Rock River is near my home

fishead · REEL ANGLER Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 13

Rock River is near my home and I fished it a lot. I have caught one Walleye over ten pounds and lots of big flathead. Here at Sterling there is 2 dams, and below this lower dam is shallow and rocky and I use my jet-drive on my flatbottom to fish it.

The walleye and sauger fishing is good in the cold months down river in the holes, otherwise most everyone fishes the lower dam from shore or they wade out when the water is at normal level. They catch big Flathead by wading in the warm months and casting a bluegill up under the dam. Thats too slow for me, but I have fished there for Bass. I can run my jet drive right up to the dam and I can go anywhere with it. This pool from Sterling to the miss river is full of channelcat, and rough fish.

Above the lower dam is another dam just a mile up, and it is so small hardly anyone fishes it. I have fished it, it does have fish, I just prefer the Miss river.They iused to catch big catfish at that dam but they built a power plant and there is no access now. that is where I used to seign my minnows (emerald shiners).

Just above this upper dam is a buoy that I fished when I was a pre-teen. I would get up and deliver papers then head for the water before light. I did this about everyday in the summers. This is near the bottom of the pool. That pool has the deepest water and is full of water skiiers in the summer. It has some back waters, good for duck hunting which I used to do, but mostly deep water. At the top of that pool is Dixon, and that dam us deep, no wading there. I caught tons of Walleye there after they stocked it. One day I caught a 36 pound flathead on 6 pound test while walleye fishing one february. I don't fish it much anymore. they stocked it but then shocked the fish so much the fish disapeared for good. But thats another topic.

The pool above Dixon is where the Blackhawk statue is. Thats the most beautifull pools on the rock and it has good fishing, catfish walleye and bass. the bad thing is you can't keep bass and they shock too much. It is a great get-away pool with few fisherman.

The next pool up, say byron pool is also good fishing but I haven't fished it much.

The rock river starts up where my daughter lives in Madison wisconsin. It is a great river and large compared to other rivers in the US. Its reall big down here at sterling which has the widest pool at the bottom of dixon pool where that buoy is. Cheesebait is the best channelcat bait with the strong currents, it draws them in. Otherwise bluegill, shad, shadguts etc work for the big flathead. A person can walk accross the bridge near my home in the winter and see the giant catfish just laying there in shallow water. Right now one can catch 100 channels a day on redworms. I have done that many times and I have some secret weapons that get me those 100 fish every trip.

This is that 36# catfish I caught at Dixon Dam. Below is the lower dam at Sterling.

PokerGuy45 · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:08 am Post subject:

That's a very nice flathead! It must have been a good fight with 6 pound test. Also thanks for your detailed report. I also can't wait to see some of your reports this summer.

PokerGuy45
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Perch Girl · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject:

wow! Nice Flathead Very Happy

Thats a monster Exclamation

RandyD · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:41 am Post subject:

36#!!!!!!!
What a brute
Nice fish Very Happy

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Ya can't catch'em if your not out try'in

fishead · REEL ANGLER Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 13

Thanks. I will try to add more. We need a mississippi river section because that is where I fish mostly.

Right now on the rock is channelcat time, its easy to catch a lot of fish as they are starting to get hungry and still in winter holes so easy to find.

Walleye can be caught at the tailwaters of the dams, buy I would fish near the catfish holes looking for Walleye in this shallow pool, the lowest pool on the rock river before it dumps into mis riv. At the dixon dam it is all deep water and there are fish to be caught at the tail waters, and look out for big catfish, they will eat jigs if you put in in front of them.

JD · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:25 am Post subject:

Great info and one nice cat. Thanks for sharing Fishead. Smile

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Islandfisher · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:12 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the great info. That's awesome that you have a boat with a jet drive. You can get anywhere in one of those!