Spring on the River
By Adam JohnsonIt was the Mississippi River. A northern section with lots of backwaters, big dams, and that early spring current that moves fast in the channel. I was there with a fishing buddy and we couldn't decide whether to fish for walleyes or bass, so we flipped a coin. Bass it is.
Largemouth were our target so we headed into some backwater regions where there was some deep water and lots of submerged wood along the shoreline. Fortunately there were no other boats there so we knew we weren't disturbing any of the anglers fishing this national walleye tournament there.
I pitched a jig with a short plastic worm into the branches of this blown down timber along the shoreline and got a bite on the first cast. What a fight, and what a walleye. We had a good laugh about that one.
About ten casts later I hooked up on another big walleye. After netting that fish we started second-guessing ourselves. Should we stay there, or go search for some bass? We didn't want to mess up someone's spot that might be fishing that competition. But there wasn't another boat in sight. Might as well stay and fish.
We caught a lot of walleyes in that wood. They must have migrated into the backwater regions after spawning and set up shop in this cover where they could rest and take advantage of an occasional easy meal. We saw lots of baitfish in the water around the branches and every so often a school of minnows would break the surface trying to get away from a hungry walleye.
We fished the spot for a few hours and no one else came in. Most of the competitors were working up by the dams or in the shallow rubble shoreline areas on a wide spot in the channel downstream from where we were. My fishing buddy and I learned a good lesson that day and have since duplicated this spring pattern on other sections of the Mississippi River, and other rivers with much success. I will admit it's a timing thing. If you hit the wood too early there are no walleyes. And after the water warms to about 65 degrees in those backwater areas the walleyes have moved out into the main channel area to take up residence around the current breaks and wing dams.
It seems that the walleyes are always in a state of transition in the spring in the rivers. The spawning urge takes them to the man-made dams on the big rivers as they migrate upstream. These dams are great locations to target walleyes in early spring, but anglers know this so expect a lot of company.
On smaller, wide-open rivers walleyes still migrate upstream and will filter into the feeder creeks or move into rubble-bottomed backwater or slackwater areas. The mouth of a feeder creek is great in early spring. Walleyes stack up there and they love a jig and minnow.
As spring progresses the walleyes spread out as they make their way back to spots where they plan on spending the rest of the season. Current breaks and slack water areas on the edges of bays and backwater areas are always productive. I proved that you don't want to rule out the wood where the minnows are hiding either. Walleyes feed heavily after they have had a little time to recuperate after the spawn. Anywhere there is easy access to schools of forage you will find some fish there.
River walleyes in the spring are actually easier to pattern than the walleyes in lakes or reservoirs. Talk to any of the local bait dealers and they can tell you where the fish are.
Spring river anglers will likely discover that high water is a factor for them. Snow melting and spring rains can drive the river levels up and this can often confuse anglers that are not familiar with spring river techniques.The thing to remember, is that the higher water just pushes the walleyes closer to the shoreline current breaks and into the slack water of the shoreline cuts.
I recommend using a heavy enough jig or a lure that will stay near bottom, even in the current. River fish are notorious for being tight to the bottom or hugging a current break. Walleyes like to be able to smack a bait that is near them and because the current creates a need for the fish to strike fast, expect to feel the bite.
It's the jig and minnow that gets the most attention when it comes to presenting a meal to those spring river walleyes. It's a standard that seldom gets modified except by anglers that want to troll crankbaits or cast to wing dams. Occasionally there are anglers dragging the three-way swivel rigs and they can be productive, but it's impossible to beat the efficiency of the jig and minnow, so this technique has become the standard.
It's a tough call as to where the best river spots are in the spring. The best known locations are all great. That's what makes it so tough not to take advantage of these standards, but don't ever rule out those places where the bass and baitfish hide in those backwaters. If conditions are right, walleyes like it there too.
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