Walleye.

[dan hufferd]

I have a friend who is a guide on tr, lives on kings, he sent me a picture of two one male one female 21" long, caught very near 86 bridge, 2/22/23.

Hope that helps.

Last year they seemed late, so maybe they are making up for it😜

[dan hufferd]

6 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Couple of guys at our church are walleye bank fishermen with creek chubs and crawfish.  They also use shiners  

They fish up the Kings  I was visiting with one yesterday and he says they are now catching some spawned out females, above the 86 bridge   

I had no idea they got done this quick. He said they never used to. Said if possible they release the heavy females but the last several years they have caught post spawn fish in early March. 

For you walleye guys does this seem early to have already spawned?

Just saw an article that said they start at 38 to 40 degree and are over  90% finished by 50 degree water. 

Simply had no idea. 


 

 

On Stockton I started looking for them the first week of February, first full moon to be specific.

Some years they were on the bank, some years it was March. 

I don't know why.

 

[Quillback]

Fished one of the Bella Vista lakes this afternoon and at the ramp there is a fish cleaning station and a couple of guys were cleaning fish so I walked over to see what they had.  They had just come back from the upper White and had a few white bass and one walleye.  They've been fishing the walleye run up there for years and they were saying they have never seen the amount of pressure they are seeing now.  Houseman and Holiday island parking is full with people parking on the road.  Bank to bank boats.

And there's a walleye tourney this weekend. put on by one of the resorts up there, 1st place is $1K so they'll probably get some participation.  Walleye tourneys are not catch and release.

I don't know if long term the walleye can handle this kind of pressure.  I guess we'll find out.

[rps]

When I focused on walleye for my "after topwater is done" fishing, I was one of a small number.

From what you write, times have changed.

Good fishermen will adjust and continue to find fish. The rest will have a small window to catch in the Spring only. I wish it were otherwise.

 

[Champ188]

2 hours ago, rps said:

Good fishermen will adjust and continue to find fish. The rest will have a small window to catch in the Spring only. I wish it were otherwise.

This viable population of walleye in TR is still rather new and it remains to be seen how they'll fare long-term. The word is certainly out on them, as evidenced by numerous so-called guides hammering on them daily during the spawning and dragging out one big female after another. Lots of eggs and future fish in those females. Wonder how many some folks have illegally stacked up in their freezers? Not sure about Missouri but Arkansas generally defines "possession limit" as twice the daily creel limit --- not however much your deep freeze will hold. 

[Bill Babler]

I’ve been up there a couple of times midweek the last couple of weeks and have not seen that pressure. No rigs at Holiday island and did not quite get as far as houseman. 

Have seen the walleye pontoon both times and 4 boats one time and 2 the next, besides the pontoon. 

Even with RPS trying to help, I’m pretty inept. I’ve not caught one but am terror on the small bass. 

I’ve seen one Arkansas guide boat each time but they are trout fishing. 

Maybe on the weekends they are working on them but not so much during the week, that I have seen. 

Don’t  think there is a need to panic. Got a feeling if there is a problem both Mo. and Arkansas will start stocking again. 




 

[Devan S.]

Friday night was empty....it was also cold and damp. 

Saturday was a zoo but not unmanageable. Of course I'm sure several stayed home due to flooding. 

We dumped in at houseman and went downstream to Beaver town. Fairly scattered out but at any of the normal spots there would be 3-4 boats. One section had 6-8....with a pontoon parked in the middle. Lots of people hopping around and had multiple people pull right up beside or in front of our drift and start fishing. 

In the afternoon we ran up to parker bottoms to look for trout and the trip back had several boats. By that time it was warm so I'm sure that helped. 

The NWA facebook pages and beaver tailwater pages have been pretty consistent with guides posting walleye limits for a month now. That brings out a lot of people looking but not necessarily catching.  

 

[Quillback]

48 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

 

Don’t  think there is a need to panic. Got a feeling if there is a problem both Mo. and Arkansas will start stocking again. 




 

I think that would be a good idea, go back to stocking walleye fingerlings on an annual basis.  

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Check out Clayton Eliasen's guide service on FB https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063483222904. He has been slamming them for the last month or so. Client landed a 12 lb female recently. Fished with him once last year and seems like a decent guy. 

[Bill Babler]

Just talked to a guy and unfortunately saw pictures from last nite at the Romp Hole. 2 guys 4 fish limit each. Total weight of 51 pounds.  Biggest 9.25  

9pm till 12:30 am. Said the river was totally full of walleye. They were set up by 7pm but first bite was at 9 pm.  Also catching a few whites. Said the whites are starting to porpoise. 

Shiners and Creek chubs. Made no difference. 

Free spooling 20# Big Game on a Carolina Rig. 1/2 oz egg sinker 3ft. above the live bait. Said they are not in the least line shy.   Said they have only seen one other bank fishermen up there this year. Several guys at the bridge up to the first bend. 

They let them eat it for at least a couple of minutes so you know it’s swallowed and a dead fish regardless. 

Not my deal but they have been doing it for years.