Small water 6-6-2009

[sooner fish]

When I was growing up my family didn't have a boat. My dad didn't fish much, he was very busy as a design engineer for John Deere. I did most of my fishing alone or with friends in ponds or on the Des Moines River and its feeder creeks. I love pond fishing. In addition to my bass boat I also own a two man and use it as much as my big boat. Saturday morning Matt (my son in law) and I fished a pond which is about five acres in size west of town. The pond is old and almost never fished. We got there about 9:30 AM (it was the second of three ponds we fished). In an hour and half we caught and released 18 fish in the three to five pound range. Caught all of them on various plastic baits. Great morning on the water. Saw a lot of bluegill beds and would bet you could sack up the big ones right now if you were so inclined.

[JoeBro44]

The good 'ol DesMoines River. Believe it or not I've never fished it. Always figured it was a catfish river. Right now (like all the rivers up here) it's high, muddy, and ugly!

[sooner fish]

It was a good catfish river, but also had some perch and walleye which we would catch from time to time. I think the up stream reservoirs have probably changed it around Ottumwa for the better, though I haven't fished it in years. The old oxbow is now a part of a city park and is good bass fishing as are the old pits which were out on what was then an island. I think it would be fun to float the river from Ottumwa to Keokuk.