Ruark Walleye

[Dkman]

I am mainly a crappie fisherman but have been trying to learn the walleye at Stockton. It seems most of the success is in the upper end towards the dam. Do you any of you walleye fisherman ever do well fishing out of Ruark? I caught a few from there this past week but few and far between.

[dan hufferd]

They are there, the area sees a lot of pressure.

[Dkman]

Thanks Dan, you are correct on the pressure. Boats everywhere. I may need to expand my range as I learn the lake better.

[MoCarp]

they are there, hardest thing is to learn to fish deep enough, heavy boat traffic makes fish less likely to bite, try the rock Island edges at about 15-22 feet if you have electronics they will show up in the old river and creek channels usually from 5 foot to just off bottom...early in the day late in the evening, 1/3 a crawler on a nice marabou crappie jig 1/8th oz... I usually start with chartreuse and black or straight purple...if its windy a jigging spoon works great, I like to put a pinch of a crawler on the treble

[dan hufferd]

3 hours ago, MoCarp said:

try the rock Island edges at about 15-22 feet

This is good, when you find them ask yourself "Why are they here?" If you can get an idea of the habitat, then you can have reasonable success. And if you get really good at it then you can tell me how you did it.  

[dprice]

Bunchs from Roark  to point 5

little bluff bank on left as you leave the ramp holds several on the 30 ft tree tops

[MoCarp]

also an egg sinker rig/minnow is good....start with 1/4 oz to as much as 1/2 oz .... I like a light spinning rod 6# quality green line for this and a rattle bead pegged near the hook (use a toothpick) beads come in lots of colors and at times can make a difference. drop it to the bottom and reel up to 2 foot off bottom to start sometimes higher if fish are hovering higher...slow is better so if the wind is ripping you along get a drift sock and put a pool float on it to keep it up higher in the water 

[MoCarp]

also some tricks a soft rubber bead between the sinker and the knot on the swivel is a good idea, I like red octopus style hooks size 4-2 for a med minnow 1/0 -2/0 for big minnows.

then you can play with dyed minnows (great for trophy browns on Taney) food color works in a pinch but you buy minnow dye online...tip.. dye 3-4 colors of minnows  before you get on the water (a quality minnow bucket with a battery operated bubble is important just get a quiet one) I usually did it the night before use a net because you hands will look like a crackhead if you don't ...a few minutes in the color bath is enough,then put them in your bubbler bucket...you can get creative two toneing them but thats when you get more "advanced" also use well water ..or distilled because tap water will kill your bait...