“That’s a quick start,” my friend Bill said right after hearing his drag slip. Thirty seconds later, my son Parker dipped an 18-inch walleye with the Frabill Conservation Series net. We were recording an episode of my YouTube show Fishing and Hunting the North Country. After recording this fish was finished, it found his way into the livewell.

We were fishing a half-mile downstream of a dam on the Mississippi River in late March. It was a cold morning, and we went a while without another fish. But the forecast was for warming temps as the sun got higher, so we waited it out, expecting the bite to improve. While it never got as fast as we hoped, the bite did improve after the air and water warmed some, and we found the right location. We were able to record a good episode with several walleyes and some bonus sauger.

We were on the Mighty Miss, targeting spring-run walleyes moving upstream from a big lake, as well as resident walleyes and sauger that spend the whole year in this stretch of the river. As spring arrives and the water warms, walleyes migrate up rivers from lakes to spawn, traveling until they find the right spot to spawn; or they run into a dam or rapids area and have no choice but to spread out and look for spawning areas. You can catch resident walleyes and sauger in these stretches of river all year long, but the spring run can lead to incredible numbers of walleyes in relatively small areas, along with the chance for a fat, trophy female walleye.

Areas upstream from a lake or reservoir are more likely to have a good run of both numbers and size of walleyes. However, if you are heading to a good area, you likely aren’t the only one to know about it. Get to the ramp early, or you may have a long wait to launch, along with a parking problem. Fish on a weekday, if possible, to avoid crowds.

Finally, fish on a day that is supposed to be warm and sunny if you can. Sun and warmer air temps warm the water some, making the fish more active. Days like this will make you and your fishing partners more comfortable as well.

I usually start out with a very simple approach: vertical jigging using a jig tipped with a live minnow or soft plastic. I will also vertical jig a Rapala Jigging Rap or Rippin’ Rap. I typically use a 6-foot to 6’ 6”, medium-power, fast-action spinning rod for this approach. St. Croix’s 6’ 3” Eyecon paired with a Pflueger President 30 spinning reel is my weapon of choice. I spool the reel with 8-pound-test Berkley Fireline, using a barrel swivel to splice 18 inches of Berkley Vanish 14-pound-test fluorocarbon to the jig. The fluorocarbon is mainly for added abrasion resistance as you are fishing at or near the bottom likely containing rocks and wood.

I like using a lead head jig with a built-in rattle or added rattle chamber for additional noise and vibration to help fish track down your offering in dirty, spring river water. Use a heavy enough jig to keep it as vertical as possible in the current. I always have 3/8- and 1/2-ounce jigs in bright colors like glow, chartreuse, orange, and pink. I also carry a selection of Northland Whistler Jigs; the spinning prop on this jig gives off great fish-attracting vibrations ideal for fishing in dark water.

I start off tipping the jig with a live minnow, like a fathead or small sucker minnow. For vertical fishing, I like to run the hook of the jig into the mouth of the minnow, back through the throat and up out of the minnow behind the head (between the “shoulders”). This method doesn’t kill the minnow, holds the minnow in line with the jig, and resists it coming off when bumping snags. It also places the hook point far enough back to hook fish without needing a stinger hook much of the time.

Fish this offering slowly and vertically. Use the electric trolling motor to slow the drift of the boat enough to keep the jig almost vertical, just a bit downstream of the rod tip. This allows you to feel your bait bump something it could potentially snag on and preemptively snap it up and out before the boat is downstream of the snag, driving the jig into the snag.

I try to keep the jig and minnow about 6 inches above the bottom by watching the sonar and dropping the rod tip once-in-a-while to check for bottom. I gently move the rod up and down a few inches to “flutter” the bait along just above bottom. Subtle bites feel like a little too much weight on your line, while more aggressive strikes provide a good “thunk” before the rod loads up.

If I am getting bites that result in me missing the fish and bringing in a jig with just a minnow head remaining, I add a stinger hook system with the hook inserted in the back of the minnow, just behind the dorsal. You will pick up more leaves and other debris with a stinger, so you need to bring it in whenever something feels “off” and clean your bait.

If I am getting consistent aggressive strikes that almost take the rod out of my hand, I switch to a soft plastic minnow, paddletail or curly tail on the jig. I may also get more aggressive with my jigging motion in this situation as well. Don’t be afraid to switch to a Jigging Rap or Rippin’ Rap with aggressive fish, snapping it up and down to pull in fish with sound and vibration.

I look for some very specific spots on rivers during early spring. Slack-water holes below a lock, the tips of wing dams, or current seams in the tailrace below a dam are obvious spots to collect walleyes and sauger. Deeper holes in these areas can really stack up sauger. These are also some of the busiest spots, filled with anglers, on rivers at this time of year. You can still catch fish in these spots; just be courteous and respectful to all, especially people who were there before you.

You can get away from the crowds somewhat by looking for other, high-percentage spots. Confluences where another river or a stream enters the main river are great spots. Warmer water entering the main river though the tributary can attract fish, and you can often find current breaks and even slack water just upstream of the confluence that also collects fish. Deeper holes in the main river channel can provide slacker water beneath the surface current and can pile up fish taking a rest from swimming upstream. Finally, any kind of current seam or break caused by a bend in the river, a wingdam, or even a laydown tree can collect fish. Mark and remember spots where you catch fish, as they can be good spots to check out in future seasons.

Last, but not unimportant, read your regulations before you head out onto a river in springtime. You may find open and closed seasons, special limits, and slot restrictions depending on the stretch of water. Some rivers are catch-and-release only during the spring run. Border water rivers may have special regs and licensing requirements. Know what your regs are before you head out. Also, check fish consumption guidelines for the river, provided by your natural resources department, to see if you can keep any fish for eating.

Scratch the itch to fish open water before the ice leaves the lakes in the upper Midwest. Get your boat out on an area river and chase some walleyes and sauger with a long pole. Bonus fish could include catfish, sturgeon, pike and smallmouth bass. Dress for changing weather conditions; in March, it is typically colder on a river than it is on shore. And have a blast catching fish along with a shot at a true trophy.