Mighty
Maumee Walleye
By James Chamberlin
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Anticipated by thousands of anglers each year, the Maumee
River Walleye Run offers beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife,
and a sense of camaraderie among fishermen whose only goal
is to catch that perfect 10-pound-plus walleye. As I have
done each of the last 6 years, I made the trip down to the
Maumee River to see if I could score a limit of 4 walleyes
for dinner. As I was walking to my secluded spot down stream
from the crowd I noticed 4 fish caught. My first hook up
of the year in non-solid water came on my third drift; it
was a walleye about 20 inches. The run traditionally starts
in early March and continues through early May and thousands
of fishermen from across the country flock to get a piece
of the action.
When Walleye migrate up the river from Maumee Bay, the vast
majority will gather at the first few miles of rapids, which
provide the well-aerated water and rocks and gravel that
are ideal for walleye spawning. At peak spawning, thousands
of anglers crowd the spawning area, which stretches, from
Orleans Park in the town of Perrysburg, Ohio, to Side Cut
Metro Park in the city of Maumee. Water temperature and
current are the determining factors for good fishing: warmer
temperatures and swifter current favor larger catches. I
prefer the river to be at 582 ft above sea level. Fishing
is done from boats, while wading, and from the shore, and
is allowed only from sunrise to sunset. Anglers harvest
well over 50,000 walleye yearly during this 6-week period.
Techniques for catching these fish vary. Some anglers prefer
small lead jigs with twister tails and some prefer the Carolina
Rigged floating jig with a twister tail. Everyone has his
or her favorite color and size. I solely use the Carolina
Rig; it just seems to work better. Most anglers’ use
6 – 7ft medium action rods with braided line and a
monofilament leader to the floating jig. I like to modify
this a bit, by using my 9’ noodle rod. It can make
longer cast, and keeps the bait in the water longer, while
staying out of other anglers’ way. To learn how to
set the Maumee Carolina rig up contact Gary at Maumee Tackle
(419-893-FISH).
The presentation of this bait is critical to getting hooked
up. Cast your line out directly in front of you, not up
stream or downstream. Let the line drift down stream to
about a 45-degree angle while keeping it tight, with no
slack. This is why I use the noodle rod, to keep the slack
out. I am able to crank up the slack and put a bend in the
rod. Some anglers that were using the shorter rods would
retrieve slowly. Both work equally well! It may take 10
– 15 drifts to find where the fish are sitting. If
you snag a fish observe where the fish is hooked. This will
be a clue as to how the fish are suspended in the river
and enable you to make adjustments to your presentation.
If the fish is hooked in the back, shorten your leader;
this will place the bait in front of the fish instead of
over its back. The same is true if you hook a fish in the
belly. Increase your leader length. Remember, it is not
legal to keep fish that are not hooked in the mouth.
This river is dangerous, so be careful! Boat anglers should
alter their anchor, instead of using a traditional one use
a cinder block or a heavy weight. This way if the river
should rise unexpectedly you can get your boat off the river.
Also you should never anchor from the stern of the boat.
In current let the bow of the boat do what it was intended
to do. Wade fisherman, you should never fish in the river
without a wade-buddy (friend). If you cannot find anyone
to go, fish the crowds, it only takes one step to fall in
and get swept downstream. Finally, using the right boots,
felt bottom, and a wade staff will also help you stay safe. |
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