Here’s how to be ready for this year’s spring walleye run in Ohio

To picture the change since my first walleye run, I liken it to the rotary phone in the house compared to the smarter than me phone (camera) in my pocket. The fish are still the same. The rivers? Cleaner, thanks to the Clean Water Act. My world, though, is far from the innocent beginning when I gave little thought to another sunrise.

The walleye migration up the Maumee River has been called the greatest run in the U.S. My journey started in the Sandusky River, a lesser known, but golden opportunity of its own.

Too young to drive, a friend and his dad would take me whenever they went. We fished from the bank. The Maumee came later, when I owned hip boots. My exact destination depended on who was doing the driving.

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I remember it as if yesterday, a fish bumped hard into my downstream leg. I imagined the walleye numbers great enough to be written in the history books. Perhaps it was another giant gizzard shad, never saw them so big, well over a foot long.

That was the early 1970s. The walleye runs are no longer local treasures. The number of anglers is hard to grasp. Some have traveled great distances to get there. From places such as Minnesota, a land of endless walleye lakes, and the Mississippi River no less.

I enjoy talking to the anglers I meet. A little respect goes a long way with strangers. It makes it easier for me to enjoy time on the water when it is a bit crowded. If you think a run is just what the doctor ordered, you are in luck, the run is about to begin.

Presentation

Locals use a “Carolina Rig,” modified from the original concept, though still a weight-forward presentation of soft plastics. The rig is equipped with a fixed sinker (trolling, in-line) tied between the line and leader followed by a floating jighead with curly tail grub.

Anglers cast out perpendicular to the flow, letting it swing downstream as far as possible before wrapping the next angler. Recognizing a strike takes practice. The sensation of a walleye biting, rather than striking to feed, is subtle.

Setting the hook as the line stops or feels like a snag is key. The familiar strike we are used to is just not there. Think of it as line watching through your hands. Waiting for the moment you recognize a change in the feel. Easier said than done, for sure. It will come to you with practice.

Rod

A 6 1⁄2- to 8-foot rod will work. A longer rod gives more leverage for setting the hook on a long line. One of medium power is sufficient or a medium heavy if you prefer. Baitcasting gear is just as applicable as spinning gear. Go with what you know best.

Line

Braid, 15- to 20-pound test, is the common thread among anglers, and 10-pound fluorocarbon for the leader. I use traditional monofilament as the running line and leader, 10-pound line to an 8-pound leader. Higher water may find me using 12-pound running line to a 10-pound leader. The water is turbid enough during the average spring to use mono.

The leader has taken on a life of its own. It was short when the Carolina Rig first came into use on the river, 12 to 18 inches. Today the anglers use the longest leader possible, 6-foot and longer. They want a longer leader to make a greater sweep over the stream bed while casting from a fixed position. I find a 3- to 4-foot leader is more manageable when casting and landing fish.

Rig

I use homemade hollow-core sinkers, a slinky with snapswivels attached at each end, instead of commercial trolling sinkers. I make each weigh 1⁄2- to 5⁄8-ounce.

I skip the floating jighead, too, opting for a crawler float with a high-quality hook I select instead. Crawler floats are developed for walleye fishing with a suspended worm harness, Santee Cooper style. My float butts up against a snelled hook superglued to a straight or paddle tail swimbait. A glued swimbait stays in place longer.

I store each leader with sinker in a resealable bag. I replace the entire rig when necessary, including the sinker, after cutting off the last couple of feet of running line. The running line stays fresh, the knot, strong.

The hook gets beat as much as the line. It often needs work to do its job. Small pliers help re-bend if needed. A hook sharpener keeps the point sharp for the moment you have been waiting for.

Regulations

Site-specific regulations are in effect from March 1 to April 30 this year. Fishing is allowed only from sunrise to sunset in the Mahoning, Maumee, Portage, and Sandusky rivers. The line may not have a hook larger than half-inch from shank to point, or lure having more than a single hook larger than half-inch from shank to point. Double and treble hooks are prohibited.