Thoughts on Walleye

[voidspace]

I've had both walleye and sauger out of the nsr this year.

[chubbdarter]

Its the challenge of catching BIG eyes in southern alberta for me that is alluring.

Luckily the lakes i visit to catch bigger than average Eyes are not overly popular and give me some degree of peace and quiet.

Sure there are lakes where walleyes are suicidal and numersous but those water bodies rarely cough up Big Eyes, therefore are not even on my radar. These bodies of water are not part of a Big eye hunters equation.

Big Eyes are a real challenge especially in impoundments here in Southern AB.

I fish the Bow for trout often for the exercise but unless i go down to Arrowood its hardly peacefull or as some would say a chance to experience the whole get out and enjoy nature thing. The river stinks at best and the civilization is always very near. If i put it in perspectiuve its still a challenge as i consider a 26 inch plus Bow river trout to a 9lb + Eye. Catching 16inch trout and toothless wonders one after another is like the 100 little walleye a day lakes.

I have in recently challenged myself to go baitless for walleyes and its something i should of done years ago as i dont have enough days left in my life to master it.

I like the chase and the equipment involved to chase Eyes also.

Just my opinion, with repsect to what every individual finds important in their fishing.

[chubbdarter]

P.S. to my original post

I also get get as much pleasure developing new fly patterns for Trout as much as tuning cranks for planer board fishing for Eyes.

I guess its the challenge i like most of fishing


I do fish many other waters for trout and its a combination of true wilderness and fish size that determines the water i fish.

YUP i do enjoy eating a Eye over a Trout, the fight of a 10 lb eye is more attractive to me than a 24in trout to keep things relative.


This will raise the hair on alot of people......I WOULD TRADE EDMONTON RIVERS IN A HEART BEAT...LOL, FLAME AWAY.

i like walleye better to eat than most fish, they dont stink like a whitefish, they arent slime monsters like pike. they are sorta like large perch. but the upside is you can find 15 pound walleyes. course ive never caught anything big but i have never tried that much for the big ones.

eg. if i go for 40 lb pike. i might go all year to come close to getting one as there are so few of them. not sure about the distribution of big eyes but i 2would assume they are pretty rare.

there is a balance i dont want to fish all day for one fish that is average size.
i would fish all day to catch a monster though. i never consider it agood day fishing if you get skunked.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

There's not that much tact to catching walleye, so many peeps are very successful with just a jig and a minnow suspended from a boat.

I've had 100 fish days on spoons alone. Gets boring. Much more interesting on lakes with multiple species.

Alot of guys who fish places like PCR and Pigion lake seem to think like this. Get onto a body of water where the fish species populate the lake in more natural ratios and things can be very different. The allure of walleye is much the same as trout in that they can both require fairly specialized tactics to catch them that are more or less unique to the species.

[BigJon]

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

Its the challenge of catching BIG eyes in southern alberta for me that is alluring.

Luckily the lakes i visit to catch bigger than average Eyes are not overly popular and give me some degree of peace and quiet.

Sure there are lakes where walleyes are suicidal and numersous but those water bodies rarely cough up Big Eyes, therefore are not even on my radar. These bodies of water are not part of a Big eye hunters equation.

Big Eyes are a real challenge especially in impoundments here in Southern AB.

I fish the Bow for trout often for the exercise but unless i go down to Arrowood its hardly peacefull or as some would say a chance to experience the whole get out and enjoy nature thing. The river stinks at best and the civilization is always very near. If i put it in perspectiuve its still a challenge as i consider a 26 inch plus Bow river trout to a 9lb + Eye. Catching 16inch trout and toothless wonders one after another is like the 100 little walleye a day lakes.

I have in recently challenged myself to go baitless for walleyes and its something i should of done years ago as i dont have enough days left in my life to master it.

I like the chase and the equipment involved to chase Eyes also.

Just my opinion, with repsect to what every individual finds important in their fishing.

Lunker City Fin-S Fish and Fin-S Shad....but especially the Fin-S Fish. Solid white colour. I have caught more walleye with these plastics than any other artificial. I have a stash of 3" ones left but I see these are no longer available. I usally fish them off a 1/4 ounce pink jig...but really I don't think the jig colour matters.

I also have a stash of 4" Bass Assasin strait tail shad...there brown and gray with a red tail...haven't seen them available for years but they are a fav....

When walleye are especially aggressive I have done real good with Rapala Husky Jerks...the gold/black colour and the "Tenesee Shad" colour.

Fun times! I can't wait to get out this year!