# Any chance for walleye on upgrounds in spring?



## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

Specifically talking bodies of water like Findlay #2. I know there are eyes in there, and I generally know where they show up later in the year, catchable from the bank because they come up toward the edge to feed when the water cools down.

Is it generally the same in early spring?

(Note, if this seems like a dumb question, it's because I'm ignorant. I've actually never caught a walleye before... so it's one of my goals this year to put a few on the table and in the freezer, but I don't have a boat to go trolling deep for them, and I don't really feel like competing with everyone else on the Maumee, so it's reservoir bank fishing for me...)


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Think about the rocks on a angle same as the outside wall. When they built the reservoir it's the same shape on both sides with a flat top. I use, with some success, a 3 inch swim bait with the lightest jig head. Casting left and right down the bank. Don't normally cast straight out. You'll loose a few baits even if you try to keep it out of the rocks. Last hour of daylight till half hour past sunset. Or about the same time frame in the morning if your an early riser. I've caught a few before 8am using a slip bobber and minnow set at about 12 feet and keep the minnow alive and kicking. If you want to catch Walleye on a boat on Erie, get on a head boat out of Port Clinton. You'll have a better time if you can go during the week, Not saying you'll have the boat to yourself but have a better chance of a getting a g good spot.


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

Kevin, I kayak fish lake erie alot and this time of year I catch them trolling within casting distance from shore. I imagine you could get them from piers casting a heavy stickbait as far as you can.


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

ress said:


> Think about the rocks on a angle same as the outside wall. When they built the reservoir it's the same shape on both sides with a flat top. I use, with some success, a 3 inch swim bait with the lightest jig head. Casting left and right down the bank. Don't normally cast straight out. You'll loose a few baits even if you try to keep it out of the rocks. Last hour of daylight till half hour past sunset. Or about the same time frame in the morning if your an early riser. I've caught a few before 8am using a slip bobber and minnow set at about 12 feet and keep the minnow alive and kicking. If you want to catch Walleye on a boat on Erie, get on a head boat out of Port Clinton. You'll have a better time if you can go during the week, Not saying you'll have the boat to yourself but have a better chance of a getting a g good spot.


I know a guy who gets them out of Findlay, and he just uses a brown and chartreuse twister tail on a jig head... but that's in the fall.

I also know another guy who wades the Maumee every year and gets as many as he can get for his freezer. Not sure what he uses for that.

Thanks for the advice. I work first shift, so I'm either at work when the sun comes up, or I'm going to bed when it's going down. So finding time for these particular fish is a bit of a chore. I do have two days off in the middle of this week though, so I think I'll go give it a proper shot.


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## 21579 (Jan 15, 2010)

Bassthumb said:


> Kevin, I kayak fish lake erie alot and this time of year I catch them trolling within casting distance from shore. I imagine you could get them from piers casting a heavy stickbait as far as you can.


Give it another month for the spring pier bite. Can be just as good if not better than the fall pier bite.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

I'll tell ya, if you make a sacrifice to be out there at dusk some night and hook a few you'll have no problem getting up for work and repeating the same thing. You'll get Walleye Fever!


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## hydrasportbill (Sep 11, 2012)

ress said:


> I'll tell ya, if you make a sacrifice to be out there at dusk some night and hook a few you'll have no problem getting up for work and repeating the same thing. You'll get Walleye Fever!


YEP.AND NO VACCINE FOR THAT....


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## float4fish (Feb 15, 2017)

ress said:


> I'll tell ya, if you make a sacrifice to be out there at dusk some night and hook a few you'll have no problem getting up for work and repeating the same thing. You'll get Walleye Fever!


No truer words spoken! I fish Findlay 1 as much as I can get there, sleep is optional until summer. Jerk baits should be your best friend.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

ress said:


> I'll tell ya, if you make a sacrifice to be out there at dusk some night and hook a few you'll have no problem getting up for work and repeating the same thing. You'll get Walleye Fever!


Walleye Fever is the real deal! It comes right before the ice flu then usually have a moderate relapse shortly after the flu is gone. Terrible thing until the bubonic bluegill plague sets in about mid summer. 

