Cedar River, Iowa Fishing Report 6-5-2009

Fantastic!! This is the only word that comes to mind, that can sum up the walleye fishing in the interior rivers of Iowa for the past month. The bite has been fantastic, fast paced, and extremely rewarding!
Over the past month, I have exclusively spent time working over the new Draggin Jigs from B Fish N Tackle Co. Two words that sum that up… They work! Flat out!!

When looking for walleyes in Iowa’s interior rivers, there are a few key things to pay attention too- Depth, current, and presence of bait fish. These all go hand in hand and work together in producing a walleye honey hole.

First, there has to be adequate depth. How is deep is too deep, how shallow is too shallow? Well, let me say this, in the past month, I have caught fish in as shallow as 1 foot of water, to as deep as twelve. We have had a lot of rain in Iowa over the past month, so the water clarity is jumping all over the clarity scale. When light penetration creates enough clarity for a walleye to see effectively, then you have the right depth to begin searching for fish. Sometimes, this can be two feet or less, other times it will be 12 foot of water. It is a good idea to cover 2-12 FOW. Secondly, you need current, or current close by. This is key. I have not found any walleyes in slack water. They are on current breaks/seams or in eddies, with water flowing upstream. Current also brings in the third key ingredient, and that is baitfish. If the current is too strong, or too slow, the area will be void of bait fish. You can have the right depth, the right current, and still there may be no baitfish, which means, no walleyes.

On to the catching. As I stated early, I have been giving the 1/8 and 1/4 ounce draggin jigs exclusive time this past month, and they have performed flawlessly. Dragging them over wood, or rocks, they simply don’t get hung up. Which means, you will spend more time with your jig in the strike zone, then snagged and re-tying jigs. This has been crucial to my success this past month. Often times I will get frustrated and give up on a spot if I lose a couple jigs quickly. This can be our worst mistake. Often times in Iowa, walleyes hang out in the the brush and the snags. Being able to fish these snaggy areas effectively, will put more numbers of walleyes in your boat. If you haven’t given the draggin jigs a try, I strongly recommend that you do. I have been rigging the jigs with a half a crawler, or half of a gulp crawler. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

The best part of it all? The anticipation of the next bite, Because when you experience your first draggin jig bite, whether it is flipping/pitching, vertical jigging, or draggin, your heart will skip a beat on your next bite. These walleyes have been absolutely inhaling the Draggin jig/crawler combo. The strikes are vicious!!!

If your like me, and sometimes lose you sanity over breaking off jigs repeatedly while trying to catch fish, then do yourself a favor and order up some Draggin Jigs, and give them a try- The fishing is fantastic right now!!

Please remember to practice selective harvest, and Catch, Photo, and Release!! This is key in continuing to enjoy the great walleye fishing we have here in Iowa!!

Good Luck! Stay safe, and we’ll see you on the water!!