where are my walleyes?

[one more cast]

A few years ago a local paper mill shut down so the chemically treated waste water is no longer being dumped into the river. The walleye fishing was great when the mill was running but now the few walleye we catch are real light in color. The last few times out we caught mostly perch and pickerel. The water color is a lot lighter and the river is only around 4-8 feet deep with a few holes around 12-15 feet. Any ideas as to where the walleyes went?

 

[Barlow]

Re: where are my walleyes?

one of my favorite pre-spawn river spots is below a mill dam south of Nekoosa,WI thats connected to the Petenwell Flowage ... when they move outa the river post spawn ... they scatter through-out the Flowage .... <br /><br />do you still get a run in the spring?

 

[one more cast]

Re: where are my walleyes?

Barlow, we still get a few in May and June but nothing like a few years ago.

 

[John_S]

Re: where are my walleyes?

It could be that they won't hold as long in the shallow water, being it is clearer now. Or could be totally unrelated to the mill. River (Susquehanna) Walleye fishing for myself, has been poor this year. Mostly because of the high water this summer. None of the traditional summer patterns have worked well. Also, they seem to be much more spread out and harder to find. Here, the year classes come and go. May have a good spawn one year, then weak for the next two. Goes back and forth. Late fall (November) is when the river eyes are best, here. Had a decent dink population last fall. Not fantastic, but decent. There should be a decent number of keepers this fall, unless the high water has added significantly to mortality. I know during the poor years, we tend to blame it on some phenonomem. Most of the time it is probably not connected. We had a fuel oil spill one spring, and blamed it on poor walleye fishing early the next fall. They ended up running latter that year. Hopefully, yours will pick back up.

 

[BF]

Re: where are my walleyes?

just curious, what's the difference between a walleye and a pickeral? In these parts those names refer to the same species of fish. Usually Americans call 'em walleye, locals call 'em pickeral. Sauger is a different but related species.

 

[one more cast]

Re: where are my walleyes?

BF, What we call pickerel (Chain Pickerel) look like small northern pike only yellowish with a green chain pattern.

 

[KaGee]

Re: where are my walleyes?

BF:<br />Walleye are members of the Perch family, not Pickerel. Any reference to them as Pickerel or "Walleyed Pike" as some have called them, is incorrect.<br /><br />OMC:<br />The Walleye have been difficult this year in Lake Erie as well. The infestation of Zebra Mussells have changed the complextion of the Lake to such a degree that it's turned things inside out for catching Walleye. <br /><br />One reason, the water is visibly cleaner due to the Zebra Mussells. The Mayfly hatch was unprecidented this year, with flys lingering into mid July; an effect of the clearer water.

 

[steam_mill]

Re: where are my walleyes?

Wallye fishing has been bad on my water (Trent river, Ontario) this year also. <br /><br />Actually fishing in general has not been great.<br /><br />I read an article in a local paper that Wallye populations are at 10% of what they were in '99. There seems no explanation for this.<br /><br />We too sufferred from high water this year which I think is to blame for the bad fishing.<br /><br />There's always next year!<br /><br />Joe

 

[Barlow]

Re: where are my walleyes?

OMC - What River and stretch are you talking about ??<br /><br />not that I've got any answers but, if I/we took a look into it and at it a better undeerstanding may be had for possibilities....<br /><br />Then again, it just may confuse the heck outa me too..

 

[one more cast]

Re: where are my walleyes?

What River and stretch are you talking about ??<br />

Barlow, This is small river know as the Black River and it flows north into lake Ontario. The stretch is between Lyons Falls and Carthage NY. I would guess it to be about 40-50 miles from dam to dam. I only fish the upper 10 miles but have heard the walleye fishing has been poor the entire stretch.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: where are my walleyes?

howdy OMC.<br />buddy told me they are killing them off wolfe &<br />Carlton Island in the big river (st law.)<br />good luck,<br />M.Y.

 

[John_S]

Re: where are my walleyes?

OMC,<br />I have only fished the Black River, at its source, at Kauta (sp?) Lake. Mostly trout in the river, but the lake had pickerel. I see most people treat pickerel as killers, and just waste them. I have also seen this done to Muskies Myself, I don't keep any fish these days, and if it bends my pole, I'm a happy man. Curous on what size pickerel you are getting. At our place, near Canada Lake, we get many 19"-22"ers, and a few 24". Trolling just above the weeds, at sundown, has always been the most productive.<br /><br />Hoping for a good smallmouth October and Walleye November, on the river. Might get out Saturday.

 

[one more cast]

Re: where are my walleyes?

John, We get pickerel anywhere from 12-24" on the average and my personal best was 29". Black river below Lyons Falls is like a whole different river. Just using a #4 or #6 hook with a nightcrawler I have caught walleyes,perch,suckers,rock bass,carp,northern pike,pickerel,small mouth bass,fall fish,brown trout,rainbow trout,brook trout,eels, blue gills,bull heads,cray fish,a snapping turtle, and a couple of fresh water clams. A fun way to fish it is to put a canoe or small boat in at Lyons Falls just below the falls and drift to Glenfield or, Glenfield to Beaches Bridge.We also catch and release.

 

[John_S]

Re: where are my walleyes?

OMC,<br />Sound like you are an equal opportunity fisherman! I like! <br /><br />One name caught my eye, Fall fish. Most people mistake them for whitefish or large chubs. Have you ever seen the rock nests they build? I don't know how they do it, but I've seen large rock beds built up to almost 2' from the top of the water. This is in 5-6' deep water. For years, I thought these rock piles were created by ice action and melting. DEC confirmed what my Dad told me for years. Just never seen them building the nests, but they are there every sping, many times rebuilding on the prior year nest. NY state record is only a little over 2 lbs. I know that years ago we would catch many 20+" that should have easily exceeded that.