# Walleye Run Overview



## CoolWater (Apr 11, 2004)

I decided to start a new thread related to the Walleye Run, hopefully one that will be ruled by truth and reason.

Here's my overview, I tried to write it in a fashion that presents the facts (with ODNR consultation) and not too much personal opinion;
http://www.coolwaterfish.com/walleyerun.html

Every year, I get so frustrated by people spreading mis-information about the run. If I went by what I read, I would assume the run was meant for only those young fit men who were ready to fight and shoot it out for space. I am not trying to attack anyone's posts regarding the run individually, just collectively, it really seems like people are trying to disuade folks from fishing it. It frustrates me, as this is one of the few opportunities for shorefisherman and non boat owners to even the field -if only for a short time - with a wonderful great tasting sportfish.

I have NEVER felt threatened by a co-angler at the run. There is only one thing to fear, that is the river itself. Current can be swift and the water is cold. The footing can be tricky and we all have walked into a submerged rock or into or off a small ledge. If that is the argument for children and younger folks not going - then I agree.

For those that take the time to read my overview, I have broad shoulders and can accept feedback both positive and negative. For the run veterans, I am curious to see if my experience with it over a decade - are similar to yours.

Thanks.


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## Jim Barger Sr (Sep 6, 2004)

Well done!


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## fishingaddiction (Jan 31, 2011)

I've been fishing the run for about ten years or so and every year I seem to learn something new and meet new friends. I fish the maumee and sandusky rivers, maumee has more fish but also has more people.Sandusky seems less crowded,removing the dam will be great for the walleye.
Hopefully Gary and Janice can find a buyer for the shop to run it as well as they have the past 20+ years

see ya on the river and be safe


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

My best advice is to visit the river in late summer or early fall with some jigs or swimbaits that will work for smallies. You can see a lot with the river at very low levels. Take some photos, make some notes about shoreline features that can mark safe entry/exit/crossing areas.

My first run provided a few fish and a lot of snags and frustration. Spent the next summer/fall stopping down at various areas to get a lay of the land. Every run since has provided many limits since I now know what the popular locations look like on the bottom and have figured out a few locations that others don't fish. Most of my limits last year came from areas where there wasn't anyone within 100 feet on either side.

The access to bluegrass island is a good place to start. I have witnessed more than a few guys go under on the way back to the car in that area after a long day wading the cold, fast water. There are a few easy to wade areas but many where deep cuts and holes can make one wet.


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

Good stuff!!


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## FishinNate34 (Feb 4, 2011)

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm getting excited cause of the warm weather and everything melting. Good thing everything is melting now so the rivers army blown out here in a few weeks.


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## puterdude (Jan 27, 2006)

As usual excellent writing coolwater.Nice Job man


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## Tailchaser (Feb 5, 2009)

That was a very good piece of writing on the Maumee run. I'm a oldtimer & I haven't fished the run for a couple of years. Not so much because of the crowds, but don't enjoy standing in the cold current.When I did for almost 50 years I never had a problem. Sure sometimes my favorite holes were taken & you just move on. Also, when I started , we fished late evening & nite time. You were lucky to see 5 guys in the river. The limit was 10 fish & dragging them out from the tip of Blue/ Grass Island to your car was a real challenge. You didn't get 10 every trip or we didn't want them . Back then I never kept the females & still don't out in the bay or lake. They were so thick in the river that some nites they would hit your waders or swim into your net. When you turned on your headlamp, you would see hundreds of pink red eyes moving in the current. We also were allowed to use 2 hooks. We did a tantem of 2 doll flys. Yellow or white. Then the DNR firgued it out . The walleye move & spawn at nite. So, that was the end of nite fishing. It was a good move. Let the fish do there thing. With all this snow melting, I might just get the itch.& venture down there for a couple of hours this spring. Even though it's not like the old days, there are plenty of fish , & spots to fish for everybody. Good luck to everyone & If she's ripping, stay out for awhile, common sense.


