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| Hello all.
I fish a 300 acre reservoir in North Jersey that has a pretty good Walleye population.
One morning just before sunrise I trolled up a nice fat 27" Walleye that went 7.5lbs on the digital. Other than that I've not really targeted them. Mostly I'm fishing this water for Muskie and the occasional smallmouth or largemouth.
Is there a productive way to target Walleye during the day....? I've marked fish in 20' to 30' of water and I'd like to take a shot at catching during the day (I'll get to the night thing eventually).
Any tips or ideas you can share...?
Thanks in advance.
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | With that small of a lake. how about try slip bobbers and leeches? |
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Posts: 859
Location: Appleton wi | bassmeisternj i think you already mentioned in your post the most productive way to catch some eyes! Troll during the day .Walleyes are predators and roam shallow walleye and deep water and dont forgott to fish high in the deep water. Shad raps #4-7 are a great lure to start with and make sure you have a variety of colors and also if your the casting type of guy you can throw those same crank baits if you feel like casting ! Good luck and nice fish |
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | I'd barrow and learn any methods, technique or rigging advice you can read about when fishing walleyes on any of Great Lake as decent/valid advice you could apply to your own waters. Especially techniques used on Lake Erie, Green Bay or LBDN, where fishing deeper waters is the norm. Your walleyes will probably suspend when the waters get warmer and act just like any walleyes anywhere do during certain seasons. There might be special circumstances or things unique to your lake, but for the most part they are what they are and you probably won't need any special methods or techniques to catch them. 
Edited by walleye express 5/20/2008 9:15 AM
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| Well for starters I was thinking of getting some 3/8 walleye jigs and maybe tip em with some type of Berkely Gulp crawlers or leech type baits..... |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| You are on the right path. That's how I learned to walleye fish. Jig and a crawler, and then leeches. Use your sonar to find the fish on bottom structure, and find out if they like the presentation. You've caught one trolling, so target them this way too. And don't forget rigging and slip bobbering. One of my favorite ways to catch walleyes is a leech on a slip boober, letting it drift to the structure, and then watching it disappear as a nice eye takes it down. |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | You know what would be fun? Post a topo map of the lake on here and let us all dissect it for you. when this group is done, every inch with every knowen presentation will be covered and it will take you 10 years to try everything. Honestly, do it, it will be fun. |
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| For anyone interested, here is a link to a map of said waters.
http://njbassanglers.com/board/index.php?PHPSESSID=6eca4ce99368a178...
Can't register right now otherwise I woudl have posted a picture myself.
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| Opps... please delete the above post.
Try this one.
http://njbassanglers.com/board/index.php/topic,359.0.html |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | I'll start and see if this works.
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 map copy.jpg (103KB - 271 downloads)
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Is that a working Dam or a high water spillway? I can see my boat right now achored just on the downriver current sides of those points, quarter casting jigs and cranks when and if that dam has scheduled running and closing times. I'd also get to know that dam area well enough to do some precise anchoring and night time fishing on any tapering ledges near it and it's wash. Dams are oxygen rich baitfish magnets.
Edited by walleye express 5/20/2008 2:08 PM
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| thanks for the great input so far....
it's a working dam (AFIK).
PS: is there a reason I can not use my MuskieFIRST idea here ? |
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Member
Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | At the top of the picture you can see where there is 10ft of water and when they open the dam the current will whip around that corner right there and back eddy into the 10ft. Try staying in the current edge verticle jigging the current line. That should be a good spot most all year at some depth or another. Natural food line. |
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Member
Posts: 1656
| I'll give it a shot too.
Work the deeper water and offshore structure as summer progresses and the water temps get warmer on the surface. By late August as days get shorter look to the steep shorelines near points and fish deep, look for suspended fish not far off shore. As the water cools begin looking shallower relative to how the deep the fish were during the summer.
Can you tell us more about the bait fish populations present. Cisoces? Smelt? chubs? suckers? perch? Shiners? shad?
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monksville.gif (35KB - 217 downloads)
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Posts: 1406
| Some very good suggestions so far, I will add that I prefer to pitch jigs in shallow were there is current, If there are any breaks from 5-7 feet along some of those identified 10 runs that hold weeds I would not overlook them. Also for midday trolling, look for suspended fish over 30 feet of water areas, fish should be in the top half of the column over the next few weeks.
Good Luck and let us know how you do.
Tyee
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map_copy.jpg (86KB - 287 downloads)
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Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | This whole activity puts me down memory lane. I remember when Fishing Facts had their main headquarters off of Hwy 41 just north of Milwaukee. They always made the offer that people could stop by and they would mark up lake maps for them. I was a very young "wet behind he ears kid" that took them up on their offer. These guys were my idols. I sure loved being able to pick their brains and asking questions about what they looked for. Your replies would make 'em proud. Nice job guys. |
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Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | A follow up question.
A couple of my brethren suggest fishing the current breaks. I did not consider this option because you mention that this is a 300 acre reservoir. Is there much current in this size of a reservoir? Inquisitive minds wanna know. |
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| sheesh, you guys are gonna make a Walleye fishermen out of me.... and that could result in more equipment and STUFF !!
thanks for all the replies...
I'll add that this is a 500 acre reservoir not 300 like I originally mentioned.
Bait fish: Perch, shiners and stock rainbows.
Current varies and I don't know much about it being manipulated by the town.
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| Yes, Great thread, thanks to those who participated. |
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Posts: 377
Location: Neenah Wi | This is one heck of a thread.This is what a fishing site should be.Thanks |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | you said stocked rainbows. If so there is a thermocline in the pond. If there is a thermocline there is a food source that lives near that thermocline. tulibee's, shad, smelt, look for the clouds, I bet you will find a open water troll in mid summer. |
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| I know this lake and fortunately or unfortunately depending on who you are, that map doesn't show many of the real features. The main feeder stream is stocked with trout but the reservoir is not and the lake is full to the brim with blueback herring and shiners along with the usual perch, suckers, carp, chubs, etc. There is also a healthy population of muskies. It gets a lot of traffic throughout the year; ice or open water. During the fall and spring I have had success getting them on jig/plastic combos dragged over the main lake humps and points. I don't fish much up here during the summer due to the traffic. This reservoir was flooded during the 80's so there is still a lot of standing timber in the head waters and other places including deep water. The dam is not opened all that often from my experience and most of the current is from the spillway during the spring/fall high water periods. |
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| Thanks for the input NJ lurker.
Your right about the map, unfortunately the better map (lamaneted color with more detail)is no where to be found online.
I mainly fish this water for Muskie and the occasional Smallie, but the population of walleye has me interested. |
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Posts: 1195
Location: Orland Park, IL | Great thread. I learned a ton. Nothing better than figuring out how to dissect a map. Lets hope the karma holds for rathbun. |
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