I've wanted to hit the fox for a while just no time, hopefully make it out this weekend. Looking to fish for smallies and walleye. Indian Trail road is probably where im going to go armed with a bucket of minnows, Ken the flats you have talked about are in that stretch right? Any areas of concern i should look out for? Taking a dip this time of year would not be fun. Just looking to catch a couple fish.

Matt,
At Indian Trail you want to work the area on the east side from the bridge down to the water intake plant. Especially out in front and around the plant.

The flats are down stream from the water treatment plant between Montgomery and Oswego. There you want to park on the Route 25 side in the small gravel/grass lot next to the Marathon station. To get across the river, you want to be about 100 yards in front of the island down from the railroad tracks. Make a straight walk across the river to almost the end of the wall on the other side of the river. Hop up on shore and walk down to the outflow. Keep going down stream from there and you'll hit the flats.

Might take a couple three trips to get it all figured out, but you can fish that stretch all winter and catch smallies. Did it for over four years straight.

It will all make sense when you see it.

Fished the water treatment plant in Montgomery for a couple hours before sunset today. Caught 8 smallies (3 were 15-18"), 4 white bass, 4 walleye (10 inchers). Pretty much all were right at the outflow. All on minnows.

Glad to hear someone is doing it.
Now work your way downstream to the flats area. That pool is usually full of walleye.

I would like to get out one more time this year. But my weekends are just a mess lately.
Thanks for the report.

Will be headin out tomorrow to the crap plant at montgomery around 11. Forecast is nice with 40's and mostly cloudy hopefully catch some fish. Got my minnows chillin on the front porch ready to get eaten. Anyone is welcome to join me.

MattC wrote:Will be headin out tomorrow to the crap plant at montgomery around 11. Forecast is nice with 40's and mostly cloudy hopefully catch some fish. Got my minnows chillin on the front porch ready to get eaten. Anyone is welcome to join me.

I wish I could Matt! Go slay some eyeballs for us and don't forget about the Musky that lurk around there!!



Dan

Let us know how you did. Don't forget it could take a few tries to get it all figured out. There's a lot of water to fish all the way down and under the power lines. You'll be able to see the water from the outflow all the way down to there and further.

Finally got out to the river by 11:45, got lost a little kind of made a figure 8 to my final destination the lot next to the marathon gas station. Ken i think i parked in the right spot, its directly south of the gas station right. Theres a sign that says for lease or something like that, or is it the lot just south of the tracks. Anyways i didnt get towed or ticketed, it was a relief to see my car still parked there after fishing.

The river is very low and very clear. The spot i crossed the river i could see bottom the whole way across, so probably the visibility was more than 2 feet. Once i got across jump on shore and walked to the crap plant. Got in the water about 100ft before the discharge put on a minnow and slowely walked up and made long casts to it. I then realized i was fishing in about 6in. of water. I worked my way along the seam of cold and warm water just drifting my minnow and within 20 min. caught a small smallie. They kept getting smaller the rest of the day, and ended up with 4 and 2 foul hooked carp and missed a bunch more ripping the minnow out of there mouth not letting them eat it far enough. I kept moving down river to the flats area with nothing happening. Alot of the area there was just a trickle of water running over the river bottom. Oh yeah, Ken that 4X4 is still stuck in that tree.

I will have to try that spot again when the river level is up a little more. Looked very promising

Matt, you parked in the right spot. No one has ever bothered me there and I've been there as early as 4 a.m.

Right at sunrise or on extremely over cast days are the best time to go. The water is so clear that the fish get spooked easily. Next time cast across the outflow, let it drift toward the far end and drag it back to you. It's about 4 to 5 feet deep in the outflow itself and they'll sit down in it or on the edge.

At the flats next time, walk out into the river. You'll see how fast it drops to almost waist deep. Stand in the waist deep stuff and cast toward the flats letting things drift down stream from where your standing. Do that all the way down. Where it bends in toward the west shore, the warm water actually pools up back there in the downfalls. You'll lose some hooks and lead, but that's the price you pay for fishing in the winter.

Best day I've had in the winter was about 35 degrees, low overhead and thick heavy snow. Got a picture of that somewhere. I think it was March.

Keep it up, but if its below 32 and ice in the guides, I wouldn't even bother.

Thanks Ken, i would like to try and get out there this weekend. I have the itch to catch some smallies.