# Are You a Walleye Angler or Want to Be?



## Cliff Speed

I've noticed that there is a growing interest in walleye fishing here in Georgia - myself included - but you don't see a lot of people writing about having success at it, or actually going out and targeting walleyes on purpose - mostly you see people catching them on accident - so that got me wondering, how many folks do we have that actually go out on purpose to try and catch walleyes? And who is catching any when they do? And if you would like to target walleyes, but you haven't, why not? 

Maybe people are doing all this, but they're being tight-lipped about it. We all know how secretive some anglers are. But there really just isn't a lot of information out there about walleyes in GA. If there were more information I believe it would make it easier on those people who want to pursue the fish, like knowing which areas of which lakes they are in, how deep they are, what they're eating, all that sort of thing. I know if I ever get to where I can catch them, I will certainly be sharing that information. 

Me personally, I'm ready to get serious about it. I've never caught one before, but I want to make it happen. On and off over the past year or more, I've been reading a lot of books on walleyes, studying information and videos online, and listening to podcasts. I did a little bank side scouting trip to Lake Yonah back in the spring, but really went too early for where I was, and then a couple of weeks ago I got out on the water and did some more scouting. I'm heading out on Saturday to give it another go, and hopefully finally catch one this time. I have a much better idea of where I need to look for them now. I'm currently fishing from a kayak, so I want to stick to smaller bodies of water, but I'm planning on getting a motor boat before too long. I've been a pretty hardcore trout fisherman up until recently, so I never really needed a boat.


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## StriperrHunterr

I've done one targeted trip for walleye, actually to Yonah with another member on here who fished for 'eyes back up north where he's from. We skunked that day. 

I'd like to do more of it, especially like to catch one to cross that species off my bucket list, but people around here are tightlipped about their waters, techniques, and success. 

Talk about stopping the stocking programs and you'll have them crawling out the woodwork telling you that it's successful and they frequently fish for, and catch, walleye. Try to get them to talk about how and where they fish, and they're ghosts again. It's weird. 

Some guys catch them by accident on Lanier, I'd like to target them there myself. 

Personally I'd love to see this turn into a productive discussion on the matter.


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## Cliff Speed

Obviously I'd love to see this turn into a productive discussion as well. I see it like this - look at all the fishing communities we have here in GA, where people can learn and share and plan for success - we have a huge bass fishing community, striper fishing community, trout fishing, fly fishing, kayak fishing, so much! But you have to scrounge and search to learn anything about walleyes in GA, and you find pretty much all there is to find very quickly. End of story, the rest is up to you. You have to rely on learning from people who fish for walleyes in other places, which may or may not help you, depending on the situation. Certainly some general information helps, but there is nothing like knowing what's going on with a particular body of water.


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## NE GA Pappy

http://www.georgiawildlife.org/site...e Fishing in Georgia_HQ-APPROVED_02.18.11.pdf



> Simply drifting nightcrawlers slowly along the bottom
> through the staging areas is the best way to catch pre-spawn walleye.


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## StriperrHunterr

Good info in that article, unless you live near Lanier.


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## BendItBig

There was a decent walleye kill on lanier early this year I believe or maybe at the end of last year it all runs together when youre striking out striper fishing trip after trip. Im sure someone on here will correct me but I found some pretty big ones floating on the south end all swelled up. One was +20". Ive caught one on accident up in the river.


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## Cliff Speed

Yes, that brochure has a lot of great information. I've read through it many times! LOL. 

DNR has some videos on youtube and some other information you can find online. Trust me, I have done extensive online searches related to variations on the phrase "Georgia walleye fishing." LOL! Oh and the fishing guide that is mentioned and pictured in the brochure, he has a Facebook page and a website and he periodically posts fishing reports here and there on both. If you search his name, you can find some information too. Good advertising for him! I'd be willing to go on a trip with him if anyone wants to pool our money together and go. I'm sure we'd learn a lot that way.

Here is GA DNR's youtube: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/GeorgiaWildlife/search?query=walleye

You can also look through DNR's webpages on individual lakes to look for tactics. Here's the one for Lake Yonah, you can search for others there. 

http://www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Yonah

You can also contact DNR and ask to speak with someone with knowledge about the lake you want to fish. 

Here is that guide's website. He guides on several lakes:

http://georgialakefishing.com/

His Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Lake-Fishing-Guides-Charter-Service/185934404604


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## Pete97

I've always caught them jigging spoons or trolling crankbaits like a shad rap down a step ledge with some cover real early in the morning or real late at night. I mostly fished the mountain lakes, especially Lake Seed.


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## NE GA Pappy

The way we have caught them on Burton is with nightcrawlers.

We put a 1/8 to 1/4 oz slip type sinker on the line, with a #6 hook tied on. We don't use any line heavier than 6#. 4# is preferred. Then about a foot up from the hook, we crimp on the smallest weight that will keep the slip weight from coming down to the hook.  We hook the nightcrawler one time through the middle of the body, so it can trail back like 2 streamers off the hook.

We look for rocky places that have deep water nearby, boat docks with deep water nearby and fish the bank channels.  Toss the bait up under the docks, trees or whatever cover you are fishing.  Snug up the line so you can feel the bait.  Raise the rod tip slowly just to bump the bait along the bottom for about a foot or 18inches.  Lower your rod tip, and reel up the slack. Repeat. Move the bait real slow.  When you think you are going slow enough, slow down some more.   You will feel some resistance when a walleye picks it up.  Open the bail on the reel and let him have the slack.  I let them pick it up and run with it for 10 to 20 ft. Then close the bail and when the line tightens up, set the hook. You have to give them a chance to get the hook past all those teeth and down into their mouth.

You have to use light line and light weights or they will drop the bait and leave it.  If you get a real strong hit, it ain't a walleye. Probably a big shellcracker or bass, so I don't let them run far with it.

Good luck

PS  overcast, dark days are better. The fish will come up more shallow on those days.


