Anybody have any experience targeting walleye on a fly rod? I am contemplating an attempt at Deer Creek soon, but I am slowly talking myself out of it because I don't know much of the technique, other than what I've read from google searches.
[signature]
I catch them unintentionally, going after bass. I troll a bugger behind my float tube for bass, and once in a while I pick up a walleye. Bass tactics work for walleye, too, at least for me.
[signature]
[#0000FF]Deer Creek is probably the worst of several potential spots for you to try for walleye on the fly. They are in a down mode...population wise. And it is increasingly tough even for the experienced bottom bouncers to catch them with the traditional crawler harnesses.
Best bet would be around the rocky shorelines of Starvation from about the first of June on. But there should be good potential both at Willard Bay and at Utah Lake through May into June.
I used to catch grundles at both Utah Lake and Willard on a six weight flyrod...sometimes even on purpose. Mostly while fishing for crappies or white bass. That's when there were no shad in Willard and there were hordes of crappies all around the rocks and the walleyes were in there feeding on them. These days you have to cover a lot of water t even try to find them. Some guys troll the whole lake without hooking one.
At Willard use Clousers or similar. White zonkers or buggers work too. But you might have to put up with a few wipers or crappies...or even catfish.
At Utah Lake, black or purple both work well. But white or chartreuse catch them too.
If the water comes up a bit try dragging big flies around either straight off the Battle Creek outlet or down off the Bubbleup...at Lindon. Further south you can catch a few off the rock shelves at Lincoln Beach. They have been tough for everyone down there the last year or two with the low water.
If you are still set on Deer Creek, the best time is through the month of June. Work a fast sinking line over about 20 feet of water on the flats. That is where and when they will be most concentrated during the post spawn period. After that you can work almost anywhere around the rocks. The Island is a good spot to catch both smallies and an occasional walleye. But working the steep bank along the north shore of Walsburg Bay can be productive too. In those situations you can score with a sink tip or moderate sink line...working down to less than 12 feet deep close to shore. Minnow patterns or small white streamers will work. They are feeding on baby crappies, perch and crawdads.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Wow. I think I'm more inclined to keep chasing trout now. [laugh]
But seriously thanks for the info. Maybe I'll give starvation a go one of these days.
I recently returned from a trip to Texas and got to catch a few salt water species and decided I needed to broaden my horizons to more than just trout here in the beehive state.
[signature]
I have caught them at Willard on the fly rod. It's nice because it's shallow and you are at bottom in no time.
Typically at Willard I will use streamers/minnows and just work them along the bottom. It can be a lot of fun fishing for Crappie this way. I used to mostly target trout as well, but have had a lot of fun catching a variety of fish on the fly rod the past few years.
Bass are also fun on the fly rod.
[signature]
I caught a 27" walleye at Deer Creek on a type 2 sinking line and a brown mohair leech. That was well over a decade ago though. Sounds like things have changed since then.
[signature]
I have been trying to catch a Walleye for a couple years with my fly rod with no success yet. I've tried Utah Lake a couple of times but have been focusing on Willard as I also like the Wipers. I'm spending the next couple days camping at Willard so hopefully I can finally hang a big ole eye on my fly rod.
Mark
[signature]
If you don't find your eye on this camping trip, another place to consider is Oneida Narrows Reservoir in southeast Idaho. There are tons of smallies and some big old ugly carp in there too if the walleye don't want to cooperate. The smallies up there can go nuts for topwater in the early summer too which is always a blast.
[signature]