A question about fish migration

[Quillback]

I'm assuming AGFC still stocks walleye fingerlings in the Kings and White rivers.  As far as I know they collect brood stock from the Kings and sometimes the White.  They usually net them around March 15.  MDC does stocking when they have "surplus" fingerlings. 

I'm guessing the walleye I caught yesterday on gravel where there to spawn - but that's my gut feel.  Up shallow in 10 FOW, with nothing else as far as bait fish or other fish like bass.  Can't see any other reason for them to be there, well maybe getting into some warmer water.

Checked out the two I kept, one was a male with sperm sacks, the other did not have either sperm sacks or eggs but had what looked like fat globules - it was a fat fish.  

I sent an email to AGFC to see if they are still stocking walleye in the TR tribs.

Here's something from the MDC website:

  The Missouri Department of Conservation stocked surplus walleye in the James River Arm in 2014, 2016, and 2020.  Fish sampling surveys in early spring 2019 indicated a quality number of walleye in the 21”-24” range in the James River Arm.  In addition, 75% of the walleye sampled in the James River Arm in March 2019 were > 20".  Good populations of walleye are also present in the Kings River Arm and upper portions of the White River Arm.  Walleye catch rates in the 2019 spring electrofishing surveys in the Kings River were the highest ever recorded.  Anglers reported catching numerous smaller walleye throughout the lake in 2020, indicating good recruitment from the high water in recent years. 

[Devan S.]

I have yet to catch a female fish this year that I know for sure. 

Every fish I have cleaned has been a male and lots I have caught and put back squirt all over my boat. 

 

[fishinwrench]

19 hours ago, Champ188 said:

Ultimately, it's because God made them that way. When you look at all of the intricacies of wildlife behavior, it's hard to deny the truth of a divine Creator. 

It would be cool if he could see fit to keep the deer out of the road, and the bat viruses out of the news. 

Speaking of which.....How long has it been since you've heard anything about CWD ?      Did we actually get though a whole deer season without anybody mentioning it ?   By golly  I think we did.    There's a miracle for ya!  😅

[laker67]

I am not sure that I buy the smell theory. I suppose sea run fish could possibly smell fresh water, but I think it is more like instinct. Like the great migration of herds of animals across the world. Something other than smell has to trigger that mass migration of "hatchery raised warm water fish. " All them fish headed up the glaize, niangua, and gravios are headed the wrong direction if they go by smell.

[fishinwrench]

We are animals too.

The reason that America was populated from East to West was because they followed the prevailing wind.   

How's that for some Wrenchology ? 😁

[vernon]

19 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

We are animals too.

The reason that America was populated from East to West was because they followed the prevailing wind.   

How's that for some Wrenchology ? 😁

"Instant classic"!👨‍🎓

[fishinwrench]

And the reason that everyone in California is batshit crazy....is because they have nowhere else to go.   

Like fish congregated at a dam.  

[Quillback]

Got a nicely worded reply from the AGFC District 1 biologist today to my question whether AGFC is still stocking walleye fingerlings in the White and Kings.

The answer is they have not stocked any in the last few years, the population is doing very well now.  Their latest electrofishing survey shows strong populations on the spawning grounds.  An interesting side note is that they shocked up a couple of 14 lb. fish.  That's a big walleye!

[Devan S.]

Did they mention if they have done their shocking this year?

[Quillback]

50 minutes ago, Devan S. said:

Did they mention if they have done their shocking this year?

Here's the email, looks like they did some shocking above Beaver, but maybe not on the White and Kings entering TR.

The numbers of Walleye that run into these rivers is incredible.  We collected 251 Walleye per hour a couple of nights ago on the Upper White River out of the Highway 45 Bridge (Beaver Lake Twin Bridges Access).  On the Kings River, we have collected over 350 per hour and see some trophy fish.  Our sampling method (electrofishing) does not collect every fish.  We only get a small sample of the Walleye that are there (if we collect 75 in 10 minutes, we are probably missing another 75).  We cannot net fast enough to collect all the fish.  

 

We have seen similar numbers in the White below Beaver Lake.  Also, we have observed fish that were 14 lbs.  These high catch rates are corresponding with the increased popularity of the Walleye fishery in the spring.  Stocking at this point is not needed in these river arms and Walleye are doing very well on their own.