walleye

[lmt out]

2 hours ago, dan hufferd said:

Thank you buddy, I have dodged it for a while, I keep saying and thinking, "I'm not getting it ", I guess pride comes before the fall. I think I am on the other side of it now.

There are some really good fish being caught, have you noticed the increase in size? I myself seem to find more 20" fish. I think that is great for a little stocked pond in SW Mo.

I am still looking for my 30" walleye. I know you got very close to that in the summer.

26 1/2 is my biggest on Stockton, and it was a skinny one.  A 29 or higher is gonna go on the wall.  If I ever get it I will hear me hollering where ever you are.  Hope you get your 30. It will be fun over the next few years working for them.

[Walcrabass]

Smithville Steve and others,

 Here is another 2 cents from Walcrabass. The conditions in Stockton are not perfect for Walleye but I personally believe they are good enough. Good enough for them to spawn that is. One thing I learned early in life is that with fish that normally when stocked will not spawn there is an answer. They have to be taught how. Not kidding. Taught, have the knowledge, and have already spawned in other waters. That is where the problem comes in with Stockton. The Walleye are put in as small fingerlings. These fingerlings were more than likely "spawned" by stripping eggs and milt from mature fish. No instinct, no knowledge, no perpetuation of previous habits. Think I am nuts ??? Read on............

  When I was a kid I was fortunate enough to have contact with a guy that loved Channel Cats.  As most of you know they are not real excited about spawning in ponds and non moving water. The person I knew had a simple solution. Get fish that already knew how to spawn. We would go to the river and fish with frogs for bait on bank poles and limb lines. We would hook the frogs through the underside of their hind end and then wrap the line around the pole until he just barely sat on the water. After setting the lines we would go camp on the bank with a fire and listen for the fish to bite. Solid plunging sounds meant Flatheads, not what we wanted but good for Catfish steaks. Thrashing and rolling sounds meant Channel Cats. When we had several fish hooked we would go back in the flat bottom boat with Gunny sacks we had soaked in water. Upon carefully taking them off the line if they were large enough that they had already spawned we would sex them ( females eyes are narrower than their mouths when you look at them from the front ) and then put them in the sacks. These fish were taken home to put in ponds that had previously been sterilized of other fishy life. They were fed chicken guts and pellets and became great pets. When the next year would come around we would stick Cream Cans back in the bank and wait for the Cats to move in. After they spawned, ( remember they already knew how) we would carefully run the parents out and cover the cans with screen wire and wait for the fry to hatch and get free swimming. The Cream Cans were then pulled out and the  small fry were taken to another pond that had also been previously sterilized. They were fed until they matured.

The point of this long story???  If Walleye that had already spawned naturally were put into the lake we would have a lot more spawning going on. These fish would "teach" some of the Hatchery fish and they would in turn teach others. Of course this would probably also require that we did not fish for them during spawning time, kind of like some of the Northern states do with their Bass. Still think I am nuts ???  I am betting............... NOT !!!!!

Like I said, just another 2 cents from the guy that would like to see increased length for the Crappie, Slot length for the Bass, Lower length limit for the Kentuckies, and so on............

Wally

Before you say it...........yes it would require catching some wild fish that had already spawned and putting them in the lake. Remember, we stocked Elk and Deer here in Missouri. Probably a little more difficult than catching some fish and driving them in a tank truck to Stockton and letting them go.

[MOPanfisher]

Not sure about all Walcrabass but not sure against it either.  We also used to raise channel cat in ponds but never utilized any wild caught brooders, and never had any shortage of young fry in the cream cans for stocking in the rearing pond.  Shocking up brooders fish would be about the only way I can think of to acquire wild fish that hav already spawned. The numbe of fish it would take to make a noticeable difference in a lake the size of Stockton would be pretty high I would think.  I have always had the opinion that nature finds a way, walleye normally spawn in more riverine conditions with flowing waters.  Those locations and conditions are not in very good supply, the Osage flowing into Truman is probably the most consistent, long enough, gravel enough, water flow enough.  Some walleye will spawn in the smaller rivers and even creeks each year, but it is a small percentage of the overall population.  I have heard comments about lake spawners and have even read a few articles but haven't seen any hard evidence that they can.  I certainly would like to see some lake spawners instead of them just thinking they are going to. 

[terryj1024]

I personally feel that it would be best if walleye cannot be caught during the spawn, that's just one Fisherman's opinion,

[dan hufferd]

I think that it is about time for a slot limit on walleye , at least for a couple years, just to see what would happen.

As far as a big catch lmt out has it right if I every get a big one, you will hear my hoop'n and holler'n for sure !

One of the OFA members sent me a picture of a 31 incher that he caught from Stockton, now wouldn't that be something?

[MOPanfisher]

Walleye are protected in the rivers during the spawn, however if the reproductive success in the lake is minimal then protecting them during the spawn, would have no effect upon the population.  Biologically it just doesn't make a difference.  Slot limits are again designed to protect the breeders, if they aren't breeding successfully it won't have an effect.  Now upping the length limit to 18" would, it would act more or less like the 4 point rule on deer, would provide them at least and extra year of growth to attain the 18" length. 

[rps]

19 hours ago, lmt out said:

Steve. I always have assumed that walleye do reproduce in Stockton. But I am not sure about that.  As for advice. I haven't been down in over a month. If I was going to go I would try everything.  I am not a crank troller but bottom bouncing spinners and maybe jig and crawler or minnow. Maybe even pitching jigs toward the banks or jerk bait.  Sorry didn't narrow it down much for you. Some other guys On here have been posting nice limits. I plan on doing my best to figure it out over the next month.  Hope you had a good winter.

Most of the posts with multiple walleye have been caught at night and/or just below a dam. Ken Greenwood, the houseboat guy and now a guide out of Holiday Island, told me the very low water level and the lack of flow from Beaver has the fish confused. He told me to look where I would in early summer and suggested Lindy rigging.

[frying eyes]

I believe the walleye are getting bigger on Stockton. I caught my biggest last summer almost 26in. This past weekend I caught 5 between Friday and Saturday and 2 was over 20in. I was using extra large minnows on a 1/2 oz  jig up by the dam. I don't know if they spawn but they do go through the motions. Tried to download some pics but won't work. I'll be back Saturday. 

[ryan]

Walleye try to spawn, however they cannot sustain the population because the number that successfully spawn is very small.  99% of the walleye you catch were stocked.  Some walleye will spawn on the main lake and some will spawn in the rivers.  They don't stay on the beds like bass so they need current to keep the silt of their eggs since the males don't stay there and fan the beds.

[Walcrabass]

Guys,

  All very good information. However, Fish that have already spawned WILL SEEK THE CURRENT OF THE RIVERS AND GO UP TO SPAWN. I MIGHT ADD THAT IT WON'T TAKE MUCH OF A "CREEK" TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.  We would definitely need to shut off fishing for them for a time period. ALSO, DON'T SHOCK THEM IN THE RIVERS FOR COUNTING AND SIZE PURPOSES AS IT MIGHT MAKE THEM NOT WANT TO GO UP THERE AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just some more thoughts

Wally