Hard-water Whopper Red River Walleye Part 1

The time is almost upon us for some Red River “Sumo” Greenbacks through the ice. No, I’m not talking about Selkirk, Manitoba I’m talking right here in the great state of ND! No passports required, no dealing with Customs, no bait restrictions.

When safety is no longer an issue and I can walk on a good 12 inches of solid ice (everywhere on the river) that’s when the fun begins for me. Whether you’re a veteran or rookie, here are some helpful tips to increase your success.

Go shallow
This should be common knowledge for most Red River anglers. How shallow is too shallow? Concentrate on 3 to 7 feet of water. That’s not to say you shouldn’t fish structure deeper than 7 feet, but most people don’t have the patience or strategy to consistently pull fish from those depths and I’ll go into more detail about that in part 2.

Sonar is a must
Since fish in river systems are constantly fighting a current, you don’t always get a second chance at a fish that misses your bait. Your sonar is also going to let you know what species lurks below and how you should adapt your presentation to that particular species. A fish on the sonar, a lift/fall, a nibble, hookset and no fish = Goldeye.

Arsenal of equipment
Because of the multiple species one can expect to encounter on any given day on the Red, it’s a good idea to have several rods pre-rigged with different lures. Not just different lures, but even different sizes. 99% of the time a small treble hook with 2 fatheads hooked through the tail, enough weights to keep the bait under your hole, and a slip bobber is going to be the best set-up and I like to use that as my “dead-stick”.

Large swimming lures are a great way to get quality walleye and sometimes quantity, so you’ll want to have one of those rigged with a fine wire leader. Big Pike and Walleye love a 2 ¾” Lindy Darter or similar swimming lure tipped with a minnow head. What about “eater” Walleye, Sauger, and Goldeye?

Since there’s a night and day difference in mouth size of a 10 pound Walleye and a 16 inch Walleye, I prefer to use a heavier bait that still has a small profile. A Buck-Shot Rattle spoon with a minnow head or even a whole minnow can provide consistent hookups with Goldeye and smaller Walleye/Sauger throughout the day.

Bait selection
It’s very important that an angler takes both sucker minnows AND fatheads along for each outing. I’ve caught many big Walleye through the ice on fatheads, but sometimes it’s the other way around and sucker minnows will be the key to success for landing a Whopper. The main factor behind having the 2 different baits is size/profile, and mood of the fish. If you’ve been in a high percentage location for some time and haven’t hooked up, by switching to a larger profile bait like a white sucker it throws off a different scent. It’s also much easier for the fish to find with their lateral lines and other senses.

At the same time though, you’re taking yourself out of the game by using a larger profile minnow, as the less aggressive fish or smaller size fish might not take it. If I see a fish on the sonar and I’m jigging a plain jig-head with a sucker minnow but only getting hits and can’t connect, that tells me a couple things; 1.) Could be a Goldeye and 2.) It could be a smaller Walleye or Sauger so then I’ll switch to a fathead or a small swimming lure tipped with ½ a fathead.

In closing on part 1, I’d like to add that a 12 inch Sauger WILL inhale a 6 inch sucker minnow, but 7/10 times you’re going to end up with either no bait or bite marks on your sucker. Knowing how and when to present a sucker minnow, and a few other important factors is something I’ll touch more on in part 2.

About the Author
Captain Josh Burgett is a multi-species Red River angler whose specialty is trophy-class Walleye and Channel Catfish in the Grand Forks area. Contact Josh by emailing JigemupJosh@gmail.com