After just returning from Lake of the Woods and reading over the Regulations for Minnesotas Fishing I truely believe Utah could learn from their System.
It seems the a Walleye male does not reach full maturity to spawn until the age of three and the females are five before they reach the same status.
With the amount of pressure put on them in the very few lakes we have them in they dont stand much of a chance to reach maturity to even spawn. They are sought after heavily for their tablefare. Nothin better in my book.
Point is if we had a slot limit on them even a little lower on some lakes it would give them time to reproduce better as the bigger fish would help the population tremendously. They should even Introduce Saugers into the state. Smaller version of the walleye but just as good on the tablle. They taste just like them.
The quality of Walleyes would improve and it would even reduce supplimental stocking in my opinion. Only my opinion.
What are others thoughts especially on the introduction of Saugers. They do really well up there in Minnesota. Im sure they do other places as well.
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[cool][#0000ff]Anglers have virtually zero impact on the walleye population in Utah. There is not a huge population but there is plenty of natural food for them so they seldom get desperate enough to eat artificials. Since we cannot use live bait...like they can in Minnesota...we do not harvest as many. Most walleyes in Utah die of old age...not from harvest.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wherever there are walleyes in Utah there are plenty of females that survive to become large spawners...enough to maintain a sustainable population. Whenever there are too many walleyes for the limited forage base there is stunting and winter dieoffs. That happened in Starvation before the perch population exploded to provide more food. It also happened in Utah Lake during the drought years in the early 2000s. Low water resulted in poor spawning for white bass and other forage species. By late 2004 the big walleyes were big headed and skinny...and thousands died under the ice that winter...before the lake filled up again and "normal" life returned.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The waters of Minnesota are full of several varieties of minnows and lots of leeches and other walleye chow. They can support lots of walleyes and lots of fishing...even with live bait. Most of their lakes are natural lakes with millenia of stable conditions and very little year round fluctuation in water levels or water quality. Utah Lakes are mostly manmade reservoirs with poor fertility and minimal forage. They are also subject to radical water level fluctuations through irrigation demands and natural weather conditions...like droughts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sauger are a fish of cold, clean waters. They are more demanding of quality water conditions than walleyes and will not survive in a lot of places. I doubt they would do well in Utah...even if DWR wanted to introduce them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Slot limit on walleye? That has been in place for years. Makes absolutely no difference. Most folks can't even catch one or two on a trip...much less the current limit of 10. And the happy harvesters that catch and keep overlimits do not pay attention to slots anyway.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished for walleyes in Utah for about 50 years. I have caught more walleyes and bigger walleyes during times when there were few regulations and they were allowed to fend for themselves. Back in the 70s there was a limit of 6 with no size restrictions. It was common to catch over 20 walleyes per trip...and to be able to cull a limit over 5#...if you wanted to keep the bigger fish. Sometimes I did...as in the picture below. Now I keep only the smaller ones. And it has been a long time since I got more than a few fish per trip. In fact it is tough to catch any...in spite of the huge population of walleyes in Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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+1 those are some nice ones though. utah lake?
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Saugers probably would do more harm than good in Utah waters. We don't have all of the other things that make Minnesota waters good Walleye fisheries. Like TubeDude said; we don't have lakes, we have reservoirs; we don't have tubilees, ciscoes, shiners, dace, leeches, stable water levels, and a whole list of other attributes to a good Walleye pond. We do have Lake Powell however. Probably the best Walleye fishery outside of the Canadian Shield. And it goes almost untouched.
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definatly lake powell for sure. i was there for the 1st time this summer and in 3 hours of fishing off the docks near wawheep me and my friend caught like4 or 5 not even fishing for them. i also saw two dead ones when i was there that weekend. there are great numbers there and no there is no limit on them. its just far for alot of folks.
tightlines
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Like a drive across town compared to going to Minnesota[
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Up there you cant keep them between 19 1/2 and 28 inches. Here its 1 over 20. Eliminate the one over 20 and let people keep on over 25 or a determined size above the slot. More bigger fish eventually im guessin. Maybe not. Guess the best Walleye fishery in the World spoils a guy.
