By Robert Johnson – A reel expert can tackle anything – Walleye are the first to run upstream to lay their eggs at 45 – 50° which makes February into March a good time for the big ones. White bass and the stripers spawn between 57 – 68°, so they start going up about the end of March. The other fish that goes upstream to spawn is in this pic – the spoonbill. Biggest I ever caught was 74 pounds. You could pass that 100 lb. mark if you’ve got the arms.
This fish I got a few years back and cleaned with my Uncle Vic (Vince Force from Viola, Mo.) He loves the eggs, and if you like caviar this is the only fish that has the same black eggs as sturgeon, which is true caviar. Hard to believe but there is an illegal market for their eggs.
Spoonbill start going up river to spawn right after the walleye, but the season won’t open here on our tailwaters until April 15, closing June 15.
The only place you can do this is right below the dam from the warning sign to the boat launch below.
You need an 8 – 12 ft. snagging or surf rod with a trek that will handle 30 lbs. of monoline, big snagging treble hooks, 3 and 6 oz. bank singers, good rope to tie your fish, a gaff and a 5-gallon bucket to hold all tackle and sit on while waiting your turn.
If more than two throw at the same time and one gets on, you could get a big mess. Stand this side of the sign and cast towards the dam. If two are throwing, let the guy below throw first then you follow after his line goes by. In strong current use 6 oz. sinkers.
Use lighter weight of the current is not so strong or you’re snagging rocks not fish. Run the line through the eye of the hook wrap around the shank leaving about 18 inches below for the sinker. These fish are big and about the time your arms are about to fall off you snag another rock, then the rock starts going downstream. You holler FISH ON, LINES IN because this fish will run downstream fast.
Usually there will be one good ol’ boy sitting on the bank below fishing for trout who will just look at you like you can’t tell me to get my line in. Then you see him jump up to grab his pole as his line breaks and goes with your fish.
Now the work starts and you learn why the are called paddlefish as you bring him back up against the current with that bill sticking out of the water like a paddle working against you, not with you.
If you never got a chance to do this, April 15 is a good day to just drive out to the dam to meet a true snagger, a fisherman who enjoys just sitting on his bucket with stories from way back. He will probably hand you his rod to try yourself, then you spend the rest of your day checking pawnshops to return the next day with your own tackle and bucket to sit on.