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## StriperrHunterr

NE GA Pappy said:


> The way we have caught them on Burton is with nightcrawlers.
> 
> We put a 1/8 to 1/4 oz slip type sinker on the line, with a #6 hook tied on. We don't use any line heavier than 6#. 4# is preferred. Then about a foot up from the hook, we crimp on the smallest weight that will keep the slip weight from coming down to the hook.  We hook the nightcrawler one time through the middle of the body, so it can trail back like 2 streamers off the hook.
> 
> We look for rocky places that have deep water nearby, boat docks with deep water nearby and fish the bank channels.  Toss the bait up under the docks, trees or whatever cover you are fishing.  Snug up the line so you can feel the bait.  Raise the rod tip slowly just to bump the bait along the bottom for about a foot or 18inches.  Lower your rod tip, and reel up the slack. Repeat. Move the bait real slow.  When you think you are going slow enough, slow down some more.   You will feel some resistance when a walleye picks it up.  Open the bail on the reel and let him have the slack.  I let them pick it up and run with it for 10 to 20 ft. Then close the bail and when the line tightens up, set the hook. You have to give them a chance to get the hook past all those teeth and down into their mouth.
> 
> You have to use light line and light weights or they will drop the bait and leave it.  If you get a real strong hit, it ain't a walleye. Probably a big shellcracker or bass, so I don't let them run far with it.
> 
> Good luck
> 
> PS  overcast, dark days are better. The fish will come up more shallow on those days.



Why do the crimp stop instead of just using a carolina rig? Too large a profile?


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## NE GA Pappy

StripeRR HunteRR said:


> Why do the crimp stop instead of just using a carolina rig? Too large a profile?



you want to keep it as small and light as possible, that is why I like 4lb test line. When it takes the bait, all the weight it is pulling is the very small weight crimped on to keep the slip weight from touching the bait.  The foot of line behind the weight with the hook will kinda free float with nightcrawler, so it won't feel any drag from the bait itself.

The largest walleye we have caught was from Burton and was just over 5-1/2 lbs.  My wife caught it on 4lb test, and it took over 30 minutes to get it into the boat.


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## Klag

Hi Cliff 

I took my kayak to Seed 2 weeks ago, only got bass.  Went to Tugalo on Monday and only got yellow perch.  I'd love to figure out the walleye game myself.  Tugalo and Yonah are the lakes to hit it seems.


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## Cliff Speed

Pappy and Pete, thanks for sharing, I really appreciate it. How often do you guys purposely target walleyes? 

Striperr Hunterr, what tactics were you guys trying on Yonah the time you went? Do you recall what time of year it was? Did you guys stick to one end of the lake, or were you trying all over? Were you able to find fish, or no? 

I wonder, when people are going out for walleyes on those NE GA lakes and they aren't catching any, is it because they couldn't actually find the fish, or if they find them, but can't get them to bite? I wonder if they maybe don't know they are getting bites. I keep hearing about how light their bites are.

When I was on Yonah a couple of weeks ago, I found a promising looking place and dropped my minnows down. I started getting several very light pull downs, but I wasn't actually hooking any fish. Finally I decided to just let the next fish have my bait. I got another bite and let the fish just have the bait and when I was sure he was hooked, I reeled him in, and as he was coming up he was so green, I was just sure I had my first walleye. Turns out it was a small bass that didn't quite look right. I asked DNR and they identified it as a hybrid of a spot and a redeye! I was a pretty little thing, especially for a bass, but that was a little heartbreaking! LOL. Still, it was cool to reel in a fish like that. I don't know if the other bites I was getting were other bass or what.


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## Cmllr75

I've only caught 1 walleye and it was at Rocky Mountain PFA on a jigging spoon. Accidentally caught it while bass fishing.


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## Coenen

I don't want to catch them so much as I want to eat them.  That makes sense, right?


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## Backlasher82

Coenen said:


> I don't want to catch them so much as I want to eat them.  That makes sense, right?



Sure, some people only believe in catch and release. The fact is, it makes it a whole easier to eat them if you catch them first though.


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## Klag

Coenen said:


> I don't want to catch them so much as I want to eat them.  That makes sense, right?



Makes perfect sense since they are so hard to catch!!

You could always buy some, it's only $14 or so per pound.  Cheaper then grouper from the grocery store!

http://www.redlakewalleye.com/main-menu/walleye-1/walleye-11lb-box-fresh-frozen#.VIM2a8mRP8c


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## Coenen

Klag said:


> Makes perfect sense since they are so hard to catch!![/url]


I have yet to hear someone say they're much of a sport fish either.


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## tkaz

Carters and Blue Ridge are full of them. I have caught them 5+ at Blue Ridge on Shad raps when the lake was down. Man they are a boring fight. Like reeling in a heavy leaf. I have also caught them at Carter's on a drop shot. Nothing overy 2-3# but more numbers. Once again no fight slight head shakes. Best fish I have ever ate but boring to catch.


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## Cliff Speed

I struck out again today. I went back to the same spot where I was getting bites last time, and it was the same thing - slow steady pull downs on my rod tips, but unable to hook up with anything. I tried opening my bails, free spooling, setting my drag really lightly, but no hook ups with anything. I know they say their bite feels like getting stuck on a stick, and the way my rods bent a little was like when you're drifting and get hung on something, but I never could set the hook on anything. Maybe some of it I was getting hung on stuff and some were bites. I know a couple of them were bites, because they were more than just subtle, slow pull downs, but I still missed those fish. I did manage to catch a very colorful yellow perch today though. I haven't caught one of those in more than 20 years. I wanted to try and locate more of those, because I know walleyes like to eat them, but I never did find any more.

I guess I'll keep at it. Lake Yonah is crazy though - it's just one long, very deep trench. It hardly has any points, or humps that I could see. The banks just drop straight down in most places. I wonder if I would do better to try a lake with more varied structure. Tons of blow downs though. Wow! I definitely hit a few of those, but no luck there either.


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## CaptBee

Cliff, I feel your pain.  I hooked up with the "Walleye" guide and all we caught was 15 lb. stripers and a few spots- on Lanier.  Best bet, from what I gather, is to chill until the early spring spawn and proceed up to the shallow origins of the Chatahoochee and look for the holes. Danger, lots of stumps in the river at lower water levels.  I Haven't hit it yet but that, they tell me, is where it's at for WE.  Keep at it.


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## NCHillbilly

I spent several years targeting walleyes in our NC mountain lakes, and got good enough at it that I could usually catch a limit. tactics depend greatly on the time of year. When walleye are spawning, they can be caught around the river mouths on chartreuse twister jigs, nightcrawlers, or trolling Rapalas or Wally Divers. After they come back out of the rivers, you can catch them on clay banks with nightcrawlers on a jig head or spinner rig, or with Shad Raps or jerkbaits. Pappy gave some good advice-you want light line and light weights. I catch most of my walleye vertical jigging in deep water. I have caught them over a hundred feet deep on jigging spoons, and used to catch quite a few suspended under schools of shad in open water. Fishing at night will greatly, greatly increase your chances of catching walleye in numbers. If you want to be consistently succesful walleye fishing, going at night is the ticket.


