Guys in boats are catching walleyes and sauger on the Mississippi River at a couple dams. Fishing open water has been pretty decent. I've done so-so casting open water in the river when we are at our antique shop up in Red Wing. Boats get to the good water.
Ice? I'm pretty much done doing much of it unless I hit it with a friend who is set up. I'll grab a shorter "long" rod, open water rod, and a box of jigging spoons, some plastics and a jar of gulp minnows and hit the ice if its warm enough for holes to stay open over night. The cold air makes breating a dog with my bad lungs and hauling all that crap out would put me in my grave. The killer side is fishing a heated pull-over aor any shelter heated with the propane heaters....the carbon monoxide build-up, even when vented good, sets my lungs off real bad and the headaches soon follow along with labored breathing. My lungs are like a coal miner's canary.
I have the creek and river immediately behind our house. The creek offers some fishing when its warmer, but th river stays wide open and I am given to nice strolls down there with the fishing rod and some new plastic creations on jigs as company. Right now we see walleyes, a random northern, some crappies and smallmouth. Cold water carp have shown a preference to plastics since I started using the local water more and even a stupid muskie might show up. Some of the Asian community like to prop up a rod on a "Y" stick and wait out whatever using minnows under floats. Makes for quite a stir when a pike or muskie happens along a finds favor with that minnow. I've seen rods fly 30 thru theair after on of those toothie bears nail a minnow. Its amazing how fast those guys can walk on water trying to catch those rods.
But as you say Brent, the ice fishing is going away fast with rising water and dirty water being flushed into the systems. The infusion of new water seems to not bother the open water angling and with things low all winter the extra water will only get those bodies fired up nice. I've heard that the Mississippi up here is within 8" of setting an all-time record low. Any water running into the rivers around here is welcome until it turns to flood level. That will take some serious water I'm afraid.
