Anyone have any reports or heard anything. Tempted to hit the dam tonight. Normally the weather is a tad warmer than it’s been this year so far
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Anyone have any reports or heard anything. Tempted to hit the dam tonight. Normally the weather is a tad warmer than it’s been this year so far
I skipped it this year because of the weather, moving on to other fish.
They're up on the dam now.
They weren't on Saturday from 2:30pm - 8:30pm. At least...not that I heard/saw...nor were interested in the things I was throwing. I will say I graphed a lot more fish in the dam area than I had either of the previous two weekends I'd been out.
In that entire 6 hour period I only saw three other boats and two guys fishing from the rocks and nobody catching anything. Smithville walleye are fickle, especially during their spawn!
All walleye are fickle during the spawn. They aren't nest builders and the males will gang up on a female and chase her until she releases eggs. Their brains aren't very big and when they're in spawning mode, that's the only thing they think about. You can occasionally get a reflex strike on something noisy. We caught good numbers of fish on Jacomo and Longview Thursday night. They're in, just busy doing something besides feeding.
The weather has been less than ideal but the walleye are definitely on the dam. I've sampled the dam at Smithville 3 times this year and will probably finish up walleye sampling Tuesday night 4-10-18. Judging from what I have seen, the walleye spawn will peak this week. Here are my catch rates so far this year.
March 27 - 112/walleye per hr
March 29 - 154/walleye per hr
April 5 - 240/walleye per hr
Catch rates this year will be very close, if not slightly above, our 10 year average.
Which area of the dam seems to have the highest concentrations?
thanks for the info Eric.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Dennis
I was there Saturday night from 730pm to 10pm fishing the bank. Saw 3 boaters and I was the only one fishing the bank. I didnt see any eyes shine nor heard anything along the bank. Talked to one of the 3 boaters and they had no luck either. Was shocked that there wasn’t more boaters and anglers out for being such a decent day.
I can attest to how difficult it can be to catch a walleye during the spawn. The only appeal it has is an end to cabin fever. The recent snows has left me in a winter depression and I cannot manage the energy to go after something as elusive as a spawning walleye. Besides they are easier to catch in the summer and fall. I caught a 25" walleye last fall fishing for white bass.
Most of the walleye I have caught over the years have been while trolling for them in the summer something I no longer enjoy because it feels like overkill to me (catching a walleye was for my younger self something of an obsession). I know people that seem able to catch them vertical jigging in the summer but that is not my style at moment either. Being a fair weather fisherman myself I have a lot of respect for the people that almost always catch something but I don't want to turn a hobby into a job.
The reports are still entertaining and maybe I will redevelop my obsession someday but until then I live the walleye catching adventure vicariously through fishing stories.
I did give it a half hearted go after F.I.S.H day but no luck.
The walleye fishermen at Smithville should start to see a significant increase in catch rates starting in the next year or two. Smithville is now being stocked with walleye every year at a rate of 30/acre, historically Smithville was stocked every 2 years. The increased stockings should turn Smithville into a more harvest oriented fishery rather than the incidental catch fishery that it has been.
Well the walleyes are definitely at the dam. Fished from 8pm till midnight and nothing. I did get to witness the electro shocking that was done though, really cool seeing walleyes just pop up and being scooped up like that. Not many boaters out and I think their were only 3 bank fishermans. Calm conditions made it real easy to see their reflective eyes in the water and they were stacked in some areas. Maybe I’ll keep trying this week and get lucky.
Walleye fishing during the spawn is about like musky fishing: 10,000 casts for one strike! Post-spawn the walleye will be in a recovery period and anglers generally start catching them on the points/flats around Mother's Day. I catch them quite often while white bass fishing. If you can get your lure under the white bass school, the walleye will be down there picking up crippled shad.