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## jigman29

I try to target them but it is yough to catch them on purpose but I have done it.I have my best luck in a lake I wont name an hour and a half drive from here.We go way up in the river runs at night and put out all the light we can and when the bait shows up we jig spoons under the bait school.We have had nights that we really tore them up but you have to hit it right or its like anything else.I personally don't care for the taste of them.They are to mild for me.I know people say I am weird for it but would rather have a stronger tasting fish.I even leave the red on a bass filet when I eat them.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

StripeRR HunteRR said:


> I've done one targeted trip for walleye, actually to Yonah with another member on here who fished for 'eyes back up north where he's from. We skunked that day.
> 
> I'd like to do more of it, especially like to catch one to cross that species off my bucket list, *but people around here are tightlipped about their waters, techniques, and success.
> 
> Talk about stopping the stocking programs and you'll have them crawling out the woodwork telling you that it's successful and they frequently fish for, and catch, walleye. Try to get them to talk about how and where they fish, and they're ghosts again. It's weird.
> *
> Some guys catch them by accident on Lanier, I'd like to target them there myself.
> 
> Personally I'd love to see this turn into a productive discussion on the matter.



Try replacing the word "walleye" and put back the word "gold" in its place. That is how Weird it sounds to people who have taken the years and many dollars it takes to figure out the walleye bite. Nobody would expect someone to give up there gold mine but everybody expects folks to just hand over the where, when, how, what, bait choice, depth, how you held your mouth, information about something that took them years and many thousands of dollars to figure out.

For me it has taken 5 years + and in gas, hotel stays, tires, bait, gear etc I have spent $11k. I started just like the OP. Wanting to catch a walleye and having never done so. 5 years later with limited information, which is readily available on the web btw, and many grand spent I can go walleye fishing EXPECTING to catch at least one walleye every other trip for 4/5 of the year. I still feel like a newb but from what im told many folks consider me one of the go to people on walleye for having had my limited amount of success. Yet I still ask questions all the time.

So here it is folks. Im going to give you the amazing secret to walleye success in Georgia. Get ready for it..........There is no secret!!!!!. They are hard to catch and if you fish for them like you fish for other species you arent going to be able to target them. If you target them correctly, you still arent going to catch them very often if at all. They do not like light. Our georgia lakes with walleye are very clear. This means catching them during the day becomes that much more difficult. They move A LOT. They can be 80ft deep over a 300 foot bottom in carters and the same day be 10 feet deep in a river channel not even moving in another lake. Over night those fish 80ft deep may be on a point 3 feet deep stalking bream or perch near the shoreline.....Ive seen it.

So here is the problem. To consistently catch them in georgia you got to fish at night. They arent cat fish so you arent going to just throw out rods and wear them out. They arent crappie. You can put out lights and have success but its very limited. They dont need your lights to be able to see, they see just fine without light. They like your bait in that light but they hate the lights so they are spooky around them. The best tactic for catching them at night takes a lot of rods and continuous trolling.....which is hard to do at night since YOU cant see what you are doing and where the fish are you will find plenty of snags that YOU cant see. That means slow going and few fish. Just like during the day using the same tactics you can cover more area but the fish arent all that excited to bite if at all.

In a Nutshell (Cliff notes version if you will)----Fish in the spring way up rivers in deep pools with reaction baits. Shad raps, curly tail grubs etc march/april depending on lakes. The rest of the year either slow jig spoons under bait when you mark fish and expect to catch a lot more of everything else before you get a walleye. Best bet is fish during 100% grey spitting skies and cover as much ground as you can with as many fish imitation baits as you can in as many different depths as you can. When you catch a walleye concentrate all efforts in that depth range with that bait and if you get really really lucky you can catch 3 or 4.

I spent a lot of time and money on that info above. Its all the same crap you can read and put together yourself but at least now nobody can say nobody talks about it. If you want a magic bullet there aint one and anybody claiming to sell one who actually had it.........would be a millionaire by now so dont hold your breath.


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## StriperrHunterr

I wasn't trying to pick a fight, so I apologize if my post dusted your ruffles. 

But your chosen species of fish isn't the only one that takes time and money to master. Yours also isn't the only limited resource in the waters. But you don't see any other type of fisherman refusing to answer questions like you see walleye guys do. 

A guy asks a question about striper, or spots, or shoalies, or crappie and people give advice through posts, or PM's, and help them out. Ask about walleye, and it's google it and then figure it out for yourself. 

No one is looking for Lat/Long of your favorite weed edge, or rock ledge. Just that you went out last weekend, or the pattern typically says that during this time of year, and found them in deep timber, or sandy secondary points, or mainlake humps, around X-Y feet using Z tactic. It's no more than any other member would give another member regarding any other species, but it's apparently too much to ask for walleyes.


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## NCHillbilly

If you want to catch walleyes, go read jigman's post, then read it again. Then read it a third time. That is the great mystical secret to catching walleye on a regular basis. He spelled it out in a little more detail than I did. I mentioned the basics so folks could figure it out on their own, he went ahead and said it. Now don't go telling everybody. You wonder why folks don't just give it up, go to the duck forum and ask them where to kill ducks on public land. It's the same principal.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

StripeRR HunteRR said:


> I wasn't trying to pick a fight, so I apologize if my post dusted your ruffles.
> 
> But your chosen species of fish isn't the only one that takes time and money to master. Yours also isn't the only limited resource in the waters. But you don't see any other type of fisherman refusing to answer questions like you see walleye guys do.
> 
> A guy asks a question about striper, or spots, or shoalies, or crappie and people give advice through posts, or PM's, and help them out. Ask about walleye, and it's google it and then figure it out for yourself.
> 
> No one is looking for Lat/Long of your favorite weed edge, or rock ledge. Just that you went out last weekend, or the pattern typically says that during this time of year, and found them in deep timber, or sandy secondary points, or mainlake humps, around X-Y feet using Z tactic. It's no more than any other member would give another member regarding any other species, but it's apparently too much to ask for walleyes.



 I wasnt offended. I was trying to be humorous. Though getting that accusation of not being helpful a second time......after giving you 5 years worth of info just hours ago is a bit irritating haha. You see walleye are not.....just another species of fish as you suggest. If you targeted them you would understand enough to not suggest it. Spots, Striper, and especially hybrids are about the dumbest fish I have ever fished for. Find bait on a graph and throw some live shad under it and you are going to catch one of those species almost any day of the year.......yes some days are harder than others but even a novice who sees lines on his electronics can go on any georgia lake twice and catch those species doing at least one of those days. Point being with todays electronics its like shooting fish in a barrel so your suggestion that striper and hybrid and bass fisherman tell you what pattern they are on just doesnt coincide with walleye fishing. That information while helpful and considerate is the equivalent of saying the sun will come up in the morning. There is no super pattern that works today that is going to catch them tomorrow to help you out. That is why I mentioned using lots of baits at lots of depths and covering lots of territory until you find one. Then concentrate on that depth that day. They move A LOT. Not like spots from deep brush to rocky points over the course of a season but like 80 feet suspended in the middle of nowhere for no reason to 3 feet deep at night near shore or structure........the same fish.

