I fish a river in which there are a lot of holding spaces in deadfalls – roots and stumps that are covered when the water is high – what type of rig should I be pitching?

To be honest, when fishing a river with deadfall such as roots, stumps and fallen trees, the professional walleye anglers prefer to use a snag less jig. You might try a Lindy Vegi jig a bit up the stream from where the deadfall or such is located. It will drift down the river pasting the deadfall. Even when using this set up, you need a good rod and line. Use the line with high visibility, which is going to allow you to see a strike. One thing to keep in mind is you need to cast upstream of the deadfall. Casting into it, when the current is moving, will only move the bait out of the strike zone before you even get a chance to be in the zone.

One thing to avoid when fishing deadfall in the river is using plastic or bait with hair. This just makes the presentation too bulky and unappealing to the walleye. A plain head a minnow will do just fine. Keep in mind that you may lose some jigs so use the Vegi, which allows you to bend the wire out further from the hook for more tangled conditions and in toward the hook for less tangled conditions.

If the current is really strong you might try a Minnkota Maxxum 101 for working your way upstream. This will help you go backwards from one spot to another. Walleye as well as other fish are found in these areas and are easy to catch if you use the right bait and fishing technique.