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## Recondo37 (Jan 11, 2008)

Tail and Cool, thats it.....bring a towel, change of clothes and your tackle, have fun......and use common sense..be good/good fishing...


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## Parker78 (Dec 31, 2009)

Thanks for the info....being inexperienced with river fishing for walleye I have avoided it due to some of the posts I have read in the past. I just might give it a try this year.


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## mss420 (Feb 26, 2009)

I 100% agree!!!!! The run is a great place and time to fish. For me it is the first time i get the opportunity to fish on a steady basis for the year. I have fished it for over ten years and have rarely ever had a problem with anyone else. Sure, i've had people that didn't quite know what they were doing next to me, tangling with others and what not, But generally its because they dont know. A little KIND advice can go a long way and help to make everyones day better. And if not I just move somewhere else to fish. 

I have been trying to get my wife to go with me for two years now and she wont cause she is scared. She read some of the posts on here and because of what some people say, is afraid to try, no matter how much i try to reassure her that its ok. I taught myself how to fish the run, no one showed me. Everyone has to try it for the first time at least once, right. Everyone has the right to fish it so dont let anyone scare you away. With all the diffrent types of fishing i enjoy doing the run will always have a special feeling. Maybe not the best, but definately special.


By the way, she will be out there this year!!!!!!


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Good information, thanks for the post. I live in the Southwestern corner of Ohio and Ive never been up there for the walleye run but Im kind of toying with the idea. I used to work with a woman from the Perrysburg area; her husband gave me the exact same advice as Steel Cranium, I believe Ill follow that advice. There are plenty of saugeye and sauger down here and there are a few decent places for walleye but the run in the Maumee and Sandusky Rivers get so much publicity that you feel like you have to see it for yourself. 
I lived in Tennessee for a few years; even down there my buddies would ask me about the Maumee run.


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## jb1136 (Sep 29, 2007)

nice write up coolwater , i see that u used one of my pics I gave you a couple years ago,nice to see it on there...


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

Nicely done. I did find it humorous that in one of the pictures one can clearly see Mr. 9' White Surf Rod....

lol


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

I drove over the 475 bridge yesterday and looked down at Buttonwwod. The river finally popped up some and blew off it's ice cover.The water's up a couple feet.but not bad for all the ice and snow we had. Waters full of ice, but that should clean out quick. I'm gonna try to get down below the bridge where the water level scale is this weeekend, but all in all, it looks pretty good.There is a website from the gov. that gives all that data, but I lost it when my computer crashed and had to wipe the hard drive. If anyone still has that site , could you post it please. someone gave it out on this forum last year.
Thanks


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## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

475 bridge


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## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

Maumee / Perrysburg bridge


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## eye-man (Aug 8, 2010)

Is this the link your thinking of? I believe their chart starts with 0=578' above sea level. I'm not positive of this as I can't remember from last year. I always cross-reference between this Maumee Tackle and The Natural Resource (I think they use info from USGS to update their levels every hour). And of course I check the bridge if i'm fishing the Maumee side. 



http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?04193500


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## OIM (Feb 19, 2011)

DeathFromAbove said:


> I drove over the 475 bridge yesterday and looked down at Buttonwwod. The river finally popped up some and blew off it's ice cover.The water's up a couple feet.but not bad for all the ice and snow we had. Waters full of ice, but that should clean out quick. I'm gonna try to get down below the bridge where the water level scale is this weeekend, but all in all, it looks pretty good.There is a website from the gov. that gives all that data, but I lost it when my computer crashed and had to wipe the hard drive. If anyone still has that site , could you post it please. someone gave it out on this forum last year.
> Thanks



You can get the flow data sent your phone and/or e-mail. Here is an article that tells how to do it.

Daily River flows Via Text Message

This is a link to the Lowest station on the river.


