Walleyes at Lake Powell

[Dorado]

I think there are a lot of big walleye in the lake, there is just a lot of water for them to be in. It is nothing in Lake Erie to catch walleye 70 feet down in the summer and that is usually where we found the big ones. When we would fish Erie for big fish we would fish the deepest part of the lake 70-80 feet where I fished, use very large crankbaits or spoons and just stay after it. You wouldn’t catch many but the ones you did get were all over 6lbs most closer to 8. It is hard to try all day for one or two fish when you can catch 100s of the perfect eaters casting jigs or trolling close to shore.

Just being the devils advocate here...while the walleye may use water that deep in Erie, I imagine that you are catching big fish at other times of the year, at shallower depths? When the water is at their preferred temperature, they will be found near shore and wherever their food is. It would be weird for a big walleye to never be in shallow at any time of year at LP where they should be caught if they were really in the lake. If there really were a lot of big walleye in LP, they would be caught in the spring...

 

[PBH]

Just some additional info:

Last year's gill netting results for walleye showed more walleye in the nets than any previous year of gill netting. Particularly for the Wahweap area, which saw more walleye than the other sampling sites combined. Annual trends in netting show a continued increase in population numbers.

further, the report Wayne posted shows that there just are not any "big" walleye. As Dorado states, we'd see them other times of the year-- particularly during the DWR sampling periods. We NEVER see them, because they aren't there!


They used to be! Like with many "new" lakes, the fish experience FAST growth rates, and trophy fish quickly show up. But over time, populations increase and growth rates slow. As this happens those trophy fish disappear and are replaced with "average" sized fish that experience SLOW growth rates. This is the situation with Powell. SLOW growth rates limit the size.

This is what Powell used to have for walleye:



Why don't we see those fish in Powell today? It's all about growth rates and population density. The trends and data the DWR has (read the report Wayne posted!) show that as the population has increased the size decreases.


The BEST evidence we have of overpopulation of species in Lake Powell is readily available to each and every one of us. It's the current regulations that allow for NO limits on walleye and stripers. What more evidence do we need to tell us that we need to harvest these fish?

 

[Coho975]

The BEST evidence we have of overpopulation of species in Lake Powell is readily available to each and every one of us. It's the current regulations that allow for NO limits on walleye and stripers. What more evidence do we need to tell us that we need to harvest these fish?

I think the whole crux of this thread is not whether we need to harvest walleye, but rather HOW to harvest them. The OP shared his tactics and locations that he has had success on hoping others would chime as well. With most of the classic walleye structure in the lake high and dry, it is definitely a challenge to locate and pattern them right now. Couple that with the run off on the north end that will likely have visibility down to 2-3", and full of debris again this spring and it makes for some tough walleye conditions.

 

[KYKevin]

The BEST evidence we have of overpopulation of species in Lake Powell is readily available to each and every one of us. It's the current regulations that allow for NO limits on walleye and stripers. What more evidence do we need to tell us that we need to harvest these fish?

The best evidence I'm reading, the Walleye were caught in a net set by DNR, not on a rod and reel. And the no limit put in in 2012 gives a lot of people false hope that they can go and catch all they want, which is far from true. But I don't know any one that catch's and releases Walleye. So you can't harvest them if your not catching them. And I'm not talking about you or any one else on WWs, because I don't know what you catch or how many.

 

[PBH]

coho / kykevin -- I'm just replying to question asked by Wet1 on page 2, which spawned further discussion.

Wet1

Great post. I too am a walleye fanatic having chased them all over the west and as far east as Wisconsin, (Winnebago). The question I have had for many years about Lake Powell walleye is where are all the big fish? The lake produces phenomenal numbers of what I call cookie cutter 17 - 21 inch fat fish just like in your pictures but bigger fish in the 4 - 10 lb range are very rare ...

I'm fine with moving to "how to catch them". In total, there are only four fishery management tools used by fisheries managers: (1) fishing rules and regulations; (2) public relations and education; (3) fish stocking and fish removal, and (4) habitat improvement and manipulation.

