After a slow afternoon on Opener working the Hudson Channel and I-94 area I hit the water yesterday on the search for some active walleye. I planned on hitting some areas south of Hudson and found a sporadic bite at best.
I began my search fishing in the Kinni Narrows. Where my 1st pass through leadline trolling a firetiger shad rap produced 1 short walleye. The fish bit when I kicked my boat out of gear to almost a deadstop in a deeper hole. After my 1st pass upstream tolling I stopped the boat at the north entrance of the narrows. I marked good numbers of fish and baitfish suspended in the area from 16 to 30 plus feet. A lindyrigged crawler produced zilch drifting the area and following the 20 to 25 foot contour. So I put on a jig and minnow and was hit right away by a whitebass. I continued working this area for a while catching whitebass and sheephead snapjigging with the current and trolling spinner rigs and crawlers upstream. I finally got a nice waldo to take a spinner harness and crawler barely making way into the current in 17 fow. I was rigged with 2.5 oz bottom bouncer a small, silver, colorado, blade and red beeds and hooks. It was not a forociuos bite and I just felt steady pressure and then weight.
I didn’t find the fish I was looking for at the Kinni so I ventured north and hit some areas between the Kinni and Afton. Once again I was marking fish in the depths, couldn’t get them to go. I ended up catching a few shorts from about 20 fow along an inside bend with a mix of rubble and sand. The fish were biting on that spinner harness with an upsized silver colorado blade and a lindyrig, crawler, and orange hook.
I ended my day in Afton fishing a break holding fish in 15 to 25 fow. In short order I had 3 nice walleye in the boat on a lindyrig and crawler w/ an orange hook. (all fish were released today) Once again the bite was real suddle and you just felt weight. After 3 quick eyes it was like the fish developed lock jaw. I tried numerous presentations in the same area still holding fish and only got 1 more bite on an Orange jig and minnow combo that I lost halfway in. Yesterday was still mighty cold and it snowed several times I expect that things will pick up with warmer weather coming soon.
Thanks for the report, Lindy. I was also out on Saturday. Fished similiar areas, Kinni, Catfish, Hudson Channel. Got nothing in the channel, caught four small eyes on catfish on leeches and lindy’s. Moved south of the Kinni and drifted shoreline and caught four more eyes there. 3 on leeches, 1 on crawler harness. Bite was tough, saw more sheephead caught than eyes. Heard reports that minnows were the ticket on the Kinni later in the afternoon. Going back out Saturday morning so we’ll have to compare notes again next week! Should be able to zero in on them quicker based on experience this last weekend.
Nice report. I was also out last saturday, starting out in Prescott handlining. I found that the fish were holding in 15-25FOW, normal for this type of weather. Boated 5 good keepers 16-20″ plus a kicker 24″ eye which I released. I think on these cold front days handlining realy pays off. Although I boated fish you realy had to work for them. I did venture up the croix hitting my normal milk run but never made it to the kinni. I only cought small eyes and silver bass so I headed back down to Prescott to finish out the night had 2 more small eyes on 3 passes.I decided To leave after loosing what was going to be my last fish and packed it up. If we get some warm steady weather I feel the bite will be awsome. Baites that were working well were 11cm floating raps in rainbow and silver with orange back, loud baits like firetigre were not working.
Ok, I have to ask. I’ve seen the term handlining used some on this site, I don’t know what it is. Would someone mind explaining the basics of handlining and perhaps where/when it is most effective? I guess I can’t learn if I don’t ask.
Welcome aboard Cougareye
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I know what handlining is, but have very minimal inforamation on it. I’m sure some of the river rats can chime in. I know some people use it down on Pool 4. I think both Nate and Bill Cadwell handline own there. Be patient someone will chirp up some info on it.
Welcome to IDA cougareye and John K glad to have you hear. This bite will improve with warmer weather and we should start finding fish shallower.
Cougareye where did you get your hands on handlining equipment I’ve been interested in trying it.
JohnK like Lip Ripper I don’t know the specifics on this technique, but Ill try to explain what I know.
The system involves a heavy wire line spooled onto a big hand reel. The Wire line is weighted with a downrigger weight? and the line has several clips/harnasses? for connecting numerous stickbaits attatched to mono leaders of different lengths. This hole thing is dropped in the water weight 1st then 1st 2nd and 3rd stickbait and is trolled while you hold the main wire line in your hand.
Anyone more familiar with this technique please feel free to chime in
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You explained it very well. There is no rod used just a reel. The reel is self winding like a recoil. It is spooled with 60lb wire. Attached to that is a “shank”, which is a 4-6 foot 30lb wire with clevises every 6″ and a snap at the bottom which the weight is attached. Then you have the leaders, these are then attached to the cleveses on the shank. leaders I use are anywere from 10-40 feet made from 20lb mono. You attach 2 leaders to your shank, one long and one shorter. Your short leader will always be half as long as your long leader, so if you run a 40′ leader for your top leader your short one will be a 20’leader. With the 20lb leader material you will get about 1 inch of drop for every foot of leader when using a 11cm floating rapala. So the 40′ leader will be attached to the 8th cleves up from the bottom of the shank which would be 48″ up putting your bait about 8″ off the bottom. Your 20′ leader would be on the 4th cleves up from the bottom of the shank which would be 24″ up putting your bait 4″ off the bottom. Leaders I use are a 30’& 15′ or 40’& 20′ or 20′ & 10′. The reason for 20lb leader material is that it does no tangle and knot up when it piles up when landing a fish and if it does it is easily untangled. The weights are anywere fron 1lb – 3lb depending on the curent and speed, You want the wire to keep a 45 degree angle to the bottom this keeps the geometry of 1 inch of drop to one foot of leader and your distance of the lure off the bottom correct. And you con move your leaders up and down on the shank depending on how far off the bottom the fish are feeding. It sounds complicated but it is very easy once you try it. Need Hand line suplies go to
Anglingadventurestv.com . Good luck fishing and Mabe I’ll see you on the water. Blue tiller TUFFY boat, name is John.
John and Lindy, thanks for the info. I’ll be on the Croix Saturday morning. Alumacraft (tan, red, white markings) full walk thru windshield. Names Eric! Thanks again for explaining that process.