The current break angled away from shore, leaving a deep, stagnant, and silt laden pool directly below me. The perfect gunnery position for addressing active current feeders and laid back fishes relaxing in stiller waters. A plethora of attacks could have been used on gamefish in said location. A jig and minnow, crankbait, and soft plastic bait are accepted presentations for extracting river smallmouths and walleyes. But experience has proven that if an angler can overcome the piousness of implementing only artificial lures that live bait affords greater results.
Nothing beats the pulsating action of a night crawler in the current.
And due to the relative abundance of baitfish, night crawlers seemed to be desirable alternatives. Making earthen invertebrates even more attractive, to me anyway, was a comprehension that resident redhorse, white sucker, and even lowly carp crave crawlers. Action is action, and truth be known, rough fish will out-fight walleyes at every opportunity. Having said that, at some yet undetermined point in September I ll substitute beefy minnows for crawlers. Cooling river temps invigorate river walleyes, smallmouths, and northern pike, and with increased foraging by baitfish eating species, the need for supplementary suckers and carp is lessened.