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Walleye are Running

Started by Guest_NateTessler13_* , Mar 27 2007 08:24 PM

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#1 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 27 March 2007 - 08:24 PM

The Walleye are in the Maumee pretty thick right now. Caught some pretty nice fish today, and am going again tomorrow. The males are all over the place and average 17"-21". A guy next to my friend and I caught a male Walleye (a jack) that weighed 7 and a half pounds. Quite large for a male, he had it weighed at the local bait shop. Some large females were in the river today too. They should be more concentrated in the next week or two. Here's some pictures of the day of fishing the river for nice sized Walleyes.

1st Picture: 1 of the 3 males I took home

2nd Picture: Inside the mouth

3rd Picture: The largest male Walleye I took home

#2 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 27 March 2007 - 08:38 PM

Lookin' good Nate, glad you cut that hair. Nice fish also! I have never caught a walleye, other than some I stocked in a farm pond. Pond was way too warm, and they lived, but did not grow well. 3 yrs old, and 14 inch cigar looking things.

#3 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 27 March 2007 - 08:43 PM

Please be careful Nate. Every time the run is heavy and the river is running 6' or higher on the hydrograph, someone dies. I don't even bother with it unless it's down around 4' (10,000 cfs). No fish is worth it.

Todd

#4 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 27 March 2007 - 09:51 PM

Please be careful Nate.

Thanks for the warning, Todd. I've heard stories. We do be extremely cautious as the water is quite swift there. Already this year talked to a person who fell out of a boat in the river there and had to be rescued and another guy who waded out to Bluegrass Island even though water levels were too high, and water was rising as he tried to return and had to have a rescue boat come get him.

#5 Guest_edbihary_*

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Posted 27 March 2007 - 10:32 PM

Lookin' good Nate, glad you cut that hair.

I almost didn't recognize you :wink:

What's the orange wrist band?

#6 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 28 March 2007 - 12:13 PM

I almost didn't recognize you
What's the orange wrist band?

The band was leftover from the bars from the weekend in Bowling Green...just left it on. I went out to the river today and saw some big females being caught. I caught one male about 18". Looks like Walleye dinner again. But the fishing was very slow because of this cold front. Hopefully Friday's warm weather will bring a big day for the 'Eyes.

#7 Guest_michigan_fishbreeder_*

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Posted 28 March 2007 - 03:24 PM

Nate, awesome fish ! They should make for a tasty dinner. I used to catch walley in the Detroit River, but most were much smaller than what you have there. Nice job. Ted

#8 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 28 March 2007 - 09:55 PM

I hear the Detroit River gets a significant run of Walleyes too. But I also have heard that the best spots are usually deep and sometimes 2 ounces or more of weight are needed to fish them...

#9 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 28 March 2007 - 10:03 PM

I hear the Detroit River gets a significant run of Walleyes too. But I also have heard that the best spots are usually deep and sometimes 2 ounces or more of weight are needed to fish them...

So much for ultralight (with 2 oz. jigs). I guess when you need your walleye fix anything will do.

#10 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 28 March 2007 - 10:14 PM

And line something akin to piano wire. Have you ever seen their hand line harnesses?

http://www.flwoutdoo...e.cfm?id=145494

Big females caught or snagged in the Maumee? Maybe 1 in 75 females that are taken actually took the bait.

I've seen belly hooked 10 pounders go right on the stringer. It's senseless. Some guy will waste approx 3 lbs of eggs for a meal that tastes something like I imagine a tire would, since they've dumped all their protein and fat stores into ovary development.

I won't even touch the bioaccumulation issue because that's almost the reward for their shortsightedness.

Let alone that its illegal and completely unsporting.

But this is why I don't even bother to go down there until late April

Todd

#11 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 29 March 2007 - 09:02 AM

Todd, I definitely know what you mean. All the females that I saw that were kept were indeed caught, not snagged. The snagged ones were immediately released. I am in the practice of only keeping males, and ones in the 18"-21" range...best eating. I'm only going to keep a female if it is indeed a trophy sized fish. I'm considering just taking excellent pictures of it and have it made from those instead of using the actual fish. What do you think about that? Is that just as good as getting the actual fish mounted, as far as quality?

#12 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 29 March 2007 - 09:28 PM

Yeah, that's my favorite size too. Cuts in half and makes a killer walleye sandwich, yum yum

As far as a graphite reproduction... It really is the same, if not better in some cases, than the fish you'd have done.... Just without the actual head and skin from the animal. Any mount is a stylized reproduction of the animal, so what's the difference?

I have a mounted bass from when I was in high school and I moderately regret it. It doesn't go anywhere with our decor (or metal walls without super duty magnets), I can't put it in the fish room because the sun will bleach it, and I just can't get rid of it. I know, it's danged fish. But still. That was a big female that I would have had no intention of ever eating, and now that I've taken an ecology course or two... I just don't like to remove females from any population, especially trophy sized.

I'm not going to get righteous about it though. I have no complaints with someone taking a trophy, that's how the DNR manages. I'd rather see someone walk off with a trophy female walleye than a trophy female darter.

But something else to think about... I took the one trophy female walleye I caught in the mouth, and I regretted that as well, even then. When I weighed the ovaries, I think I went straight into a case of beer, I felt such shame

We had pictures and measurements too.

So any more, I say open a checking account to get the free cheap camera, take your mom or wife's plastic measuring tape with you, and just get the trophy stream side, with the realization that you've just released 2.5 million fry (just this year alone), and will have the undying respect of every sporting individual around you at that moment.

Or take it home... Whichever suit you

Todd

#13 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 31 March 2007 - 08:37 AM

Well said, I'll definitely photo and measure it. Thanks Todd.

#14 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 09:07 AM

Here was a bonus on Friday, the last fish of the day. Biggest one I've ever caught. He was 27" and weighed in at 7lb. 2oz.

Attached Images

#15 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 12:50 PM

That is a NICE jack. I hope you took it to Maumee Bait and Tackle for their jack contest! That's definately in the upper limit size for males.

If you haven't gone in there, please support his business. I don't think anyone cares about the river as much as Gary does. He's going to actually set aside retail space to put up a Travellin' Fish Show. The Metroparks made a gross oversight when they teamed up with Netcraft. Hacks me off.

Todd

#16 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 30 April 2007 - 06:08 PM

That is a NICE jack. I hope you took it to Maumee Bait and Tackle for their jack contest! That's definately in the upper limit size for males.

If you haven't gone in there, please support his business. I don't think anyone cares about the river as much as Gary does. He's going to actually set aside retail space to put up a Travellin' Fish Show. The Metroparks made a gross oversight when they teamed up with Netcraft. Hacks me off.

Todd

Todd, of course I took it to the shop...and won! In fact, I was fishing side-by-side with one of my buddies who happens to work there. That is a great shop, and I've got a 100 dollars to spend there now.

#17 Guest_paoutlaw13_*

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Posted 30 April 2007 - 07:05 PM

Nate all i have to say is to think you almost had me cut the line cause you thought it was a giant sucker... good thing you took that preditor out of there. it was eating all the little jacks that i catch

#18 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 03 May 2007 - 08:45 AM

Nate all i have to say is to think you almost had me cut the line cause you thought it was a giant sucker... good thing you took that preditor out of there. it was eating all the little jacks that i catch

Yeah, that fish honestly was running like a redhorse or a quillback. I was tired of catching those and this one was taking forever to come in. Good thing you were slow with the clippers though...haha.