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All three fishable pools on the Upper Mississippi are loaded with frogging water as well as plenty of rock , wood and docks .
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PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
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Baits : If You ’ ve Got It , They ’ ll Bite It
While the rest of the country is still battling through the dog days of summer in mid- August , the Badger State frequently feels the onset of early-fall cooling by around the middle of the month , with nighttime lows typically dipping into the mid-50s . Monsoor believes there will be plenty of bait thanks to an early shad spawn , and Stone thinks the river ’ s bass population will be in feeding mode .
“ We ’ re getting there during a time of transition ,” Stone says . “ It ’ ll start feeling like fall , and those fish are going to start acting that way as well . Because these fish have such a small window to feed up for the winter , this is the time where they really eat well . It ’ s setting up to be a shallow fisherman ’ s dream .”
When Evers won in La Crosse in 2019 , his focus was mainly on largemouth . The 2019 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year has a few baits in mind for shallow-lurking largemouth .
“ A frog is going to be a big player up there when looking for largemouth ,” Evers says . “ A deep-diving crankbait will play a role as well . Some others that come to mind are a football jig and a Carolina rig . I always caught them flipping a black Berkley Pit Boss through some vegetation .” Monsoor agrees with Evers ’ assessment of the baits and tactics that will be in play . “ I think a swim jig is something every guy should have tied on or they might as well not come ,” Monsoor , a swim jig master , says with a chuckle . “ They ’ ll be able to catch them on everything , though . Whatever a guy thinks his strength is , that ’ s how he ’ ll be able to catch them .” As for the smallmouth , Evers has some ideas about them as well . “ I would bet on a Ned rig or a topwater to do some damage ,” he explains . “ A topwater bait is such a strong bait to catch those aggressive smallmouth up there . A walkingstyle bait could crush them , and it could be even more effective if you ’ re able to find some current .”
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MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2021