If ya want it even more clear.

Fish at night.
Fish slow.
Cover lots of water.
Walleye eat anything that moves if and when they want to.

If you fish during the day to the same thing but usually deeper and expect less bites


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## buck1965

I grew up fishing walleye. You guessed it I'm not from around here. I grew up on the Quebec border in New York and fished the St. Lawrence river in Quebec and Ontario. We would troll the tributary rivers in the spring with three way rigs and during the summer we would use nighy crawlers on our own hand made 3 way rigs. I would love to go out with someone to target them. I would enjoy the challenge to try and catch one down here. But like mentioned Night time is your friend for walleye.


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## StriperrHunterr

Cashvaluerecovery said:


> I wasnt offended. I was trying to be humorous. Though getting that accusation of not being helpful a second time......after giving you 5 years worth of info just hours ago is a bit irritating haha. You see walleye are not.....just another species of fish as you suggest. If you targeted them you would understand enough to not suggest it. Spots, Striper, and especially hybrids are about the dumbest fish I have ever fished for. Find bait on a graph and throw some live shad under it and you are going to catch one of those species almost any day of the year.......yes some days are harder than others but even a novice who sees lines on his electronics can go on any georgia lake twice and catch those species doing at least one of those days. Point being with todays electronics its like shooting fish in a barrel so your suggestion that striper and hybrid and bass fisherman tell you what pattern they are on just doesnt coincide with walleye fishing. That information while helpful and considerate is the equivalent of saying the sun will come up in the morning. There is no super pattern that works today that is going to catch them tomorrow to help you out. That is why I mentioned using lots of baits at lots of depths and covering lots of territory until you find one. Then concentrate on that depth that day. They move A LOT. Not like spots from deep brush to rocky points over the course of a season but like 80 feet suspended in the middle of nowhere for no reason to 3 feet deep at night near shore or structure........the same fish.
> 
> If ya want it even more clear.
> 
> Fish at night.
> Fish slow.
> Cover lots of water.
> Walleye eat anything that moves if and when they want to.
> 
> If you fish during the day to the same thing but usually deeper and expect less bites



You're right, that wasn't very nice of me. My apologies, again. 

Thanks.


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## tmann1990

Growing up in Ohio, I almost exclusively fished for walleye. I catch them in Burton trolling nightcrawler harnesses fairly regularly. I think why most people have issues catching them is because they aren't used to fishing for them. Walleye can be pretty finicky, and you have to fish for them exclusively if you want to pick up more than an occasional fish.


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## shakey gizzard

I'll add water temp. Walleye are a cold water fish! Makes you wonder why Sauger aren't stocked more in the south?


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## Cliff Speed

Well hey everyone, I appreciate folks being willing to contribute even the slightest thing here. It helps me look at what I'm doing and verify if I'm doing all I can and doing the right things. I've really been trying to do my homework and from what everyone says here, I am doing the right things, I just haven't gotten on fish that are biting well yet, or just haven't gotten on them at all. It helps me more to hear what other people do so I know I'm doing the same thing and getting similar results. 

Just like a lot of you said, you know, this past Saturday I put in on Lake Yonah at the ramp below Tugalo dam. I was on the water in my kayak before the sun was up and it poured rain all through most of the day. I went all over the upper half of the lake, hitting the tons of blow downs that are in there, drifting down the SC bank, then the GA bank for a while, trolling along the 35 foot mark for a while, then the 25, then the 15, 45, 50, going up into creek mouths, coming up on suspended fish and trying to get my bait in their zone - pretty much all the fish I saw were scattered and suspended. So basically I went everywhere and tried to cover as much water as possible without going too fast.

I started out with three way rigs. For my bottom dropper with the weight, I decided to try a jig head. I put a minnow on the jig head on one rig, and a nightcrawler on a hook for the long, trailing dropper. For the other one, I did just the opposite - I put the nightcrawler on the jig head and the minnow on the hook. I also just had a minnow on a hook with split shot above it. I managed to catch a yellow perch on that early on. I kept losing my three way rigs to the blow downs, so eventually I just went with the minnow on a hook with split shots and then a nightcrawler on a jig head. I tried trolling them around at different depths, bouncing them along the bottom, trolling them 100 feet behind the kayak, and just holding still on structure and dropping them straight down a foot off the bottom or directly on bottom. 

The only times I noticed any action with my rod tips, was of course when I hooked the perch, but when I was over what was a hard bottom, let's say 20 feet, and then about 10 feet of green bottom on top of that. Not sure what I was looking at there, but my rod tips were moving while I was over that bottom, slowly getting pulled down, but nothing was ever there when I tried to set the hook. I could have been getting hung up, it could have been walleyes, or maybe it was just some lethargic little basses. Who knows. One time my rod got pulled pretty hard and kind of snapped back. A couple of other times, my rods pulled down and I thought I was hung. I pulled to get loose and my hooks came back with no bait. Again, not sure if I was snagged or if those were fish. I also got some rod tip action over a short, long green patch sitting on a 20 foot bottom, but again, no fish.

These are the kinds of things where it would be good to bounce this stuff off of people who have been there. I'm certainly not asking for anyone to hold my hand, it's more like I'm asking folks to get together and help each other. Not that anyone has said I'm trying to get people to hold my hand. I just believe that if many of us want to take this journey, why take it alone? I'll do it alone if I have to, and I WILL catch a walleye. I promise you that. It might be this time next year, or who knows when, but I can catch it on my own. And if I do, and someone asks me how I did it, I will straight up tell them exactly how and where to try, because jeeze, the times I've been out there fishing for these things, nobody is there, come on out and give me some company! LOL.  At least someone will be there to pull me out of the water if I fall in. LOL.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

StripeRR HunteRR said:


> You're right, that wasn't very nice of me. My apologies, again.
> 
> Thanks.



 No need for apologies im just pulling your cord for pulling mine haha. Truth is there isnt tons of info cause there arent tons of folks who target them with enough success to really get anything juicy.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

shakey gizzard said:


> I'll add water temp. Walleye are a cold water fish! Makes you wonder why Sauger aren't stocked more in the south?



