New Year..New Run of Handline Walleyes

Not that handlining would take the place of Rod and Reel, because pitching Jigs and feeling that thump of a Walleye smacking your jig and plastic is irreplaceable in my opinion. But each year I look forward to the male walleyes taking care of the eggs for the upcoming season. I like to pick at them and I’ve come across some pretty nice ones. But that little tug on the arm letting me know that spring is here is also a lot of fun.
This season is just starting !!

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Go Dave go!!

Nice fish Dave,good job.

Gee I just moved closer to you Dave and you didnt invite me. LOL!!! Nice job, I never tried that type of fishing. Just another one of many ways to catch eyes.

Nice fish Dave! Stick it to em!

That’s a happy man. What’s the lure you were pulling?

I’ve had some success on 3-ways with a #9 Floating Rap or Berkeley Hit Stick in hot steel or crazed steel (Hit Stick). Of course, every day is different!

Handlining I have been pulling Hot Steel and Hot Olive on the short line and Husky Jerk #8 on the long line

Thank you!

Are you still having any luck with the hand lining I’d love to come up yet this spring and give it a try! Haven’t gotten the chance for a couple years now! Just courious as to how late in the spring I can use that tactic successfully thanks

Rainbow620,

It really depends on where your looking to fish…down river where the water temps are warmer, the males may have already moved on….up in the cities…this could be maybe a week or two ? really hard to say…

Good Luck !!

I’m pretty sure the spawn is over with, or at LEAST wound way down by now on pool 2. It’s been an odd spring on the river, or so it seems to me. Does anyone else feel this way? I know the p4 guys have not been doing too hot, for the most part. Or maybe that has changed for you all?

This has been an odd spring for me sure, but i haven’t seen a spring with stable mild water conditions yet. Some folks tell me this is normal and the past 5 years have been abnormal. Bite has been consistent and good throughout March and April with stable flow and good clarity. Pulled a 29″ yesterday that wasn’t quite done dropping eggs yet.

I saw about 4 or 5 boats hand lining yesterday on pool 4. I didn’t notice any of them catch anything, but I wasn’t fishing by them very long though either.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

This has been an odd spring for me sure, but i haven’t seen a spring with stable mild water conditions yet. Some folks tell me this is normal and the past 5 years have been abnormal. Bite has been consistent and good throughout March and April with stable flow and good clarity. Pulled a 29″ yesterday that wasn’t quite done dropping eggs yet.

I haven’t been able to get out much this spring but I’d take this if it’s “normal.” I’ve been pretty consistent fishing the past 5 or so springs and every year there have been periods of minor or major floods and rapid water rises. I think it was 2 years ago when she went to major and stayed that way from late March into June. River was almost unfishable on P2.

Not so much this year with the exception of the recent rise. But, this rise is pretty tame. I think there is a bit of spawn left but we are likely on the very tail end of it.