RIVER Walleyes

[TKA6213]

Any one fish from shore on rivers for walleyes?:)

[RJmjZ]

You need to ask open ended questions - not those that can be answered with a yes or no.


Basics: Three way swivel River Rig, weight on the bottom via short drop line, bait on a 2-3 foot leader up the line about 1-2 feet, trailing downstream. Use heavy enough weight to counteract the flow force of the water. Keep minimal tension on the line. To begin with use enough weight to let rig creep down stream slower than the flow. Once fish are located, switch to heavier weight so that your rig stops above the spot where you think the fish hit. You want the bait and not the weight to be where the fish are. If you miss the spot lift the rod enough to move the weight to where you want it to be.

Try to find either man made wing dams, or natural lay-downs, rock piles, underwater islands - hard spots. If you can find these in "S" curves in the river, all the better. You will many times be able to see the water move slower just behind these areas. You want your bait to be just inside the slow water, but you don't want to splash down in that area. Slpash down in the fast water, and walk your bait into the slow area.

See if you can research the river flow to see what is normal. All rivers will have slow or fast flows at various times. Fish the outside directly incoming water part of "S" curve in slow flows , fish inside bending curves in fast flows. Try to think of a "S" curve as another form of wing dam with fast and slow water at various parts at various times. The tail end of the "S" curve represents a place where the overall water has temporarily slowed as compared to how fast it was when it entered the "S" curve. If you are not sure, fish all three areas until you make contact with the fish.

Recommend live bait: minnows, leeches, etc., but you can use similar artificials, including spinners in one form or another. Hook bait once through the nose. Try putting a small spinner blade up the line about 2 feet from your minnowed hook. River fish are stronger than lake fish - use heavier line and stouter rods than you would in a lake.

[Burr]

I do occasionally, my nephew does religiously, and has for years. He's good on the river. It's where he spends 95% of his time.

He's been dedicated to learning the walleye patterns on the Red right in Fargo. Over the last few years, he's paid close attention when water levels are low to see where there is structure, so he can chose his exact spot to fish. Last week when he was down there, he surrounded this piece of structure with 4 lines (2 people fishing). One line was doing all the catching, so he moved the others - (that were all within 15 feet of the hot spot) closer, and within minutes they were all going.

What I'm saying - is if you want to invest the time, pay attention to details, and really dedicate yourself to succeeding, it can be done.

He's also got the seasons, water flow website data, temps - all down so he knows when the walleye will be there, and when it's a waste of time, or time to fish catfish.

[SkarMN75RBLS]

I used to always fish the Mississippi for walleye. Great spots are downstream from dams, or even points/bay areas on the river. I had alot of luck with spoons and mimic minnows! Never kept em though...... it aint the cleanest body of water!!

[walfshmn]

We used to catch quite a few from shore in the spring and early summer.
We would find some backwater (eddy) and cast as light of a jig as you could and still be on bottom (many times this was 1/4 oz.). Put a 2" tube skirt on with a piece of night crawler and cast just into the current and let it take you to the slack water and then jig it back. Watch your line and when you see it slack or doing something different set the hook.
Used to be a lot of fun.

[yarcraft91]

Haven't done it in a while, but we used to hammer the walleyes by shorefishing Michigan's Tittabawassee River in the Fall and Spring. Top lure was a 1/4 oz jig with a yellow or white 3" Mr Twister grub. Black spotted grubs seemed to work better than plain ones.

[tn_pete]

WOW thanks guys lots of good info there.
Sounds like you fish the same way for Walleye as I do for Catfish. I have been controlled drift fishing for years for catfish. 1 to 5 oz sinker on bottom come up to a 3-way swivel then a leader off that.
Do you think this will also work for Sauger?
We don't have many Walleye here in West Tn, But do have Sauger and I love to fish for them in the Tn river here below Pickwick dam.
I know theres a better way then the way we fish for Sauger here. Just fishing straight down going with the flow bouncing a jig off the bottom. Guys any info you can give me, Will help with these grey hairs I keep getting trying to figure out the best way to fish for These fish.
Pete

[T Mac]

We would find some backwater (eddy) .


:D Good plan.
If "Backwater Eddy" is there...there's probably some fish. (sore mouthed too, most likely) ;)

[mikewink]

My brothers, Dad and I do a lot of walleye fishing from shore or if the fishing is good standing knee deep. Waders work but are only needed in the spring. Unless the fishing is really good, then you don't really need waders. LOL!

We usually use a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig with your choice of grub. We consistanly use a Mister Twister salt and pepper colored. We target below dams, and rock piles and other structure. We stand perpendicular
to the current and cast no more than about 45 degrees up stream. This is to prevent too much line from getting caught in the current and causing you to snag. Which is going to happen a lot anyways.

We allow the current to sweep the jighead down stream. You want to use at least a 7' medium fast to xfast rod. We use 8 lbs test which allows for enough strength to fight any size walleye, smallmouth and the occasional sturgeon. But lite enough to allow break offs in the rocks if needed.

We keep the line tight enough to bounce off the bottom, but not so tight as to pull your jig off the bottom. Too much slack and you will surely hook every rock and limb. We check the bottom foot of line quite regularly to check for nicks and frays.

That is how we do it. Good Luck!