Night time Walleye Poll?

[eye-tracker]

Hello Hawk Talkers...

So what do you think, is it better to fish walleye at night or during the day?

I have found that it seems to depend on the lakes Boat Traffic and how clear the water is. I have had both good and bad results.

So cast your vote...

[ken & Jo]

I don't fish too often after it gets dark. I catch 98% of my 'eyes on Hay Bay/BOQ during the day. All my friends make fun of me because when they're just coming back in around 10am from leaving at 6 am, I'm just heading out and coming back in around 2 in the afternoon. I usually don't have too much trouble picking up fish at those times. After dinner we'll usually head out again from 6 - 9.

Ken

[Manny]

I figure that most poeple will say day because most poeple fish during the day but there is no doubt in my mind that walleyes bite better at night. Around Mtl, night time is right time. Swim jigs in the current and most times, it's none stop.

[BENLEGER]

8a.m. until about 9:oo 9:30 and from 1 p.m. to 2p.m and i can't forget, an hour before darkness ,those times are usually the best times for me, they all got me numbers of decent fish and also some lunkers.

BEN

[roughrider]

I prefer first light,most boats don't show for a couple of hours and I can hit some spots before the guys finish breakfast.Next would be 1 hour before sundown till dark,if I don't have any fish yet,I'll fish the night hours till 11 o'clock but thats starting to get old,I prefer bed to night eyes! Good Luck ,roughrider.

[Wall-I-Guy]

Easy question for me....Daytime rules

It's technique that dictates IMHO ....


That being said though. I love dusk fishing best because you're not out in the heat of the day!

[Moosebunk]

Where I fish the water clarity can be stained chocolate to coffee. The bites come at all times and at no times. If I have to choose, sun up and early am in the spring, summer and fall, but dusk through the ice.

[DUBIE]

When ever i can get a chance to get away! But like the evening.

[fish_head]

Night fishing for sure. One night last summer I caught a couple nice 'eyes along side the Ottawa near the Rockcliffe lookout point (that stupid gazebo thing along sussex).....almost literraly behind Martin's house, I was there from about 6 pm to say 9pm...then I moved west along the rocks. Found a spot that's easily accessible by boat, a little bit of Jungle treking to get to it. My friends and I call it the Rock-Side-Bong. There's an old pipe that sticks out of the rocks and resembles a bong. Either way, I got there at about 9:30pm, caught another 3 or 4 'eyes before heading home satisfied at 11pm...

[slop]

The witching hour gets the nod from me.

Those post-spawn sagging-bellied females need all the protein they can get.

I don't target eyes much at night in the summer. If we get a few during the day, night time finds us sharing good laughs, a feed of eyes, beverages and drooling on my pillow.

slop

[Seaweed]

Don`t forget to wear plenty of bug stuff on night time outings.

I was talking to someone who said that his fishing partner got West Nile virus this past season. He said that it wasn`t something we were ever going to want to fight... you can`t win the fight with West Nile... there is no cure.

Just a friendly thought for all of us. I regularily find myself being almost eaten alive from mosquitos as I trailer to leave my fishing holes... it is part of the sport and we just have to put up with it if we want to fish is the way I think of it. Getting sick never even entered into my mind.... it has now though and I will probably start paying a heck of a lot more attention to protecting myself.

[Karack]

Seaweed - I'm not trying to be an butt here, but I work for Health Canada and I'd have to say that the story of someone catching the West Nile virus sounds a bit "fishy" to me but you raise and excellent point about us all protecting ourselves.

I'm including a link to Health Canada's site that deals with the West Nile virus. There is some good safety information there as well as general info on the virus for anyone who is interested.

K.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/westnile/animals.html

[Seaweed]

I think that perhaps the last paragraph from the article best illustrates my point here,

" Hunters (or Anglers) who spend a lot of time outdoors may be exposed to mosquitoes. This would put them at risk for infection if there is WN virus activity in the area. To reduce the risk of exposure to mosquitoes, hunters (or Anglers) should wear protective clothing and use insect repellents that contain DEET or other approved ingredients."

I was not referring to someone getting West Nile from consuming fish but rather just suggesting that all of us need to be aware that West Nile virus is all around us now and unless we want to have to deal with the complications and shorter life expectancy we need to limit our exposure to the pests that carry the virus.


And by the way..... if I have learned anything about your employer over the years it is just this....

"They have a tendency to put their own spin on a lot of things that they feel is right at the time and reserve the right to change that opinion at any moment if it suits them."

I work for the government also and I know how the system works. But hey this isn`t about fishing so I will sign off on this for now by saying that all though night fishing can be some of the best time on the water we still have to beware of potential risk when doing it.

[Karack]

Seaweed - I did agree (and still do) that your point about protecting ourselves was a good one. I certainly didn't intend my reply to your orignal post to be offensive to you in any way, and if it came off the way, I am sorry.

Since you are a public servant too I can understand where you cynical attitude comes from and for the most part I share your views there when it comes to our Fedreal Govenment. However, I will have to stand up the the integrity and scientific expertise of my colleagues here in Health Canada. Your quote <i>"They have a tendency to put their own spin on a lot of things that they feel is right at the time and reserve the right to change that opinion at any moment if it suits them." </i> definately applies to the political side of my and any other Federal Department, but in so far as the actual Science goes that is not a fair statement.

You are right, in that this discussion creeped away from anything to do with fishing so I too will drop it here.

However, it would make for a good topic of discussion if we ever have a chance to wet a line together sometime.

Fish on!!!

K.

[gorfman007]

I must admit that the two lakes where I fished for walleye were more successful at dusk. Buckhorn and Bob's. This for the bigger fish. However, I must admit that I am not very successful as a walleye fisherman . But I do enjoy fishing for them.