Spring on the
River
By Adam Johnson
It was the Mississippi River.
A northern section with lots of backwaters, big dams, and that
early spring current that moves fast in the channel. I was
there with a fishing buddy and we couldn’t decide whether to
fish for walleyes or bass, so we flipped a coin. Bass it is.
Largemouth were our target so
we headed into some backwater regions where there was some deep
water and lots of submerged wood along the shoreline.
Fortunately there were no other boats there so we knew we
weren’t disturbing any of the anglers fishing this national
walleye tournament there.
I pitched a jig with a short
plastic worm into the branches of this blown down timber along
the shoreline and got a bite on the first cast. What a fight,
and what a walleye. We had a good laugh about that one.
About ten casts later I hooked
up on another big walleye. After netting that fish we started
second-guessing ourselves. Should we stay there, or go search
for some bass? We didn’t want to mess up someone’s spot that
might be fishing that competition. But there wasn’t another
boat in sight. Might as well stay and fish.
We caught a lot of walleyes in
that wood. They must have migrated into the backwater regions
after spawning and set up shop in this cover where they could
rest and take advantage of an occasional easy meal. We saw lots
of baitfish in the water around the branches and every so often
a school of minnows would break the surface trying to get away
from a hungry walleye.
We fished the spot for a few
hours and no one else came in. Most of the competitors were
working up by the dams or in the shallow rubble shoreline areas
on a wide spot in the channel downstream from where we were. My
fishing buddy and I learned a good lesson that day and have
since duplicated this spring pattern on other sections of the
Mississippi River, and other rivers with much success. I will
admit it’s a timing thing. If you hit the wood too early there
are no walleyes. And after the water warms to about 65 degrees
in those backwater areas the walleyes have moved out into the
main channel area to take up residence around the current breaks
and wing dams.
It seems that the walleyes are
always in a state of transition in the spring in the rivers.
The spawning urge takes them to the man-made dams on the big
rivers as they migrate upstream. These dams are great locations
to target walleyes in early spring, but anglers know this so
expect a lot of company.
On smaller, wide-open rivers
walleyes still migrate upstream and will filter into the feeder
creeks or move into rubble-bottomed backwater or slackwater
areas. The mouth of a feeder creek is great in early spring.
Walleyes stack up there and they love a jig and minnow.
As spring progresses the
walleyes spread out as they make their way back to spots where
they plan on spending the rest of the season. Current breaks
and slack water areas on the edges of bays and backwater areas
are always productive. I proved that you don’t want to rule out
the wood where the minnows are hiding either. Walleyes feed
heavily after they have had a little time to recuperate after
the spawn. Anywhere there is easy access to schools of forage
you will find some fish there.
River walleyes in the spring
are actually easier to pattern than the walleyes in lakes or
reservoirs. Talk to any of the local bait dealers and they can
tell you where the fish are
Spring river anglers will
likely discover that high water is a factor for them. Snow
melting and spring rains can drive the river levels up and this
can often confuse anglers that are not familiar with spring
river techniques.
The thing to remember, is that
the higher water just pushes the walleyes closer to the
shoreline current breaks and into the slack water of the
shoreline cuts.
I recommend using a heavy
enough jig or a lure that will stay near bottom, even in the
current. River fish are notorious for being tight to the bottom
or hugging a current break. Walleyes like to be able to smack a
bait that is near them and because the current creates a need
for the fish to strike fast, expect to feel the bite.
It’s the jig and minnow that
gets the most attention when it comes to presenting a meal to
those spring river walleyes. It’s a standard that seldom gets
modified except by anglers that want to troll crankbaits or cast
to wing dams. Occasionally there are anglers dragging the
three-way swivel rigs and they can be productive, but it’s
impossible to beat the efficiency of the jig and minnow, so this
technique has become the standard.
It’s a tough call as to where
the best river spots are in the spring. The best known
locations are all great. That’s what makes it so tough not to
take advantage of these standards, but don’t ever rule out those
places where the bass and baitfish hide in those backwaters. If
conditions are right, walleyes like it there too.