There use to be an incredible sauger fishery in north alabama and into tennessee. I mean an yearly event for lots of people to fish the run and everybody caught fish daily and up to 4lbs. I hear that run is non existent now so unlikely they will get stocked in georgia at all.


----------



## Cashvaluerecovery

Cliff Speed said:


> Well hey everyone, I appreciate folks being willing to contribute even the slightest thing here. It helps me look at what I'm doing and verify if I'm doing all I can and doing the right things. I've really been trying to do my homework and from what everyone says here, I am doing the right things, I just haven't gotten on fish that are biting well yet, or just haven't gotten on them at all. It helps me more to hear what other people do so I know I'm doing the same thing and getting similar results.
> 
> Just like a lot of you said, you know, this past Saturday I put in on Lake Yonah at the ramp below Tugalo dam. I was on the water in my kayak before the sun was up and it poured rain all through most of the day. I went all over the upper half of the lake, hitting the tons of blow downs that are in there, drifting down the SC bank, then the GA bank for a while, trolling along the 35 foot mark for a while, then the 25, then the 15, 45, 50, going up into creek mouths, coming up on suspended fish and trying to get my bait in their zone - pretty much all the fish I saw were scattered and suspended. So basically I went everywhere and tried to cover as much water as possible without going too fast.
> 
> I started out with three way rigs. For my bottom dropper with the weight, I decided to try a jig head. I put a minnow on the jig head on one rig, and a nightcrawler on a hook for the long, trailing dropper. For the other one, I did just the opposite - I put the nightcrawler on the jig head and the minnow on the hook. I also just had a minnow on a hook with split shot above it. I managed to catch a yellow perch on that early on. I kept losing my three way rigs to the blow downs, so eventually I just went with the minnow on a hook with split shots and then a nightcrawler on a jig head. I tried trolling them around at different depths, bouncing them along the bottom, trolling them 100 feet behind the kayak, and just holding still on structure and dropping them straight down a foot off the bottom or directly on bottom.
> 
> The only times I noticed any action with my rod tips, was of course when I hooked the perch, but when I was over what was a hard bottom, let's say 20 feet, and then about 10 feet of green bottom on top of that. Not sure what I was looking at there, but my rod tips were moving while I was over that bottom, slowly getting pulled down, but nothing was ever there when I tried to set the hook. I could have been getting hung up, it could have been walleyes, or maybe it was just some lethargic little basses. Who knows. One time my rod got pulled pretty hard and kind of snapped back. A couple of other times, my rods pulled down and I thought I was hung. I pulled to get loose and my hooks came back with no bait. Again, not sure if I was snagged or if those were fish. I also got some rod tip action over a short, long green patch sitting on a 20 foot bottom, but again, no fish.
> 
> These are the kinds of things where it would be good to bounce this stuff off of people who have been there. I'm certainly not asking for anyone to hold my hand, it's more like I'm asking folks to get together and help each other. Not that anyone has said I'm trying to get people to hold my hand. I just believe that if many of us want to take this journey, why take it alone? I'll do it alone if I have to, and I WILL catch a walleye. I promise you that. It might be this time next year, or who knows when, but I can catch it on my own. And if I do, and someone asks me how I did it, I will straight up tell them exactly how and where to try, because jeeze, the times I've been out there fishing for these things, nobody is there, come on out and give me some company! LOL.  At least someone will be there to pull me out of the water if I fall in. LOL.



In a few short months you will be able to see dozens or even hundreds of them with your own eyes and they still wont bite. Imagine yourself at a buffett in a restaurant and nobody else is there. You dont need to rush, you get to pick and choose and take your time. That is what walleye get to do at night on our lakes. Crystal clear water with prey sources that do not have night vision like walleye do. They do not need to eat during the day as they are full from the night bite AND they completely dislike light. Consider walleye in georgia like offering a vampire a slice of cheese at high noon. He doesnt want the cheese and hes not coming out in the sun to eat it anyway.

I fish up there as well, from a kayak as well. I walleye fish really hard from the time I get there which is usually 30 minutes before even a hint of purple light until about an hour after you can see light in the sky. Once the sun is on my skin I go on to yellow perch fishing. I then break out the walleye baits again about 1.5 hours before its pitch dark. The only time I have caught a walleye during any time of day other than those I just mentioned was either in the spring run when they are way up river and stacked like cord wood or when the water was muddy that they could have been 5 feet deep and not seen a hint of light............and that day I caught them 40 feet deep on a spoon in the middle of nowhere with no structure and no bait to be had.

You can catch them during the day but you really need to pull a spread of 4 to 6 baits covering a nice 30+ foot wide patch. Ive tried it, hard work pulling multiple planar boards from the yak.


----------



## Cliff Speed

If it ends up being that hard, and I still haven't caught anything, but I still WANT to, I'll probably think about trying it in a different state and most likely start by giving the Tennessee lakes a try. That's where I'm from originally and I have tons of family up there, so it would be very easy for me to spend a weekend fishing up there. In fact my dad has a place right on Watts Bar and they just stocked over 200,000 walleyes in there a few years back. There are some saugers in there too. I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on fishing, period, so I'll just have to do the best I can. If I'm able, I'll try some night fishing one way or another. 

As a matter of fact, here is a Watts Bar fishing report, that actually talks about where and how to catch walleye - even from the bank no less! What a novel concept! HAHA  

http://tnfishingreport.com/fishing-...es/watts-bar-lake/watts-bar-lake-by-the-twra/

It's really baffling to me that it could be this hard here when it's so (relatively) easy in other places, even places that aren't that far away. This past spring I had a buddy who was fishing the Chestatee here and there, not really going hard at it - actually he was fishing for stripers - and he caught about nine walleyes over the course of the spring, and he was fishing a fly rod and clousers. He said the walleyes were absolutely nailing his clouser when they hit. I know he wasn't lying either, because he sent me photos. LOL. Unfortunately last spring I just didn't have the time to dedicate. I'm hoping it will be different this time and I'll be hooking up with him if I can.


