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03/13/2001
- Article
River
Run Walleyes
Norb
Wallock
To
get a jump on a little early season walleye action, you might think
about giving a river a try. Rivers can offer some phenomenal fishing
opportunities, especially during the early spring period. While
tremendous catches are often made, it does takes a little
understanding to get the most out of situation.
 Factors
that must be considered are water temperature, levels, and clarity.
They all play a role in where walleyes will be found, and just how
active they’ll be.
Rivers
open up much sooner than lakes do, and warm up even faster. Because
of that, everything is accelerated, with spawning taking place weeks
ahead of icebound lakes. Fishing in and around the walleye spawning
season can be a little tough at times, and absolutely phenomenal at
others. Dramatic swings in activity can occur from one day to the
next, and may leave anglers wondering where the heck they all went.
Pre-spawn
walleyes are among the most agreeable, and make up most of the good
early season catches. In fact, the pre-pre-spawn period can make for
sensational fishing. Before fish make their big move, and at the
very initial stages of rising water levels, the action really heats
up. Current breaks, or areas of reduced current, are the hot spots,
and relatively easy to find. But as the spring rains and winter
meltdown start bringing levels up, walleyes will often disappear,
and can be difficult to relocate.
One
of the keys is finding areas of reduced current, once again. Many of
the areas that previously held walleyes may now be buried under
heavy current, and completely void of fish. The new fish holding
areas may be secondary channels, sloughs and back waters, as well as
incoming creeks.
Another
key to locating high water walleyes is finding the areas with
clearer water. When the first big spring runoff occurs, a relatively
clear river can turn to mud overnight. Cold muddy water can
completely shut down a good bite, and can make for nearly impossible
conditions. One of the best ways to overcome a tough situation like
this, is to find areas holding clearer water. While some creeks and
rivers may be pouring pure mud into a system, others may be bringing
water that’s at least a little clearer than what is in the main
river. It doesn’t have to be clear, just not as muddy as the water
it is dumping into. To find it, you’ll have to do some
investigative work, and every possibility will have to be checked
out.
Water
temperature is another key, and can indicate just exactly where to
start your search. Quite often the main river channel can be a
couple of degrees colder than an incoming creek or backwater.
Pockets of warmer water can draw walleyes like a magnet, and
definitely a factor to keep in mind. A surface temperature gauge can
be invaluable at this time of the year, like the type built in to
the Raymarine L755.
Even
though the L755 is an incredible graph with unmatched definition,
it’s the temp gauge that becomes most important.
The
moral of the story is to find the clearest, warmest water available.
For example: On the Castle Rock Flowage, in north central Wisconsin,
we’ve found that walleyes, under these very same conditions, move
into the Yellow River in droves. The Yellow River feeds into the
flowage, and will cloud up as well, but it’s not nearly as dark as
the main body of water. It can also run a couple of degrees warmer,
or more, than the main flowage, and is a big draw for pre-spawn
walleyes.
Another
key is finding warmer water amongst the warmer water. Water temps
downstream of a shallow mud flat, for example, can run warmer than
that above. As it runs across a flat, the radiating effects of the
sun can bump the temp up a couple of degrees, and walleyes may stack
up below it.
After
you’ve narrowed down your search, the next item on the agenda is
putting a few fish in the boat. High water walleye angling requires
a much different approach than you’d use during normal conditions.
Conditions like these call for tactics that resemble more like those
used by bass fisherman. The first noticeable difference is where you
put your bait, like up against a tree, brush pile, or dock piling.
That’s not to say you should overlook the classic stuff, like rock
or riprap, as it can certainly hold fish, but it’s not always
available. And even if it is, the previous may be preferred.
To
work a stand of flooded trees, you can try pitching light jigs
tipped with live a minnow or plastic tail, up against the base of a
tree, and let it slowly fall to the bottom. The next move is to pick
the bait up with just the rod tip, pull it a short distance, and let
it fall back to the bottom. Work every tree and piece of cover
available, as you just never know where they’ll be holed up.
Don’t expect every tree to hold a fish, but work every one like it
does. By concentrating and expecting a strike every time, you’ll
greatly increase your odds of putting walleyes in the boat.
If
you can get close enough, you may even try fishing vertically by
lifting and dropping the very same jig straight up and down, right
next to the cover you are working. After a few lifts and drops
without any reaction, move to the next, and so on, and so on, and so
on.
Whether
you’re pitching a jig, or working it vertically, it’s important
to keep a fixed eye on your line, looking for the slightest telltale
sign of a bite. Many times, all you’ll see is a tiny twitch. If
you don’t see it and start to pick up the bait, the fish is likely
to feel the resistance and spit it out. By seeing the strike, you
buy yourself some time, which enables you to take up the slack and
set the hook.
To
help with the chore of line watching, anglers would be well served
by using a high vis line. As bad as the stuff looks, it really does
help, and doesn’t seem to bother the fish. You can also get buy
with using heavier line, like ten or twelve pound test, which will
help with retrieving baits that have snagged up.
Getting
snagged is part of the program, and you’ll just have to accept it,
if you want in on the fun.
Norb
Wallock
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