Mississippi River Walleyes - 2/28/2010

Matthew and I headed out on the Mississippi River (Pool 26) this morning to try our hand at catching some walleye. We decided to put in up around Winfield to avoid the frigid ride from Riverside up to the dam. The ramp was not very friendly to boaters, but it did the trick. We put in on the slough next to the dam. The water was about a foot or so deep, but the bottom was just river mud so it we were able to just slide across (through) the mud to deeper water. We drifted along both shorelines using the down imaging and side imaging in an attempt to locate fish. We were able to locate some fish, but with the current, we couldn't sit in one place to fish for those fish specifically. We made several passes over the same area and never even got a nibble. There were 2 other boats in the area, but they too were not getting bit. We couldn't stay out all that long and called it quits around 1:00. Although we didn't catch any fish, it was nice to get the boat out. We also learned a little from watching the other boats. They would run up near the dam (nearly center of the river) and drift down, then repeat in a slightly different line. I'll make mention here that the water temp was 30.5 deg F, with small chuncks of ice floating around in the water. Oh, well, this is why they call it "fishing". We'll try it again soon.

High Waters

Just a quick note. Didn't get to go walleye fishing on Sunday. Due to high waters all boat ramps were closed. Going to try to get out this coming Sunday.

Walleye Fishing on the Mississippi

Sunday I plan to go walleye fishing on the Mississippi. I was told to go north of Windfield dam, but between talking to people at work, and reading things on the internet I may want to be south of the dam. Here are a couple things I've found.
Missouri Game & Fish
Fishing near St. Louis for walleyes and saugers is best below the Clarksville and Winfield dams starting in the fall, when water temperatures fall below 60 degrees, said MDC fisheries management biologist Danny Brown, of St. Charles.
Some fish are caught below the Mel Price Dam in Alton, but not as many as under the more upstream dams. The river needs to be in a normal to low flow pattern for good fishing. Once it gets high and muddy, the fishing can get tough. I typically tell anglers that fishing is best when the stage at Winfield Dam is around 17 (feet) or less.
According to Brown, most anglers bounce 3/4- to one-ounce jigs tipped with minnows off the bottom near current breaks in the turbulent water below the dams. A trolling motor comes in handy to keep the line vertical in the water column for those wanting to jig. Some anglers use crankbaits along the shallower water between wing dikes and land some nice fish.
According to Schulte, the best rig on the river is a jig-and-minnow combination with a little twist. Put a minnow on a first hook and attach a stinger hook to round out this very effective bait. When a fish chases the minnow, it’ll get hooked on the stinger.
Schulte said that most of the walleyes run from 9 to 14 inches, with a few reaching 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds.
Leadlining is another favorite trick used by locals to tempt a few pre-spawn fish into biting their jig or crankbait. Troll upstream with color-coded leadcore line on a trolling rod for the best lure action. Be certain to let out enough line for the bait to contact the bottom. Bumping along on the bottom is the goal, so use relatively inexpensive baits to avoid becoming gun-shy, as the chances are good that you’ll lose a few lures.
Gander Mountain
As spawning time approaches and the water warms into the 40s, the fish move shallower and begin feeding much more heavily. The two-week period before spawning offers the fastest action and the best opportunity for big fish.
Big walleyes congregate in eddies near the rock or gravel shorelines where they will spawn, usually at depths of 2 to 8 feet. Many walleye anglers make the mistake of fishing too deep in this pre-spawn period. Saugers stay 5 to 10 feet deeper than the walleyes.
If the water is high, as it often is this time of year, walleyes leave the main channel and move to the backwaters, where finding them is next to impossible. Saugers are less likely to leave the main channel.
You can catch walleyes by anchoring and casting into shallow brushy or riprapped shorelines with white or chartreuse jigs, from 1/2 to 1/4 ounce. Saugers are best taken by vertically jigging in deeper water with 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jigs. Some anglers prefer to tip their jigs with small minnows, but tipping is seldom necessary when the water temperature tops 400 F For best results, work the jig very slowly, with small hops.
Spawning begins when the water reaches the upper 40s, usually in mid- to late April. Saugers start to spawn a few days later than walleyes. Once spawning is under way, fishing turns sour. You may catch a few small males, but the big females don't start to bite until at least two weeks after they've finished spawning.
Starting about the first week in May, big walleyes go on a feeding spree that produces plenty of trophy fish for fishermen who know where to find them. Most of the fish have moved away from the dam, although a few remain all summer. The best spots are backwaters with moving water and current-brushed points in the main channel several miles downstream from the dam. You'll find most of the fish at depths of 8 to 12 feet. Productive techniques include anchoring above the points and casting with 1/4-ounce chartreuse bucktail jigs, or trolling diving plugs through channels in the backwaters.
Saugers are not far away, although they normally hang at least 5 feet deeper than the walleyes.