White River Walleye or Bust

[Bill Babler]

I fished 16 locations that I have not only caught walleye on this time of the year, but also they are great early season locations for LM and at times I will catch a K or two off them.  Every location had breeze on it and I fished each to the best of my limited knowledge.  I did get a late start and there was not a cloud in the sky, but I'm not pinning all my woes on that.

As I told Ham on a PM this morning, I caught 7 fish out of a spot no bigger than my Bass Boat.  Why were they only there?  Why were they feeding hard there?  Had to be something going on.  There were shad on the surface most everywhere I went, they seem to be really active now, no more there than any of my other stops.  It was also one of the coldest water temps of any place I went.  By the way, I really don't remember ever seeing such a huge difference in surface temps.  It was 50.1 at the ER Ramp, It was almost 54.5 across from Devils Dive Resort and by the way the Ice Box is gone.  It was 47 at Roaring River and 46.5 up by Rock Creek.  This is all main lake transition fishing and all the temps are main lake.  From 46 to 54.  I can see the difference if I would have been fishing pockets, but these are just main channel temps.

Had another good laugh as when I came back down stream and passed the swim area and ramp at ER.  I'm going to say about 2 PM there were 3 ladies with their pants rolled up wading in the water.  They had 2 kids in swim suits setting in the water in front of them just splashing, laughing and having a great time.  The ladies waved as I passed.  50 degree water is hypothermic, and these cats were having a big day in it.  To each his or her own.

[dtrs5kprs]

Sneaky old Ham .

It amazes me when I see folks jumping into a lake that is 50-55 degrees, but there are some who seem bound to do it. I'd be out of that so fast it would look like I was levitating.

[Ham]

I think kids haven't fully developed their nervous system or something. My skinny as a rail daughter would swim in stuff that I struggles to wet wade in. Her lips would be blue, but she would keep right on doing it.

[m&m]

I saw 3 teens (2 boys and a girl) in Rock Creek on Saturday jumping off the edge off the dock.  They had a surf board in the water and took turns sitting on it while the other 2 jumped in.  I just shook my head and shivered watching them.  Crazy!

 

Mike

 

[Fishrman]

One quick question.   Is the transition you speak  about just bank transitions? 

[Bill Babler]

No, and that is a very good question.  A lot of time these areas are like escalators or stairs as they climb from the deep channel onto flats or cove mouths.  You can see it a lot where bluffs give way to heavy rock and then flats.  Same thing happens off shore.

Up the White there are some very good examples.  One of them is the point across from Roaring river.  Sometimes it has a bouy on it and other times not.  Long portions of it are just flat edges that gentle taper into the channel and there are other sections especially on the up hill side that there is a very sever drop that transitions into the more flat gentle roll off.

Above the bridge all the way to Beaver town there are mid lake transitions like this.  If you go up in the Winter you will see the walleye guys fishing these locations and also fishing the middle of the channel.  Lots of interesting stuff out there in the briny deep, especially from Holiday Island  to the one lane bridge.

There are other places like this at Baxter.  Think about the long runnout off the Swim beach on both sides.  They transition from very steep and pointed to flat.  Same deal.  Think about all the places like this that you know.  Some have pole timber and some don't.  Fish are not always there, or will not bite sometimes there, but it can be a simply magical spot when they are there.  For the next 12 weeks its the very best.  Oh my gosh, so many places to look and so little time.

[m&m]

2 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

No, and that is a very good question.  A lot of time these areas are like escalators or stairs as they climb from the deep channel onto flats or cove mouths.  You can see it a lot where bluffs give way to heavy rock and then flats.  Same thing happens off shore.

Up the White there are some very good examples.  One of them is the point across from Roaring river.  Sometimes it has a bouy on it and other times not.  Long portions of it are just flat edges that gentle taper into the channel and there are other sections especially on the up hill side that there is a very sever drop that transitions into the more flat gentle roll off.

 

Bill, the spot across from Roaring River was one of those that I circled for my trip this past Saturday.  I saw it on the map and when I went there to check it out there was a boat sitting on it.  But your advice is spot on!!.  I long time ago a wise fisherman told me to look at the land that is out of the water and imagine that was under water.  That will give you a pretty good idea of what the lake bottom looks like.  I do exactly that and compare it to paper maps and my electronics.  It is amazing how much sense it makes.  Again, thank you for the valuable information.

Mike

[Ranger Z22]

Thanks Bill for all the great info told in a very entertaining fashion.  How these type of posts keep coming !!

 

Z22

[stinger160]

Bill, care to weigh in on how I might use your thoughts and translate to small public lakes in the Kansas City area.  Fishing has stunk the two times I've been out.  Both lakes are old with no timber in the water.  Bottom with a few exceptions is largely flat.  Where do you think the fish might begin staging in this situation? 

Another question.  I'm using a lowrance lms 520.  Just not seeing any fish.  Upped the sensitivity in deeper water but other than seeing an occasional hump or brush pile, no fish.  Am I expecting too much from an older unit with limited technology?  Or am I missing something?