Detroit River Handlining By Rob Cardinal

The Detroit River is indeed a very magical place during the month of April. One can target perch, pike, smallmouth bass, muskie, and of course walleye on the same outing. Modern anglers are zooming around all over the river with rods flapping in the wind daunting the latest in Gore-Tex protection. These fisherman (myself often included) with a little local knowledge and the right wind often have some of their best fishing days of the season, but these anglers more often than not start heading back to the launch as the daylight begins to fade. As they position their high dollar fishing boat outfitted with all the latest gear and huge motor on the trailer they eye a couple of local boys launching a 14 foot aluminum duck boat about an hour before dark and decide to strike up a conversation. As they approach the small boat they quickly see a fish cooler, some tackle trays, maybe a landing net but something is missing: the rods. These boys know that to catch walleye in this river day or night, all they need is there handlines.

The art of handlining has a very unique history. How it all started was when the first telephone lines were being installed in the Detroit and surrounding areas before 1920. The spare copper wire line lying around was “appropriated” by the local anglers for fishing the river. Then someone came up with the idea of adding a heavy sash weight from an old window as a sinker. The old timers first used a wooden board to wrap the wire line around, until some one came up with the idea of using the innards of a broken Victrola player to wind the wire up automatically. The old “River Rats” placed the Victrola boxes in the front of their small rowboats and took turns fishing and rowing, and caught a lot of walleyes. Handlining has not changed too much to this day. Modern reels are obviously smaller than a Victrola box but they work the same way. This technique has been passed down through generations amongst the locals and sons and grandsons often make the same passes that their grandfather first took them through many years ago. The technique is quite simple. Attach 2 leaders to the main wire and bounce the weight along the bottom while trolling into the current. That’s it, simple right? Maybe. The first step in getting started is too determine where to mount the reel on your boat. I suggest mounting the reel towards the front of your boat in such a manner that the wire travels directly to your hand in a straight line. Often this means mounting the reel so that it is on the outside of the boat about six inches. If the wire is traveling on an angle to your hand this will increase the chances of the wire sliding off the spool losing causing your reel to wined out thus ending your night of fishing. Once you have the reel mounted, its time to start looking at tackle. Attached to the wire line is what is called a shank. This shank is basically a piece of wire line with clevises crimped on about a foot apart and the weight attaches to the bottom. I like weights ranging between 1⁄2 pound and 2 pounds depending on the current and how fast you want to troll. I also prefer weights that are poured onto a piece of stiff wire. These weights look like giant bottom walkers and the wire gives you better feel and reduces snags. Do not drag the weight on bottom. You will see the locals pumping their arms. They are touching the bottom and pulling it off. Touch and off constantly adjusting to feel bottom letting the reel take up the slack.

Now let us look at the business end of this rig starting with the leaders and swivels. I like to use 17 pound test Suffix monofilament in green or clear whichever you prefer. The Suffix line has great knot strength and is very affordable. Many anglers troll 20-30 pound test but I believe the thicker diameter line affects the action of precision tuned stickbaits like Rapalas. A quality snap swivel is required in a size 5. The size five is strong enough to take the punishment of changing baits often and dragging in fish but small enough to not effect the action of your lure. Leader length varies amongst the locals, everybody has their own preference. I like to pre-tie leaders and store them on 2 separate leader keepers one for short and one for long. Tie a swivel (with your best knot) on each end and start at 20 feet for the long leader and 10 feet for the short. It is wise to have about 6 or so of each leader before you start fishing for convenience sake. Do not be afraid to shorten your leaders and play with the length but just remember the golden rule: the top lead must always be twice as long as the bottom lead or you will tangle for sure.Attach the short lead about a foot or two above the weight and the long lead about 4 feet up from the weight.

Lure selection is always important. Any lure that floats and runs less than 4 feet deep qualify. The big 3 are Flatfish, pencil plugs, and original floating Rapalas. Any stickbait that floats and runs shallow can be used. The traditional color patterns that consistently take fish are chartreuse, orange, blue, firetiger, erie-descent, and black and silver. When fishing at night I like to use the pencil plugs and brighter color Rapalas. For daytime fishing, it is always wise to have a natural color like the black and silver or a shad pattern along with a bright color. If a lure does not produce in a half hour or so, change it but always come back to the big six listed above when you just cant seem to get things going. My favorite rig is Erie-descent on the top and chartreuse on the bottom. If you want to run Flatfish, you will have slow the boat speed down just a touch so they don’t foul out but the Rapalas and plugs will go as fast as you want.

The final aspect of handlining and perhaps the most important is boat control. Always troll into the current. If you troll with the current, you will lose gear. Zigzag into the current working your way up the river keeping your eye on other boats for safety and to see if they are catching fish. Adjust your speed, and work the middle as well as both shorelines of the Trenton channel until you pick up a fish and then continue making that same pass several more times or until you determine you want to move.

The best place to launch the boat is Lake Erie Metropark on Jefferson in Brownstown. There is a daily fee for both vehicle and boat although annual permits are available. You may want to give Bottom Line Bait and Tackle (734 379-9762) a call before making the trip. They are located right across the street from the Metropark, are open 7 days a week and will provide you with the latest fishing reports, ramp information, live bait and any tackle needs that you may have. They can also set you up with everything you need to get started handlining. So diversify your approach to catching walleyes and try something different and trust me, you will catch fish.