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anybody catching walleye


ryan

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I was wondering does anybody activley fish tablerock for walleye and is there a good population of walleye established there also where should i go to get in on some good crappie action thanks

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I was wondering does anybody activley fish tablerock for walleye and is there a good population of walleye established there also where should i go to get in on some good crappie action thanks

There are walleye there to be caught. I know one guy that has targeted them with mixed results. For crappie you may want to look at Cape Fair. I saw a bunch of guys fishing just below there. Also try above Cape Fair near the bridge.

Good luck.

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If I was looking for Walleyes and Crappie in the same water I would be trying Stockton Lake and fishing near the old query across from the State Park Marina. I would use a 1/8 oz white / chartreuse jig tipped with a minnow or about 2" of night crawler. or small minnow. Fished real slow on the shelf rock at 20', bringing it up every Min about 10". Use a very sensitive rod and don't expect a bone jarring hit, If you feel a slight spongy line on the rise set the hook, and watch your line on the drop, if you see a slight pause or bow in the line set the hook. If you are fishing in the wind set up a 1/2 oz drop weight under the jig rig this will help you see and feel the bite. You can SLOW drift down the ledges to cover more water. Change color jigs as the light changes from light color for sun and dark for wind or clouds.

In a few weeks the Eyes will be starting to school on the chunk rock secondary points and the RIF Raff along the dam, then you can throw a thunder stick and small deep running cranks, you can tip them with small sections of night crawler

Good Luck

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I was wondering does anybody activley fish tablerock for walleye and is there a good population of walleye established there

After lots and lots of trips fishing for everything else in Tablerock over the years, I've never caught a keeper walleye there. There are probably some big ones, but if they were very well established I think I'd catch one once in awhile while fishing for other species.

King's River may be an exception. I know some guys who fish for walleyes there in the spring, and catch them.

Walleye fishing in the James River arm may get better in years to come. I heard MDC stocked a bunch of them there, and I know it's true because when crappie fishing there last spring I caught and released quite a few 9, 10, and 11 inchers.

But for now, for walleyes, I'd stick to Bull Shoals, Stockton, or the King's River arm of Tablerock.

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I was wondering if there were some fished stocked in the James. I caught a 20" eye up there this spring along with several good crappie. I hope the walleye can establish themselves. I wouldn't mind another 'pan' fish option at Table Rock. :)

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They've been stocking walleye in TR for years... it just takes so many stocked fish to make a dent in the overall population. But I believe we will start to see a good population in TR in the next few years. Both Kings and James, esp Kings have great March spawning runs... kinda of a well kept secret in these parts.

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I hate to be the skeptic, but Walleyes, AKA Jack Salmon, have been in this state for decades and there just doesn't seem to be that much interest overall, hasn't been and I question if there will ever be. Rather than trying to turn every lake into a Walleye lake, I would rather see more emphasis on Stripers and Wipers if we need exotics.

Today's release is tomorrows gift to another fisherman.

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Wayne, what about trout????

Walleye were native to the rivers here. I agree that general interest in targeting them is not high, although that's probably a reflection of fish population dynamics (walleyes are secondary, thus harder to find and catch consistently). Everybody seems very happy whenever they catch one incidentally.

I'm a northern transplant. Walleyes are what I fish for. The folks back home in Wisconsin all think I should be fishing for bass, since this is bass country--do as the Romans do.

However, one thing that can be said for walleyes and trout in this area, that cannot be said for most other species: you've got a shot at a world record.

Ryan, that includes Table Rock. Somebody needs to unlock the secrets there. Your best shot at catching some will be on the upper end of the lake, most of the year...

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Walleye and trout stocking, that makes for an interesting conversation.

In a way, I hate to see the whole MDC trout program. I think I understand it - like our society, fishing is becoming more "urbanized". Raising trout in hatcheries is uniquely suited for that kind of fishing. They can raise 'em in concrete tanks, release them in city lakes, and let the kids have a good time catching them.

I read recently in a magazine that there are 20% fewer fishermen in the U.S. now than there were a generation ago. Fishing is a rural, outdoors hobby that runs contrary to the trend of more people living in big cities. It's not surprising that the fishing that remains will get more "urbanized" - the raising and releasing of hatchery trout.

I don't want to criticize someone else's hobby, and I sure don't want to offend Lilley - considering everything good he does for fishing in this area, including creating this web site. But I just don't know what to think about things like the "tournament results" he posted on the Taneycomo page here. They used Powerbait, etc., and everybody caught a limit of FOUR little trout with the big fish being a pound-and-a-half, and that's a tournament?

If people enjoy doing that, I'm glad. I have a hard time believing that all those people would go to the trouble of getting a boat wet to catch what I'd consider, uh, bait. When I see that, I'm afraid I'm seeing the future of "urbanized fishing" in this state. But I guess that's better than no fishing at all - and if it exposes people, especially kids, to the sport, well and good.

As far as walleyes, I think they'll always be a secondary fish around here. They fascinate me because I fished for about 30 years before I ever caught my first walleye. They're great eating, and they're still something strange and new to me.

I've gotten to the point that I actually make some trips now specifically targeting walleyes. I think they'll remain a specialty fish in Missouri - targeted by a few enthusiasts and caught occasionally as a sideline by the rest of us. I hope MDC will keep them going with good programs, because they're a great fish.

But my mainstream targets are going to remain the old stand-bys - bass, crappie, white bass, and catfish.

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Powerdive, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Walleye, but as with Trout, I think there is a limit. LOZ has had them since the 50's at least, and BS has had Walleyes for probably as long and there has never been an explosion of interest in them. I think that if you look at your own club tourney's you can see they have a ways to go to draw a lot of attention. I just think instead of expanding them, they should concentrate on the lakes that show promise., and put some of that money, and the Trout money into more promising fish.

I believe Hybrids are a better all round fish to get away from the Black Bass/Crappie mold. They're not that different than the Whites that people are used to, and if they become a problem, all they have to do is wait for them to die out, which they will.

Today's release is tomorrows gift to another fisherman.

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