We've already discussed (1) and (4). Now we focus on (2) public relations and education, and (3) stocking and removal.
So, how do you catch walleye so that you can harvest them? This is a significant question, and a question that spawned the very forum we are on: Wayne's Words. This question was originally specific for stripers, and a task given to Wayne to educate and promote striper fishing and harvest. His job, in a very simplistic view, was to help anglers catch and harvest more stripers. It took a long time, but we can see today that he did a fantastic job using tool (2) to educate anglers on the importance of catching stripers, and then taught all of us how to catch them!

So, now the tide is turning and focus is on walleye. In 2016 the DWR was promoting this by tagging and releasing walleye all across the lake, in an effort to get anglers excited to target walleye. I'm not a walleye guy. The walleye we catch in the fall are just by-product of trolling for stripers. We typically keep all we catch. I went to Powell in July of 2016 to help catch and tag some of the walleye. It was HOT. 100+ outside temps. Bright and sunny. Absolutely miserable! But the two of us caught well over 100 walleye in the two days of fishing. We targeted points all over Stanton. Any point had some muddy water as a result of the wind blowing across the point would produce walleye. We were just using worms on bottom bouncers -- but to be honest, we probably didn't need the bottom bouncers. We were just fishing in about 15' of water. We couldn't keep the walleye off our lines!

When trolling in the fall, we can typically predict walleye. If our plugs (12' divers) start bouncing off the bottom, we're going to get walleye.

So, if I were to give advice on how to catch walleye, this would be it: in the summer, find some nice structured points with a mud line from the wind, and fish a worm. In the fall, troll 8-15' divers in 12 - 20 feet of water.

I hope that helps.

 

[John P Funk]

I think there are a lot of big walleye in the lake, there is just a lot of water for them to be in

I believe you're right, large fish would tend to be more solitary and would be "hunting" for larger prey than a 3" twister tail grub. My personal best walleye, caught in White Canyon(I miss the battleship). When it was filleted, it had a partially digested bluegill that was the size of my hand.

 

[Wet1]

I think there are a lot of big walleye in the lake, there is just a lot of water for them to be in. It is nothing in Lake Erie to catch walleye 70 feet down in the summer and that is usually where we found the big ones. When we would fish Erie for big fish we would fish the deepest part of the lake 70-80 feet where I fished, use very large crankbaits or spoons and just stay after it. You wouldn’t catch many but the ones you did get were all over 6lbs most closer to 8. It is hard to try all day for one or two fish when you can catch 100s of the perfect eaters casting jigs or trolling close to shore.

Looking forward to your reports this year to see if you do find them down in the abyss.

 

[Flipper]

Hey Kevin, you need to rethink your timing. That was back in 1983. You were drift fishing for bluegills using crawdad tails. You remember asking us if we got a proclamation when we got our license. You remember why. Best I remember Utah had some type of fishing season back then, but I think it was for trout only.
Largest Walleye I ever caught was back in the mid 90's. I was fishing with 2 of guys from work and was stuck in the back of the boat. I had one pole with a nightcrawler under a slip bobber that I was dragging and another pole with a whole nightcrawler with no weight. It was in June and had gotten warm already. I was pitching the nightcrawler into large cracks in rocks right on the shoreline and just letting it sink. I caught a 20" LMB that I guessed would weigh at least 6 pounds. I measured it and let it go. The next pitch into the same crack, I caught a 26" walleye that I guessed would weigh around 6 pounds as well. If was fairly healthy, but not fat.
One morning in mid-May about ten years ago I was trolling by myself just down lake from Ticaboo along what we call the snake wall. I hooked something and I thought I was hung up. I even reeled in my other rod anticipating getting the snagged rod unhung. When I picked up the hung rod, I could tell I was still hung up, but was able to pull whatever it was. I did not know what I had, but thought it was a big sunken piece of wood or boot or something. I never did figure out it was a fish until I could see that it was a huge walleye. I did not have a dipnet with me that morning, which turned out to be a bad thing. I was able to get it alongside the boat three times trying to get a hold on it somehow. I could not bring myself to lip it. I tried pinning it against the boat which did not work. I tried getting a finger in its gill to no avail. It finally rolled several times, threw the hook, and just swam away. It was about 30" and about as big around as a football. I guessed it would have been at least 10 pounds.

