White River Walleye

[Fox Statler]

Lilley,

I read your article on the White River Walleye. It is outstanding, I loved it. But I have a question. If the walleye were stocked in the White River System during the 1940's, were they also stocked in the Black River system at the same time?? I meet an old man once in Hardy that said he caught walleye in the Spring River when he was a boy. The old man is dead now but he would be well over a hundred years old if he were alive today. My grandfather and my great uncles also spoke of "Jack Salmon" and "River Jacks" when I was a young boy also. My grandfather would be over a hundred if he were alive as well. My grandfather moved for the Hardy area at the age of 20. All the mountainous tributaries of the Black River have walleye in them. I caught a walleye out of the South Fork of the Spring River about 34 years ago where I live now. I live one mile downstream from Salem, Arkansas, this is approximately 70 river mile from the confluence with the Spring River at Hardy.

Accorrding to my fish books, "Fishes of Arkansas", "Fishes of Missouri", and "Fishes of Tennessee" and others there are two strains of walleye, a northern strain and a southern strain. The southern strains range is a far south as the Gulf Coast in Mobile Bay and the Pearl River. Walleye are also known to wander great distances. They were and are known to be throughtout the Mississippi, Ohio, and the Missouri Rivers. Especially before the damming of the upper Missouri River because the water of the Missouri was so cold that trout were often caught at it's confluence with the Mississippi. Granted, walleye have been introduced for the Pacific to the Atlantic and in every state of the United States and were stocked heavily in the White River Systems after the dams were built.

[Phil Lilley]

Fox- I welcome you comments and I'm sure our readers would love to know more about the history of walleye in other river systems like the Black and Spring Rivers. If you have a chance to talk to any old timers or ASFG people who would know such things, please report back.

Bill talked to the owner of Bull Shoals Boat Dock at length about the walleye fishery. He may know about those other rivers as well.

[Tightline]

Very Interesting, sadly all of the people who could give me any help with this have all passed away,but I do have my fathers diarys from 1950 thru 1965.He started keeping these when he became a minister mainly for church records and attendance but the other thing he loved was fishing and he wrote down every time he went.The 2 things that never left his side were his Bible and those diarys.Pictures,I am sure he had some but our house burned while we were away in 1964 and we lost everything.

The diary for 1951 thru 1955 was damaged by moisture,he had made reference to catching several big fish but the part that tells what they were is not readable.1956 was a year he did construction on a church not much fishiing.On January 7th and 8th of 1957 he wrote of catching a 10 1/2 lb Jack and going back the next day and catching another the same size.And yes he had an old tip scale because he didn't like people to say he exagerated.I am going to try and post these diary pages on here.Now if Walleye live to be 15-20 years old that would make these fish about 7-8 years old meaning they were spawned in 1949-1950.

Also he had 6 brothers who loved to fish, dad talked of them getting in on grabbing and gigging of the fish that got trapped in the large potholes and pools when they shut the water off at Powersite before Bull Shoals dam was built.One Uncle had a huge Walleye mounted,I can remember that fish on his wall way back,and will try to find out what size and when it was caught.The biggest my dad ever talked about was 14lb but had many people brag to him of much bigger,kinda like Charlie.I was in the same class as his daughter at Forsyth.

Charlie C is a good man and anything he says you can count on,and I agree with him about the different strain of Walleyes.But I still believe there are some Walleye that make it through the spawn and to adult fish.If all the Walleyes in Bull Shoals came from the one stocking in 1955 then how could we have caught smaller ones in the mid to late sixtys,dad was always making me throw back small ones?

The crowds were big back then but they were there mainly for the White bass.Thats what put Forsyth on the map was the big runs they had.No the pressure hadn't been like it was the last few years,but there's still alot of the old Walleye guys around,and they are much more efficient than they use to be.

Good job Bill,I agree that that must have been alot of work,I'll keep digging and looking for photos. TL.

[Bill Babler]

Looking at those diary pages has to put a lump in your throat. I didn't even know the man, but I'm sure I would have been a beter person if I had.

Thank you so very much for sharing them with us.

I think the eye's he was catching, had to be the Old River Jack's that Charlie speaks of. Catchin them in the mid-50's was not like picking apples, but if you knew how, you could get some real dandies.