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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

AtticaFish said:


> Walleye Fever is the real deal! It comes right before the ice flu then usually have a moderate relapse shortly after the flu is gone. Terrible thing until the bubonic bluegill plague sets in about mid summer.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A515U using Tapatalk


All this talk is making me jumpy and impatient. 

I'm probably going to check things out this evening. I'm sure I'll be disappointed and get skunked, but we'll see what happens. Never know, right?

I intend to use twister tail grubs on jig heads. I have a bunch of pearl white and chartreuse ones, and I'll be casting along riprap on what should be the windblown side of the reservoir. I've been TOLD this is how you get them from bank in this particular res, but IDK if it's too early or not. The lake averages 20ft depth, so it's probably going to be below 40 degrees for a while, even with the next few days of warmer weather.


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## Bvil (Sep 28, 2019)

The upground reservoir that I check frequently is still not fishable. It's still almost completely iced over and I definitely wouldn't walk on it..


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

Bvil said:


> The upground reservoir that I check frequently is still not fishable. It's still almost completely iced over and I definitely wouldn't walk on it..


Wow, really? That's crazy. I thought just about everything thawed out over the weekend when it got warm. 

Maybe I should stop and check after work before running all the way home and grabbing my gear... thanks for the heads up!


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Both in Findlay still locked up tight. Even shore ice is solid

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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

ress said:


> Both in Findlay still locked up tight. Even shore ice is solid
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk


Well that sucks, that's where I was planning on going...

Should be thawed after this week though, surely...


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## whiskerchaser (Mar 13, 2013)

I will be hitting a upground tonight. I do have the feeling that water is still around the 35 36 degree mark. I mainly fish the 3am to 6am window cause of working a late second shift. I throw 90 percent swims from 2.75 to 4 5 inchers


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

whiskerchaser said:


> I will be hitting a upground tonight. I do have the feeling that water is still around the 35 36 degree mark. I mainly fish the 3am to 6am window cause of working a late second shift. I throw 90 percent swims from 2.75 to 4 5 inchers


I hope it's not Findlay because uh... yeah... I wanted to see it for myself... 










I ended up going to the pond at Riverbend instead. As expected, there was nothing going on. Out of the 10 or so people I saw fishing while I was there, I didn't see a single fish. 

Oh well. It was a nice day. Here's hoping the temps don't drop back below freezing for extended periods anymore. I want a mild spring, please!


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## Bvil (Sep 28, 2019)

100% chance yesterday!

Stopped after work and tossed a swim bait for about half an hour. Caught a 16" named Sammich in the first few casts. Lost a nice one and missed a few bites.
Me and Sammich had some one on one time when we got home. His stomach was nearly bursting with 2" shiners.
Ice is completely gone.


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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

Bvil said:


> 100% chance yesterday!
> 
> Stopped after work and tossed a swim bait for about half an hour. Caught a 16" named Sammich in the first few casts. Lost a nice one and missed a few bites.
> Me and Sammich had some one on one time when we got home. His stomach was nearly bursting with 2" shiners.
> Ice is completely gone.


Lucky! I went to a little pond yesterday and got skunked!

Was that at Findlay or another res? If the ice is gone in Findlay, I may try Friday evening...


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## Bvil (Sep 28, 2019)

Not Findlay but I would think they should all be good to go by now.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Ice is gone at Findlay 2. Didn't check 1 but probably there to

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## kevinw (Apr 27, 2020)

ress said:


> Ice is gone at Findlay 2. Didn't check 1 but probably there to
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk


Excellent. I'll probably hit it up after work tomorrow and see what happens. 

Think it's best to rig small? The brown and chartreuse twister grubs I have are only a couple inches long, but I have some larger pearl white ones, as well as some full chartreuse. 

A friend of a friend says brown/chartreuse work though. But mine are sized more for crappie, I think.


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## float4fish (Feb 15, 2017)

ress said:


> Ice is gone at Findlay 2. Didn't check 1 but probably there to
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk


Thanks Ress! Time to start putting the miles on.


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