Spring River Walleye

If you're fishing a big river such as the Mississippi, the rock or gravel bars are the likely points to seek out. The hole in the riverbed below a rock pile or snag are good prespawn starting points. In shallow rivers the same holds true, but the holes or pockets offer less protection, and the walleyes are likely to be easily spooked under these conditions.

In situations where a major river runs into a lake, there may be two spawning runs, one for the river walleyes, and one for the lake walleyes. The river walleyes may move upstream to their gravel bars or sandy backwater spots several days or a week ahead of the lake fish. The reason for this "jump" in timing coincides with warmer water.

The split spawning runs only add to the early anglers enjoyment because they have twice the chance of finding the fish in receptive conditions.

Males are the prime targets during the spawning run. The reason is that the males are more aggressive then. They set up a territory, make a home for some lucky female fish, and set about to protect it. They may do battle with other males and they're inclined to do rough things to bait fish that swim by. They'll approach a bait with a quick snatching action. Often times capturing a bait on the first try.

In a river, walleyes are a structure or current break oriented fish, most of the time. These walleyes will be tight to the bottom, lying in the holes between rock and cuts in the bottom. They may be feeding, or waiting in ambush to find or an easy meal that comes their way. When fishing structure, you have to be able to stay tight to the structure or your lure presentation will not be in the strike zone of the fish. Move just a boat length away and you will be out of the area of current change and luck.

The principles of analyzing water and approaching fish can become confusing and difficult with all the information available to anglers. Try to keep a simple approach in mind. It is important to understand that subtle changes in water temperature, oxygen, bottom structure, shadow lines, and similar factors make a significant difference in locating fish. Fish tend to locate along transitional zones. The bottom may change from sand to rock or from mud to weeds; a drop-off may occur or slope into deep water; or water in one sector may be a slightly different color. One important overlooked transition zones is the areas that have weeds. The weeds or vegetation may be key to successful angling.

Fish are wary. This helps them survive and can also make them difficult to catch. With either natural bait or artificial lures, the presentation must be realistic. It should appear that the offering is part of the normal food chain. Hunger is certainly a major motivating factor, but fish also respond as predators and strike something that moves. At times, they even exhibit antagonistic behavior when biting an intruder to drive it away.

If you are fishing in relatively snag-free bottoms a Lindy rig is effective. On mud, weeds, submerged timber and rocks or boulders, bobber rigs do just as well. During the midday, a slower presentation gets most of the action

Tip a Fuzzy Grub jig with a small minnow such as you would commonly use for crappie fishing. The added flavor on the jig is just one more pitch in your favor. However, when the fish are in a frenzy, even a plain Fuzzy Grub or a painted jig with Berkley Power Grub tail will do the trick.

Another lure that you can use is a small crankbait, use the ultralight sizes with medium diving capability. The baby crankbaits that Rapala makes in fluorescent colors work especially well along wingdam facings. Early, late and at night faster-moving lures such as a #5 or #7 Shad Rap really perk things up. The baits work well over the riprap where a jig hangs up easily.

The people who stay home waiting for warmer weather or the right conditions to be out walleye fishing are missing out on river spring patterns for walleyes. I know that I am definitely hooked on these patterns, give it a try and you will be to.

Two traits of spring, a strong breeze and cold water, make the season the perfect time to target walleyes using slip bobbers.

Nothing ignites the action of bait below a slip bobber more than wind-driven waves on the surface, and a stiff southerly breeze common early in the year helps concentrate fish on structure.

Add to that the fact walleyes in cold water will bite, but not chase, and it’s clear why slip bobbers that suspend a bait in front of a hungry walleye will outpace other faster presentations.

A third factor also should make up your mind to reach for slip bobbers in April and May.  Walleyes are often shallow early in the season.  Though slip bobbers are great tools for deep water, they shine when fish are in water less than 10 feet deep.

Finding Early Walleyes

Temperature is key to locating active walleyes early in the year.  Lakes of 500 acres or so, especially those with dark bottoms, will warm first. Walleyes there could be spawned out while walleyes in mid-sized lakes or larger lakes are in pre-spawn mode or spawning. Walleyes lay eggs from 42 degrees to about 48 degrees.   Once water reaches 50 degrees, slip bobbers are killer. Choose lakes where walleyes have just finished spawning, which should offer the chance to catch both male and larger female fish.  

Temperature continues to play a critical role once you’ve targeted a specific lake.  Even if water is only slightly warmer than the surrounding area, walleyes will find it. A difference of just a couple of degrees can mean the difference between no fish and fish. Remember, too, temperature on a body of water can swing significantly in spring during the course of a day. The coat you wore at sunrise is off by 10 a.m.  Preferred location can change just as dramatically. Some anglers might think the fish quit biting. But, they simply moved. Structures that offer hard bottoms, including shoreline points, islands and mid-lake rock structures, are likely to hold the most walleyes. 

The best points offer rocks, newly emerging weeds or wood. One stump may hold many fish, and it will day after day. Islands with gravel bases deserve extra attention.  Mid-lake rocky structures are great, too, if they’re shallow enough to allow the sun to warm them. Sand bars with fingers and bays with sandy bottoms are also tremendous fish attractors.  They may look too clean, too featureless, to hold walleyes, but they do.  With flat bottoms and depths of 10 feet or less, they’re perfect to attack with slip bobber rigs. The best structures will be the ones where the wind is pounding the hardest because warm surface water will be blown there.

A Strategy That Works

Slip bobbers have a drawback.  They can be a very slow way to find fish.  Try using a jig to locate “Judas” fish, the active ones that bite faster presentations.  They give away the location of the school.   Once you know where the fish are, slow down with slip bobbers, a presentation more in tune with the overall mood of the walleyes in colder water.  

The basic slip bobber rig includes a thread bobber stop, a glass bead, a slip bobber, a Lindy NO-SNAGG barrel swivel, a leader of line lighter than the main line and a hook or jig. 

Best slip bobbers for springtime conditions are weighted to let you cast into the wind.  That lets the breeze work for you by blowing the slip bobber back to the boat and beyond to cover a larger area searching for fish.  

There are lots of floats on the market, but stick with ones that are painted and visible.  One good choice is the new Thill Pro Series.  The large is PSW 115, the medium is PSW 110.  The weight is removable.   Or, if you prefer non-weighted models, the PS 115 is the large and the LS 110 is the medium. 

The Gold Medal Supreme Super Shy Bite (IM 201) is another great choice.  They have easy-on, easy-off capability to adjust the size of the float to meet changing conditions in wind, depth or the distance you want to reach. 

The Float-Hi 783W in pink or orange is a highly visible foam float.

Choose a float one size larger than you think you’ll need.  The primary bait you’ll be using is a redtail chub, a sucker or a fathead minnow.  A three can pull small floats down, giving false hope of a strike.

Always take at least two bait choices along. One of the trio may be the primary forage of a lake or walleyes may just prefer one over the other two on a given day.    It can be a long day if you don’t have the right one along.   

Gold hooks seem to work best early in the year. Use a number 4 or number 6 Mustad Aberdeen for fatheads.  Switch to a bleeding red Tru-Turn in a number 4 or number 2 for larger chubs. 

Add a red glass bead and a small 0 or 00 Colorado or Indiana blade on a clevis above the hook.  When you are drifting or the minnow swims, the blade gives off a flash that walleyes like. A silver blade is best in clear water, a gold blade is best in stained or darker water.