Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Marching toward the start
Walleye Warriors: fishing on Lake Erie was so hot last weekend. We all limited out in a matter of hours. Visit me on Instagram @DRWALLEYE for pics and video. Shanties everywhere, fish everywhere, DNR nowhere. It was perfect! We got into some nice sized walleye and noticed underdeveloped eggs/sperm in some of their bellies. But they are eating! So in a few weeks, these fish will be plump and juicy. * * * I spoke today with the operator of Schroeder Farms Campgrounds. Whacker-H is itching to get back in the water and also open up for the season to welcome you all back for the season. Once the river is safe, Schroeders will open for business. That means ice needs to be cleared out from the river and ramp, not flowing down in big chunks and also have good bank access to safely enter and exit the water on foot. Good news on that: last year the ice was piled 8 feet high all along the banks. This year, the ice is not piled nearly as high, maybe due to the quick freeze in December. So now that meltoff has started and the river is flowing at least by the 475 bridge and below, we should get started a week earlier than last year. Whacker-H is keeping a close eye on the river conditions and will let me know when Schroeders will open. I'll post it. * * * So stay tuned and rest assured that the team here at Dr. Walleye's place will keep you informed. DBLDIP is anxious to get out his floaters. The Closer is about ready to run an ice cutter from the turnpike bridge to Orleans to get things going if that tells you anything! T$ is too busy slaying lake fish to give a damn. Birdman is off the radar but will soon return for spring fishing. T-bag got her Kid Rock tickets (as do I), so she's ready. And ole Doc W...well...I grew my hair nice and long, kept a huge bushy beard and put a tattoo of a walleye with red eyes on my forehead! So when you see me, be sure to say hello. I'll be around...
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11 comments:
The river is starting to break up at Jerome Rd water is pretty high .it seems to be damed up at Halls Island and the back channel has some flow
Thank you for the update! Would it be possible for some of the experienced fishermen/women to help out the newbies by explaining the typical fishing rigs for catching the walleye in the river? What pound test? Maybe more importantly, what are some of the main etiquette that should be followed while fishing around others?
Please post any and all tips! Don't use braided line unless you have a leader with monofilament. It keeps the river clean for the next angler.
last year I used 17lb test nanofil for my mainline (8 lb diameter) and 10lb fluorocarbon for my leaders. I was able to pull most of my snags out and when it did break, I just lost my jig. Only lost 2 jigs all year. The nano can make some long casts as well and has zero stretch so you get a good feel(fill) as some people say, for the bite.lol
Most popular is the Carolina rig. For normal river conditions I use 10 lb main line, inline sinker and 8 lb leader anywhere from 2-4 ft long, followed by a floater and tail. Sinker weight depends on river level. Higher the river, higher the weight. My biggest piece of etiquette advice is pack in pack out! Maybe even pick up some trash that you didn't bring in on the way out. There is nothing worse than walking along shore past cans, cups, empty tackle baggies, etc...if this behavior continues you can bet that more and more generous landowners are going to put a stop to access! Not to mention the negative impact it has on our environment and wildlife!
I only started fishing on the Maumee 2 years ago, so as a newbie, here are some other tips that I have in addition to what's above:
1. Casting - If you're a newbie to the river, that's okay, but you shouldn't be a newbie to a spinning rod. I've had 3 people in the last 2 years fishing next to me who didn't know how to cast a spinning rod. While I tried to help them and give them pointers, standing in the river during the run is no place to learn. Make sure you can cast far, if you can only do short casts, you'll be reeling in other people's lines and they won't be happy.
2. Be polite. I'd say 95% of the people I've fished next to have been awesome. Friendly, talkative, helpful... But the other 5% are horrible. If someone snags your line, don't come unglued like they did it on purpose...had a guy last year, gruff, loud, obnoxious, always swearing and yelling...you'd think it was the end of the world when someone hooked his line. It happens.
3. Communicate, if you do hook someone's line, or vice versa, talk with them until you untangle or cut the line. Just dropping someone's line back in without telling them it's free causes a lot of issues that could be easily solved. You don’t want to catch someone’s waders.
4. Share. If you're catching on a certain color combination, there’s nothing wrong with letting the person fishing next to you know what it is.
5. Try different things. Mess with your leader length, size, and color of jigs/tails. Go exploring, there’s a lot of water to cover…I still have never fished the Fort or Bluegrass…that’s my goal for this year.
6. Be safe. Don’t ever, ever, ever just step off the bank and assume it’s shallow, there’s a good chance it’s over your head. Go slow. Use a wading stick if necessary. There is a ton of debris in the river from the thaw/flooding. Assume there are branches and holes everywhere where you walk.
7. Be prepared for an all day fish. Sunglasses, sunscreen, warm clothes, and layers you can shed easily as it becomes warm…and bring spare clothes. You’ll trip at some point and go in. Not a week goes by where I don’t see someone get wet.
GRAYBEARD IS BACK! Great to see some people weighing in. I would definitely fish next to you, Hunter1979. Excellent advice.
The river is in a major ice jam from Jerome road through Blue Grass island corridor. Ice piles almost as high as 475 bridge. Entire river bottom from hill to hill flooded. This will have a mojor impact throughout this entire area as far as terrain changes this spring. Don't assume you favorite hole from last year will still be there. This is the worst ice jams I have ever personally seen in 35 years. Looking forward to hittin the river with everyone. maybe ol Fisherboy will even make an appearance.
I think hunter summed it up very well! Good tips! After a while, you will be on it.
Just a thought. I've fished the Maumee for 40 years and watched guys do a lot of dumb things. One of which is when they bring in a walleye they unhook it under water, whether they used a net or landed it by hand. It's been my experience that 90% of the time they are trying to hide the fact it was a snagged fish. Bring it up out of the water before unhooking it. If it's a good fish, keep it. If it's snagged, throw it back. I'm sick of seeing people snag these walleyes and keep them. If I see someone keep a snagged walleye I'm going to take a picture of that guy (or gal) with my IPhone and call the DNR. I'll also testify in court to what I saw and encourage others to do the same. I love to fish and the wardens are there to protect the fishery. I'm going to help them!
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