Insider From Shore Those Overlooked Countdown Lures For River Walleyes by Doug Stange It's a familiar line for me to pen after all these years, that in late winter and early spring, as snowmelt or rain raises the water level in rivers, creeks, and tiny streams, walleyes appear where they're hardly expected. I speak of flowing water that may support carp, catfish, bullheads, or nothing at all, most of the rest of the year--marginal walleye water, at best. That walleyes (and saugeyes) move upriver now is no mystery; no mystery either that barriers along the way concentrate these fish, providing the opportunity for shore-bound anglers to catch them. Fifty percent of not many walleyes, all gathered in a few small areas below barriers, can provide some nifty fishing, although if you're looking for a 50-fish day, well, belly up to a big river with your boat. Small dams on rivers with known walleye populations are obvious places to check. Or try small dams on small tributary rivers feeding slightly larger rivers with known walleye populations. Thousands of these spots are spread across North America. Eventually, any discussion about fishing these areas this time of year focuses on using the most consistently productive bait, the jig and minnow. It's a combo that gets down where walleyes hold in current and stays there. Fished right, it's precise and it's productive--more so more often than any other choice. Another option, however, sometimes produces as well or better when conditions are just right. First, the water must be about as clear as it can be. Also, water temperatures must be at least stable, and better yet in a slow upswing, conditions that combine to produce aggressive fish willing to chase instead of just grub. Countdown lures like the Countdown Rapala can be killers when such conditions prevail. Even though the fish must be aggressive to respond to presentations with this bait style, the bait still should be fished as slowly as possible, swung, for example on a long, slow, deep sweep across the back of a tailout pool, as opposed to just cast out and ratta-tat-tatted back in. The objective is to get the lure deep and just barely wobbling, as it probes water where walleyes might be holding. Besides the tailout of pools, other productive spots to present countdown lures include current breaks, especially where current swings back into shore, then breaks with half the water moving back upstream along the shore, while the other half moves downstream. The fish are facing into current, so the idea is to stand wherever a cast can be made that swings the lure with current, instead of moving it in a straight line. My experience: In a dozen different situations in at least five states, the best two bait sizes have never varied. Given one choice, it would be a bait with the size and performance characteristics of the #7 Countdown Rapala--second choice a #5. River conditions that favor bigger baits usually mean dirty water that disqualifies this bait style from consideration. More suggestions: Stock mostly minnow-patterned baits in gold or silver. Experiment with fire-tiger and other bright patterns, but again, the river conditions that might require fire-tiger generally disqualify this bait style. Instead, switch to a jig and minnow. Use a small Berkley Cross-Lok snap, not a snap-swivel, to allow the bait to wobble right and to facilitate changing lures. Eight-pound-test line works best, although six-pound test would be my choice if I knew I'd be fishing with only #5 baits. A rod at least 6 feet long, better 6 1/2 feet, with a limber tip casts these baits best. The biggest drawback is the price of the lures. Losing a few is inevitable. But when the fish are cracking, when conditions are just right, if you're pinching pennies by fishing with fifty cent jigs, you'll be a half-dozen fish behind before you know it. If you enjoy shore fishing, this is our time to shine. Get out and explore--find a small dam or two that will probably produce fish year after year at this time of year, for the rest of your life. * A Typical Tailwater, Low To Moderate Water Conditions Copyright 1997 In-Fisherman, Inc.