 

[KYKevin]

Hey Kevin, you need to rethink your timing. That was back in 1983. You were drift fishing for bluegills using crawdad tails. You remember asking us if we got a proclamation when we got our license. You remember why. Best I remember Utah had some type of fishing season back then, but I think it was for trout only.
Largest Walleye I ever caught was back in the mid 90's. I was fishing with 2 of guys from work and was stuck in the back of the boat. I had one pole with a nightcrawler under a slip bobber that I was dragging and another pole with a whole nightcrawler with no weight. It was in June and had gotten warm already. I was pitching the nightcrawler into large cracks in rocks right on the shoreline and just letting it sink. I caught a 20" LMB that I guessed would weigh at least 6 pounds. I measured it and let it go. The next pitch into the same crack, I caught a 26" walleye that I guessed would weigh around 6 pounds as well. If was fairly healthy, but not fat.
One morning in mid-May about ten years ago I was trolling by myself just down lake from Ticaboo along what we call the snake wall. I hooked something and I thought I was hung up. I even reeled in my other rod anticipating getting the snagged rod unhung. When I picked up the hung rod, I could tell I was still hung up, but was able to pull whatever it was. I did not know what I had, but thought it was a big sunken piece of wood or boot or something. I never did figure out it was a fish until I could see that it was a huge walleye. I did not have a dipnet with me that morning, which turned out to be a bad thing. I was able to get it alongside the boat three times trying to get a hold on it somehow. I could not bring myself to lip it. I tried pinning it against the boat which did not work. I tried getting a finger in its gill to no avail. It finally rolled several times, threw the hook, and just swam away. It was about 30" and about as big around as a football. I guessed it would have been at least 10 pounds.

Well I only missed it by 10 years

 

[Mildog]

The picture I posted was full moon night fishing at Starvation
I met Flipper and his dad 30+ years ago at Pelican Bluegill fishing.

Im
Guessing we have crossed paths somewhere along the way your pics look familiar to me. Might have with flipper, I know I have with a few others. I’ve been “involved” in the fishing biz in Utah for 45 plus years! Worked for a local based fishing store for many years before switching over to the wholesale side of hunting and fishing biz! Maybe we will cross paths on the lake we like the same haunts and fish. Fun post brings back lots of great memories.

 

[KYKevin]

Im
Guessing we have crossed paths somewhere along the way your pics look familiar to me. Might have with flipper, I know I have with a few others. I’ve been “involved” in the fishing biz in Utah for 45 plus years! Worked for a local based fishing store for many years before switching over to the wholesale side of hunting and fishing biz! Maybe we will cross paths on the lake we like the same haunts and fish. Fun post brings back lots of great memories.

Where do you live, and did you work for Sportsmans warehouse? My first Walleye fishing was on Yuba back when the Yellow perch were 15" and bigger and weighed 1 1/2 to 2 lb and were common. You probably fished it all so. Most of the Walleye were over the slot then and were nice, but I started going for the perch, because I wanted to keep and eat fish. When I first came here, they still had opening day I think in June and you couldn't fish after dark and only use one pole. I thought they were nuts out here. But I love Utah and it is home now.
Have a good one man, and see you on the lake some day.

