10/25/99
Open
Water River Options
By
Scott King
With
every approaching winter, new tackle, fishing lines, augers,
shelters, and information get many of us excited for the freezing
of area lakes and rivers. I
am no exception, and I can honestly say that I cannot wait for the
ice-fishing season this year. Some
anglers may keep themselves off of the water for many weeks, but
I’m not one of them. No,
I’m not talking about venturing upon ice prior to safe walking
amounts. For the
angler like me whose season never ends, I’m talking about the
last remaining open water of the 1999-fishing season.
Rivers offer us this open water, and sauger and walleye
anglers can cash in on this opportunity if they haven’t yet
winterized their boats.
Walleye
and sauger are primary targets during the cold water period on
rivers for a few reasons. Clearly,
these fish continue to feed regularly throughout the approaching
season (open water and ice), and certainly more regularly than
other river residents such as smallmouth bass, muskies, and even
pike. Another
bonus—patterning these fish can be as easy now as any other time
of the year. Walleye
and sauger will usually be found relatively near one another,
usually holding on different depths on the same piece of
structure. Finally,
either fish is fine table fare.
If you are venturing out in less than pleasant weather this
fall, you might as well enjoy the rewards of your efforts, where
legal.
Location—Depth,
Current, and Baitfish
Having
a high quality LCD fish locator or flasher in your boat is vital
to success on the river. In
both large and small systems, your time will be best spent in
search of baitfish, which will nearly always flank nearby
predators. Look for
clouds on the screen of the fish locator, an irregular central
blob with straggling dots on all sides.
On flashers, thin bands of light that rapidly appear and
disappear will signal baitfish presence.
Finding a food source is imperative, because predator fish
are active feeders. Time will be wasted fishing on promising structure without
bait in the area. Where
are the baitfish at this time of year?
Begin your search over the deepest portion of the river
that has a few key structural elements in the vicinity.
Deep water with major points, narrows, humps, or bridge
pilings nearby are all potential holding areas.
Sauger
prefer the deep, dark bottoms of these holes or runs in a river.
Their chosen depth is relative to the system in question,
but in the areas I frequent, 45-60 feet of water is none too deep
for these fish.
Many
rivers do not have depths this great, but certainly the deepest
water that can be effectively fished should be a starting point. Quite often, fish will lie directly on the bottom so that
their presence is difficult to detect even with good electronics.
I advise that you adjust your electronics accordingly, so
that separation of fish from the bottom is possible.
Either the zoom or the sensitivity in your units may aid in
this separation. Sauger
may move shallower on overcast days, but they are extremely light
sensitive, even more so than walleye, and movements of baitfish
must be considered if you intend to move shallower.
The
presence or absence of ice in the river during this season will
ultimately determine the length of river you are able to fish from
a boat. You may be
forced to pick apart a limited stretch of open water.
Luckily, walleye tend to hold in the same general areas as
the sauger, however they are usually much shallower.
These fish can also use areas of current at this time of
year, so narrows near deep water also hold walleye.
Find the deep bait areas and move up onto the point or hump
and you will likely contact walleye instead of sauger.
These shallow fish are likely not as concentrated as the
deep sauger, however walleye will be the larger fish in every
system, so the search for scattered fish may be worth the time.
Numbers over size aside, shallower fish are always going to
be easier to nab, as presentation and bite detection becomes more
difficult as you fish deeper.
Presentations—Heavy
Jigs and Simple Rigs
Getting
down to and staying on top fish at the depths the sauger hold at
can be a task if you use conventional walleye presentations.
Trying to drop a quarter-ounce jig onto a sauger’s nose
in fifty feet of water with a little current isn’t going to
happen. However, by adapting the same techniques that you perfected
all season there is no reason for frustration.
In super-deep water you must anchor, or be fishing on a day
with little to no wind. These
are the best ways to vertically present a jig to fish while
maintaining a tight line. If
too mush line is out from high winds moving your boat, vertical
control is lost and bite detection is difficult.
Heavy jigs in ½ and 5/8 ounce, tipped with fatheads,
rainbows, or small suckers are the standard baits.
Heavy jigs get down fast and stay below the boat. Also,
light lines ride up less and will give the angler greater
sensitivity. Both are
essential for deepwater fishing.
Walleye
can be trolled with crankbaits that reach twenty feet and beyond,
and also with the jigging system used for the sauger.
However, these fish are extremely light biters, and not as
active later as they were in October.
As the season progresses, stinger hooks on the jigs are a
must. One system that has been deadly, is the single snell hook
baited with a fathead and brought down to the bottom with a ¾ oz.
egg sinker and swivel. The
single hook allows the light-biters to suck the minnow all the way
in without resistance. Use
this system while drifting in shallower areas where fish tend to
be scattered. Moving
slowly with an electric motor over structure and dragging this
simple rig can work wonders.
Pay
close attention to species and size regulations on river systems.
Some limits are combined and some are separated by species.
Length limits may vary as well.
Some of our waters that are fishable by boat during the
winter are catch-and-release only, so give the regulations a good
look before heading out.
Always,
safety is a primary consideration.
Determining if weather conditions are manageable may be
more vital at this time of year than any other.
Know your limits as well as those of your vessel.
Be prepared for uncomfortable conditions and remember that
no matter how good the fishing is, your well being is more
important. Don’t
fret if the ice season comes late to us this year.
Simply extend your open water season on the rivers to
complete the loop that is the never-ending fishing season.
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