Fishing Jiggs in Rivers

[Cyclone]

Hey all, I live in NE IOWA and we have an abundance of Walleyes that are accessible during the early spring.....but i really haven't had much luck fishing for them........how do you go about fishing jiggs and minnows or plastic in rivers with a slight current(2-6mph) in water temps 34-40 degrees......???


Thanks

Cyclone

[T-Mac]

Probably the most effective way you can fish walleyes in the river this time of year.
If you have a little extra money, hire a good guide for a day trip on the river, and I am sure you will learn a whole lot about jigging for pre-spawn river walleyes.
It can be awesome.

[River_eye]

I my favourite thing to do is jig in river current. All I do is go with the flow to keep your line vertical, while bumping it off the bottom (not dragging), and when you are off the fishing spot, just turn right around and go back up to where you started. Other methods include 3-way setups or bottom bouncers with spinners or crankbaits.

River eye

[Terry/JNR]

Verticle jig with a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig tipped with a minnow, plastic tail or not depends on the fish as does color. A light line, 6lb mono (Super Silverthread) or a 2/10 braid (Power Pro) is a must for sensitivity. A good rod with a sensitive fast tip is prefered, (Fig RIG) and I like to use a "flippin Reel" on a baitcast rod. It alows you to keep in contact with the bottom by being able to let out small amounts of line at a time. Bump the jig on bottom with a 3 to 10" lift depending on activity of the fish. The bump alows you to know precicely at what depth you are keeping the bait. A spinning outfit with a small reel will work well, too. Personal preference. On a windy day, I'll use a medium light action rod for better feel.
You can verticle fish spinner rigs, too. If the water is murky to dirty, a short spinner length will get you mor fish. I use a 12" to 18" length on my river and put a 1/4 to 3/4 oz drop sinker just above the barrel swivel on the spinner so when you drop the rod on a bite, the line slides thru the sinker. For this a little heavier rod is required. Medium action with a slower taper and a baitcast/flippin reel works the best. I also use a single #1 or #2 Mustad worm hook, even with minnows. I've found I get better hookups on larger fish with the bigger hooks. A #3 colorado blade will most likely work best for blade size. Use a sleeve or beads to keep the blade an inch or so away from the hook.
Drift sideways to the course of the river and preferably with the current. An electric motor both on the bow and stern work best for boat control to keep you on break lines. I use an auto pilot (bow)/powerdrive(stern) combo. As with verticle jigging, keep in contact with the bottom by bumping the sinker with a 4" to 12" lift.
Trolling cranks is very effective, too. Here you can troll with or against the current. Some times one dirrection works better than the other so you have to experiment.

[Bugboy npaa 129]

Verticle is very important. Utilize kicker or electric
motor to adjust wind/current conditions to remain as
verticle as possible. Use as light a jig as possible.
Go heavy when necessary. Slow lift drop. only about an
eight inch lift will work. Keep finger on line to detect
the bite. Lots more but thats a start for very successful jigfishing.

[Bret N]

The only thing I'll add to what's already been said is that at this time of year, slow presentations while verticle jigging seem to work best. What I do is vertical jig as described above, but keep all jigging motions either very slow or not at all. I usually just hit the bottom with the jig and then lift it off 2-6" and hold it for a count of about 5 seconds, then repeat the process. Areas to key on are any spot in the river where some form or structure/current creates an eddy or back current. Also, when the water warms a bit look for spawning areas where the male walleyes and sauger usually hang out for some time. These are typically sand/gravel and rock flats or backwater areas with a slower current adjacent to the main river. Good luck. Email if you have other questions. Bret

[LaneLunder]

All good posts above, here are some things that are important to remember.

1. keep line vertical
2. anti reverse spinning reel a must in my opinion
3. a high quality 100% graphite rod is worth the money
4. Many lines are available, for jigging my favorite is 6-8 pound fireline.
5. I think rattles on the jig work better, especially in murky river water. I was totally outfished by a guy in my boat who used whistler jigs one day lots of vibration.
6. if you catch a fish, note depth, and bottom structure if possibe, re-drift the area until bites stop.
7. plastic, or bigger minnows tend to catch bigger fish in my opinion.

Jigging for walleyes in rivers is a great way to get rid of cabin fever, good luck, and throw the females back!!!!!
Lane

[mick]

If you're fishing in water that cold, you should be directly on top of the fish. Anything moving is going too fast! Anchor and with a jig and minnow...let jig hit bottom...lift very little...hold, drop...and repeat. your jig should be heavy enough to be vertical...if it's being washed down...it's too small. If you're fishing from shore, try a 3 way rig with the sinker dropper line short...plain hook or floating jighead. Fish are going to be on the bottom.

[Nofish]

Hey Cyclone,

I second the guide idea as well.

Also, check out the pro pages here on Walleye Central. I have several articles about jigging, and jigging in rivers. Several other pro's have good info there (on this topic) as well.

Another good idea, scan the chat archives.(on the Chat Schedule page) I have done several chats on jigging and so have a few others. Lot's of good reading there.

Have fun.......Ralph Muccilli

[Polly]

I know this is kind of off the subject but the best jig fisherman I know is Mike Peluso the hockey guy. He wins over and over on the Missouri River in North Dakota with jigs and catches fish on jigs when no one else does? It gets frustrating to watch a guy who is that young kick the crap out of me time after timt in tournaments. Head to his page for some tips on the matter. that is what i am doing, I hope i can steal a couple of thins from him. www.mikepeluso.com Later, PJ

[Peluso]

Holy cow am I blushing right now! I guess I didn't realize that people look at me fishing the Missouri River like that? I was very lucky to have a father that spent a ton of time fishing the river and always took me along. I just always paid close attention to what was going on and learned from him. I feel very comfortable with a jig in my hand. It is like holding a hockey stick to me. I know we are not suppose to put a website down on this page but I would love for you to stop by www.mikepeluso.com and take a look. I will have articles and other stuff on it that you might enjoy. Thanks, and I look forward to meeting you guys. Good fishing and don't forget to shoot the puck. Mike Peluso #999