Where were these River Jack's before the lake went in? Why didn't the old float trips catch-em. I believe they were there and people gigged them during March when they went up the creeks to spawn. Do you think there were just so few and scattered out, is the reason that no one caught them on a pole and line, and only when they would concentrate and run up the creeks were the only time people could find them? I just don't know. I do know they were there, and after the lake dammed folks, got on them in a hurry.

You know, with all the stuff I asked the biologist, I forgot to ask about growth rates, from fry, to fingerlings, to how long to adulthood.

Rex said he has no proof of it, but a creel checker in the early 60's told him taney was being stocked on the lower end at that time with walleye.

I found no stocking other than 1955 on Bull and the flood of 57 on thru Table Rock. However Table Rock has a very long history of stocking walleye. That's another story.

My neighbor, Wilma, has fantastic photo's, and her son said he would put some on a disc for me to share. Millions of gallons of water pouring over powersite, a complete dry lake bed on Table Rock and picture of the dam and how high the water had gotten before they let it all out.

Great Stuff Tight, See if you can stir the pot over there, and find out something before the lake went in. That's where I'm having my trouble getting information. From 1958 thru 1970, a man could write a book on the info. I guess I pretty much have. You can tell its winter and the guide business is slow.

[Crippled Caddis]

Fox,

Pg. 464, 'Fishes of Arkansas',

Distribution: Considered native to Arkansas ONLY in the White river drainage in the Northern part of the state.....

Habitat and Biology: Much of the ORIGINAL habitat of this species was destroyed by the impoundment of the upper White River lakes....

(Caps added for emphasis)

So obviously the species is native to the state. The remaining question in my mind is: How are they defining the limits of "the White River drainage"?

My understanding is that it includes all tributaries and that would have to include the Black River and it's tributaries. No?

[SKMO]

You know, with all the stuff I asked the biologist, I forgot to ask about growth rates, from fry, to fingerlings, to how long to adulthood.

According to the Fishes of Missouri book:

"Newly hatched walleye fry are only about half an inch in length, but under ideal conditions can attain a length of 10" or more the first year"

In the Current River average size by is is:

1 yr - 8"

2 - 12.5"

3 - 15.5"

4 - 17.3"

5 - 18.9"

6 - 20.7"

7 - 24.1"

8 - 25.5"

9 - 27.9"

10 - 29.6"

Also said: "The usual life span is 7-8 years but individuals 13-14 years of age are not uncommon".

[Fox Statler]

I have to agree with Crippled Caddis. Walleye were native in the White River system before the dams, this included the Black River system as well.

I just found it. In Larry Dablemont's book, "Rivers to Run", on page 97, a chapter intitled "Current River Country" when reviewing the fishing records of a hunting and fishing club named the "Carter County Club", here is what's said. "Diggins and Horton reported 36 Jack Salmon (Walleye), 10 bass, 5 eels, 1 goggle-eye and 1 dogfish in April of 1896.

So there is written proof of the fact that Walleye were in the White River system before the dams. Now how plentiful they were in the northwestern portion of Arkansas is another matter.

[SKMO]

Walleye were native in the White River system before the dams, this included the Black River system as well.

Jacks are also caught in the lower Eleven Point River, the last 10 miles before it goes into AR. Not a lot but large ones. I lived in Alton a couple years and was on this water a lot.

[Tightline]

Wow,good job CC,SKMO,and Fox on digging up that stuff.

We know Vonreed caught a NICE Walleye that was over 10 1/2 lbs a couple of weeks ago and it was 30 in long,so the 2 Walleye my father caught in Jan of 1957 that were 10 1/2 lbs were probably 30 inchs long,according to your chart SKMO those Walleyes (or Jacks) were about 10 years old,meaning they were probably spawned in 1947 the same year Bull Shoals dam was (started) and long before Table Rock. I was wondering about that. Thanks. TL

[Danimal]

In spite of what's written in Fishes Of Arkansas, many old timers (including my late grandfather) claim to have caught walleye from the Ouachita River and several of its tributaries back before lakes Ouachita, Hamilton, and Catherine were impounded, which was long before any were stocked down there. I guess they could've been pullin' my leg, but I can't think of any reason why they would. Dan-o