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Location: Rhinelander | If you had a free all expenses paid two week vacation anywhere in the US and Canada, any time of the year, and the idea was to catch BIG walleyes, what would your destination be? What is the very best walleye water in North America, in your opinion? |
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Location: Kaukauna WI | This is a hard question to ask and one that takes so many variables to answer. If I had to choose I go to one of the great lakes or to Canada up by Pro Tom Gustar lives (sorry can not remember the lakes name) these waters can produce nice fish not only in spring but year round. |
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| I'd want to do something like I did this spring when I saw 4 of the 5 Great Lakes in a 14 day period. It would be in the fall, and would include, in no paticular order, Tobin, and Bay of Quinte in Canada, and Fort Peck, and the Columbia River in the US.
I'd gladly change that if they ever discover walleyes around New Orleans during the Mardi Gras though!!  
Edited by JLDII 1/1/2005 1:53 PM
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Location: upper michigan | I would love to make just about any Great Lakes destination in November. For some reasone every year i have good intentions of trying bay de noc in november and every year my boat is put away in oct. go figure. |
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Location: Loves Park, IL now Mt. View Ar. | Lake Erie for the fall bite. Lost count on how many 10lb +fish we had on during this years fall trip. It sure was fun saying " it's just another 5-8Lber", LOL. Dave's Storms Ditro Shiner was the bait of choice. Thanks Dave for makeing a great lure.
Steve Andedrson |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | Based on the information and pictures I got from Lund Dude this fall, I'd say Lake Ontario, specifically near the Henderson Harbor area along the US/Ontario border. If memory serves me correctly, he had 77 fish over 8 lbs with quite a few in the 10-13 lb range and a best of around 14 lbs. Hard to top those numbers.
If I had unlimited time, I'd want to spend at least two weeks on the Columbia River, Piney Falls, or Tobin Lake, as these three places put up big fish every year.
And I think the Holy Grail (world record fish) still exists at Greers Ferry in Arkansas, so spending a couple of weeks there in late Feb/early March would be fun too.
Edited by jerry 1/3/2005 5:30 PM
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Location: Flat Rock | My pick would be my local area of Lake Erie/Detroit river. Jigging & trolling in early spring & fall can't be beat for big & girthy hogs. Even pitching a jig under weed patches in mid-summer can be productive on Erie. |
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Location: Chicago IL. | Fishing out of Ashtabula ,Ohio on Erie in august would be hard to beat in my book. Hutch got me a 13.6 this year. Looking foward to doing it again.
John Mannerino
#473 |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Ya know, it always seems magical when your someplace fresh and new, or where you make special plans to go every year, but only sledom get to. And I must say this holds true for me as well. In general though, these places are full of others all on a quest for the big one, and the whole experience encourages that carnival atmosphere when you were a kid, and truly magnifies the experience.
The funny thing is, I see that same excitement in both my friends and clients faces when we're catching any size fish in my own backyard, up on the Tittabawassee near the spillway, on the Saginaw night casting or trolling, or on the Saginaw Bay when the rod buckles over or the InLine Board shoots back. And it's probably more about the plane fishing success to these people, than it is the size or anything else. I think quit a few other places produce bigger walleyes per trip, most all during certain times of the year. But I think I'll pick my own backyard this time.
Sorry for getting philosophical on a basic question like this. But I thought for a change, I'd count my own blessings.
Edited by walleye express 1/2/2005 8:33 AM
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Shhhhhhh........... Jerry has mentioned the new holy grail for monster size walleyes. Lake Ontario is the place to be right now if you're looking for teenagers (over 13 pounds, you dirty old men). It's a late fall and early ice bite for the big girls with the most consistent action. Hey, keep this to yourself and do not put it on an internet site or anything like that.......... My buddies are gonna kill me...........I'll just blame Jerry 
Edited by Sunshine 1/3/2005 10:04 PM
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| Stopped counting the 10 lb+ Walleyes Ive caught out of Erie 10 years ago....but my jig pole hog (13.12) came from Lake Green Bay..harder to find, but there is more potental for a world record in the Bay. Howie. |
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Location: Timmins, Ontraio, Canada | The Bay of Quinte, what a water body. I fished it in late november and it was awsome. 14 fish all day 6 fish over 10 pounds and the smallest running around 8pounds and the biggest 12 1/2 pounds. And it was Pro Tom Gustar that took me out. |
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Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada | In Saskatchewan, try the Saskatchewan river (location of the Vanity Cup) at Nipawin or Tobin lake, good fishing year round, check out www.nipawin.com/pikefestival/reports.php. Good contacts are Twin Marine or Silvertip Outfitters. Also in SK, Last Mountain Lake is a good lake to try, the lake is about 50 miles long, the north and south ends produce well in May and June and the central portion produces well from July to freeze up. I caught two 11 lber's during the prefish and tournament last September. A good guide and outfitter is G & S Marina, www.gsmarina.com/. One more good location is Lake of the Prairies on the Sask/Manitoba border, haven't been there myself for several years but reports are it has been producing extremely well the past few years.
Dave D
Edited by Dave D 1/7/2005 10:33 PM
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| I think that Dennis and Jerry will have to get my boot surgically removed from their backsides...
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| Those in the know have been going there for over 5 years now including our group. People have too big of mouths and like to brag too much for it to stay the way it was. In the coming years it will probably turn into another bay de noc type zoo. |
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| ???
Fortunately, the "best" big fish time (late fall) coincides with hunting season and colder weather, which thins out the crowds.
I've never fished at either of these places, but by what I've read (i.e. posts and records) the Bay of Quinte and the Manitoba River/Tobin Lake(?) would probably be at the top of the list. I guess I'd take a free trip to Tobin and visit Quinte on my dime some day!
I try to get out on Erie as often as possible (especially in the late fall) and I would rate it right up there. Chances of a 14 or 15 lb'r might not be that high (they are there) but mid 40 to 50 lb 5 fish bags aren't uncommen. 10 pounders don't even get my pulse up anymore...well maybe just a little;-)
Tim |
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Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada | Check out the "Last Week at Diefenbaker" post on the Go Walleye message board, http://www.outdoormessageboard.com/main.htm , under Saskatchewan fishing. |
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Location: Laurel, MT | Dave - Glad to hear you toot Rob's horn. G & S Marina (www.gsmarina.com since Dave's didn't link right..) and Last Mountain have become one of my favorite fisheries. Great people and great fishing. Only one over 10 last year in 5 days of fishing, but 2 100 fish days on 18-24 inchers. This was way north in August! The year before I caught a 10.5 and 11.5 on the same day with 1/2 mile of the marina...
I know this isn't that great for you Erie guys, but for us Western folks, what a place.
Normally I would also include Ft. Peck, but it is so low, it really has stuff screwed up and scattered. We will see if we can pull some double digits this winter though.
Honsie
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| I have been lucky to have fished almost all of the western waters listed in this thread (so far) numerous times. I got in on them before they were known, too. "Pioneering" and trying to figure out patterns on them when nobody else was there was the most fun. (notice, I said "trying to figure out).
But, I'd like to try Erie and the Bay of Quinte, before I croak. |
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Where is the BEST walleye water in North America for BIG 'eyes?