opinions on walleye needed...

Post by **Tubey** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 10:12 am

Seasons greetings!

A cottager on my lake stocked walleye fry in the lake (1000/yr over ten years).

My cottage is on a small lake in Quebec. The lake is predominantly eutrophic (shallow and weedy, with a mud/silt bottom). There are several rock points but little other natural structure (no humps, shoals, etc..). There are essentially two main basins in the lake but neither is any deeper than 30-32 feet - they are relatively flat bottomed.

I have caught two walleye in this lake over the past ten years, but I fish primarily for bass. I use a fair amount of jigs when fishing for smallies, but have yet to hook into a walleye.

The question I ask is where could these fish be? I know there are some in the lake (as I found a dead 6 inch walleye on the raft this past summer - so there must be at least two eyes!!!)

Would they roam the basins in schools? Would they be off the deepest points (where I've been fishing...). If so, how would I go about finding them?

Suggestions, opinions......

Post by **Markus** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 12:12 pm

If it is indeed a small lake, just start fishing the thing hard! If they're there, you'll find them.

This very thing happened to my lake in NS. Some fool illegally stoked it with smallmouth. It has in fact destroyed the speckle fishing, but there are some decent sized bass being produced now. My bother and I spent 3 days straight this summer trying to locate these new invaders and on the second day we found them.

We just kept trying new things and locations everyday. If they're there, you'll eventually figure them out if you can put a little time in.

Good Luck.

Post by **Moosebunk** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 6:12 pm

???'s

Inflows or outflows?
Steeper banks on one side of the lake?
Colder ends of the lake?
Deep weed beds?
Narrows?
Shaded shorelines?
Considerable food source locations or movement patterns?

Are you using sonar and marking subtle smaller structures?

I don't really know tubey, I fish eyes in rivers, but the times I've caught them and only in shallow lakes in midsummer, they've been sitting in midlake weedbeds.

Post by **Canadian Bacon** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 7:10 pm

I don't really think 1000 fry per year is that much..who know's how many survived...

Post by **zick** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 10:45 pm

about 2% natually hatched walleye will survive to catchable size. there is very little chance for 1000 stock fry.

Post by **JRM** » Sun Dec 26, 2004 9:38 am

With the percentage of survival in most stocked lakes, especialling if just being introduced.....You may have caught the only 2 survivours....

I would watch for the spawners this spring, if you can find their spawning area...
Cheers,

Post by **steven** » Sun Dec 26, 2004 3:00 pm

Hi! ..found their lunch time and where is the fastest way they take to got it,usually they took the fastest way to go in low water.

Post by **skooter** » Sun Dec 26, 2004 7:23 pm

Moosebunk wrote:???'s

I don't really know tubey, I fish eyes in rivers, but the times I've caught them and only in shallow lakes in midsummer, they've been sitting in midlake weedbeds.

Hey Mooebunk....I'd love to pick your brain on this.

I've caught all my walleye river fishing, but I gotta be honest, I can't figure any rhyme or reason on where to specifically look for 'em. Most I've caught trolling, in places I wouldn't even expect to find them. I have caught a couple jigging where I thought they should be, but not consistantly. What do you look for?