Mississippi River Winter Smallies

Hey what's up everyone. It is February 18th today here in Minnesota. The bass season closes at the end of the month so today looked like it might be the last day where the temperatures get up above freezing. Looking at the extended forecast so figured I better get on out here to the Mississippi River try to catch a few smallies. Got the bitzy bug jig tied on and just pulling up here to a spot where I've had some pretty good luck in the past. It's where the river comes around the point here it gets nice and shallow and rocky and then it drops down into a little deeper area here with some slack water. I'm just gonna paddle through here see if I can see anything the water is nice and clear so I can see the bottom it's probably six seven feet deep right here. I'm gonna come back a little ways turn around and just face the point try to throw my jig up into that shallow rocky stuff and just work it down that slope. Usually this time of year that's where they'll be schooled up at. Nice slack water in here this looks like a good spot to start. Let that jig sink and I'm just gonna kind of drag at it across the bottom. Hopefully something is down there waiting to pick it up. I didn't see any fish paddling through there but with the water this clear they might not let me get that close to them. Ooh something picked it up right there that was definitely a fish and not a rock. That is a good sign not that dry just a little bit. Got her. Yep she gave it a nice thump. Oh that's a good smallmouth too. Come on back here girl. This is what I came out here for. Look at that she just hammered that bitzy bug jig. That is a beautiful Mississippi River smallmouth. I'll take that for the first fish of the day. The very first cast at this spot too. I like that. That is a promising sign right there. Angled up though. Throw that jig right over to that same area maybe a little bit deeper off that point. Try right along the edge of that moving water and that last fish she just hammered that jig. I did miss a strike before that too. I wonder if it was the same one or if there's a school of them. This time of year they like to school up in these spots so I'm thinking she might have some friends and one of them just took a swipe at that. See if she's still chasing it. That first one I had the jig almost back to the boat. There we go. Two casts, two fish. I like it. This one's a little bit smaller than that first one but I'll take it. Get rid of these gloves. They're just going to get wet anyway. That way if my hands get cold I at least still have some dry gloves to put on. Little one. I'm just using that quarter ounce bitzy bug jig with a little three inch black Kalins grub for a trailer. I'm just throwing it up towards the shallow rocky hump up here. Dragging it across the bottom. Those smallies are hungry today. Something should come along and pick it up. Oh I felt the bite there. Maybe I just had a stick or something. That was a fish. Feels like a nice one too. About the same size as that last one. Not huge. Hey I will take it though. I'm catching fish. I'm having fun. That's a nice little break from winter. Some open water smallies. There we go. Oh this is actually a decent one. Yep. I'll take you in the net. Come here girl. There's a chunk. She just clobbered that bitzy bug jig too. I'll get a quick length measurement on her. About a 19 incher. Hair shy. Nice fish though. It's been a fun day out here.