----------



## NCHillbilly

Cliff Speed said:


> If it ends up being that hard, and I still haven't caught anything, but I still WANT to, I'll probably think about trying it in a different state and most likely start by giving the Tennessee lakes a try. That's where I'm from originally and I have tons of family up there, so it would be very easy for me to spend a weekend fishing up there. In fact my dad has a place right on Watts Bar and they just stocked over 200,000 walleyes in there a few years back. There are some saugers in there too. I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on fishing, period, so I'll just have to do the best I can. If I'm able, I'll try some night fishing one way or another.
> 
> As a matter of fact, here is a Watts Bar fishing report, that actually talks about where and how to catch walleye - even from the bank no less! What a novel concept! HAHA
> 
> http://tnfishingreport.com/fishing-...es/watts-bar-lake/watts-bar-lake-by-the-twra/
> 
> It's really baffling to me that it could be this hard here when it's so (relatively) easy in other places, even places that aren't that far away. This past spring I had a buddy who was fishing the Chestatee here and there, not really going hard at it - actually he was fishing for stripers - and he caught about nine walleyes over the course of the spring, and he was fishing a fly rod and clousers. He said the walleyes were absolutely nailing his clouser when they hit. I know he wasn't lying either, because he sent me photos. LOL. Unfortunately last spring I just didn't have the time to dedicate. I'm hoping it will be different this time and I'll be hooking up with him if I can.



Again, the main secret to catching numbers of walleye is, except in early spring, to forget about the daylight hours and fish at night. With trolling in the daytime, the key is to go sloooooooooooow. If I can get my boat back running by late spring next year and you're still interested, I'll take you out one night if you don't mind driving to western NC.


----------



## Cashvaluerecovery

Cliff Speed said:


> If it ends up being that hard, and I still haven't caught anything, but I still WANT to, I'll probably think about trying it in a different state and most likely start by giving the Tennessee lakes a try. That's where I'm from originally and I have tons of family up there, so it would be very easy for me to spend a weekend fishing up there. In fact my dad has a place right on Watts Bar and they just stocked over 200,000 walleyes in there a few years back. There are some saugers in there too. I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on fishing, period, so I'll just have to do the best I can. If I'm able, I'll try some night fishing one way or another.
> 
> As a matter of fact, here is a Watts Bar fishing report, that actually talks about where and how to catch walleye - even from the bank no less! What a novel concept! HAHA
> 
> http://tnfishingreport.com/fishing-...es/watts-bar-lake/watts-bar-lake-by-the-twra/
> 
> It's really baffling to me that it could be this hard here when it's so (relatively) easy in other places, even places that aren't that far away. *This past spring I had a buddy who was fishing the Chestatee here and there, not really going hard at it - actually he was fishing for stripers - and he caught about nine walleyes over the course of the spring, and he was fishing a fly rod and clousers.* He said the walleyes were absolutely nailing his clouser when they hit. I know he wasn't lying either, because he sent me photos. LOL. Unfortunately last spring I just didn't have the time to dedicate. I'm hoping it will be different this time and I'll be hooking up with him if I can.



 Read your bold print above. Go throw bright shad raps and curly tail grubs in those same holes during that same time of year daily........and you will catch them too.....even in the day time.


----------



## jigman29

Cliff Speed said:


> If it ends up being that hard, and I still haven't caught anything, but I still WANT to, I'll probably think about trying it in a different state and most likely start by giving the Tennessee lakes a try. That's where I'm from originally and I have tons of family up there, so it would be very easy for me to spend a weekend fishing up there. In fact my dad has a place right on Watts Bar and they just stocked over 200,000 walleyes in there a few years back. There are some saugers in there too. I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on fishing, period, so I'll just have to do the best I can. If I'm able, I'll try some night fishing one way or another.
> 
> As a matter of fact, here is a Watts Bar fishing report, that actually talks about where and how to catch walleye - even from the bank no less! What a novel concept! HAHA
> 
> http://tnfishingreport.com/fishing-...es/watts-bar-lake/watts-bar-lake-by-the-twra/
> 
> It's really baffling to me that it could be this hard here when it's so (relatively) easy in other places, even places that aren't that far away. This past spring I had a buddy who was fishing the Chestatee here and there, not really going hard at it - actually he was fishing for stripers - and he caught about nine walleyes over the course of the spring, and he was fishing a fly rod and clousers. He said the walleyes were absolutely nailing his clouser when they hit. I know he wasn't lying either, because he sent me photos. LOL. Unfortunately last spring I just didn't have the time to dedicate. I'm hoping it will be different this time and I'll be hooking up with him if I can.



I love fishing watts bar.I have a friend up there and I go a few times a year to target the sauger.We catch quite a few and the use the football head jigs up there a lot bt I prefer a Hopkins spoon over the other jigging combos out there.I use the crawler harnesses as well but I still grab a Hopkins spoon more than the rest.


----------



## crackerdave

Good thread!
I know a heckuva lot more about catching walleyes now.I've always been a "meat" fisherman,and I've always heard and read that walleyes are tasty.

Thanks for the good info....sounds like a pontoon boat at night with a lot of lines out and a very slow drift would be a good start.


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## Cliff Speed

NCHillbilly, if I can work out a trip to NC, I would love to do that, thanks for the kind offer! 

cashvalue, I will keep that in mind when the spring rolls around and I appreciate your advice. Let me know if you need a kayak fishing partner sometime. I haven't had much opportunity to fish with anyone in the year I've had mine.

jigman, from what I understand, the saugers haven't been doing as well in Watts Bar as they would like, so it would seem that they are actually replacing the saugers with walleye, as in they are going to stop stocking the saugers. I may have that wrong though, but that's how I understood it. My dad and his buddy have had some good catches up there lately. His friend's kid caught a five pound smallmouth while crappie fishing at night, and my dad caught a six pound hybrid a few months back while crappie fishing. Apparently there is just every kind of fish in the world in that lake. LOL. In the summer, if you go down to my dad's dock you will see huge carp zipping around. Since I got into carp fishing this year, I definitely want to try for some of those next year when the water warms up.

cracker dave, your idea does sound like a good one to me. Let me know if you need a fishing buddy! LOL. I'm glad you learned something, and I definitely have too. Most of all, it's a good feeling to know I am trying similar tactics to folks that have actually had some success and that I'm not just way off base in how I'm trying to do this. Now if I could just get on some fish that will bite!


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## Lindseys Grandpa

> Good thread!
> I know a heckuva lot more about catching walleyes now.I've always been a "meat" fisherman,and I've always heard and read that walleyes are tasty.
> 
> Thanks for the good info....sounds like a pontoon boat at night with a lot of lines out and a very slow drift would be a good start.


Dave we need to work on a spring trip up that way. Boats i got aplenty.


----------



## Klag

Cashvaluerecovery said:


> Once the sun is on my skin I go on to yellow perch fishing.



Last time I took my kayak there (2 weeks ago) I caught a yellow perch on a jigging spoon while looking for walleye.

