Minnesota Outdoorsman

Minnesota - Specific Areas => Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers => Topic started by: gophergunner on March 03/22/16, 04:33:19 PM

Title: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: gophergunner on March 03/22/16, 04:33:19 PM
My hunting buddy and I are thinking about doing a weekend trip to fish Lake Pepin on the river.  I've done very little river fishing and am wondering if anyone can tell me some spots or techniques to try.  I've heard lots of horror stories about hitting those wing dams.  Is that a risk on Lake Pepin?  Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  We're probably going or the opener or the third weekend in May.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: HD on March 03/22/16, 05:04:18 PM
I believe the wing dams are marked....been years since I've been down there.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: dakids on March 03/22/16, 05:28:53 PM
Never done that area of the river.  Let us know how it goes. Post pictures.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: Fawkinnae on March 03/22/16, 06:45:06 PM
There should be good contour maps of Lake Pepin.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: gophergunner on March 03/22/16, 11:16:35 PM
Yeah, I will be picking up a good map.  I don't have GPS on the boat or on my phone, but my buddy has it on his phone.  Would the same techniques apply down there?  Vertical jigging, slip bobbers, Lindy rigs?
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: HD on March 03/23/16, 05:36:22 AM
Early spring, there is a lot of debris floating down river. So I always stayed with vertical jigging. I did try lindy rigs, but alot of times they would get snagged up.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: corny13 on March 03/23/16, 08:47:50 AM
As a riverrat on the Missouri...not much different than the Mississippi...as HD said  vertical jigging with a minnow is my go to thru june.  But I also pitch jigs with plastics quite a bit esp up on sandbars and often will out fish vertical jig/minnow.  Zoom is my favorite plastic for that.  By late may there may be a crankbait starting  not sure of the Mississippi but on the Missouri Salmo hornets are my go too.  On Leech its a Rapala shad rap.  If fishing below a dam use a 3 way sinker set up.. never know what you will catch then..
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: Wyofish on March 03/23/16, 04:14:30 PM
I just moved to Caledonia, and I plan on fishing Pepin quite a bit this summer. Let me know how you do! Good luck.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: glenn57 on March 03/23/16, 04:21:07 PM
I just moved to Caledonia, and I plan on fishing Pepin quite a bit this summer. Let me know how you do! Good luck.
prime turkey hunting country.............and lotz of deer from what I hear!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: gophergunner on March 03/23/16, 09:48:20 PM
Thanks for the info guys.  I'll have to pick up some heavier jigs.  I all most exclusively 1/4 oz. stuff.  As for turkey, I lucked into a spot in Lakeville.  The turkeys are thicker than pigeons down there.  The lady who gave me permission to hunt raises ducks and chickens for eggs, and the turkeys are literally flying into her pen, beating up all her birds, and eating her scratch.  She has to go out with a broom and run them out of the pens.  It will be a shoot, not a hunt.  She bought a little rat terrier and he's hell on those turkeys running them out, but even he can't keep up with them.  So for this spring my turkey blind will be a Rainbow Play System in her back yard next to the chicken coop.
Title: Re: Questions regarding Lake Pepin
Post by: HD on March 03/24/16, 06:00:53 AM
^^^^ that there,  is funny. .......I got a chuckle out of that!  :happy1: