# Maumee River Walleye Run Tip



## Walleye007 (Apr 2, 2006)

Its common knowledge that your line is going to get snagged in the river. When caught up, DO NOT cut your line off at the tip of your rod! This will ruin the hole that you are fishing in. Not only does it ruin the hole for you, it ruins it for other anglers. After you cut your line as mentioned, the snag does not go away and it creates anywhere from 25 to 50+yards of line following in the current. On future casts, you will not only get snagged in the same spot as before, chances are you will catch the line you cut. Once a couple of people do this, it makes for miserable fishing conditions.

A good way of dealing with a tough snag is to point the tip of your rod in the direction of the snag. Hold your spool so no more line can be released and pull backwards. One of two things will happen. 1. You line will become free or 2. Your line will break close to spot it is snagged. Simply reel you line in and re-tie a jig/leader. This method does not put strain on the rod and minimizes the amount of line left in the river. 

Good luck fishing the run! See you on the river.


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## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

I have NEVER gotten snagged in the river...

:Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21::Banane21:


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## Wade042 (Mar 27, 2008)

...and don't throw spoons, crankbaits, or let your line drift all the way down the river and because you will reel everyone elses line back along with yours.


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## Mr. Moony (Sep 10, 2008)

when you have fished the run for 20 years or more your jig will begin to form eyeballs and will be able to dodge snags.


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

lol I cant wait for mine to grow eyes


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## revpilot (Feb 10, 2009)

GOOD TIP, you also dont need 80lb braid to fish the river  I pulled out about 500yds of line i could use for anchor line last year.........


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## mss420 (Feb 26, 2009)

i understand why everyone hates snagging on braided line left in the river left behind idiots, but not all of us are stupid about it. i use a 30 braid line every year for the run and only the run. its all about common sense. if u snag do as suggested earlier and just pull strait back on the line, u will either get it unstuck or u will break the line ate the knot. if anything u should praise people like me because my line pulls out all of the snags left behind by others, both braided and mono. I pull many snags a year because my line doesn't break. no matter what u fish with a little common sense and consideration of others can go a long way.


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## paintED (Mar 8, 2007)

I use braid on my spool and use a flouro leader(one of 24-36inches and of a lesser strength) to accomadate the break offs when I get snagged. the short expanse of mono or flouro leader does not produce enough noticable difference in the sensitivity to justify a total use of braid. IMO.


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## Walleye007 (Apr 2, 2006)

As exemplified here, there seems to be a misunderstanding about braid and the walleye run. I do not think that braided line itself is a problem. Quite the contrary, I find that it allows for greater sensitivity for feeling the bottom and fast strikes. Plus it is more durable than other lines. However, cutting braid at the tip of one's rod is detrimental to our fishing holes. Unlike mono, braid takes a much longer time to break down. Once a few anglers cut their braid (or mono), it creates one heck of a mess. At the end of the run last year, a few holes near Buttonwood where so full of line, I caught discarded lines nearly every cast. The run is challenging enough with the Mighty Maumee's natural snags, adding multiple yards of line requires the utmost patience and skill to deal with. 

This has been my experience, yours of course many vary. Multiple anglers over the years have commented to me about the hassle discarded line makes. I agree with them wholeheartedly. I thought maybe by sharing my experience, we could help make a tiny improvement for everyone heading down to the best run of fish we have here in NW Ohio. 

Tight lines fellas!


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

> One of two things will happen. 1. You line will become free or 2. Your line will break close to spot it is snagged.


3. You wreck the gears in your reel. 


JMO...have a glove with you..when you get snagged, put the glove on, do a couple wraps around your hand...and pop the line.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

BFG said:


> 3. You wreck the gears in your reel.
> 
> 
> JMO...have a glove with you..when you get snagged, put the glove on, do a couple wraps around your hand...and pop the line.


His suggestion was to hold the spool while pulling which will do nothing to the gears. However I find that method a bit more difficult. If I am using braid or any line that is too difficult to break without cutting my hand I simply use the handle of the rod. You can get enough slack in the line to allow you to make a few wraps around the handle and then walk it backward. A word of caution for anytime you are pulling hard like that to remove a snag, always be cautious of the recoil of the lure or terminal gear if it comes free rather than breaking. Especially if you are using mono or flouro you can really send the mass flying hard back at you. I always face away from the snag while walking away as opposed to backing up to avoid any disasters.


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## Curly (May 15, 2006)

I read these threads every year about the walleye run. I mean i love walleye.....very tasty, but all the people, the snags, the current, i don't know if i can do it. Every year i say..."this is the year, i'm gonna try it". Then i read these threads and bam...i think "nah...to much hassle". Maybe i'm just used to cruising in a boat with just one other guy catching fish and not other peoples lines and snags and fighting current. Maybe next year...lol.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Curly said:


> I read these threads every year about the walleye run. I mean i love walleye.....very tasty, but all the people, the snags, the current, i don't know if i can do it. Every year i say..."this is the year, i'm gonna try it". Then i read these threads and bam...i think "nah...to much hassle". Maybe i'm just used to cruising in a boat with just one other guy catching fish and not other peoples lines and snags and fighting current. Maybe next year...lol.


If you are actually getting to fish the spring bite from boat then by all means I would say stay with that plan. I have done the spring bite a few times and it is an experience that can be good as well but I personally like fishing as much for the solitude as the catching. And you will NOT find any time to yourself on the river.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Curly said:


> I read these threads every year about the walleye run. I mean i love walleye.....very tasty, but all the people, the snags, the current, i don't know if i can do it. Every year i say..."this is the year, i'm gonna try it". Then i read these threads and bam...i think "nah...to much hassle". Maybe i'm just used to cruising in a boat with just one other guy catching fish and not other peoples lines and snags and fighting current. Maybe next year...lol.


I've made some good friends fishing the run. It's fun to fish with 3 or 4 good friends. Sure, there are some knuckleheads, but you have that anywhere. I have fished out in the big wide open lake in the spring. Guess what, there were boats everywhere and some as close as 30-40 yards so it was hardly solitude. I also got snagged a lot. Funny thing about walleye and spring time, they hang around rocks and such. Imagine that.


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

> His suggestion was to hold the spool while pulling which will do nothing to the gears.


Well, I would hate to see anyone ruin their reel as a result of this action, as I have seen it happen, especially with braids.


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## WATER FOX (May 7, 2008)

It is a time of the year I love.Living as close as I use to.The run has its challenges(lines,poeple,high-low water)but it does have it +'s.Alot of fish but if you don't go down there and sometimes have a open mind.It will be the worst-best expierence.I hate wading out further than I have 2,I hate getting tangled with dead lines.I know things like this will happen when I go down there.Be careful have fun and see ya on the river...


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## jojopro (Oct 9, 2007)

Walleye007 said:


> A good way of dealing with a tough snag is to point the tip of your rod in the direction of the snag. Hold your spool so no more line can be released and pull backwards. One of two things will happen. 1. You line will become free or 2. Your line will break close to spot it is snagged. Simply reel you line in and re-tie a jig/leader. This method does not put strain on the rod and minimizes the amount of line left in the river.





BFG said:


> 3. You wreck the gears in your reel.


I would not say that dislodging from a snag with the method described would wreck the gears in your reel. By holding the spool so that it can not turn/engage the gears of the drag system, I see no damage being done to the gears, but rather to the bail, bail spring assembly, line roller etc. Breaking off in the manner described above places a great deal of stress on the line roller and the bail/bail spring assembly its attatched to. The components of the bail give a little, but I could definitely see that method wreaking some havoc on them over time. If you were to not hold onto the spool, tighten the drag all the way up and then break off as described above, then I could see this wrecking the gears as BFG described.



BFG said:


> JMO...have a glove with you..when you get snagged, put the glove on, do a couple wraps around your hand...and pop the line.


I would agree that this is the ideal way to break free from a snag without damaging your rod or your reel.



bkr43050 said:


> If I am using braid or any line that is too difficult to break without cutting my hand I simply use the handle of the rod. You can get enough slack in the line to allow you to make a few wraps around the handle and then walk it backward.


