Was planning on fishing for smallmouth bass, so was twitching jerkbaits against the riprap along O'sullivan dam. But half of the fish were walleye (first time catching) and it was on fire for about the first hour after sunrise. I ended up keeping some smaller ones in the 15-19 inch range and their stomachs were full of baitfish around 4-5 inches long. Most did not have skin remaining but some did and they looked like juvenile rainbow trout, with a pink line, spots and parr marks. I would not have thought that there would be little trout in Potholes. Does anyone know? The guy at the Mar Don store said there shouldn't be any small planters like that, the heads were not on the remains that I found, but the sides looked like trout, but maybe there is something else that looks similar. At any rate I was unwittingly matching the hatch because the LC pointers that I use when the bass on the Snake are targeting smolts were really successful.

This was my first time fishing potholes and just made my best guess on what to do, so was pretty amazed by the outcome. The biggest smallmouths were going 3.5 lb and they sure are husky and angry fighters. 4 of the incidental walleye were well over 20" and the largest weighed in at over 6 #. Since the reports I've been seeing seemed to be trolling with worms, this was quite unexpected and super entertaining. Just really impressed by the size and numbers, maybe I was just extremely lucky. Water temp 59, overcast, steady wind blowing into the rip rap, jerk bait tight or within 10 feet of the rocks seemed to be the ticket. Lots of suspended algae.

jbball50

10/24/2015 10:28:00 PM

That's pretty much how we used to fish that area when we would go there in July/August in the summer when the water was drawn down all the way years ago. We'd be most successful trolling cranks along an area by the dam banging cranks along the rocks and along an area of Goose Island picking up suspended walleye early in the mornings and during evenings. Actually had a day 2 years ago where the bite just died off completely for walleye in the middle of the day back in Lind Coulee using worm harnesses and put on a crank, started nailing the walleye on it. I don't get why they wouldn't think there would be rainbow smolts, I think they plant it with more than just triploids, caught a trout that was only 7 or 8 inches there last year.

rwl

10/25/2015 6:18:00 PM

Thanks for the info, I noticed a few other boats throwing crankbaits working back and forth along the dam. I could really get into that if it is a normal pattern. Hopefully will hold up into early Nov and I can get out there again. The two fish that I checked were full of what I thought were little trout, some would have gone 7 inches, 3-4 bodies inside a 15 inch fish.

DRTURL

10/25/2015 9:20:00 PM

The guy working at MarDon resort is complete jerk. The owners are out of town this past week. That Baitshop guy said he was only willing to help a family stranded on a dune in bad weather, if they were "registered" with MarDon resort. People in trouble need help. This guy is an idiot.

Walleye Be Damn

10/27/2015 6:15:00 AM

You are correct DRTURL, Mar Don people aren't very friendly to locals either. There is a guy who works the dock name Dick, there is a reason for his name.

jbball50

10/28/2015 5:12:00 PM

Haha the older guy that patrols the docks is pretty nice. He does have his rules though on the docks. He's been pretty friendly whenever I go there, even gave me a card one time about a private pond nearby that they "guide" on for bass while I was crappie fishing.

There is another guy who works at the mardon shop that's kind of jekyl and hyde.

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