STAN'S CORNER

The Columbia River - “The West’s Top Water for Walleyes” - Part 1

By Stan Fagerstrom

Part 1

It’s well established that the Columbia River has produced some of the largest walleye caught anywhere in the country in recent years.

Catches of Columbia River walleye of 10 pounds or more aren’t coming as often as they were before these newcomers were "discovered" by

Oregon and Washington anglers.  Increased pressure has taken its toll of the big river's monsters, but they are still to be had.  The Columbia River serves as a dividing line for a big stretch between Oregon and Washington.  It is along this portion of the river that some of its largest walleye have been caught.  The Washington State record now tops 18-pounds.  That record was established in 2002.  The Oregon record now stands at more than 19-pounds.  That whopper was boated in 1990.  Getting them into the boat on a consistent basis, as Pacific Northwest newcomers to walleye fishing have discovered, isn't all that easy.  These good eating members of the perch family aren't easily understood.  And they aren't easy to catch.  Many Pacific Northwest anglers are still in the process of getting a firm handle on the most productive approach to walleye fishing.   The walleye, as anyone who has fished for them seriously knows, is one of the most frustrating of all fish.  Goodness knows largemouth bass are bad enough.  Experienced walleye anglers who also have bass fishing experience usually say the same thing---a walleye is even worse. If you don't choose to take my word for it, visit with some of the men who guide for walleye on the Columbia.  I’ve talked to and fished with a number of them.  Some of these experts don’t spend all of their time guiding for walleye.  They also go after bass, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon.  They have the experience to know which of the various game fish species are most difficult to catch.  These experts usually tell me the same thing: It’s the walleye that presents the biggest challenge of all the Columbia River’s game fish.  I’ll share some of the thoughts these Columbia River walleye guides have shared with me in this and my next two Mack’s Lure columns. "The walleye is so darned elusive," one guide told me.  "Trying to find them is more like hunting than fishing.  If you find them in one stretch of the Columbia today, you can almost be sure they won't be there tomorrow." I’ve also had opportunity to probe the thoughts of different Columbia River walleye guides while I was sharing a boat with them on the Columbia.  The experience provided a super opportunity to ask them what advice they could share with me that I could in turn share with readers of this Mack’s Lure Internet column.

"For starters," several guides said, "walleyes are really spooky.  If there is water skiing or jet skiers around, be assured the walleyes won't be.  You might as well look for another spot."

These Columbia River guides also encouraged anyone interested in walleyes to try different lure combinations until they find something that works.  Sometimes a change might be no more involved than simply switching the color of the beads or the Smile Blades used on a worm rig.   I’ve had some of the top walleye tournament pros tell me the same thing.  Recently I wrote about a tournament angler who was having a really hard time getting hits using a metal blade ahead of his worm rig.  He changed to a Mack’s Lure Smile Blade that he’d had good luck with on other occasions.  The result?  He got two more fish to fill out his limit of five fish.  That guy wound up winning the tournament in which he was participating at the time. You’ll usually find walleye anglers around the country using bait of one kind of another with their lure setups.  "Always tip your lures with a nightcrawler," another guide said.  “Get the largest worms you can find.  Use a two-hook set up.  Insert the top hook in the head of the worm.  The second should be hooked into the worm's sex band.  The rest of the worm should hang out straight so it has a swimming action." I’ve had other walleye experts tell me they favor having their second hook back near the tail of the worm.  They maintained that while the worm might not have as much action when it is rigged that way, the hook is back where it will nail the short strikers more often. 

As I’ve already mentioned, I’ll share additional tips on Columbia River walleye fishing in my next two columns.  Watch for the second part in this series to begin March 15. 

-To Be Continued