Finally Caught The Fish That Had Eluded Me!

[Al Agnew]

I think the biggest reason they've declined in the Missouri portion of the Eleven Point, as well as on the Black and Current, is that there is zero catch and release ethic among nearly everybody that really targets them. If they catch it they keep it, at least until they get up to the limit of 4. With more people and better equipment, more are being caught and none are being released. Native Ozark river walleye have never been plentiful, so it doesn't take too many people keeping them to have an effect on the population. It's a shame, because if any fish really needs to be managed as a trophy fishery in MO it's walleye in these south-flowing streams, since they have the potential to grow to world record sizes and they are present in low numbers. I guarantee you that if there was a one fish, 30 inch length limit on them you'd see more of them and more really big ones.

[LittleRedFisherman]

I think the biggest reason they've declined in the Missouri portion of the Eleven Point, as well as on the Black and Current, is that there is zero catch and release ethic among nearly everybody that really targets them. If they catch it they keep it, at least until they get up to the limit of 4. With more people and better equipment, more are being caught and none are being released. Native Ozark river walleye have never been plentiful, so it doesn't take too many people keeping them to have an effect on the population. It's a shame, because if any fish really needs to be managed as a trophy fishery in MO it's walleye in these south-flowing streams, since they have the potential to grow to world record sizes and they are present in low numbers. I guarantee you that if there was a one fish, 30 inch length limit on them you'd see more of them and more really big ones.

I agree that the majority of walleye anglers are catch and keep for sure, I've never met one yet that wasn't. Here in Arkansas, they are stocked pretty regularly in the Spring river, that river is well known for being a good walleye river these days. The lower Current River is also a hot spot for them, not sure on the stockings in the Current, the may migrate up from the Black in the winter. There's just a mindset I guess when it comes to walleye, I find many anglers like the rest of us here, that treat the Ozark smallmouth like the treasured fish that they are, but when it comes to walleye, they will keep them in a heartbeat, guess it's just a mindset. Those mindsets can be changed, but it takes time, and sometimes generations.

I was watching a show on ESPN years ago, were Jerry Mckinnis was showing old clips of his show from the 60's and 70's the fishing hole. In the show, he was fishing Crooked Creek, and catching 20 plus inch smallies like they were going out of style. Every one of them was being put on a stringer. He kept apologizing to the audience, and said "folks, we just didnt' know better back in them days." I know smallies are still kept by some, but I'd bet the majority of anglers release most of them now, where 40 years ago, it was just common to keep a fish. Mindsets change, but it takes time. I"ll say this, contrary to what some believe, that walleye I caught yesterday was a fighter, I thought I had hooked into a dandy smallmouth, he attacked that spinnerbait from under a log. They would make a great gamefish to protect and produce a trophy for sure!

[ScottK]

If they weren't so darn tasty it would help!

[EddieRay]

If they weren't so darn tasty it would help!

No kidding. They are the best tasting freshwater fish in my opinion. There are enough lakes in Missouri with good populations of walleye if someone wants to eat them though. But then again, I guess that's easy for me to say since I have a bassboat and Smithville Lake is only 20 miles away. I agree that stricter management on the rivers is a necessity.