Same techniques for yellow perch or are they easier to catch?  I wouldn't mind a few of those to tide me over while learning to catch walleye


----------



## Cashvaluerecovery

Klag said:


> Last time I took my kayak there (2 weeks ago) I caught a yellow perch on a jigging spoon while looking for walleye.
> 
> Same techniques for yellow perch or are they easier to catch?  I wouldn't mind a few of those to tide me over while learning to catch walleye



Haha good question and you will like the answer. Yellow perch, in my opinion, taste identically to walleye except the fillets arent anywhere near as thick. And yellow perch are on the exact opposite end of the attitude spectrum when it comes to eating. I rarely leave the lake without 15 to 20 of them and I never keep them under 11 inches. Ive caught a ton up to 14 inches and 2 that were 15 inches. As for making yellow perch bite? Put a piece of meat on a hook and make it visible enough for them to see it. I troll medium minnows 3 feet off the bottom with 5 beads and a colorado blade spinner above the hooked minnow. I use 3 ounces of lead and I peddle my kayak at a 2mph clip which is fast on a kayak and trust me, you arent going to out run a hungry perch. Finding them is a different story. Can be shallow or deep. 30 feet deep on a structureless river channel or 5 feet deep in some brush on the shore line. When you find one, I guarantee you there are quite a few more with it. Just need to hit the same spot. Some days I can find a school and literally just peddle in a circle for hours getting pull downs every time I go over the same spot.


----------



## Micropterus Salmoides

*Fishing For Walleyes At Night Time.*

1.  Even though it’s dark, Stealth has to be taken to a whole new level at night because noise and commotion can be huge negative factors. 

2. Use Planer Boards when trolling at night because boards provide Distance from the boat and Stealth.

3.  The best searching and covering water technique at night is Trolling. 

4. Concentrating on fish that are up scattered on Shallow Flats.

5. Fishing from Dusk to Midnight is the best time frame.

6.  Noise is a factor, and so is too much Ambient Light.

7. Use Crankbaits to work the upper portion of the water column where they can be easily seen by walleyes, diving no deeper than 25 Percent of the total water column depth.

http://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180697


----------



## lampern

shakey gizzard said:


> I'll add water temp. Walleye are a cold water fish! Makes you wonder why Sauger aren't stocked more in the south?




Saugeye (walleye x sauger cross) would make an excellent fish for Georgia waters.

Wonder if the DNR has ever looked at them?


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## crackerdave

Lindseys Grandpa said:


> Dave we need to work on a spring trip up that way. Boats i got aplenty.



Sounds like the beginning of a plan,Tony!


----------



## Backlasher82

lampern said:


> Saugeye (walleye x sauger cross) would make an excellent fish for Georgia waters.
> 
> Wonder if the DNR has ever looked at them?



Interesting question. I used to talk on another board to a guy up North who caught them all the time. I got the impression they were much more aggressive than Walleye, it sounded like he was tearing them up. He said they were great tasting too.

 You got me wondering if the GA DNR has considered them now.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

I will be on Burton tomorrow before sunrise and will update here if folks are interested. Nothing like being out of cell phone range, alone, in the pitch dark in below freezing temperatures in a kayak.


----------



## JJJSDAD

You need to invest in a SPOT or similar locator system.


----------



## Cashvaluerecovery

JJJSDAD said:


> You need to invest in a SPOT or similar locator system.



 Way ahead of ya my friend. Its called a wife and a lucrative insurance policy.


----------



## wncslim

Anywhere you have bluebacks you aren't going to have a vibrant reproducing walleye population. Ours in western NC....Glenville and Fontana isn't nearly what it used to be. Now is one of the best times of the year to target them because they are schooled up and eating. The worst thing is there just aren't as many as there once were. We are catching them now from 55 to 110 feet deep, middle of the day sometimes, they are like stripers, if you have a moon they feed at night and then again in the middle of the day. No moon and then its early and late. If you are set up to slow troll that's the easiest way or if it's not windy you can vertical jig them, but as always , finding them is the key so you have to cover water and use your electronics.


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## trckdrvr

Delicious.


----------



## Backlasher82

Cashvaluerecovery said:


> I will be on Burton tomorrow before sunrise and will update here if folks are interested. Nothing like being out of cell phone range, alone, in the pitch dark in below freezing temperatures in a kayak.



Burton has some of the best cell reception in Rabun county, that funky looking "tree" you see at mid-lake is a cell tower. 

Rabun and Seed are a different story, terrible cell phone reception.


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## panfried0419

Belton Bridge to Lula Bridge


----------



## 308-MIKE

NE GA Pappy said:


> http://www.georgiawildlife.org/site...e Fishing in Georgia_HQ-APPROVED_02.18.11.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Simply drifting nightcrawlers slowly along the bottom
> through the staging areas is the best way to catch pre-spawn walleye.
> 
> 
> That is essentially how we caught them in lake erie. All you need is a pole, a hook, a spit shot and a nightcrawler. Hook the night crawler through the band, toss it over board. When it hits the bottom reel it up 2-3 times and wait. When you get a bite, open up the bail for a minute, allowing the walleye to take the bait without resistance.  Start reeling slowly until the line is taught. If it's still on the line set the hook and reel it in. We almost always limited out, 6 per person back then. The best eating freshwater fish you'll find.
Click to expand...


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## Cashvaluerecovery

Caught 18 spots. No walleye or perch. Will post some pictures tomorrow. These spots were studs. Biggest weighed 6lb 2oz on my little digital hand held. 2 more just over 5lbs and several 3-4lbs. Most bit a 1/4oz spoon on points.


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## dragonfly

Klag said:


> Hi Cliff
> 
> I took my kayak to Seed 2 weeks ago, only got bass.  Went to Tugalo on Monday and only got yellow perch.  I'd love to figure out the walleye game myself.  Tugalo and Yonah are the lakes to hit it seems.



I would be very happy to catch a bunch of 12-14 in. yellow perch.  They are as good eating as walleye.  I have caught a few yellow perch in Rum creek res. many years ago when I fished out of my duck boat.  Green jigs with yellow tail feathers.  

On Lanier, I have caught some accidentally in 25-30 of water and around snags, brush about the same.  Walleye do feed on perch, and I keep thinking they should be in the same vicinity.  

I have also heard there is a small run of walleye up to the headwaters of Baldridge Cr..  Might be interesting.  It is just a long haul to the north GA lakes from down here.  I am going to try the Chestatee and the Hootch this spring. It looks like there should be a run up Wahoo Cr. or Little River as well.  

