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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Duluth | Some of my hot spots this year in June were little bays with the wind blowing into them that have a mud bottom. The lakes I like to fish are all deep, lake trout lakes on the MN/ON border. I know that many of the walleyes will move out to my favorite mid lake reefs in the next couple of weeks, but my question is; will these little mud flats continue to hold fish all summer for me? | |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Duluth | Here are some of my better fish from last month, nothing huge, yet. I would really like if I can keep pulling these 26"+ fish off the mud all summer.
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 walleyeA.jpg (53KB - 159 downloads)
walleyeb.jpg (48KB - 164 downloads)
1st walleye.JPG (114KB - 169 downloads)
walleye2.jpg (103KB - 150 downloads)
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| Only time will tell, but probably not all year long. Bugs are on a sparadic hatch up north, so in my opinion, that is why they are there now. I hope for the sake of the lake, you are releasing ALL those 26" fish | |
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| johny v , get off your high horse kick and let everyone else determine there own life standards.I get so sick of you guys preaching. Even if the guy kept those fish, who are you to tell him he cant.nuff said. | |
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| Nwoods I wouldn't sweat jv, closest he's been to a 26" is in the bag next to his in the bump tank. Nice fish ! Keep up the good work and by all means release them into hot grease! | |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Duluth | Gosh, I was just hoping to start a discussion on how, when, and why walleyes relate to mud cause I really don't understand it much. As far as I know there are very few perch in the lakes I fish and ciscos provide much of the forage for the bigger walleyes.
On catch and release: Personally I feel it is responsible stewardship to release the fish over 20" on the lakes I fish, but each angler needs to make that decision for themselves, within the limits of the law. I have kept 2 fish over 30" that are proudly displayed on my wall, and when I finally get my first over 32", I just might keep it. By the time bow season gets here I will probably have 10-12 releases over 26" this year. I'm certainly not the king of walleye fishing but I do alright. Not all released fish live but we know releasing the prime spawners can make a difference. Lets say 3 of the fish over 26" that I release die. If another guy only catches 2 big walleyes this summer, a 26" fish and a 27" fish, and he keeps them both. Ultimately I am harder on the resource than the other guy, cause I will have killed more big walleyes them him, being the cold blooded murderer I am. Now, that doesn't mean I will stop striving to figure out the feeding habits and locations of big walleyes. | |
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| Northwoods, I wasn't telling you what to do with your fish, but it does sound like we are on the same page as far as letting fish over 20" go. Anyone that cares or knows anything about the future of fishing knows this, espacially on the inland lakes. Those are very nice fish and anyone would love to catch those. What I do know, is that obviosly, bugs hatches mean mud and in the northern part of the state, it has been sporadic, so they may be in there for a while.
As for Boomer and In The Know, I was just expressing my opinion, that is all. You do what you want on the water, these sites are to also express our opinions and that is what I was doing. You don't know me, and I don't know you, so the comment about the 26" fish, "very comical". I see you really hepled out Northwoods with a comment on his question though.
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| If you werent telling him what to do and how to fish why did you go out of your way to capitalize ALL.Give me a break. | |
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| JonnyV Please tell my why in your honest opinion it is better for anyone to release a 20" or larger fish? instead of a 12", 15", 18" or ANY other size for that matter.
Just trying to understand what you base your knowledge on to make such an opinion?
Good Luck
Tyee
I do love armchair biology though, and congrats to anyone having fun on the water, it seems as though the fish are in their First week of June patterns finally. | |
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Location: Rhinelander | Northwoods,
Nice fish! I find those little patches of mud to be effective all year if conditions are right, especially if they are deep and are surrounded by shallower water and sand/marl bottom.
Don't worry about the arguing between the members here, believe me, they all wish they could fish up there, and all of these guys really do mean well. | |
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| Here is what I have been told by a fish biologist and why you typically see slots in the 17" -26,27" range. Those fish are you main spawners. Unlike what most people believe, the 29" and above are not the main spawners anymore, just like a big buck, they reach there prime and start to head down hill. I am sure there are exceptions as there is with anything.
Maybe it should be stated that I fish in North Central WI most of the time on the area flowages. Those types of bodies of water can not afford to lose a bunch of spawning fish, they all use to get stocked with walleyes every other year, not anymore and it is starting to show. And before anyone throws out there that I do not know how to fish, I am not the only one who is seeing it.
But I guess the bottom line is, that is my rule of thumb, release all fish over 20" and on some lakes I reduce that to 18", but that is just me. I am not telling anyone what to do, I have just seen the effect it has taken up here and it gets worse every year. | |
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Member
Posts: 1406
| Yes Northwoods, Steve is right I wish we had the same opportunities you have up there, here in Central WI. I think Jonny V has now clarified his opinion and his earlier remarks for the waters he fishes and he has defined his own best practice for HIS waters and I think he is even admitting that its not the same everywhere but still likes to be vocal on the subject....Johnny, If you only take out the under 20" you will be fighting mother nature your whole life. Your better off listening to those biologists and harvest only a FEW of the largest year class on that body of water, better yet do like the Musky guys do and release them ALL... thats right ALL that 15" is a future spawner isn't it?
Good Luck
Tyee
Edited by tyee 7/7/2011 10:29 PM
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| The mud question is a good one. The walleyes move to mud when the bug hatches start to happen, mayflies, lake flies, etc. Its also a good indicator on when to switch to crawlers.
But to answer your question, as long as the bug hatches are going, you will find fish on the mud flats.
Nice fish and just enjoy it. Don't worry about the debate of the others. | |
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Member
Posts: 650
| Great looking fish! | |
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