Missouri River Fishing Report-March 16th, 2019

Written by Mike Peluso

March 16, 2019

It’s been a long winter for sure! I’m still dabbling in the ice fishing department while it holds up, but I’m finally dusting off the JT Custom long rods a little bit up around the Garrison Dam tailrace region here on the Missouri River.
What to expect if a person decides to fish below the Garrison Dam? Well, don’t expect it to be fast and furious. Blue collar bite would be a fair understatement term for sure. Now, the one thing I can guarantee you is you never actually know what you may catch. Probably one of the coolest things about fishing this clear water stretch of river. One cast could be a catfish, the next cast a carp, ten casts later a ling or eel pout, 40 casts later a Walleye and the next cast a pike. Just crazy to me how this diverse system can be.
Another issue is boat traffic and noise. The water is clearer than your bath water and these fish know your around, trust me. You can look over the side of the boat and literally watch walleyes and fish cruise by. Absolutely fascinating to me to see these fish moving around in there own environment.
Another amazing thing to me in this area is how you can watch certain guys who have been fishing up there forever catch fish when no one else around them can. I absolutely love this part of the equation! It’s mysterious and intriguing to me to watch and learn all the small details of this place. It’s not for everyone, I’m not gonna lie. You need to be tough and you need to be patient to fish the tailrace.
It’s simple fishing but it isn’t. Really hard to explain how anchored up and pitching jigs and minnows could be challenging? Well, until you have spent some time fishing here, you will never appreciate that exact statement. It’s an experience to herd to put into words! I am however booking some early spring trips up here if interested, or should I say tough enough. mikepelusooutdoors@gmail.com

Related Reports

MPO Fishing Report-March 19th, 2023

MPO Fishing Report-March 19th, 2023

So as I reported earlier in the week my ice fishing for the season is closed for the year. It was a banner season on Devils Lake. Definitely the best winter I've had in the last 5 years. I'm now turning my attention to the open water. Now normally I begin guiding...

Ice Fishing Report-March 12th, 2023

Ice Fishing Report-March 12th, 2023

This actually might be the last ice fishing report of the season. I only have one week left on the ice. As I look outside I could probably guide on the ice well into April. This last blizzard definitely is gonna make this final week an interesting one. Access as I...

Ice Fishing Report-March 5th, 2023

Ice Fishing Report-March 5th, 2023

For me the ice fishing season is ticking away. I have about 2 weeks left of guiding on Devils Lake. After I'm done on the ice my attention will immediately turn to the open water north of Bismarck near the tailrace and hopefully near town early April. Until then I...