Anglers from all over the country gather up and line the banks of the Maumee River anticipating the rush of latching into a big Walleye. This event called the “Spring Walleye Run” only happens once a year and usually begins mid-March and lasts through April. It takes place in northern Ohio on the south side of Bluegrass Island, between the towns of Perrysburg and Maumee. 
What’s an angler to bring in preparation for such an event? A pair of neoprene waders is a must for hours standing in cold water with temperatures around 40 degrees. The right fishing equipment, physical strength, good balance, along with a positive attitude all help to make this an enjoyable experience. I should also mention it’s very wise to know the rules. We were not allowed to start fishing until daylight. Boaters and Waders alike were lined up in the water anxiously waiting for the sun to pop out. Anglers are allowed only three walleye per person, and if you reel in a fish hooked anywhere other than in the fish’s mouth, you must release it unharmed. It’s a $100.00 fine if an angler gets caught keeping an illegal fish. 
My older brother Clayton and my nephew Russell invited me to go with them. I spent all day Saturday planning and preparing. I went through every tackle box I own and spent some time on the internet browsing to find the best Walleye techniques. I checked out the Toledo area forecast and looked at maps where we were going. We originally planned on leaving Saturday but decided to go Sunday due to nasty weather. We arrived at Perrysburg about 6:00 am and grabbed a quick breakfast then headed on over close to the entrance of Side-cut Metro Park where we parked the truck. My fuel was pure adrenalin from having very little sleep the night before.
I had put together a small tackle box that I could keep on my person, but I had packed nothing close to the “bait of choice”. The most popular bait is any bright colored 3/8 oz to ½ oz “floating” jig head with a 4” rubber twister tail tied 18 inches below a barrel swivel and ½ oz to 3/4 oz slip sinker. I bought some extra tackle from (Clarence’s Jigs) a local vendor set-up along the side of the road. We slipped into the waders and waded across a channel to get to Bluegrass Island then walked across the lower tip of the island to reach the line of anglers already taking their places. The water current is extremely fast and every step was a challenge to keep my balance and not fall in.
The only thing missing when the sun popped out was the “starting” bell and music, the William Tell Overture would have been appropriate. “The race was on” and lines were everywhere. Every single cast was thrown over or under at least five other casts. The strong current immediately pulls your line and starts bouncing your rig downstream. The whole idea is when you feel your weight first hit bottom, set the hook, if you feel like you have a snag, set the hook. Be prepared to re-rig and re-tie because you will get snagged, and also be polite and courteous w
hen another angler gets their line caught on yours because this will also happen. It might not be a bad idea to plan a day of rest after this adventure because anyone who attempts this will feel like someone has beaten you with a 2x4. This is a fact!
I finally gave up at 2:30 in the afternoon. At least I had one 21” Walleye on my stringer. I caught three in all total but only one was a legal catch. My brother and nephew had both caught their limit hours earlier and kicked back on the bank waiting for me to catch mine. I had re-tied five times back to back, broke off two rod tips. I was so exhausted and I was afraid if I got snagged again I would fall in trying to get it loose. Would I do this again? I’m leaving tomorrow morning.
Delana S. Oaks
