Pat Finken - City Magazine

Hobby Hub
Outdoors
By Mike Peluso
Post Flood Fishing on the Mighty Mo
It’s a year for
the books. Spring
started with
some of the best
fishing ever on
the Missouri
River. When
the ice melted,
we saw worldclass
walleye
fishing. Just a
few months
later, however,
the flood put the
kibosh on boat
fishing on the
Photo by Glasser Images
“Mighty Mo.”
Now don’t get me
wrong, people are still fishing the river, just in a
different capacity.
If you have access to one of Bismarck-
Mandan’s bays or marinas, it’s like shooting fish
in a barrel (no pun intended). The reason: fish in
the system seeking slack water areas are trapped
behind the various plugs and barriers put in place
to hold back the water in these bays. Residents are
making the best of it, however, and are cashing in
on the action by using jigs and live bait, or simply
casting lures.
The high waters also created some interesting
shore fishing. Folks are now catching fish in areas
behind objects that were never thought of as fish
holding structures. In fact, I spotted a few anglers
casting shallow running crank baits behind the
many unusual objects scattered along River Road
that are surrounded by water. These anglers are
catching some nice walleyes!
As the water starts to recede, we will
undoubtedly witness a changed river. We will see
a lot of sand, creating some of the finest fishing
and recreational areas we’ve ever had. Access to
the river will be an issue. Rest assured, if you can
get a boat in the water this fall, you are going to
catch fish! With the new sandbars, it will be a
crank bait and jig pitching paradise. I anticipate
some nice long trolls alongside these sandbars
with fish on the edges in search of food.
Also with this added water, we are going to
experience an explosion of different species of
fish for the catching. I have already observed an
abundance of small northern, bass and shad from
my new riverfront property. This adds to the
already rich Missouri River system.
Should be an exciting fall for sure!
Mike Peluso enjoys talking fishing, hunting and hockey on
his ESPN 710 AM radio show. The show airs every Monday
morning at 10:05 am.
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