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[quote Jazzperch1]+1 those are some nice ones though. utah lake?[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Yep. Used to have several places around the lake that were accessible to easy launch of float tubes...before phragmites. Now all my former tubing hotspots require a machete-wielding safari to chop through the vegetation to get to the lake. That and launch sites that are on private property and now off limits to the public due to vandalism and trashing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Those fish were actually caught right at the mouth of the Jordan River outflow. The big post spawn fish school up there when the pumps are pulling water out of the lake and creating a strong flow. The predators wait for small white bass, bullheads and other edible tidbits to wash by them. Used to fish big black marabou jigs...casting up-current and letting them bounce back toward me. The strikes were memorable and the fight was usually much better than most attribute to walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Used to be able to climb over an access stile and walk easily down to the river for launch there. Now there is the water outlet channel and bridge...and a jungle of tamarisk and phragmites between the road and the water. And with the outlet channel providing a lot of the flow of water the conditions at the mouth of the Jordan are different.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Of course most of my former fave spots are still accessible by boat. But I don't do boats much.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]You need to read the current Utah Regulations.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Limit on walleye is 10 with one over 24 inches. And very few Utah anglers ever catch any that big.[/#0000ff]
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Well I was'nt looking at the regs when i made that statement. My bad. That makes me think at least they are trying to eliminate some of those spawners getting taken to the table. Why keep those fish in that size. Look at what the slots have produced at strawberry. I know not apples to apples.
And another thing if your numbers caught have gone down to where you dont get as many walleyes as you did years ago. Why is that? or are you not fishing the same or have the numbers declined with the pressure or has the pressure on them caused it. Just questions that pop into my head.
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[quote rancid_crabtree]Up there you cant keep them between 19 1/2 and 28 inches. Here its 1 over 20.
Eliminate the one over 20 and let people keep on over 25 or a determined size above the slot. More bigger fish eventually im guessin. Maybe not. Guess the best Walleye fishery in the World spoils a guy.[/quote]
HUH??? When was the last time you read Utah's regulations on Walleye???
Quote:Walleye*10, only 1 over 24 inches
* On some waters, specific bag or size restrictions apply. Please see Rules for specific waters on page 20 for variations.
If you wanna catch fish like you caught at LOW, go to Lake of the Woods. It ain't like that here. And I'll betcha $10,000 (like Mitt) that it ain't gonna be like the Lake of the Woods here.
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[quote rancid_crabtree]Well I was'nt looking at the regs when i made that statement. My bad. That makes me think at least they are trying to eliminate some of those spawners getting taken to the table. Why keep those fish in that size. Look at what the slots have produced at strawberry. I know not apples to apples.
And another thing if your numbers caught have gone down to where you dont get as many walleyes as you did years ago. Why is that? or are you not fishing the same or have the numbers declined with the pressure or has the pressure on them caused it. Just questions that pop into my head.[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]First of all, walleyes to Minnesota are like trout to Utah. They raise them in hatcheries and plant a lot of them with the intent of providing a harvestable fishery for state anglers. In Utah the walleyes have been treated mostly as "bycatch" by DWR. They have planted them in some waters simply because the biology indicated they would do well...and would provide both a control for smaller species and a popular fishery. But once planted they are largely ignored. Yes, there are limits set and size regulations but mostly on a reactive basis and not to manage a specific fishery. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I don't know of any waters in Utah where walleyes have received supplemental plantings after the initial introduction. They are on their own. And it is a testament to the toughness of the walleyes that they have weathered all the ups and downs in their established habitats. I am aghast that walleyes can even survive in Utah Lake...much less reach the bodacious populations they do in good years.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good question...why do I catch fewer walleyes? I think the simple answer is that I am no longer so smitten by them that I chase them exclusively. When I focused on them, in years past, few anglers caught more or bigger fish than I did. These days there are too many waters with too many other species that compete for my attention. Yes, when fishing good walleye waters...during ideal times...I do concentrate on them and I still catch my fair share. But I am just as happy with catfish, wipers, white bass, perch and even trout.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hate to be contentious but comparing the cutts in Strawberry to walleyes in any water...for slot limits...is really not realistic.[/#0000ff]
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Yep! I agree with you boss! Slot in our waters for eyes is ridiculous. We have more eyes in our waters than most think...just gotta find em sneaky lil devils!
