walleye exausted

[livingtofish]

Don't know how you guys do it. I always see reports of people catching walleye out of Stockton and for some reason I just don't. I bottom bounce, jig spoons, jigs with minnows, troll with flicker shads or any other 2 to 3 in crankbait and I catch no walleye. White bass, all bass species, crappie, catfish and drum but no walleye. I even broke down and hired a well known Stockton guide thinking maybe I could get some for a meal, caught one after about 3 hrs of trolling. Is there a better arm of the lake than others, creeks or main lake? I am lost, a guy might think if someone is catching 15 to 20 at a time I could luck into a couple. Can anyone give a lost walleye fisher some direction.

[rps]

Find an inside bend flat. Use your sonar to find the hump edge just as the bottom falls into the channel. Find the rocks or tree stumps scattered on that edge and fish those.

Find out if the lake has stratified. If so troll in the 3 to 5 feet just above the thermocline, especially where that depth intersects bottom or trees.

Find humps and points that extend into a flat and look for a change on that change. Same goes for a ditch through the flat.

Look for a hard bottom area surrounded by soft bottom.

[streamer]

Rps pretty much nailed it.  Channel swings near points or flats always have some fish nearby somewhere.  Might take a while to find them, and always a chance of them being tight lipped, but they will be around there somewhere during late summer/early fall.

[livingtofish]

Thank you rps I will give that a try. I am just basically frustrated. I have caught 3 walleye this year, not counting the guide trip, and those were caught bass fishing. One on a brown jig, one on a chatter bait and one on a swim bait. I cant put a pattern on those because they were caught in less than 5 ft. I am doing a good job feeding bluegill though. I graph long points that fall into the channel and really see very little activity so I just go on. I see lots of boats down by mutton creek fishing those flats and I have put several hours doing that and I guess those fish must be very isolated because they don't like my baits. Ill keep trying, again thank you.

[rps]

38 minutes ago, livingtofish said:

Thank you rps I will give that a try. I am just basically frustrated. I have caught 3 walleye this year, not counting the guide trip, and those were caught bass fishing. One on a brown jig, one on a chatter bait and one on a swim bait. I cant put a pattern on those because they were caught in less than 5 ft. I am doing a good job feeding bluegill though. I graph long points that fall into the channel and really see very little activity so I just go on. I see lots of boats down by mutton creek fishing those flats and I have put several hours doing that and I guess those fish must be very isolated because they don't like my baits. Ill keep trying, again thank you.

Be aware that walleye are much more prone to being right on the bottom than bass or crappie. I regularly catch walleye I never saw on the graph. Instead I use the graph as a structure finder. In the words they used to use in Fishing Facts, I am looking for a break on a break.

[shawncuz]

2 hours ago, livingtofish said:

Don't know how you guys do it. I always see reports of people catching walleye out of Stockton and for some reason I just don't. I bottom bounce, jig spoons, jigs with minnows, troll with flicker shads or any other 2 to 3 in crankbait and I catch no walleye. White bass, all bass species, crappie, catfish and drum but no walleye. I even broke down and hired a well known Stockton guide thinking maybe I could get some for a meal, caught one after about 3 hrs of trolling. Is there a better arm of the lake than others, creeks or main lake? I am lost, a guy might think if someone is catching 15 to 20 at a time I could luck into a couple. Can anyone give a lost walleye fisher some direction.

At least i'm not alone

[Kramr]

3 hours ago, livingtofish said:

Don't know how you guys do it. I always see reports of people catching walleye out of Stockton and for some reason I just don't. I bottom bounce, jig spoons, jigs with minnows, troll with flicker shads or any other 2 to 3 in crankbait and I catch no walleye. White bass, all bass species, crappie, catfish and drum but no walleye. I even broke down and hired a well known Stockton guide thinking maybe I could get some for a meal, caught one after about 3 hrs of trolling. Is there a better arm of the lake than others, creeks or main lake? I am lost, a guy might think if someone is catching 15 to 20 at a time I could luck into a couple. Can anyone give a lost walleye fisher some direction.

Hiring a guide is a great idea. Learned most of my walleye tactics from Jim Worley who guides on Bull Shoals.

[livingtofish]

Thanks for the information, I will just keep trying, I know I fish lots of channel swings up in the river but there is lots of timber around there and bottom bouncers and timber don't mix. I haven't had much luck on the main lake and was just wondering if some of the creek arms would be better but again I would run into timber. Even when I see a brush pile on my graph I cringe because that bouncer seems to have eyes for the brush

[rps]

2 minutes ago, livingtofish said:

Thanks for the information, I will just keep trying, I know I fish lots of channel swings up in the river but there is lots of timber around there and bottom bouncers and timber don't mix. I haven't had much luck on the main lake and was just wondering if some of the creek arms would be better but again I would run into timber. Even when I see a brush pile on my graph I cringe because that bouncer seems to have eyes for the brush

You can lessen the frustration of fishing bouncers with rigs near timber if you tie your own specialized rigs. Look at my article.  http://www.ozarkanglers.com/white-river-walleye-on-worm-harness/

[nomolites]

As always RPS is giving great advice.

Mike