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## sdkohio (Jul 26, 2008)

Nice pics, but watch out . The ice has broken up and is heading over the Grand Rapids dam. It should be there shortly.


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## walleyecraig (Nov 17, 2008)

BFG said:


> Nicely done. I did find it humorous that in one of the pictures one can clearly see Mr. 9' White Surf Rod....
> 
> lol


Lol the white walmart cat rod


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## crg (Dec 7, 2006)

:


BFG said:


> Nicely done. I did find it humorous that in one of the pictures one can clearly see Mr. 9' White Surf Rod....
> 
> lol


that is frickin hilarious


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## CoolWater (Apr 11, 2004)

Thanks for the comments, I loved reading about the technique and how it used to be back in the day.

I did notice that guy/rod when I added that photo...  Perfect example how you can expect just about everything when it comes to the folks you'll see and their technique and equipment. I have nothing against the dude but feel bad for the anglers down current from him if he is casting to the bank on the opposite side of the river. lol


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## JimmyZ (May 18, 2004)

very nicely done. Drove to Napoleon yesterday to pick up my new duck hunting partner, (female black lab, 8 weeks old ) . The river was open the whole way. Lot of thicker chunk ice up against the shore, Lots of ice still in MJT park. But I was happy to see it all open. 

I'm gonna fish the run more this year. I have been turned off a little due to the crowds more than anything. U will surely meet some nice people down there. Ive fished next to same guys same week of year from different states such as Wisconsin. I always think its cool. U will meet some strange folks as well. But it's a big river.


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## Tailchaser (Feb 5, 2009)

One year off of Blue Grass I fished with a father son team from Mi. The son who was pretty good size to begin with, was casting about a 7 1/2 or 8 ft. spinning rod. Sometimes he was even standing back behind the main stream of guys. He was throwing way past everybody else, & with the larger ark & bow in the line , the sweeping action of the jig in the current , he was smoking the fish. He had no Wally World or K Mart outfit. The reel alone was a Stella Shimano , about $ 600.00. They were both very nice sportsmen. Like someone stated earlier, you see it all down there.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

Tailchaser said:


> One year off of Blue Grass I fished with a father son team from Mi. The son who was pretty good size to begin with, was casting about a 7 1/2 or 8 ft. spinning rod. Sometimes he was even standing back behind the main stream of guys. He was throwing way past everybody else, & with the larger ark & bow in the line , the sweeping action of the jig in the current , he was smoking the fish. He had no Wally World or K Mart outfit. The reel alone was a Stella Shimano , about $ 600.00. They were both very nice sportsmen. Like someone stated earlier, you see it all down there.


I use a 9' St. Croix steelhead rod (medium action) with a shimano sustain reel for the eyes with good success. Probably what I'm used to for bottom bouncing steelhead. The length allows for longer casting and keeps more line out of the water for a better drift. I only use this rig very early or late in the season or if I will be fishing without many others around (private property) during the heart of the run. The key to the crowd fishing is to fit in with others in close quarters, not to stand out. If you need a rod that must cast to the other side, why not just fish from the other side?


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

eye-man said:


> Is this the link your thinking of? I believe their chart starts with 0=578' above sea level. I'm not positive of this as I can't remember from last year. I always cross-reference between this Maumee Tackle and The Natural Resource (I think they use info from USGS to update their levels every hour). And of course I check the bridge if i'm fishing the Maumee side.
> 
> 
> 
> http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?04193500


Yes Thanks Things sure got ugly fast down there.According to this site the river jumped up 8 feet Its high and wide and ugly and brown and bustin through the bushes right now.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Thanks for the links.


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## eye-man (Aug 8, 2010)

Snow and rain forcast for most of the week and into the weekend. Looks like another late start to the run. At least it is flowing. Usually it's still frozen this time of year and all the melt makes it hard to fish in the early run. But, with the water moving it should laydown pretty quick.


