River walleyes ?????

[Cornfed]

I have never actually fished for walleyes... picked up a few occasionally while bass fishing, but have never really targeted them for one reason or another. I am interested in trying to catch a few this spring in the rivers in eastern Iowa.

Anyone willing to share some tips for a river walleye fishing newbie? No boat involved, I will be wading or fishing from the bank. I do not like using live bait unless that is all that will work... I enjoy casting when I fish.... any lure suggestions, times of day, water conditions, locations to target in a river, best time to fish for them in the spring, etc. I pretty much know little if anything about river walleyes.

Any suggestions, or tips to help lower the learning curve would be greatly appreciated!

 

[gobblechaser]

we've been using pink jig heads with chartuse bodies. work them very slow
feeling the bottom. below any dam is the hot spot to be now. good luck and remember, slow retrieve. hope this helps

 

[Cornfed]

What weight heads are you using? poundage of line? .... do the fish hit the jig hard or are they light biters?.... are you casting into the riffles or along eddies, etc?

Also... can you catch them pretty much any time of day? or is a specific time of day much better than the rest?

Any further insight you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DannyBoy]

Jig and twister would be my first choice. White, pinks, orange, greens, chartreuse. Size of jig depends on current. Smaller rivers an 1/8 oz. would be my first choice, and you'll probably pick up a lot of smallies as well. Faster currents you could use a bigger jig or set up a tandem. I prefer 8lb. test. Wing damns, below damns, and deeper pools with structure are always good, or a break in the shore where the current swirls around and gathers baitfish, and shallow backwater type areas later in the summer at night where they will go in to feed. You will often confuse a walleye bite with a snag because usually they feel like dead weight until you get them in closer. I prefer fishing them later in the afternoon. Once the water warms up crankbaits will catch fish also. I can go on forever giving you colors on them... good ol firetiger will never do you wrong, perch, silver's, and glass raps are my fave's. Wally Divers or Rapalas, don't bother with the cheapies. 5's or 7's. in straight body or jointed...

 

[COLTER]

I would also recommend a steel leader or at least some braided line. I don't know how close you are to the upper Iowa but I have heard people have good luck for them their. Walleyes seem to be more active when the water is choppy, and right before a front is moving in. I don't fish them to much from the bank but you could also try down by the power plant in Lansing if it is close.

Try to find rocky drop offs, or wing dams they will be on the lower side of those usually I like to be in about 8 foot of water.

 

[moosehunter]

I've picked up eyes below the lower dam on the Upper Iowa bouncing jigs off the bottom tipped with a minnow. Along with smallies, northern, catfish and about anything else that piles up below the dam.