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Oregon walleye
spawn in spring and, when river walleye have the option, will choose to
migrate from the lake or river up into feeder streams to spawn. If this
option is not available they seek out shallow bars or shoals with clean
bottom surfaces near deep water. Where to Fish WalleyeOne of the best places to try your luck has traditionally been the reach of river below the John Day Dam, even after the floods of '96 slowed the fishing down. You'll still do very well here, whether you're seeking a monster or just looking to take home some tasty walleye fillets. Compared to many other states, the limits here are generous. On the Columbia River you can keep five walleye under 18 inches and five fish over 18 inches, one of which can be over 24 inches. However, Most guides who work the area suggest you release the big females after a photo or two, to insure they keep contributing their "big" genes to the gene pool. Likewise, they also encourage you to release most of the smallest keeper-sized fish to provide the recruitment necessary to sustain this quality fishery. Best Areas for John Day WalleyeThe Deadline: Walleye can be caught from a number of different locations below the dam. The Deadline is a good hole to take some big ones, but it's a difficult stretch to fish, and not a place for beginners. It's very snaggy and the currents can be tricky. There are also some nasty shoals and rocks that lie just under the surface of the water. If you're not familiar with the area, you can get into trouble quickly. I strongly suggest you fish with someone who's done it a couple times before. Preacher's Eddy: Just downriver from The Deadline, Preacher's Eddy has long been famous for its big walleye. While not as difficult to fish as The Deadline, this stretch has an undulating bottom, running anywhere from 12 to 32 feet. Pro walleye guides consider this a prime depth for trophy walleye. As you troll or drift downstream, you must continually adjust the depth of your bait to keep it on the bottom. The Willows and downstream: The Willows, just down from Preacher's Eddy near the Washington bank, is an easier stretch to fish. The bottom is less irregular and it's easier to stay in the strike zone. While some good walleye are taken here, this stretch is better known for eating-sized walleye.On the Oregon side, you'll find 106 Hole, another good spot. In fact, there is good water just about everywhere. There is good walleye water near the Highway 97 Bridge, and other good water all the way down to The Dalles. A good trick is to look for the buoys of the tribal fishermen, since they're almost always set in the right depths for walleye. How to Catch Oregon WalleyeFishing with nightcrawlers rigged on bottom-walkers is one of the easiest ways to catch walleye in the Columbia River, especially when the winds are up. The rig is simple. Attach the bottom-bouncer to your main line, and run a 4 or 5-foot leader from the walker to the bait. Set a few beads and a Spin-N-Glo on the line directly above a double hook rig. Chartreuse and green are good colors for walleye. Pass the worm's head through the first hook and set the stinger hook in the worm, an inch or 2 below the first one, leaving some slack in the line between the hooks. This allows for the stretch of the worm once you've dragged it through the water for a while. Let the bait to the bottom and troll downstream. Be sure to keep adjusting your line so that the bouncer is ticking the bottom at all times. If you're not on the bottom, you're not fishing for Columbia walleye. Jigging blade baits such as the Rattlin' Ripple Tail and many guides favorite, the Heddon Sonar, is another good technique for finding good river walleye hangouts. You'll have to handle your boat a little more precisely in order to keep the bait near the bottom, as the boat will move down with the current. Expect to lose a few baits, since those two treble hooks will occasionally bounce off the rough bottom. Other good bets are tipping Li'l Hummer spinners or jigs with worms, or trolling crankbaits, a technique that works best in the areas with level bottoms. A last
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Oregon Walleye
