on another smallmouth bass. By the time we left the point Scott caught four fish.
The secret to finding smallmouth bass in the river in the fall is to look for deep pockets of water with current running through. Generally you will find these spots against rocky banks which makes it all the better.
Although we were on the river in search of smallmouth bass I also caught a walleye and Scott got a northern pike. Additionally, the occasional largemouth and even the elusive muskie are found there. Almost any fish can be found in the Upper Saint Croix River which makes fishing there even more exciting.
Look for deep pockets with current close to the bank to find river smallmouth like the one Scott Clark is about to release.
THE BEST BAITS
Any number of baits will work well on river smallies. Crankbaits are favorites of mine and two of my all time favorites are Jointed Shad Raps for regular crankbaits and the Rattlin’ Rap for lipless crankbaits. Although I am not sure color makes much of a difference, the color I use the most is silver and blue with an orange belly in both types of baits.
Plastic baits are ideal for river smallmouth bass fishing. Scott caught almost all of his fish with the Ned Rig. The Ned Rig is simple. I make mine with a one sixteenth ounce black VMC Pro Series Finesse Half Moon Jig and cutting a five inch sinking worm in half so I have two plastic grubs. The color for the sinking worm I use is green with multiple colored flakes. Tube jigs are also ideal for smallmouth bass. I use a quarter ounce tube jig with a pumpkinseed or mustard colored plastic tube.
The wind battered us all day long. The wind out of the south blew us upriver while the current was moving in the opposite direction. It made controlling the boat difficult not to mention draining the trolling motor battery. Scott and I were ending our day at a small rocky island. On the downriver side of the island we got break from the wind and the little juice I still l had left in the battery was getting us around the island.
Scott Clark shows off a Saint Croix River smallouth caught with a Ned Rig
Scott brought up his spinning rod sharply, setting the hook as a fish pulled away. Scott’s rod was pumping as the fish streaked off. Scott turned the fish and a minute later he brought his fish in. It was another foot long smallmouth bass. After taking it off the hook he slipped the fish back in the water. Picking up his spinning rod he cast again and with in a couple minutes had another smallmouth dancing at the end of his line.
Scott and I caught and released two dozen smallmouth bass for our day on the river plus the northern and walleye. It was a good day of fishing.
There is still a lot of days of prime smallmouth bass fishing on the Upper Saint Croix River remaining this fall. You will find great weather, brilliant colors and great fishing. It is a wonderful way to enjoy fall.
Editors Note: Mike Yurk’s column is sponsored by Warner’s Dock in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Warner’s Dock is the premier marine dealer in northwestern Wisconsin. They have a complete supply of new and used boats, motors, and trailers as well as other marine supplies plus a complete maintenance staff for all your boating needs. They can be contacted through their website at www.warnersdock.com or by telephone at 1-888-222-3625.