After a week on Lake Erie with some good friends, pulling 25 to 31 inch walleyes I have come back to reality and set up for some hand lining on pool 9 with another buddy of mine. Using a pound and a quarter drop and leads at 5 and 15 feet we pulled stick baits just above the bottom over rock and gravel bottom. Stick baits like the floating rapalas in 7-9 and 11 in various colors were taking male walleyes for us.
Pulling hand line gear is something everyone should experience at least once in their life, sometimes this method is on fire (like yesterday) and sometimes not…
On our first pass, we caught 9 walleyes and released most everyone. All the fish we caught yesterday were legal sized males males and they were milting all over the place. I believe out of around 30 fish we caught only 2 or 3 were not over 15 inches.
Feisty, feisty males…some of these fish would hit so hard and fight like they were small mouth bass, darting and running like mad…. lots of fun for sure!! Our fish today were mostly in the 16-inch range…a couple were over 20 inches.
From 1pm to around 6pm we caught around 30 walleyes and released 20 or so…The action could be narrowed down to three or so spots that really held the fish in a long stretch…The key for us was to narrow down these spots and work them harder than the other unproductive places…
See you on the water!!
Koonce your driving me nuts
I gotta get out there!!
Great report…That guy with you must be a pretty good fisherman
I know one thing for sure , and that is he is real good at hand lining
I really wish I would not of had to cancel my day ecnook you guys musta had a blast
Reading all of this has just made me sick
Been wanting to get back on the water since last Friday. But been busy running around the country looking at new modular homes, getting bids from excavating contractors and all those good things that go with getting and setting up a new home. Also running to Doctors and hospitals, clinics getting a mess of testing done. Now tomorrow go in to see if I have a blockage that needs cleaning out. Crapola is all I got to say about it. If it wasn’t for a couple of my kids I could be out there fishing. 
Oh well, God bless them. Hope it makes them happy. And I know it’s only because they care. I’ve lived with these same problems since I was 30 some years. Almost 70 now. So guess God figures my time on this land is not up as yet. TOO much fishing to do yet. 
Nice catch of fish you two. And thanks for the report.
Great report Dave.
It must have been a fun day for the both of you.
That hand lining stuff sure has it’s time and place.
Fishing Machine, look at it this way: Getting the phyical problems taken care of will give you many more years of fishing.
And that sounds like one heck of a good reason. Besides, sounds like you are a very special person as your kids have made it very clear they want you around for a very long time. 
Can’t beat those reasons. 
Thanks, Bill
Dave, Nice handlining report
. I see you are using moslty floating raps in the #7 #9 and #11 sizes. Has one size been more productive for you than another overall? 
Nope not really,The smaller rapala I put on the bottom and the larger one I put on the top…For the most part I use a #7 on the bottom and either a 9 or 11 on the top. This has been the killer as of late..
Nice report Koonce!
I sure had a ball handlining out on the Detroit river. I may have to pick a set of those goofy reels up someday!
They sure work!
Nice batch of fish Dave, when do I get to come over and give handlining a whirl?
OK, I’m a pretty knowledgable angler, but I am not sure what you mean by handlining? Can you give me a quick explaination.Thanks.
I see i will have to do a demo….Give me till next week and I’ll get some pix and a report on this…
The very best and most entertaining way to learn handlining is to spend a day handlining with ecnook. Dave has his boat rigged and ready for handlining at all times,just pull the reels and leads out of the bag and hang on
Dave was kind enough to invite BFD and myself along to try out his brand new rigs a few years ago, and since we had heard somewhere that you could catch walleyes by dragging sash weights attached to wire held in your hand, we happily agreed to go.
It was a great day. Not only did we catch fish handlining, we also learned new netting techniques.
Dave also showed us some good long lining cuts. This Koonce fellow looks goofy….but he really knows fishing on pools 9&10.
If you are serious about handlining, spend a day with Dave Koonce, he is the master
Thanks Bill. Yes, I do have some really wonderful, thoughtful and caring kids. So happy to have had them.
Have to stay cool for a couple of days. 
No driving, no lifting so means no fishing for me. But guess I can handle that for now. Then watch out all you walleye. I’m coming to get you. 
Well to all of you wonderful fishing people out here, I will be around for a long long time. According to the DR. Didn’t find any blockage and am not on any medication. Have a very light heart problem nothing to worry about. How Great It Is
Great Doctor reports!
When you get out there catch a few for me too. 
Thanks, Bill
You look pretty light hearted to me!
The Walleyes will be smiling all the way to the boat! 
Thats the only way to be!!!
Keep Fishing and KEEP SMILING!!!!