Kinzua Dam Walleye Fishing
Walleye are a highly coveted game fish that can be found across the United States. These fish are valued not only for their taste but also as a challenging target. This article is directed to fishing walleye in river systems, especially the Kinzua Dam walleye fishing, that will allow the angler an advantage to target them.
Bouncing for Walleye – By far the most effective way for the Kinzua Dam walleye fishing is bouncing
Gear
-Boat with a Trolling Motor
-Medium to Medium Heavy Casting or Spinning Rod
-Casting Reel or Spinning Reel
-10 to 12 Lb. Braided Line
-Barrel Swivel
– 1.5 to 2-ounce Bottom Bouncer
-Worm Harness Rig
Breaking down the Science
Rods/ Reel
- The most critical factor on bouncing is the stiffness of the rod. A medium to medium heavy rod provides enough support to withstand the weight of the bottom bouncer but also still provides enough action to feel a bite.
- It does not matter what rod you use just that you are comfortable holding the rod for extended periods of time.
- The same goes with the reel, choose a reel that is comfortable in your hand.
Braided Line
- The type of line used has significant impact on hook setting. Braided line provides very little stretch when the hook it set. This allows for a faster respond rate from the tip of the pole to the point of the hook. Increasing ones catch rate.
- Braided line also allows for less water pressure on the line due to it being a smaller diameter than mono filament. This means your line will have a more direct path to the bottom which is critical in keeping you bottom bouncer vertical.
Barrel Swivel
- A barrel swivel attached to the braided line will make for easier lure changes and also provides a barrier for twisted line.
Bottom Bouncer
- Depending on the depth that you are fishing the correct bottom bouncer needs to be used.
- 1 to 25 feet use a 1.5-ounce bottom bouncer
- 25 to 40 feet use a 2-ounce bottom bouncer
- Using too heavy of a bouncer will tip the angle that it meets the river bed and either put the harness in the bottom or lift it too high into the water column.
Worm Harness Rig
- Walleyes have been caught using every type of worm harness but he most effective is a slow death hook and a Mack’s Smiley Blade.
Bottom Bouncing Set-Up
- Take your rod and reel combo and spool it with 10-12 lb. braided line.
- Tie a barrel swivel to the end of the line and cut off the tag line.
- Clip the swivel onto the eye of corner of the “L” of the bottom bouncer.
- Take your worm harness and clip it to the swivel on the end of the bottom bouncer.
- Thread a night crawler onto your hook so that it follows the contour of the hook and pinch off the end of the worm about an inch from the bend in the hook.
Bottom Bouncing Tactics
After you have found the areas the walleye are laying for the Kinzua Dam walleye fishing, take you rod with the bottom bouncer and harness combo and drop it to the bottom of the river. Allowing your line to free spool until it has reached bottom. This can be determined by lowering your rod tip until the line lays on top of the water.
Next, flip the bail over or crank your reel until you begin to retrieve line. You want to reel in enough line until you feel the weight of the bottom bouncer. The most critical part of bouncing is having your bottom bouncer vertical. You should be able to lift your rod a foot off of the water and not feel bottom but when you lower the rod back to the waters surface it touches bottom again.
Begin to troll up and down the river at 0.8 to 1.1 mph. This speed is critical because it is the speed at which most walleye will feed.
Keep adjusting and checking your line to make sure that your bottom bouncer is staying on bottom. Do this by lifting and dropping your rod tip and letting out and retrieving your line as needed.
Once you have a bite, your rod will either have a distinct tug on your line or you will feel like you are pulling more weight on your harness. Allow the walleye to take the worm before giving a short sweeping hook set.
Trolling for Walleye- This tactic is used to target bigger walleye. It is highly effective, but your catch numbers for Kinzua Dam walleye fishing
Gear
-Boat with a Trolling Motor
-Trolling Rod/ Reel Combo
-Lead Core Line
-10 lb. Mono-filament
-Barrel Swivel
– Driving Crank Bait
Breaking down the Science
Trolling Rod/ Reel
- Trolling rods are more flexible than standard fishing rods and the come in greater lengths. This allows for more flex when a rod becomes snagged and decreases your chances of rod breakage/
- The longer rods allow the lure to be offset further from the side of the boat and prevents lures from crossing lines when turning.
Lead Core Line
- Lead core line provides and advantage because the line itself sinks, which allows a lure to travel to deeper depths than it could on its own. This technique is generally used to fish in depths greater than 30 feet and helps to offset the buoyancy of smaller crank baits.
- Lead core fishing line is made from a thin strip of lead wire running down the center and encased with a braided line. Lead core has varying line colors every 10 yards which allows the angler to quickly recognize how much line they have out.
- There are a few companies that produce lead core, but I prefer to use Suffix.
Mono-filament
- Tipping your lead core with 6 to 10 feet of mono-filament ensures that fish do not see the lead core line. And helps to entice them to bite.
- Mono-filament also allows for better hook sets because it provides a little stretch in the line that the lead core lacks. It will allow for lures to be set in the fish’s mouth without tearing the thin skin.
Barrel Swivel
- A barrel swivel attached to the mono-filament will make for easier lure changes and also provides a barrier for twisted line.
Crank Bait
- Crank baits need to be selected by understanding the type of bait the walleye may be feeding on during the time of year.
- White sided with a black back is a good color to start with. But do not be afraid to make color changes to figure out what lure they prefer that day.
- Use a lure that dives from 5 to 15 feet and is roughly 3 to 5 inches in length.
Trolling Tactics
Trolling for walleye can be very effective from Spring to late Fall. Speed is very important because spring walleyes are in post spawn mode which means that they are sluggish due to the water temperature being low. Start by letting your lead core out until the lure starts to hit bottom. Reel up until it just brushes bottom occasionally, this can be seen by watching the tip of your pole. It if it consistently diving reel up until it is occasionally.
Troll at speeds of 0.5 to 1.5 mph in the early spring, 1.0 to 2.5 in the early summer and 2.5 to 3.0 in the late summer. Walleye will be more aggressive as the water temperature increases and fishing faster speeds will be productive.
Areas to find Walleye
Walleyes are fish that can be caught in deep sections of rivers as well as shallow riffles. There are some river areas that will hold significant numbers of walleye. Try looking for elevation changes in the river bottom. A quick drop off will house walleye. That is because they come out of the deeper sections to feed in shallow water. They also prefer to live around structure such as a rock bed, a stump field or even a gravel bottom. So, look for these areas and check to see if there are any marks on the fish finder. The Kinzua Dam walleye fishing, is a great fishery especially in the Seneca Reservation. The hatchery has done a tremendous job in the stocking program which helps in the Kinzua Dam walleye fishing community.
Walleyes also love to feed on bait fish such as shad and perch. Look for areas that can house smaller prey. Find perch and you will find the walleye.
