So I know I have been talking about the forage I’m seeing in the river the last few trips. The funny thing it’s all I keep thinking about. My thoughts are turned towards what are they? Are they smelt, shad, fatheads, crappies, drum, whitebass, herring? With the super high flows all spring and summer long, lots of back bays, channels, pockets were flooded.

Anotger wild card is the amount of smelt that got pushed through the Garrison Dam. I fished the tailrace all summer long, and I’m telling you all you have to do is go up there and see how many birds are around to really understand what went on this summer. The rocks along the shores looks like someone took white spray paint after them. Just crazy!

Im also thinking for whatever reason this is why our fall so far on the a Missouri River here near Bismarck, ND hasn’t exactly been lights out. Sure we are catching fish, but the bite seems very spotty at times and when you do catch one of these fish they look like they need some slim fast. Doesn’t matter if the fish are 14 inches or 28 inches, when you catch one they are fat and healthy looking.

Fished again here locally and I was able to get some fish, but not like you would expect for this time of year. I do believe it’s gonna get really good yet, but for the amount of fish I am marking it’s tough to get these fish to corporate. I keep telling myself it’s tough to compete against baitfish and I truly believe that is what we have going on right now.

Baits of choice once again was a Lindy Jigs and a minnow and I also decided to go old school and pulled some good fashion #5 and #7 shad raps upstream and I picked up some fish that way also.  Best depths were 10 to 15 foot of water! #mikepelusooutdoors