Smiles Always!
MA
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[quote FISHINMA]Yep! I agree with you boss! Slot in our waters for eyes is ridiculous. We have more eyes in our waters than most think...just gotta find em sneaky lil devils!
Smiles Always!
MA[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]Two rules to live by with walleyes:[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]1. You can't catch them if you can't find them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Finding them is not a guarantee that you will catch them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope you wintered well and that you start putting some hooks in them toothy critters soon. It's just about time now.[/#0000ff]
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[quote TubeDude]
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[#0000ff]Sauger are a fish of cold, clean waters. They are more demanding of quality water conditions than walleyes and will not survive in a lot of places. I doubt they would do well in Utah...even if DWR wanted to introduce them.[/#0000ff]
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But, what about saugeye? A sterile hybrid whose population could be controlled. I'd certainly accept those over walleye any day. Maybe they'll come to a lake near you in the future?
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So I was just reading this post, and remembering one of your other quotes that says something to the effect of "Most Walleye are caught accidentally while fishing for other species", which is my case. I just took a look at my logs, that go back to 2004. I've caught a TOTAL of 16 Walleyes, with the very biggest going 21 3/4" (Last year, Willard). I also remember my daughter and son in law each catching one at Lake Powell a couple summers ago also. At no time ever have I gone "Walleye" fishing. These were all caught while targetting other species. I kept each and every one of them, and I agree, they are excellent table fare. So far, I've never been impressed with the fight of a Walleye, and in some cases thought I was reeling in a stick or piece of seaweed. But then again, I've never caught a biggun'. I think 100% of my Walleyes have been caught at Willard Bay.
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[cool][#0000ff]I think our beleagured DWR folks have more than enough on their collective plates. They don't need to go through the study and processes for adding saugeye to the mix.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I shan't wait with bait on my breath.[/#0000ff]
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[quote TubeDude]
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[#0000ff]I shan't wait with bait on my breath.[/#0000ff][/quote]
don't make me say "I told you so..."
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[cool][#0000ff]I stand by that theory. And I am also living proof. Besides the grundles of walleyes I caught at Starvation last year...mostly on purpose...all of the other walleyes I caught at Willard, Utah Lake and Deer Creek were caught on lures and tactics being fished for ALL species. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And there is the rub. Walleyes typically make a living on the same food resources as the other species. So if you are fishing with something appealing to one you can logically expect to catch others. At Willard the gizzard shad feeds all the predators. So if you serve up a shad imitating lure you may hook three or four species on the same lure...fishing the same way.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As far as the fight of a walleye...or any fish...that is a subjective thing. And, like other fish, the degree of resistance is dependent upon water temps, water chemistry, overall health of the fish, etc. No fish from brutally cold water puts up as much fight as it will during optimum (for that fish) water temps. Walleye are most active within a range of 55 to about 70 degrees. When summer water temps go over that they get sluggish...and the ones you pick up on lures trolled for wipers don't have the will or the stamina to struggle much. And if you are comparing them with wipers...well, fuggetaboudit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The tackle and techiques you use can affect the "battle" too. Walleyes that are hooked on heavy trolling gear never have a chance. But a lot of the walleye guys use light tackle...both to better feel the light bites and to get more wiggles from the fish. I have caught plenty of walleyes on medium light rods and 4 or 6 pound line that gave a very good account of themselves.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I mentioned in another post, I seldom PURPOSEFULLY fish for walleyes anymore. But if I am in a walleye zone and have some expectation of hooking one, I am likely to modify my lures and presentations a bit to increase my odds of getting one. Sometimes it works.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got no pride. I keep just about all the 'eyes I catch. All but the big mamas. And I haven't caught one over about 24" for several years. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In truth, I really enjoy hitting Starvation when it is ON...from June through September...and beyond. Once you learn the better spots and how to fish them you can catch lots of walleyes. Most are dinks but plenty of nice good-eating teen-inchers...with a few twenty inchers in the mix. And when caught on perch tackle they definitely are fun to catch.[/#0000ff]
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Well now that everyones waders are in some what of a twist let me clearify. I was talking about the regulations in Minnesota not Utah so calm down.
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