I like to use this method as well, since I usually want to disslodge from a snag as quickly as possible and don't like to take the time to put on a glove first. Or sometimes I can get away with wrapping the braid around my bare hand and breaking off...besides a little blood on the line really gets the walleye into a feeding frenzy. 



Walleye007 said:


> Unlike mono, braid takes a much longer time to break down.


Yes mono is the fastest of fishing lines to decompose...only taking 500-600 years! :bulgy-eyes: Fluorocarbon takes longer, and Spectra and Dyneema fiber braided/super lines take longest of all. There is a new biodegradable fishing line available (Bioline Biofilament) that is said to be much like monofilament but takes just 5 years to decompose instead of 500. http://www.biolinefishing.com/index.php

So as Walleye007 first suggested, everyone please do your part to limit how much fishing line is left in the river and around its banks. Do not cut your line off at the rod tip. Do not fish with line too strong for you to break off. Do not litter.

John


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

So what is the difference between cranking the drag all the way down and holding the spool so it will not move? 

Nothing...same result.


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## jojopro (Oct 9, 2007)

BFG said:


> So what is the difference between cranking the drag all the way down and holding the spool so it will not move?
> 
> Nothing...same result.


If you are holding the spool firmly enough while pulling out the snag, then no rotational torque is being applied to the gears of the drag system. Instead that force is being put on the line roller and bail system and also onto you as you are stabilizing the spool with your hand. You *fully* stabilizing the spool with your hand is the key though.

When you crank the drag all the way up and pull, the force on the line is wanting to rotate the spool, but obviously the tightened drag is working against it. If the line being used requires more force to break than the fully engaged drag system can withstand, then the gears give way and the spool rotates as line gets stripped instead of snapped. Attempting to pull out of snags in this way will definitely damage many of the reel's components over time.

Neither of these methods of pulling out of snags is preferred if you want your reel to last. 

John


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

> When you crank the drag all the way up and pull, the force on the line is wanting to rotate the spool, but obviously the tightened drag is working against it.


I give up. I see no difference.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

BFG said:


> I give up. I see no difference.


Your drag can slip. If done right your hand won't slip and the line will break. This is all pretty simple with 10 lb mono or less. If you are using anything heavier and wrapping it around your hand.................yikes! You won't catch me doing that.


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## Redhunter1012 (Feb 6, 2006)

Walleye007 said:


> Its common knowledge that your line is going to get snagged in the river. When caught up, DO NOT cut your line off at the tip of your rod! This will ruin the hole that you are fishing in. Not only does it ruin the hole for you, it ruins it for other anglers. After you cut your line as mentioned, the snag does not go away and it creates anywhere from 25 to 50+yards of line following in the current. On future casts, you will not only get snagged in the same spot as before, chances are you will catch the line you cut. Once a couple of people do this, it makes for miserable fishing conditions.
> 
> A good way of dealing with a tough snag is to point the tip of your rod in the direction of the snag. Hold your spool so no more line can be released and pull backwards. One of two things will happen. 1. You line will become free or 2. Your line will break close to spot it is snagged. Simply reel you line in and re-tie a jig/leader. This method does not put strain on the rod and minimizes the amount of line left in the river.
> 
> Good luck fishing the run! See you on the river.



Who cares. Nostradamus and the Mayan calander are predicting it'll all decompose in the year 2012


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## revpilot (Feb 10, 2009)

just use your gloves and pull it out, then you dont have to worry about your reels..............


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

> Your drag can slip


How can your drag slip if you are holding the spool? 



It can't..and that's my point.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I'll try this once more:

If you just tighten down your drag and then yank away. Your drag can slip and this is when damage could be done to the internal parts of the reel.

However, a different way:

Leave your drag just where it is and no worry about tightening it. Place hand on spool and hold it tight so it can not move. Point rod straight at snag and walk back a couple steps. Pop, line comes free. Since you were holding the spool with your hand and there was no movement whatsover.........there is no opportunity for damage to the internal parts of the reel.


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## ohiohunter43015 (Feb 23, 2009)

So Basicly what you are saying is its like power braking in a pick up truck to do a burn out?


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

> Your drag can slip and this is when damage could be done to the internal parts of the reel.


You all win. Grab the spool and pull away boys.


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