Walleye news from AGFC

[Quillback]

I'm on their info email list and here's the latest:

The Walleye is a popular fish this time of year and is very good to eat (as you all know). Fishing for Walleye has picked up in the last couple of weeks in several areas in NWA. Several anglers have caught good Walleye in the tributaries of Beaver Lake, Beaver Tailwater and the Kings River. Jerkbaits and live bait normally work well during this time of year and some of the biggest Walleye are caught right now. AGFC Biologists have sampled Walleye in Beaver Tailwater and Kings River that were in the upper 14-pound range in the past couple of years. Good luck fishing for this great tasting fish!! 

[Ham]

I really want to fish Beaver tailwater in Waldo. 

[Quillback]

2 minutes ago, Ham said:

I really want to fish Beaver tailwater in Waldo. 

Be happy to go with you If you've got an empty seat.

I always look at Feb 15 as being the kickoff to the walleye run.  AGFC usually does their walleye egg gathering for the hatcheries around March 15, which I believe is usually done on the Kings though I do believe they also will sometimes get some eggs from the White river fish.

White bass have a run also, I've heard that it can peak in early April.

[Ham]

I’m trying Jeff. I’ll let you know IF I get to head that way 

[rps]

From now through the end of April, a light colored jig tipped with a crappie minnow, a jerk bait, or an unweighted sluggo slowly falling and fished like a jerk bait, will get bit by something from cow patty flats to as far up as you can go in a boat (usually the 62 bridge in a bass boat) (Bertrand or maybe Parker Bottoms in a river boat or drift boat).

[sfiser]

rps, how difficult is that shoal you have marked to navigate in a boat?  anything to really look out for running from housemans to beaver in a boat?  

[rps]

15 hours ago, sfiser said:

rps, how difficult is that shoal you have marked to navigate in a boat?  anything to really look out for running from housemans to beaver in a boat?  

The marked shoal has a small channel that begins on the bank opposite the island and drifts to the other side. When the water is low (no generation) I idle through there.

 

[TwinSprings]

Cold and miserable conditions yesterday with that strong north wind but we got some nice fish. Fished in the general area RPS indicated in his post above. 6 Walleye from 19 to 23 inches, several nice, fat crappie, a few white bass, and a few trout we released. 1/4 oz jig head with small minnows. It was a grind but the dinner last night made it all worth it. 
 

[dgilchrist]

I've been catching at least one walleye nearly every trip below Beaver on streamers while trout fishing. I always think I have a brown on because they plow down toward the bottom. I've always released them all because I don't even know the slot size for keeping them. But love eating a Walleye.