LOZ Walleye

[DADAKOTA]

Been crappie fishing the mid lake area for about 25 years. We have noticed a definite increase in the number of walleye being caught the last two years. In the first 23 I recall only three walleye with one keeper caught by our group. Last year we had 2 keepers and 3 or 4 shorts. This year we have had over a dozen shorts and one keeper. Is MDC actively stocking walleye in LOZ or are they having some natural reproduction? Either way I like it.

[fishinwrench]

Both. They have been actively stocking walleye ever since the back flush disaster of the 80's when dump truck loads of them were killed.

And natural reproduction occurs in the tributary's during springs when they DON'T keep the lake as low for as long as they have the last 2 years.

Ameren has screwed that up twice in a row now, so 2 year classes of natural spawners are lost.

[crittermo]

those jackasses at ameren are definately not fisherman, what a boatload of numnuts

[Bushbeater]

While fishing the BBB last weekend we caught more keeper Walleye than keeper Bass. The walleye must really be on the feed right now. We were in the big and little Niangua arms. I agree with the comments about the jerks at Ameren.

[Johnsfolly]

BB were you catching the walleye from a boat or bank? What were you using for bait if you don't mind telling?

[MOsmallies]

DADAKOTA - Funny you mentioned this... I'm also in the Midlake area and my father in law and I have caught 7 over the past two weekends. All between 15-19". All 7 have been caught on roadrunners while crappie fishing (So less than 8 feet deep). 3 from one spot, 3 from another, and 1 from a third spot. I caught a 19" while cranking a mainlake point for bass last July. And a 17" & 20" while fishing a jerkbait on a secondary point on Thanksgiving 2013. Before that I had never seen one caught in person on LOZ... They definitely seem to becoming more prevalent!!

WHARFRAT who used to post quite often targets them I believe and has caught some monsters the last couple years. Hope he's alright as I don't think I've seen him post in a while.

Question for everyone... We have released all of the walleye we have caught this spring as we just weren't sure on the length and possession limits on LOZ for walleye. Is it 15" or 18"?

[MOsmallies]

Question for everyone... We have released all of the walleye we have caught this spring as we just weren't sure on the length and possession limits on LOZ for walleye. Is it 15" or 18"?

From what I can tell from a quick google search it's 15" statewide unless marked otherwise. I looked at the Special Management Regs for LOZ and did not see Walleye mentioned.... So I believe it's 15"... If that's the case, we have never caught a short on LOZ

[fishinwrench]

It used to be 18", but is currently 15".

[rangerman]

The walleye are in their post spawn gorging stage. The water temp is currently good as well. Working the banks with a crank you should have no problem catching multiple eyes. My best Missouri eye of 10pounds came out of that lake although I have lost a couple much larger ones from bull shoals. It is definitely a neat time of year to fish them in lake of the ozarks. A guy I know had one that was 13.75 pounds a couple of years ago. There are some big ones you can catch if targeted correctly. I strongly agree on the Ameren deal. it has got to hurt future fish generations.

[fishinwrench]

Ameren's shinanigans stopped the white bass run last year and they are about to do it again. If they don't allow the lake to get to at least 657.5 soon then there will be another year class of whites lost. I'm not sure how successfully whites can reproduce when confined to stillwater but I know that they never make it up the creeks when the lake is below 657.

Whites only live 4-5 years, so loosing 2 year classes of fish is gonna hurt the population noticably I'm afraid.

Probably all of the walleye I catch in the Gravi are streamborn since they only stock regularly on the upper Osage and occasionally in the big Niangua arm, and we've probably lost 2 year classes of them as well.

I have no idea why they started draining it back down so far immediately after the Spring rains but it can't be a good thing for the whites and walleye, and isn't all that good for the bass and crappie either as they always quickly fill the lake before Memorial day (mid-spawn).

They never used to do that.