WALLEYE RUN

Every Spring, thousands of anglers descend on Northwest Ohio to fish the waters of the Maumee & Sandusky Rivers for a spawning run of Walleye followed by White Bass. Popular spots include the downtown of Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky River) and Sidecut Park of Toledo, Ohio (Maumee River). While I wont get too specific on the science of the run, I will give a basic overview. The fish that enter these tributaries are a small portion of the resident Walleye from the Western Basin of Lake Erie and some from Lake St.Clair. Fish usually start showing up in early March and continue to be present through mid to late April. The White Bass that follow the Walleye will often continue several weeks past this. Most people consider the water temperature hitting 40 degrees as the start of the run. At this point, the anglers start to show up and the fishing pressure can be intense. Many people do not like fishing the run due to the 'elbow to elbow' crowded fishing conditions. If you avoid the weekends and are willing to try spots a bit tougher for fish you can avoid the crowds somewhat. Also, it tends to get blown out of proportion about everyone's behavior, most folks get along fine. I've made a lot of friends for the day with my nearby anglers. My best advice is just to tell folks to anticipate that you will have anglers fish very close to you, and coach yourself into a good attitude about it. If you go into it prepared for this, you will have a lot more fun with the run and view it as part of the overall experience.  Trust me on this.


The Ohio DNR has a strong presence at the Walleye Run, both visibly and undercover efforts. Their main goal is to make sure people are not illegally snagging fish. Many people feel the DNR tends to be a bit too militant at this time, however, I have never had anything but positive firsthand experiences. I will say it is a good idea if you walk by any trash or debris to pick it up, whether it was yours or not. This is a good sportsman quality to have at all times and is especially smart during the run.  Overall, just follow the law and you will not have a problem.  Anything questionable, error on the side of caution.


There are a few stereotypes and misinformation that always seem to surface about the run that completely make me angry. One is that the fish aren't biting and that they are all snagged. Simply put, this just isn't true. When you fish for them, you will feel the strike often no different than a bass, and the obvious strike is verified when you net a fish that is clearly mouth hooked. At times you will inadvertantly snag a fish, usually you can tell it is a snag and not a bite immediately. When this happens, just release the fish and no harm. I was motivated a few years ago to call the ODNR after reading on some of the fishing web communities people's opinions and thoughts about the run. An Ohio DNR fish biologist from the Cleveland office was nice enough to give me about an hour of their time. Thank you Andy! The first question I asked was regarding a claim that the DNR had done a study that showed the fish aren't biting. Needless to say, that was quickly discarded as non factual. The DNR has never done any study to quantify or qualify the way, reason, or any other aspect of the feeding of the 'run' fish. They just simply operate with the complete understanding the fish do bite and are legally taken, with the enforcement division actively seeking those anglers taking fish when this does not occur. We had a lengthy discussion over how the river fish were considered snagged by unethical angling rifraf yet the boaters fishing the same spawning fish in the lake was perceived as 'sporting'. This leads right into the next aspect that we talked about concerning the run. Why is the run open to fishing at all if the fish are spawning? It was explained to me that the number of fish entering the rivers to spawn is only a very small portion of the total Walleye population. The Walleye entering into the river also have a much more statistically tough time to have a successful spawn verses the much larger population in the lake. This isn't from angling pressure but rather the specific conditions needed in the river to make the spawn successful. Anyone familiar with NW Ohio weather knows how often our weather is sporadic and inconsistent. The proposed data expressed in the phonecall was that even with perfect conditions in the river, that successful spawn would likely represent 15% or less of the total Walleye population. More commonly the river fish represent 4 to 8% of the total population. If anything, to me, this would indicate closer regulations for the lake fish as they make up the larger portion of the fish population and also are more likely to successfully spawn. I am playing 'devil's advocate' of course, and I do think the river fish should also have some regulation to be assured they are successful enough to keep creating a fresh crop of fish that will return. Overall, the argument really shoudn't be over the run it should be whether people believe in fishing during the spawn at all. The debate over that is something well known to bass fisherman and will always be going on, it surely won't be decided anytime soon, especially on a small site like this.

Enough about the politics, onto catching these fine fish! Most people wade, there are a few shorefishing spots, and some use small boats. This is one of the few times that I really don't think the boaters have the upperhand. Between navigating the heavy current and the extremely shallow water, I just assume wade. Most use spinning gear, and a pole between 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long with either 8 or 10 pound mono. If you use braid, it will often start freying on all the rocks. The standard rig is a simple lead head and single tail grub. Weight varies and commonly it is thought to use the lightest weight you can that will still get you on the bottom. Tails vary in size also, 3" to 4" is standard. As for colors, every person you ask will have a different opinion. I will say this, there have been days where it really seems not to matter at all and there have been days where one specific combination seems to work. Whether it's fact or fiction, take a few different combos, but more importantly, pay attention to technique. The most important thing is to make sure you get low enough, let the jig hit the bottom, then retrieve making contact with the bottom rather frequently to make sure your presentation is as close to the bottom as possible. It's almost like a jigging retrieve. Another setup is the carolina rig. At the original time that I wrote this page, the carolina rig was more of a novelty and finesse tactic that only a few people used.  It has since gained in popularity, likely now that more people are using it than the traditional approach. With this, just use a floating head with your grub, make a leader ranging from 16" to 36", barrel swivel and egg sinker.


The fish you catch will largely be jacks (males), they are the first to show up and throughout the run they seem to feed more. Most of these fish will be 16 to 22 inches, however, you can catch some huge males. As for the females, they don't seem to bite much pre spawn or during spawn, but post spawn they seem to feed a bit. Those individuals lucky enough to catch a female are often treated to a real trophy of a specimen. Many people will release the females and larger fish as they want to protect the fishery as well as prefer the smaller fish as table fare. I tend to agree with releasing the females, however, keeping a trophy is understandable.

A sure sign that the Walleye Run is starting to wind down is when you start encountering White Bass.  If it's late in the run and you feel like you are constantly missing strikes, try downsizing your jig/grub combo.  Often this will be all it takes to find out that you are now fishing for White Bass.
The White Bass Run has a somewhat loyal following in it's own right, but overall you will see significantly less anglers.  The only exception is downtown Fremont, Ohio, where the White Bass anglers assemble in masses.  I should note that many White Bass enthusiasts fish with live bait (minnows) over the jig/grub combo.  After May 1 each year when the specific restrictions lift, many people opt for inline spinners or other multi hook lures.
 
Spring is always a great time to fish and as a multi species angler it is a lot of fun.  Along with the targeted species of Walleye and White Bass, I have encountered Common Carp, Buffalo, Channel Catfish, Bullhead, Quillback, Longnose Gar, Large & Smallmouth Bass, various suckers and even Steelhead.  It is likely I am even forgetting a few others.
 
I do get asked about guiding, I'm pretty informal and just will try to coordinate being on the water at the same time and place.  If conditions are right and a person is patient and willing to learn, I can usually get them catching legal fish.  I have pristine private property specifically for the White Bass which I would always offer for some kind of 'Trade-A-Trip' type fishing experience your way.  Feel free to contact me at:  adam@coolwaterfish.com
 
 

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