Des Moines River was Good Today

[Pylodictis Olivaris]

I fished the Des Moines river today southeast of Des Moines and had very good luck to my suprise considering the cold snap that we have had the past few days and nights. The action was pretty much none stop in the deeper holes of 15 ft. or more...but all of these fish weren't bigger than a pound or two. This was fun for awhile then I got bored and started to wonder around looking for bigger fish. I started to hunt for log jams and snags to throw behind. Out of all the cover and structure I could find that was fishable, it was only in water that was no more than 2 to 4 ft. deep. So I immediately thought this would be a waste of time thinking that the fish have already headed for deeper water....boy was I wrong. About 4 log jams and an hour later I boated 9 more fish with 4 of them being right around 6 pounds with one that was 8 1/2. All in all it was a good day. I guess after catching them deep and catching them shallow it is tough for me to go along with the notion that they have headed for deeper water already. I guess for now I won't have to worry about trying to figure out there movement patterns as long as they are still biting where I throw my line.

[laidbck111]

congrats on a good day of fishing

[pk_powell]

Looks like keepers to me!Thanks for sharing!:smile2:

[jdstraka]

Thanks for the report Todd. Just goes to show you that them cats don't always do what We think they should. I for one have found that if what Your doing isen't working heck try something different.Your Iowa Brother J.D.
:beat_shot:

[alands94]

That's a good day in anyones book!

[Ahquabi_Master]

where are you fishing the des moines?

[Pylodictis Olivaris]

Aquabi Master, I usually fish for all of my Flats in the Raccoon river near Adel and then I go for channels in the Des Moines. When I fish the Des Moines river I usually put in at one of the few boat ramps over east by Pleasant Hill. There are 4 boat ramps within 10 miles of each other. Depending on the water level and time of year usually determines what one I will go to. Lately I have been putting in at a ramp just past Carlisle and Hartford. It is a pretty easy spot to navigate when the river is down and there is a huge hole that is about 50 yards long that starts off at about 10 feet and goes down to 22 feet and then slowly tapers back up staying 14 to 17 feet deep through the most of it until it slowly goes back up to normal river level. It has been very good to me. It is a hole that is by no means a secret spot beings it is within plain view of the boat ramp about a half mile away. The boat ramps are kind of hard to give directions to. what I recommend is to go to Barnes and Noble bookstore and ask for a book called "Paddling Iowa" it is a book for Canoers and Kayakers but it gives very detailed maps and boat ramp and access locations for every major stream and river in Iowa. It is very helpful. You can look up every river in Iowa and it will give close up maps of all the sections of the river and show you where you can gain access. It is a great book to have if you ever get tired of fishing the same ol spots. Do you fish with a boat?