Posts: 709
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Reputation:
0
I'm looking for Dan Connelly who caught those three huge walleye out of the Provo river found on the wall at Sportsmans warehouse. Were they caught in the last five years? Or 25 years ago? If you know Dan let me know. Thanks.
[signature]
Posts: 4,335
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2008
Reputation:
0
i bet sooner.... wall eye typically like moving water, at least in my experiance.... anyway i fished the middle directly above DC, and a guy caught a neat little walleye about 15 feet below me on a rapala
[signature]
Posts: 709
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Reputation:
0
But these fish were 13lbs., 14lbs., and 15lbs. I find it hard to believe there are that big of fish in Provo river now days. Especially how heavy it is fished. You say you fished the river that lets into DC?
[signature]
Posts: 19,236
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
1
You say you fished the river that lets into DC?
Middle Provo. Midway area.
Those are big, I am betting it was a while back.
[signature]
Posts: 146
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2005
Reputation:
0
I don't know for sure, but I'd bet he caught them back when it was not illegal to fish the provo during the walley spawn between Utah lake and I-15. I was down there watching the fisherman. the last year you could still keep two a day, only a mile or so upstream from the lake, and I saw hundreds of very big walley. One could easily have caught some as big as those two back then. I doubt that they lived in the river, just came up from Utah Lake to spawn.
[signature]
Posts: 1,418
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2006
Reputation:
0
Utah Lake? You mean DC right? Anyhow, I believe that is the guy that holds the Utah State Record for Walleye isnt it? And I believe that was some time ago 10-15 years???
TS
[signature]
Posts: 33,480
Threads: 424
Joined: Feb 2002
Reputation:
33
I don't know if you saw this Zak but here is a nice walleye that was caught in Deer creek last year:
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=536440;search_string=DC%20walleye;#536440"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=536440;search_string=DC%20walleye;#536440[/url]
[signature]
Posts: 4,335
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2008
Reputation:
0
oh yea i saw that one!
[signature]
Posts: 964
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2006
Reputation:
0
The gentleman you are asking for still lives in Utah county. Them fish came out of the upper Provo river. A few moons a go. Just a few LOL The gentleman that holds the state record is Jeffry Tanner who is now deceased. Which was said he caught out of the lower Provo river. But if the truth was known It was caught out of the upper. That fish was 15lb 9 oz I think I could be off an once or two. I don't think it was 25 years ago but about 20.
[signature]
Posts: 36,058
Threads: 300
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
60
[cool][#0000ff]Yes, there are HUGE walleyes in most of the known walleye lakes. But, they are seldom caught by anglers because anglers do not fish for them when they are feeding...at night...or offer them lures large enough to interest them. Big walleyes eat larger perch, trout, white bass or other forage species. A 3" twister fished at midday in shallow water is not going to catch the next state record.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Here is a picture of only a couple of the big walleyes taken in the last year or so by spear fishermen in Deer Creek. Either of those fish would beat the current angling record.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
Posts: 709
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Reputation:
0
I happen to be one of those that believes that to catch big fish you have to use big bait. Obviously there are exceptions to this but generally speaking would an obese person settle with one junior bacon cheeseburger or would he/she have to get the super size? Same goes for fish I think. But I'm sure there are plenty of people that would like to debate this topic though. Seeing pictures like that gives you hope!
[signature]
Posts: 3,505
Threads: 26
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
3
Makes me sick seeing those big spawners dead especially being shot with a speargun. Doesn't make any difference wether they feel like feeding or not they are still fair game.
[signature]
Posts: 36,058
Threads: 300
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
60
[quote PACKFAN]Makes me sick seeing those big spawners dead especially being shot with a speargun. Doesn't make any difference wether they feel like feeding or not they are still fair game.[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]I hate to see any big walleye removed from the ecosystem...angling or otherwise. Those big mamas are the apex of the gene pool.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]But, in fairness to the spearfishing crowd they do our waters a lot of good by decimating large numbers of big carp too. Go to this website [url "http://www.utahspearfishing.com/"]http://www.utahspearfishing.com/[/url] and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Look at the pictures in the archive photos. Lots more carp than gamefish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There will likely never be a peaceful coexistence with the spearfishermen and anglers. But they pay their dues and license fees and are just as entitled to harvest a few fish as anglers. And they are bound by even more stringent laws and restrictions. Not nearly as likely to get busted for overlimits, slot violations or other common angling violations.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
Posts: 308
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2006
Reputation:
0
A couple of years we were fishing in the boat at Deer Creek and came upon two fellows that were spear fishing in prep for a tournament. We chatted with them and they freely told us that around the next courner was a big school of bass. We gave it a try and were rewarded for the move. They were targeting the carp and had several big ones. If you are patient you can get the walleye, you just have to target them. Hear's one caught in mid day. This one was released to produce babies. That was a couple of years ago so it should be over 30 inches if it hasn't been caught and kept.
[signature]
Posts: 36,058
Threads: 300
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
60
[cool][#0000ff]Don't know which is purtier...the fish or the lady. How's that for blarney?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It is possible to catch walleye almost any time of the day or night, but the very biggest ones are usually caught at night...on BIG lures. The post spawn period in June and July seems to be best, but there are also some bigguns taken in the fall months.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Some walleye specialists only fish around the full moon in June and July...in shallow water...using BIG cranks and swimbaits. Some nights they don't get bit. Other nights they hang multiple hawgs. They usually have wide-eyed tales of the "alligators" that they lost at boatside.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It's all good.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
Posts: 1,998
Threads: 16
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation:
7
As to the location of where those three at Sportsman's were caught, can't say. I do know that Dan was one of a few that fished the flooded breakwaters at the mouth of Provo River back in the early 80's. He would walk in and work the edges of the breakwaters with a 1/16th oz jig hd and a variety of plastics on 4-6lb line. TD and Dan have pretty much the same fishing philosphy, the primary difference is that TD is usually in a tube and Dan is wading.
Posts: 686
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2002
Reputation:
0
Well, his nephew was at Sportsmans in Provo a little while ago. My buddy just called and gave me a heads up on where a big school of White Bass are staging. He got the info from the younger Connelly. Mike Fisher probably knows how to contact him.
If I remember right, all three of those fish came from the Provo river above Deer Creek. I've talked to J Connelly about them before. We tend to fish the same areas.
[signature]