WHERE TO FISH
The Preacher's Eddy is just one of the many popular walleye spots in Lake Celilo, the impoundment created by The Dalles Dam in the Columbia River Gorge. Anther early-season spot is the deadline below the John Day Dam. "That's a good place for big fish, but the bottom is very snaggy," says Schneider. "Also, there are some tricky currents and rocky shoals just below the surface. It's not a place for beginners."

Below that hole is the Preacher's Eddy itself, and just below that on the Washington side is an area called The Willows. There's more good water on the Oregon side, running from the Giles French Park boat ramp down past the grain elevators. All of these are good early-season bets, and also during periods of high water.

Once May and June arrive, walleyes spread down through the system. "Look for any place where the bottom is rocky and the depth is between 12 and 30 feet," advises Schneider. Lower in the system, some of the good spots can be found along both shores above Maryhill State Park, below the bridge on Highway 97, and around the tip of Miller Island. Farther downstream are good reefs near Browns Island and the Avery ramp.

BIG RIVER WALLEYE TACTICS
On the day we fished, Schneider used bottom-walking rigs tipped with night crawlers, and we trolled them downstream. This is the preferred method when the flows are high and vertical fishing is not possible. It's also a good way to fish when you have inexperienced anglers in the boat, since it takes less expertise than jigging.

Schneider starts with spinning rods set up with 10-pound-test line leading to a bottom walker. Attached to the walker is a leader about four to five feet long, ending in a series of beads and a Spin-N-Glo ahead of a double-hooked night crawler. Pass the first hook through the head of the worm, and push the trailing hook through the worm about two inches lower, so the shaft is within the worm's body with the hook exposed and pointed up toward the worm's head. Make sure to leave some slack in the line between the two hooks so that when the worm stretches out in the water, it will still move naturally.

The worm is the most important part of the presentation, with the Spin-N-Glo merely serving as an attractor. There are plenty of variations: Some fishermen use marabou jigs and spinners instead of a Spin-N-Glo. The best colors are chartreuse, orange and red.

Troll the rig downstream along the bottom. You want to feel a steady ticking of the wire as it bumps along. It's necessary to adjust to the changing depths of an undulating bottom, such as that in the Preacher's Eddy, so that your bait stays in the strike zone. Walleyes are bottom-huggers, and if you get too far off the bottom, you won't find fish.