Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

Braving the winter winds and finger-numbing cold to pursue the saugers and walleyes on the big river isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Stiff breezes along the water and plummeting temperatures can make chasing these fish a bit uncomfortable -- but for those willing to take to the water in the early-spring weather, good fishing awaits.

The best fishing in Ross Dames’ neck of the woods is in pools 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25 on the . The Missouri Department of Conservation fisheries management biologist knows, because he has his finger on the pulse of the river’s fishery.

“It’s a winter fishery,” he said. “In September, the walleyes and saugers start to migrate upstream towards the dams. The fish start to concentrate in the pools under the dams, and that’s when the fishing is good. The good angling starts as early as October and goes through February and maybe into March. Below the dams in the tailwaters is where you’ll find them.”

The Mississippi is a hit-or-miss fishery throughout the winter, said Dames. One day you’ll be taking fish, and the next day you won’t even know they’re there. Though most of the fish are smaller, the walleyes can run up to 25 inches and the saugers up to 20.

Typically, live night crawlers, minnows or leeches are the bait of choice for most sauger and walleye anglers on the Mississippi, said Dames. When the current is strong, weights of up to 1/2- or 3/4-ounce may be necessary to keep the bait on the bottom.

If there are seven or eight boats on each of the pools, it’s a busy day on the water. Surprisingly, river fishing is popular with only a small contingent of regular Missouri anglers, putting the fishing pressure on the light side. There’s plenty of room to spare for visiting anglers who would like to sample the fishery.

“Fishing near St. Louis for walleyes and saugers is best below the Clarksville and Winfield dams starting in the fall, when water temperatures fall below 60 degrees,” said MDC fisheries management biologist Danny Brown, of St. Charles.

“Some fish are caught below the Mel Price Dam in Alton, but not as many as under the more upstream dams. The river needs to be in a normal to low flow pattern for good fishing. Once it gets high and muddy, the fishing can get tough. I typically tell anglers that fishing is best when the stage at Winfield Dam is around 17 (feet) or less.”

According to Brown, most anglers bounce 3/4- to one-ounce jigs tipped with minnows off the bottom near current breaks in the turbulent water below the dams. A trolling motor comes in handy to keep the line vertical in the water column for those wanting to jig. Some anglers use crankbaits along the shallower water between wing dikes and land some nice fish.

The river can be low and clear in the winter, and anglers can take advantage of the concentrated fish below the dams by fishing with the old stand-by -- a jig and minnow combination.

Tip a lead-head jig with a 2- or 3-inch shiner or fathead minnow, and then put a tiny piece of plastic from a worm or grub body on the hook’s point. This will keep the minnow on and not interfere with hooking percentages.

Marie Schulte has been a fixture along the river for years. She’s worked at Rick’s Bait and Tackle under four owners and knows the ins and outs of walleye fishing on the big river.

“In February there will be a two-week window (when) the fish are really hitting,” said Schulte. “You can limit out without much of a problem during that period. But it really depends on what the water level is doing. If the water is high, anglers will have trouble catching fish in the early spring, so it’s impossible to predict when that two-week window will be.”

Schulte’s picks are the Winfield and Clarksville area dams. All winter long, anglers in winter gear are out on the water, as long as the weather isn’t severe and the river frozen over.