Need help...Miss. Pools

[Jigmup]

A few of us are heading that way next week and We don't really have a game plan. Looking for best bets for  perch. Originally planning on pool 9 area like Green or De Soto. Is there a better option? maybe Onalaska or Stoddard area? Any help would be greatly appreciated and I'll return the favor for Walleye and Perch in Indiana.

Are annual trip and this will be our first time that way. No ice here for a while now and we are chomping at the bit, so to speak!

[billebob5]

good luck, hope you get some responses.

[Duke M]

I wish you had come up 3 weeks earlier. The doldrums have kicked in. We have had high water for months but now it has dropped 18" to 2' in the past two weeks, causing relocation issues for fish and fishermen.
I'd suggest DeSoto Bay I guess, hopefully you'll be able to access it from Green Lake and avoid the whole Rail Road, Gunner's Strip joint issues. Bring tip downs if you have them. Tip downs and minnows, especially rosie reds seem to get some perch most of the time.
They are running ATV's out of Green onto DeSoto Bay. Wed. Thurs. will have some cold weather again.

Duke

[RapShack]

I haven't been Perching much at all this year so take this with a grain of salt but if you have the Navionics app and don't mind working to find them you could try the Black River.  From the Clinton St. ramp to I-90 is basically a big ass maze of humps and holes.  99% of the people that fish out there stay within a couple hundred yards of the ramp so you'll have the place to yourself mostly.  As mentioned I think things have been bad lately, only seeing a few vehicles here and there at most of the community holes which tells you something. 

[Jigmup]

Thank you for the replies! I hope it gets better. You know the old saying..."if the locals are happy, everybody's happy". ROFL.

Got some other feelers out as well so I'll share as long as they don't want me to keep info private.

[Ice Surveyor]

I fished the Mississippi last month for the first time myself.  I went with a friend who was a virgin also.  We fished the Stoddard area, and did well for not ever being there before.  We have navionics on our phones, but the area we fished was not accurate on the map.  It showed "shallow area", but that wasn't the case.  Our cell service was very poor in this area also.  I have AT&T, and my friend has Sprint.  He had better reception than I did, but it was still poor.  While driving along Hwy 35, I had "no service" in most areas.  So, trying to navigate with your phone may not work. 

I found this bathymetry map of pool 8 when I got back home.  Pink is deeper water, dark blue deep, etc.  I can see the small hole we found on the map where most of our fish came out of.  Big crappies, big bluegills, and a few perch.  Study the map, it's a good starting point. 

https://www.umesc.usgs.gov/aquatic/bathymetry/viewable/p8bath.html

[husb0023]

The center of the black river channel in Lacrosse has always been good to us for perch.

[Jigmup]

The center of the black river channel in Lacrosse has always been good to us for perch.

I see where you are referring to. Would that be safe considering the dam up stream?

[Jigmup]

Weather looks to be getting pretty warm up there this week. Will the sloughs on Pool 8 and 9 hold on or will the bank ice disappear?

[RapShack]

I think it will be ok.  The river just went down quite a bit and there's ice extending 10 feet up onto shore in some places which should provide a bit of a buffer, plus it's still getting cold at night.  Might wanna bring a ladder or board just to be safe.   

[RapShack]

62 and a chance of rain on Saturday.  It will be a real nice weekend for fishing but if that forecast holds up the end is nigh.  I hope you are coming soon.

[Jigmup]

Yep! We are leaving tomorrow for hopefully 4 days of fishing.
Any areas to target for perch would be appreciated either here or pm's. If not...we'll do our best to apply the knowledge we have from lake ice fishing and manipulate it to river ice fishing and keep our fingers crossed. We have some pointers for a few perch spots and an evening 'eye spot so we aren't totally blind at this point!

Thank you to everyone that has been helping. Let us buy you a beer while we are up there! Just pm me your phone number and we'll meet up for a bite and brew!

[RapShack]

Was out on the Black last weekend, had ridiculous action but not a lot of size.  Where are you guys staying?  I know it's probably already set but the AmericInn is right on the river, just drag your crap across the beach and start fishing.  If your evening eye spot is where I think it is don't go anywhere the locals ain't, there is plenty of ice but the channel is about to start ripping open pretty quick.   

[Jigmup]

RapShack
We are staying at Captain Hooks.