First 8 man tournament

[Jim Brone]

Hey guys. I will be fishing my first 8 man tournament next weekend at pool 26 out of Alton IL on the Miss. I will be fishing from the back of the boat for the two days. Does anyone have any insight, experience or advice you might offer to a first timer? Thanks Jim N

 

[Staci Matheis]

Goldfish for BIG cats!



I hope you're gonna be in a big boat, Jim.... That pool is miserable on weekends with all the large pleasure boats and barge traffic AND jet skiers. I went there once with my Nitro 180 and decided "never again". With all the rain we've gotten in the last week or so, the water is likely to be quite high and muddy as well..... Of course, that may prove to be to your advantage by eliminating some of the pleasure baots and water fleas..... Please be very careful of floating debris.....



The only pool on the Mississippi I have ever tried to fish for bass is 25 - between Winfield and Clarksville. I would go back into the side channels where there were lots of laydowns. About all I ever used was spinnerbaits so that I wouldn't get hung up as easily; soft plastics produced too many junk fish. I never had much luck; only a few small bass in all the times I tried. They are there; I just couldn't catch them. And I had more fun with the cats anyway!



The Illinois River feeds into pool 26; I have heard that there is good bass fishing up in there.



me!

 

[Ken Wise]

Jim fishing in piasa creek can be good work slow black and chart salt craw,black spiner bait,chart bandits#100. Otter creek in the Illinois river doing the samething. Alton marina on the rocks to the left going in all the way back inside. Sherwood marina on the Miss at Grafton work both sides of the opening for 150 ft on the river Polster marine is good on the right all the way back Amaco hole below the dam is best lock through and go down to the old presdent casno and go behind to the opening to the pool Good luck Ken

 

[Staci Matheis]

Jim -



I drove over the Mississippi today at downtown St. Louis. I'll bet the river is up over 10 feet! For those of you familiar with the riverfront, it is almost up to Wharf Street.



me!



(The river is not pooled at St. Louis. The last lock and dam is at Alton, Illinois which I'd guess is 20 miles or so upstream.)

 

[Jim Brone]

Thanks y'all.

The event has been cancelled due to unsafe conditions now.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Whew!