4 and half feet deep walleyes?

[South_Metro_Slayer]

me and my buddy were out on a ramsey county lake sunday evening. We had a great walleye chop, we made a few drifts lindy rigin' over some nice lookin structure in about 8-24 feet of water no takers. we decided to go in shallow and slip bobb for largemouths it was 4 1/2 feet deep. the first cast my buddy pulled up a nice walleye. for the next two hours we caught over thirty eyes. alot of smaller ones though. what i dont get is it was the shallow side of the lake in the weeds, but it was also the windy side of the lake do you guys think they just came in there to feed? anyway it was some (Contact Us Please) good fishing.

[waterhog]

sounds like you were on lake owasso. lots of baitfish in that area. if thats the lake you were on.

[SWMuskeye]

It happens every year but few take advantage of this opportunity.

Actually I saw this pattern happen a little earlier this year than normal with the warmer weather we've experienced.

They're in the weeds chasing-more often than not-perch. By now the perch have attained a perfect eating size for the walleyes-only a couple of inches long.

The perch hang near the inside weed edges for cover, but make an easy meal for walleyes. When they're real aggressive throw smaller spinnerbaits in these areas and they'll hammer em.

[Dave B]

I remember fishing a RCL tourney on Leech in mid-July. It was a hot summer day, 85-90 degrees and gentle wind. I spoke with a co-angler after they brought enough to the scales for a top 5 day 1 finish. He said they got all their fish after watching some local pull a bunch out of 2-3' of water on a nightcrawler with a hook, no sinker, no wait. He said they just set it 50' or so behind the boat and twitched it on top of the water.

Also, I think it was the MWC tour where the boat that WON over 1/2 of the touraments fished in thick weeds on each lake. Now, this was about 6-8 different tournaments on very different lakes across MN.

Shallow walleyes are common and often overlooked.

[fisherman-andy]

It really depends on the type of lake structure, size & depth.

You will always find eyes shallow especially in lakes that are usually less than 25ft depths or smaller size. They will tend to cruise the drop off or weed edges near shallow water for forage. Deeper water don't always hold forage and in some cases if non at all. That's probably why you find them shallow, even more during dusk into the night. They may become very aggressive in those hours and be in a shallow as 2ft of water.

Good fishing!

[HAppnhook]

Are these fish on the inside weed edge, the outside weed edge but a foot or two into the weeds or are they just plain sunk in the middle of the cabbage and other cover weeds. I have had luck on the outside weed edge in evening hours but the daytime on weedy lakes is quite the challenge for me. Weedless jig, or texas riggin? I know that is where they are but getting them, Hoo boy!

[GreyGoose]

i've heard a few different places that stocked walleye tend to favor the weeds more so than naturally produced fish. Anyone else heard of this theory? I have been aware of the fact that walleye are usually feeding much shallower that most people think for a bunch of years now. I just haven't found an efficient way of targeting them. Slip bobbers are ok but slow when trying to locate active fish. Vertically jigging can work too, but also slow and you need to be very stealthy the shallower they are.

One other note, I had a small walleye in a fish tank that I caught out of a local lake a few years ago. In the tank there was an area with weeds and an area with rocks. The walleye I had would always be sunk in the weeds and would only move to the rock late at nite. It ws also a very particular eater too. It would only eat nightcrawlers, minnows and leeches wouldn't even make it flinch. The lake I caught this walleye on is heavily stocked and I caught it in about 5 fow deep in the weeds.

[South_Metro_Slayer]

i was out tuesday it was hot, but i still caught walleyes 4-8 feet deep i got five nice ones, and about 8 little guys. slip bobber, fatheads and leeches, 91 degrees and catching walleyes in four feet of water, its great i found me a honey hole.

[analyzer]

Careful grey goose, game fish in an aquarium are supposed to be purchased from a store. A child under 16 can keep 4 fish not longer than 10 inches for purpose of an aquarium. But adults have to buy their game fish from a store. Keep the receipt.

However, I dont think I've ever had a visit from a conservation officer at my house. : )

[Pherris]

Grey Goose,

In lakes that are stocked it is true that walleyes reared in ponds will be much more likely to be weed walleyes. This is because in rearing ponds the only cover is weeds so they are conditioned to seek the weeds for cover and feeding from birth. Good Fishing!!

[GreyGoose]

That sounds like a good explaination, Pherris. But what about 'eyes that are stocked as fry? Which a majority of times is used for stocking. They have only been alive for a short while and haven't had time to be imprinted to one type of cover. And some lakes get naturaly produced eggs and others get eggs from reared (hee hee) fish. So that throws another twist to this explination. I guess it don't matter the reason when they are bitin and you are catchin! I don't remember who started this post, but could you tell us if this lake is stocked and what size fish where put in? Or just give me the lakes name and I'll figure it out myself!J/K.

And about keepin the one for my tank, I've had all kinds of store bought fish, and the reciepts/ licenses. And that is all that the "license" is; a reciept. Easy to forge if you wanted to. And they also say you can keep them for children too. Just another loop-hole. I can't say I still have any of those "licenses", but I CAN say the DNR hasn't seached my living room lately. They got bigger fish to fry... ...ya get it.

[mtheis]

Tonight went out in a local area lake and caught a 23" walleye by trolling the weed edges with my silver floater again. I agree with the statement that stocked walleyes seem to prefer the weeds instead of other structure. I am not saying I ignore it, but just prefer it with my style of fishing.