 

[Mildog]

Where do you live, and did you work for Sportsmans warehouse? My first Walleye fishing was on Yuba back when the Yellow perch were 15" and bigger and weighed 1 1/2 to 2 lb and were common. You probably fished it all so. Most of the Walleye were over the slot then and were nice, but I started going for the perch, because I wanted to keep and eat fish. When I first came here, they still had opening day I think in June and you couldn't fish after dark and only use one pole. I thought they were nuts out here. But I love Utah and it is home now.
Have a good one man, and see you on the lake some day.

Sent you a private note. Yes fishing in Utah went to year round fishing in 1985 our store and owners staff we very involved in helping make that happen. We helped “pioneer” ice fishing in Utah. Pretty much the first stores to sell ice augers and promote ice fishing. We were very involved in teaching and informing anglers to fishing options for species other than “planted trout”
Many people considered perch trash fish way back in the day. Not many fished for bass. It was a trout heavy crowd.
We did ice fishing clinics at yuba with DWR and parks. I loved yuba for those jumbo perch and fished it a lots for walleye before it crashed.
Had some incredible fishing for walleye below yuba in the “Flood” years when it was spilling 83 84 I think, great times good memories.
Maybe see you on
The water sometime!

 

[Chris H]

For those of you that use bottom bouncers a lot, can you share what color and type of blades you like to use for Powell? Also, do any of you use a small float on the line. Thought I would make up a bunch of spinner rigs to get ready for first trip over. Thanks.

 

[Coho975]

For those of you that use bottom bouncers a lot, can you share what color and type of blades you like to use for Powell? Also, do any of you use a small float on the line. Thought I would make up a bunch of spinner rigs to get ready for first trip over. Thanks.

We usually tie them up with a quick change clevis so we can easily swap blades out till we find what they want. I pretty much stick with Colorado blades, mostly #4, but some # 3's too. I like to use a clevis, bead, float, bead, then the hook. Mono floats, whereas fluoro sinks, so I usually use mono at LP, even though I think fluoro is more abrasion resistant. We use a mix of slow death hooks and two hook rigs. The slow death are less prone to snags as well. Gold, Silver, Chatruese (FireTiger), and Pink, in that order, probably cover 90% of our fishing.

 

[KYKevin]

I don't use them a lot, but when I do I like perch and Shad. Perch looks like a Bluegill, and thats what I have done the best on at other lakes all so.

 

[Mildog]

Fire tiger, perch, gold, silver in that order for me most of the time if they are there and a nice crawler behind the spinner they will eat it. I catch the most on fire Tiger and perch but I fish them the most! I like a float on 2 hook colorado blade rigs. Not sure if color matters on the lead bottom bouncer but I like chart.

 

[scubatim]

Fire tiger, perch, gold, silver in that order for me most of the time if they are there and a nice crawler behind the spinner they will eat it. I catch the most on fire Tiger and perch but I fish them the most! I like a float on 2 hook colorado blade rigs. Not sure if color matters on the lead bottom bouncer but I like chart.

How bout some pics???

 

[Chris H]

We usually tie them up with a quick change clevis so we can easily swap blades out till we find what they want. I pretty much stick with Colorado blades, mostly #4, but some # 3's too. I like to use a clevis, bead, float, bead, then the hook. Mono floats, whereas fluoro sinks, so I usually use mono at LP, even though I think fluoro is more abrasion resistant. We use a mix of slow death hooks and two hook rigs. The slow death are less prone to snags as well. Gold, Silver, Chatruese (FireTiger), and Pink, in that order, probably cover 90% of our fishing.

Great info. Have not used the quick change clevis so will get some of those for sure. Sounds like everyone has there favorite colors. Thanks again. Will start putting them together.

 

[Chris H]

Fire tiger, perch, gold, silver in that order for me most of the time if they are there and a nice crawler behind the spinner they will eat it. I catch the most on fire Tiger and perch but I fish them the most! I like a float on 2 hook colorado blade rigs. Not sure if color matters on the lead bottom bouncer but I like chart.

Sounds like perch, gold and silver are a common theme. Thanks.

 

[KYKevin]

Sounds like everyone has there favorite colors.

That tells me they all catch Walleye