When it comes to fishing Walleye it seems that almost inevitably the emphasis is in fishing for those fish in lakes and still waters. Yet many of these elusive foes are caught in rivers and river waters. What tips and tactics can be best exploited by experienced sportsmen and fisherman when it comes to landing that “big one” in river water – be it in a Minnesota River or the Manitoba Red River?
Sure it may be a simple declaration that river fishing folk may be up against more of the variables of the fishing gods as opposed to those more simpler and staid personalities – those lake anglers. Virtually almost all lakes can be said to be “simpletons”, when compared to the basic structural logistics of fishing in streams and fast moving rivers. A lake point is all in all a fairly aquatic environment as compared to river beds. It usually takes a good long drought or the heaviest of rainstorms, over a good period of time, to make a dent in the high or low water levels measured in lakes. Yet river anglers can be said to be fighting rising and falling moving water point’s day in, day out, month in, month out. It’s just a natural expectation. It goes with the lay of the land so to speak.
Changing bottom conditions will obviously also affect fish location. You have to find those Walleye fish to land them. As rapidly as water levels rise or fall, a key fish attracting current break can suddenly appear or completely vanish and affect fish location accordingly.
A pile of submerged rocks that might hold Walleye and Pickerel fish during the high water of the spring season might well be high and dry little more than a week’s time later. Remember that the ability to read river currents is the key to successful river Walleye and Pike fish as well fishing. Take the time to learn how it functions with rising or falling water levels, creating or eliminating, fish and especially trophy fish holding areas in the process.
Fish like Walleyes relate to structural elements one way during high water and or another way when the water levels are low and lower. The water depth and speed around an object produces those all important “current breaks” that determine sections of slack water where food accumulates and fish gather. Fish will hold and set up feeding stations at these points. In summary it can be said by better being familiar with both river currents, how to read and evaluate them – in essence being sensitive to the lay of the land will reward your Walleye & Pickerel fishing results greatly.