RIVER REPORT: Stone Assesses Up-To-The-Minute Conditions on Mississippi River

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Upper Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wisconsin has hosted multiple tour-level events in recent years, but not necessarily in these same conditions as the 30 REDCREST anglers will face this week, according to MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone.

Stone spent a day this week on nearby Pool 9 with MLF co-founder Gary Klein and another on Pool 7 with one of the most knowledgeable locals, FLW Tour pro Tom Monsoor. 

This on-the-water experience has given him some up-to-the-minute insight into how the river is fishing as the competition begins.

Water Levels

Earlier this year the water levels on the Upper Mississippi were much higher than they are currently, and levels are now lower than many anglers in the field have ever seen.

With the low water comes the danger of getting stuck or damaging your boat, according to Stone.

“Gary Klein told me that he has never seen the water this low, and that if you make a mistake left or right, you might get stuck,” Stone said. “With the SCORETRACKER® running, you can get further behind while you’re trying to push yourself free.”

Pool 7 Setting Up Nicely

The first four rounds of REDCREST will be held on Pool 8, and the Championship Round will head to Pool 7.

“I spent the day on with the Godfather of fishing that area of the river, Tom Monsoor, and we caught fish from lock to lock on Pool 7,” said Stone. “I think it is fishing better than all of the other pools right now.”

Water Clarity and Pinch Points

While spending time with Monsoor, Stone learned some of the river’s intricacies.

“Tom taught me that the bass can be sensitive to water clarity and that changes day-by-day or even hour by hour,” Stone said. “They tend to bite better in the clearer water. But, clearer water can be just a few feet away from the stained water if you have the right vegetation.”

Some of Stone and Monsoor’s best success came from targeting “pinch points” where current funnels baitfish to hungry bass.

“If you could find the current flowing into small areas from the tributaries, you would get bit,” said Stone.

Grouped Up Bass

Another thing that Stone noted after fishing this week is that bites will come in flurries.

“There’s quite a bit of dead water, but once you get a bite, you’re liable to get 10 bites in the same area,” Stone said. “The fish are congregated now and replenishing into the same areas. As long as there are baitfish and current, the bass will be grouped up in those areas.”

Stone also noted that the river is full of bass and that largemouth and smallmouth bass have no issue intermingling in the same areas. “You can catch both species back-to-back on the same baits in the same areas. Plus, if you are catching numbers of fish, the better fish will show up,” he said.

Times are a Changing

Here we are in August, the middle of summer, but the bass in the region are already looking ahead to winter, according to Stone.

“The days are already starting to get shorter, and the nights are cooler,” he said. “These fish are already starting to feel the urge to feed up for fall and winter. By the end of November, this water is starting to freeze, and the bass here have an urgency right now to start to feed to survive the winter and that is helping the bite.”

Pattern Predictions

The Upper Mississippi is noted for its excellent frog fishing, and Stone believes the technique will again be a factor this week.

“Buzzing toads and standard popping and walking frogs always play here and they will play again this week,” he said. “The fish here are visual feeders and frogs are a great way to catch them.”

Besides the amphibian imitators, he feels that shallow crankbaits and both swim jigs and vibrating jigs could also be factors this week.

“The fish are moving out to the main river with the dropping water, and that sets up well for shallow crankbaits around riprap and sand points,” he said. “In the backwaters, swim jigs and vibrating jigs are getting bit right now.”