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## fathead45 (Feb 18, 2011)

really nice read. really hope to make this my first year going. thanks alot


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## asselin24 (Feb 24, 2011)

where can you camp close by the river? trying to make a trip for the first time. dont want to get a hotel really


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## eye-man (Aug 8, 2010)

Schroder Farms (private) and Buttonwood (public) both have primitive camping. I believe Buttonwood is less expensive. But if you stay at Schroder you can drive to Buttonwood in about 30 seconds. You may be able to walk between the two but in the spring a creek that divides the two usually floods and makes walking or wading pretty difficult.

P.S. The mouth of this creek is a great spot to fish.


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## Duckdude82 (Feb 26, 2007)

hey look! swantucky is in that one pic


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## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

I like the 9ft unmistakable white "walmart" pole the big guy is holding......


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## heathzib (Feb 3, 2011)

mss420 said:


> I have been trying to get my wife to go with me for two years now and she wont cause she is scared. She read some of the posts on here and because of what some people say, is afraid to try, no matter how much i try to reassure her that its ok. I taught myself how to fish the run, no one showed me. Everyone has to try it for the first time at least once, right. Everyone has the right to fish it so dont let anyone scare you away. With all the diffrent types of fishing i enjoy doing the run will always have a special feeling. Maybe not the best, but definately special.
> 
> 
> By the way, she will be out there this year!!!!!!


I fished the run last year and had no problems with bad attitudes. I even caught a few fish! 

The river can be quite scary, with its enormity and strong current. I wear a life jacket to be more confident.

CoolWater, I liked your emphasis on picking up litter along the river, even if it's not yours. I fish and kayak the Maumee from March-November, and I can't tell you how much line and how many lead heads I see.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

So what is a good sized pole to use , I have an 8 foot medium action catfish rod that is better suited for big river fishing , and last year it worked great in the high water ( though I never caught anything ) , but is that really overkill ?


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

I use something around 6 to 6 1/2 feet with a medium action. You don't want to use anything too heavy that requires a heavy line since you often casting pretty far and if you use too much weight, you will snag easily. I like to use the slip sinker and floating jig head. I keep the main line around 10 lb - 12 lb test and tie 6 to 8 lb line as a leader below the swivel. This ensures that you lose the minimum amount of line when breaking off a snag (normally breaks at the jig or swivel).

I like to use what others are using when in close quarters (line, weight, rod). It makes it easier to keep your bait in line with others upstream and downstream from you. I brought a 30lb+ buffalo to shore with this rig a few years ago (hooked in/near the mouth), so I am not worried about being undersized.


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## Recondo37 (Jan 11, 2008)

I copied the pick of the one with the guy holding the 9ft white pole trying to enlarge it. I swear that looks like my brother, he made it and you wouldn't believe how light it is...When was it taken?. Last year was low water when we were there...looks like my nephew to his right in all brown....


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## ohio catfish (May 2, 2010)

how far down river can you get into the run . this will be my first time up there. just wondering.


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

I use a 7 ft MH with 15 lb power pro... I think it is 4 or 6 lb diameter and very abrasion resistant and then use a 10 or 12 lb mono leader! that way your leader breaks off before you main line! you can cast it way further than any mono....no stretch so you can feel every thing on the bottom and pretty much tell if it was a rock or a stick.... well worth the money!


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## jiggerman (Nov 2, 2009)

how about a 6 ft cane pole 6 feet of line and a bobber


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## jiggerman (Nov 2, 2009)

Just kidding i have never been there but it looks fun i hope everyone catches fish and they have alot of fun, and they consider safety their number one concern it is just a fish
GOOD LUCK TO ALL


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## Bono Joe (Mar 2, 2009)

You might laugh but that is what we did 50 years ago in the Portage River. 8 or 10 foot cane pole with 8 to 10 foot of line with a single hook and bobber with a minnow. Flip it up and let it drift down and pull it back and repeat. Worked for both walleye and white bass.


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