Walleyes

[Tanderson15]

Believe me I keep my share of walleyes since its the only fish I target in beaver lake. I target them from April 1 to October 30. I do well. I just don't fish the spawn nor do I fish them deep when you bring them up with bladder in their mouth. Only keep 18 to 22 inch fish, but will keep over if only one. Everybody has a choice and it's their choice. It's not my business. Like sins I have mine and you have yours. I can not judge you nor you me.?

[hoglaw]

I don't think a whole lot of folks catch big females up the river. I caught one that was big enough to let go last year, though I'll confess I already had 3 on a string, one of which was probably a female and was 24 inches probably. Most of the walleye I catch are when fishing clousers for white bass, and most of them seem to be about 17.5 inches. 

 

I keep hearing folks say the walleye are about done up the river, so maybe they're almost safe for this year. A week ago today I caught six or seven of them, only two of which were 18. They were all males I guess, and they were clearly in the mood. 

I do fish for them up the river because it's the only time I know how to catch any. I have a 20' trout boat with a jet. It's 56 inches wide so it's big enough to play on the lake a little, but I never take it on the main lake. It doesn't like waves or wind. About the only time I fish beaver anymore is up the rivers from March to may. This year I'll be lucky to get three trips, the second of which looks to be tomorrow. 

[Blll]

As long as the DNR keeps stocking walleyes in Beaver I don't see a problem with keeping a few to eat, respecting size limits set by the state on the small end or yourself on the large end. I've been both blessed and surprised on catching 3 eyes over 6# in my 2 seasons on Beaver. All went back but that's my thing. I sure do love to eat em' in the 18-20" zone. Be safe today, Beaver is rolling this morning.

 

[Lshack2]

I am with Hoglaw, primarily a fly fisher so spring fishing on the river is about the only chance I have to realistically catch a walleye.  I carry a stringer and tape measure and almost all the fish that keep are males in the 18" - 20" range.  Each year I seem to catch a couple that are clearly bigger females that go back in the river to do their thing.  I figure AGFC has put some science into the four fish limit over 18" to sustain the population.  I don't keep bass nor trout but Sunday had 2 walleye over and 8 keeper crappie all on Clouser Minnows...  our family had a fish fry tonight....and didn't feel bad about it at all!  

[Creede]

Like most people who have posted on this thread, I pretty much only successfully catch walleye on purpose in the spring. And like others have posted they're typically males in the 16-20 inch range a little over half being keepers. I'm just wondering how we're hurting the population any more than someone who can catch a few limits every week for the rest of the year. For most it's easy to tell a male for a female during the spawn but more difficult in the summer months so selecting what fish to keep becomes more of a challenge. Just curious and hoping someone with more walleye knowledge can fill me in if I'm not seeing something. 

[Tanderson15]

Same reason some states in the north have a closed season during spawn, then reopen after spawn.

[Creede]

States that have a more successful walleye spawn?

[Stump bumper]

When I moved here in 2001 catching a walleye in Beaver lake was unheard of, you wanted to catch walleye you drove to Table Rock or Bull Shoals. Now you don't even have to try and my personal best is 8lbs, that is bigger than my personal best bass. Granted there are good years and bad years but for a stocking program that was started in 2004 after several in the past had failed I have to say the Walleye program in Beaver is working 1000 times better than anyone thought it would back in 2004. 

Water conditions change, forage levels change and fish move so just because you don't catch as many or as big of fish as you did last year doesn't mean there is an issue. IMHO Beaver fishing all around to include the Walleye have done GREAT since the population in this region has grown so much.

Heck when there was a gravel road connecting Rogers and Bentonville and pig trail was the only road to I40, there were NO walleye in the lake so the fact they have taken hold with 1/2 a million more people in the area and 1000 times the fishing pressure is a wonder in itself.

If you want a real Ozark lake with little pressure and some good Walleye fishing get out of the city pond and drive to Bull Shoals, NW Arkansas exploded and is no longer the laid back retirement center it was in 1985, but somehow the Fish and Game has still given us a good selection of fishing close to home.

[1969Larson]

10 hours ago, Creede said:

Like most people who have posted on this thread, I pretty much only successfully catch walleye on purpose in the spring. And like others have posted they're typically males in the 16-20 inch range a little over half being keepers. I'm just wondering how we're hurting the population any more than someone who can catch a few limits every week for the rest of the year. For most it's easy to tell a male for a female during the spawn but more difficult in the summer months so selecting what fish to keep becomes more of a challenge. Just curious and hoping someone with more walleye knowledge can fill me in if I'm not seeing something. 

Valid point.  Isn't a female walleye a female walleye regardless of the calendar.  She either has eggs to lay or she will, right?  What's the difference in taking her out of the lake in March or in July?

[Champ188]

Seems a reasonable notion not to disturb the spawning process. That's all Tanderson was suggesting. As he pointed out, many northern states have closed seasons during this time of year.