Mississippi Walleyes and Smallies Heating Up This April Morning

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things rod and reel on the Mississippi River right here in Minneapolis. It's early morning on April 25, 2026, and the river's callin'—water temps are warmin' up nice, pushin' fish shallow for spawnin' action. Weather's lookin' mild today: partly cloudy, highs in the low 60s, light winds from the south at 5-10 mph—perfect for bank fishin' without freezin' your toes off. Sunrise hits at 6:00 AM, sunset around 8:10 PM, givin' us a solid 14 hours of light. No tides on this big river, but solunar peaks point to prime bites from dawn till 8 AM and 2-4 PM—hit those windows hard. Fish activity's heatin' up with the warmup. Recent reports from local anglers show fantastic action: walleyes stackin' in 10-20 feet near current breaks, smallmouth bass hammerin' rocky points, and sauger schoolin' mid-river. Yesterday's crew pulled limits—dozens of 18-25 inch eyes, slot smallies up to 4 pounds, and a mix of channel cats. YouTube's Fishing Report from April 24 calls it "fantastic as of late," with fish comin' to the banks. Best lures? Go with **jiggin' rapalas or 1/4-oz hair jigs tipped with minnows** for walleyes—gold or firetiger shinin' in the murk. For smallmouth, **tube jigs or ned rigs in green pumpkin** on drop-shot. Live bait kings: fathead minnows or nightcrawlers on slip-sinkers. Paddle-tail swimbaits on light jigs for aggressive smallies. Hot spots: Boom Island Park for easy bank access and walleye staging, or the drops below Lock and Dam #1 where current concentrates 'em. Park at the lot off Main Street, wade in quiet. Get out there safe, check regs—walleye season's wide open. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for weekly updates! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.