Quote Originally Posted by slabby joe View Post
Hey Craig, just thought I'd ask your opinion on keeping walleyes during the spawn.....keep the males only and release all females?? What you think will have an influence on how I view future catch and keep or catch and release options ( not that I'm ever a threat to the future populations of walleyes....dang hard to catch for me). Thanks for your input.....you guys do a great job for all us fishers!
Slabby,

If you catch a fish with legal methods and legal means and that fish is legal for harvest (meets length and creel limits for that particular water body) then you can harvest it. KDWPT doesn't have any data that shows that fishing for walleye during the spawn in any way damages the population. There is not any difference in harvesting a female walleye 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or 6 months before the spawn as they are still gone and won't be spawning again. However, some anglers don't see it that way and they believe that a near spawning fish should be released to complete the spawn. Many Kansas reservoirs have poor walleye recruitment from natural spawns so KDWPT stocks walleye to keep the populations at appropriate levels. A few lakes, Marion and Wilson reservoirs for example, do have good natural production from the walleye spawn and these lakes are not stocked often. Fishing is allowed during the walleye spawn and the fish are still able to pull off good spawns and support the population without supplemental stocking.

Fishing during the walleye spawn is the only time during the year that some anglers will have access to walleye. As you know, the spawn brings walleye to shallow, near shore areas giving non-boating anglers a chance to catch walleye that are normally located out of casting distance. Although some large fish can be caught during the spawn, biologically this harvest isn't doing the population any harm. As many have noted on this board, walleye spawn fishing is NOT the best time to catch walleye as they are preoccupied with creating the next year class and catching can be dismally slow. Most concentrated doesn't always equate to great fishing. The spawn is a fairly short time frame and although a lot of anglers participate the fishing is not fast and furious like it is for spawning crappie or white bass.

Now, what should an angler keep during the walleye spawn? That is up to the angler! If your fish is of legal length,you are under your daily creel limit, you are under your possession limit and you want to keep the fish, keep it. If you want to fight the fish to shore, snap some pictures, and turn it loose that is great. Anglers feel strongly on both sides of this subject, but harvest is harvest no matter the time of year. Our walleye populations are closely monitored. If over harvest is occurring then management modifications will be made to keep the population healthy.

Good question Slabby! I hope you catch your monster walleye this year...whether it is during the spawn or on the flats!!