river walleyes

[wheelierida]

Have you guys been catching eyes this year? it seems like every time I go out I get at least one! last time I went out it was the worst fishing I've had all year on the river and I still caught a walleye. In previos years I would rarely even hear about people catching eyes. any one else notice this? If you get them do you keep em? some I keep, some I let go, just depends on whether I feel like cleaning fish.

[BigMike]

The first fish I caught at the Monti gathering a few weeks ago was a eater size 'eye! Of course the guys wouldn't let me live that down... "the river rules clearly state a 2inch deduction from your largest smallie for every walleye you catch" LOL.

Oh well, at least you know they are in there. They are fewer and smaller than the southern pools but still in there. From the Coon Rapids dam down, and definitely on Pool 2, the walleyes get real big!

------------------
Mike
TJ Tackle Pro-Staff

[Guest]

I am new to posting on this site but have been reading the wealth of information here for over a year now. You guys are full of it! (fishing information too)

I am also new to fishing the river. I spend most of my fishing time on lakes. However, I have been on the river twice in the past two weeks around Sauk Rapids just feeling my way around (inspired to try the smallies out after reading all the tips here). Well, it may be beginner's luck (or not) but I can only catch walleyes. I have been using a jig with a plastic grub on the "edges" with lots of action. Those nice small eater walleyes from the river taste great, but I don't know about the consumption guidelines for the river. How do you guys feel about eating them?
Now, I would really like to learn how to catch those smallies, but I can't complain about walleyes either!!
More time on the river next year will help as hunting season will start to interfere soon.

[Royce Aardahl]

I targeted eyes for about 10 years on the big river from the college up to about rivers edge restraunt. My best results came from finding a slow drop off and then I would anchor and jig with a bare hook and a fathead minnow. Sometimes it can really get crazy. Either use the whole scoop of fatheads or 2. I mainly fished them up till mid July then again in September and October. Shore fishing can really turn on the first half of October just jigging a minnow and a bare hook. I run my split shot under the hook about 6 inches so save hooks and tying time. As far as eating goes the advisory is better than a lot of lakes. Most of the fish I caught over the years were 10 inchers to 15 inchers with a nicer one once in a while but not lots of them. Have fun.

[Keith_MN]

I have a friend who actually targets walleyes on the river. Where he finds time with all the smallies just waiting to be caught I do not know. But anyway, he has been doing very well this summer.

I have caught the occasional random walleye here and there myself, but to consistently catch walleyes on the river is an art that I am not even close to mastering. Trolling crank baits and bottom bouncers will get you a few, but my friend catches the majority of his by jigging.

And there are some nice size walleyes in the river north of the twin cities, they are just fewer and farther between.

------------------
Keith_MN

I plan to live forever......so far so good!

[Guest]

The walleyes seem to be more abundant this year on the river and the sizes are considerably larger. The last three times out we have put 23 in the canoe and half were over 18 inches. Including 4 in the 25-27 inch range. All we are using is a split shot and a crawler.
We have never had such luck with the walleyes in summers past. Up until Fall the walleyes have always been a bonus while casting for smallies.

[wheelierida]

the only lure I ever use is a pink jig and a white tail. and I'm fishing beetween monti and elk river. I wouldn't race up there for the walley bite, it's usually just one or two fish in beetween the smallies.

Hey fish stearns, I'd say go ahead and eat up those eater size walleye but please let anything over 20" go so they can make more eaters. those 20" and up are too big for your average size frying pan anyways!!

Good Luck!!

[wheelierida]

fish stearns, I'm not sure about the saulk rapids area but around elk river They only recomend 1 meal per month! I might die of mercury poisoning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HA...........