Open Water Fishing in January!? Mississippi River

This mild winter weather provided the rare opportunity to fish open water in late January, so hooked the boat up, rigged up some long rods, and put the smackdown on some sauger and walleye ❄️
1-22-2023
#openwater #mississippiriver

[@rogernull6151]

With the lack of ice, I've been thinking of trying open water. I recognize Dam #8 / Pool 9. I was planning to hit the barge there in late March. You've inspired me to give it try sooner!

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

Good luck! Might as well take advantage of the mild wearher

[@Fishnfreak]

Subbed! Enjoy your Mississippi walleye vids. Something about a guy doing it in a simple tin rig will always get my attention! Keep ‘em coming bro, tight lines

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

Appreciate the comment man! The boat will definitely get upgraded at some point, but for now she gets the job done haha

[@country3608]

Great video!

[@WapsieLureCo]

Great job guys !

[@bobcrappies]

Man it look like you guys had a lot of fun out there, you have about six boats that’s why I like the Wisconsin river usually me myself and I on the open river in January

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

I still gotta make it out there with you some time! Fingers crossed for some warm days in February!

[@nickleske6217]

Genoa lock and dam. Always a fun place for walleye!

[@kekismaximums2905]

Yes! Nice!

[@rogercarlson2330]

another good one i just made it out last weds ,, with 50 other boats,.

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

How was the bite for you?

[@rogercarlson2330]

@Jackson Baumgart Outdoors slow, got a few perch down by the third wing dam, but once the net came out all the googans followed. I wish they wouldn't post the shenanigans about fish biting online just to drum up business.

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

@@rogercarlson2330 yea with all the guides and fishing floats these days nothing is a secret. I used to never post videos at known spots like this, but in today’s age everything is out there

[@rogercarlson2330]

@Jackson Baumgart Outdoors oh for sure, most people are super cool too. You meet some great folks but it's the ones that are all entitled because they drove x amount of hrs to get here. Then jump on people that are catching fish. I got some really cool footage of a thing that happened on the float a couple years ago. I won't post it. But it was not fun.

[@betweenthebluffs9690]

Miss the boat! Sweet vid. Hopefully those saugers survived getting pulled out of 35+ft of water. Maybe should have kept them.

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

The ones we caught were fine, but the crazy thing is most guys were fishing out deeper in the channel then us and I was worried about how those little saugers were releasing after the pressure change.

[@Skank_Hunt42]

@@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors barotrama starts at 30ft. Scientifically proven. Please educate yourself before claiming fish was "fine"

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

@@Skank_Hunt42 good to know. I should make a video creating more awareness of that, because like I said I was fishing shallower than most of the other boats out there and they were constantly catching snd releasing dink saugers. Would be more ethical to target the flats where fish are actively feeding. Might not catch as much but would be the ethical thing to do.

[@garywest2250]

2 mins in and I already told myself "I'd be ripping a blade bait.." -- now, I'm at 4:20 and it seems we're thinking alike..

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

Haha got that right!

[@deannacooley9691]

What type of line do you use for different presentations/ lures?

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

I like braid for everything for better feel especially in current. Use a flouro leader then

[@Twolves_edits]

What town was the lock and dam at is it Alma???

[@garywest2250]

sauger taste better than walleye, in my humble opinion -- I can't wait to take the tin rig to the river

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

I wouldn't say better, but definitely not worse! A little softer texture I would say than walleye.

[@davegrosvold9554]

What is the limit of walleye/sauger on pool 9?

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

6

[@sha6mm]

You need to put new plugs in your motor ! Should only take 1-2 pulls 3 Max but what do I know I only run a Johnson 30hp manual start and Duck hunt in the teens F.

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

It did need new plugs. I changed them this past spring. Do you ever try to clean yours or mainly use them as a 1 time deal?

[@sha6mm]

@@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors It depends more on how many hour are on them. If I can't remember I just change them as two plugs cost less than a beer in Las Vegas.

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

@@sha6mm good point. I should change them more often. Evinrude stuff is hard to find. Next time I find the needed plugs I should load up

[@aaronekker3250]

Were u casting the blade bait?

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

Casting it or vertical jigging it. The disadvantage to casting it was more ice freezing up on the line.

[@timeintheoutdoors]

Nice job on the video…keep up the good work. Consider different music.

[@797bj]

What pool is that? I fish pool 4 quite a bit

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

9

[@steveon12]

that was its air sack that came out bc you're fishing so deep. might as well just keep it, not gonna make it

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

Yea one for sure I saw it. Even though all fish I caught appeared to swim away fine, I was informed that barotrauma happens in fish around 30 feet, so in hindsight I would recommend fishing a shallower flat for more for active fish. Might not catch as many but it’s a more ethical approach knowing that they will 100% release fine. The crazy thing is most boats were fishing way deeper than we were and releasing a bunch of saugers. It’s probably something that more awareness needs to be spread about

[@alejandro4352]

The limit is 6 a piece again?

[@JacksonBaumgartOutdoors]

For this pool yes.