Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2014 - 39

be relatively vertical. When it's not, an adjustment in boat
movement may be needed, or it may be easier to wind in and
re-drop the jig. When the water becomes deeper or shallower,
we'll let out line or reel some in to keep the jig just off the
bottom. Veteran vertical jiggers often employ a slight lift/
drop to the jig, one where the jig lightly touches bottom. As
one gains experience, the many adjustments needed to keep
things vertical become second nature.
If Walleyes spent all their time along the bottom of
deeper pools, there would be no need to do much more
than vertically jig. Due to conditions or their level of
aggressiveness, they will often move to edges, necessitating a
change in the angle of presentation.

The shoreline pitch and drift

If you recall, a steep, rocky bank lines a portion of our
model pool. Walleyes will often lie amongst the rocks or at
the base of rocks where they meet the edge of the hole. By
employing a tactic that I call the "pitch and drift," you can
cover the entire zone.
Hold the boat a short distance from the bank, basically
above the base of the drop off, stalling its progress as needed
with the electric motor. As the boat slowly drifts downriver,
make a short pitch-up near shore. Then, jig/swim the jig
down the ledge. You can't allow the jig to settle on the bottom,
or you'll be constantly hanging up in the rocks. However,
Walleyes found up in the rocks are usually there to feed, so a
faster presentation is often okay.
Fish the jig down along the rocks until it is under the boat.
Then, hold it in its vertical position to target fish that are along
the base of the rocky ledge. After a few moments, wind in and
make another pitch.
These rocky banks can extend for considerable lengths. The
pitch and drift technique allows you to effectively fish various
cover zones.
Jig weight is an important aspect. You need enough
weight to get the jig to the bottom of the drop-off but
not so much weight that it's always sinking between
rocks and hanging up. In most situations, a 3/16- or ¼-ounce
jig is appropriate.
The rocky bank is just one example of a pitch and drift
situation. Another example is a shallow sand/gravel flat that
runs along shore. Here, you would likely disturb fish by fishing
vertically over top of them.

your jig along the width of the pool, covering the entire zone
by working in and out.
Don't worry about the jig being tight to the bottom,
especially when it's stretched out over the shallows of the
flat. Fish found here are in a feeding mood and will swim up
a distance. And, the distance isn't great since you're fishing
comparatively shallow water.
The hover/flutter is a great way to finish up a drift, one
where you've fished the depths of the upriver portion of the
pool vertically.

The upstream drag

Surprisingly, river Walleyes will sometimes respond to a jig
pulled back upriver, against the current. Equally shocking is
that bigger Walleyes can be taken this way.
The best place I've found to use the "upstream drag" is at the
mouth of an incoming creek, one where the current is light and
the water fairly shallow, about 10 feet or less.
In this case, we'll just inch slowly back upriver, trailing
the jigs downstream behind us. To keep the jigs close to the
bottom, we'll need to let out a fair amount of line, probably
60 to 70 feet.
Fishing a jig back upstream, against the grain, contradicts the
philosophy of allowing the lure to approach the fish with the
current. I suspect this tactic works, at least occasionally, because
the jig hangs in the fish's face for a much longer period of time,
like a suspending jerkbait eliciting a strike from a Smallmouth
Bass following a lengthy pause.
When the situation permits, it's often efficient to vertically
fish a spot drifting with the current. Then, perform the
upstream drag against the current while working back upriver
to set up another drift.
By approaching river Walleye from all angles, you'll have
a more successful winter season on the river.

The hover/flutter

Again referring to our example pool, you'll remember its
tail transitions into a rocky, shallower flat. It's another edge that
Walleyes use, especially when they're actively seeking food.
Rather than drifting over this edge and fishing it
vertically, it's often better to hover the boat upstream,
allowing the jigs to trail out in the current and flutter in the
sweet spot.
In terms of boat control, you'll want to use the electric
motor in many of these situations to completely stop your
downriver movement. It's likely that the boat will want to
slip to the side, which is perfect. This way you can flutter
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

When water temperatures rise above 40 degrees, it is common to
catch Smallmouth Bass along with Walleyes.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2014

39
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2014

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