What do you think?
DF


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## shakey gizzard

dragonfly said:


> I would be very happy to catch a bunch of 12-14 in. yellow perch.  They are as good eating as walleye.  I have caught a few yellow perch in Rum creek res. many years ago when I fished out of my duck boat.  Green jigs with yellow tail feathers.
> 
> On Lanier, I have caught some accidentally in 25-30 of water and around snags, brush about the same.  Walleye do feed on perch, and I keep thinking they should be in the same vicinity.
> 
> I have also heard there is a small run of walleye up to the headwaters of Baldridge Cr..  Might be interesting.  It is just a long haul to the north GA lakes from down here.  I am going to try the Chestatee and the Hootch this spring. It looks like there should be a run up Wahoo Cr. or Little River as well.
> 
> *What do you think?*
> DF



I'd stick to the Hooch run!


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## Cliff Speed

Dragonfly, as I said in another post, I have a friend who caught several walleyes from the Chestatee over the course of this last spring, so you should be good there and in the Hooch. I couldn't say about smaller creeks.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

The hooch run sees the most fish by far. But its a very long run and to get to the right spots you need a jet boat. Kayaks work but be prepared to get it out of the water and pull it at times when its to fast/ too shallow. The nearest put in to float down requires at least a 2 person party to park one car down stream and one car upstream to drop off but you best be prepared to get wet. You will be getting out a few times to go over shoals your kayak isnt going over. There is a lot of distance between places to put in and the fish. You can walk to the chestatee fish.


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## tree cutter 08

The ones I've caught have been on herring, 2 ft off bottom. Usually 25 to 35 ft of water. Late evening or early morning. Always in blowdowns.


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## BDD

*.*

My dad was no doubt the best Walleye fisherman in western PA in his day. Not all days are good for Walleyes, they
Like low light days, or wind to chop the water. Live minnows or night crawlers fishing on the bottom in moving water. 

If I were to go after them my first attempt would be in the fall, where the Coosawattee empties into Carter’s lake.
I’d go up the river a little ways it find a deep hole with moving water, and as he would say if you’re not loosing
Hooks you’re not doing something right.

 This one was over 30 inches long,


----------



## tree cutter 08

Well I'm glad to here somebody else loses hooks! I was going to mention earlier when I fish for them I get hung a lot more than I catch but that where they seem to be.


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## Cashvaluerecovery

tree cutter 08 said:


> Well I'm glad to here somebody else loses hooks! I was going to mention earlier when I fish for them I get hung a lot more than I catch but that where they seem to be.



 Your technique will work off deep points, river channels, suspended in the middle of nowhere, rock cliffs, and even shallow clay banks free lining. All spots you can keep from getting hung up. Herring is a key though. We put walleye in lakes because they had herring introduced illegally to help keep them under control. They certainly prefer it.


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## NE GA Pappy

I found this very interesting.  Someone developing a bait and specifically targeting walleye in Georgia, and doing a great job of it, looks like.  I sure would love to meet this feller and chew the fat with him.  

http://www.wormrigs.com/2015-round-up.html


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## lampern

They need to stock brown trout or walleye into Blue Ridge Lake to eat the herring.


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## Klag

lampern said:


> They need to stock brown trout or walleye into Blue Ridge Lake to eat the herring.



Stock it full to the brim with smallmouth bass


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## Yotes

If you are fishing a deep lake with  nearly vertical banks I like to fish them two ways.  I look for two things. I will troll along the bank close so I can see any humps or logs in the water so I can see the average height of the structure. Then I look for corners or bends in the banks (and bottom) that are near 90 degrees. These need to be decent sized variation in the bank. Walleye are sheep and they cruise around looking for food. The will not go over trees but they will go around them.  I like to use slip bobber rigs and set them to the depth midway on the structure. Once you find the depth they are cruising at you can work the bank. I also look for a corner because once again walleye are sheep and they can be corralled at the depth you find them at.  Also at night you can find a vertical wall and anchor 35 yards from it. Blast your lights in the wall until baitfish show up. Cast a bass spinner (gold willow blade) really really hard against the wall and let it fall into the water. Keep your bail open and let the spinner fall naturally. Watch your line to see if you get s hit. Normally right when it falls below the light in the water. I did this in a state where that was legal. Never tried the lights in GA yet.


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## Cliff Speed

Yotes, thanks for that advice. I have been thinking more and more that I need to try getting way into the blowdowns on Yonah, because there are a lot of them and they seem to be the most abundant source of cover in that lake. With the banks so steep they often fall right down into deep water. It's a funny coincidence that you mention fishing the corners, because just this morning I was re-reading Al Lindner's book "Walleye Wisdom" and the section I was reading talked about how important it is to fish corners in certain situations. Very timely commentary!  

So do you do all your walleye fishing at night? Thanks again for contributing to the discussion!  I haven't been out for walleyes since the last trip I wrote about here. I will definitely be going again soon, but getting to go at night is difficult.


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## Yotes

I walleye fish when I can. Night or day any time of the year. But it doesn't happen a whole lot anymore.  Mid-day is tough unless you can find murky water with baitfish in it. 

Water temp in the south is another factor. Any creek flowing in constantly is a walleye rest area. Mainly river walleye. 

But I do not know everything so this works for me in KY,WV,OH,WI,MI,MN. 

My best advice would be to move every 20 minutes until you find fish.


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## WalleyeWORMRigs

*How about a Walleye Round-Up?*

Hello I am new to the Forum.

I am an Avid Walleye Angler and have been chasing Walleye for over 40 years.

I have had a lot of success in both GA and SC waters in the last 4 years as the "Stocked" Walleye populations grow.

I use WORMRigs aka night crawler harnesses coupled with either Trolling Weights aka Bottom Bouncers or Dipsy & Jet Divers for catching Walleye.

I am trying to launch the 1st Annual Walleye RoundUp in 2015 including both Georgia & South Carolina Lakes.

Currently I am looking for Sponsors as well as Anglers interested in pre-registering and/or donating services for the event. As well as gathering feedback and interest.

The Round-Up is structures to educate and share knowledge about the Walleye fishing opportunities and techniques for both Georgia and South Carolina waters.

If anyone is interested please contact me.

Attached is an average size Walleye from 2014.

http://www.wormrigs.com/2015-round-up.html


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## Klag

Do walleye school?  If vertical jigging, or just locating walleye in general, will you find them in small groups of 1-3 fish or large 10+ fish schools?


----------



## Yotes

Yes. And depends on location. I personally think points are for the birds. Corners or suspended walleyes beneath bait (during all hours) you will find fish. Also jig the whole water column. You probably do that but I have had good luck jigging for a two minutes then reeling up a reel. Then repeating until I get where I can see my jig. Another thing is that walleye hit on the falling bait more so the the rising bait. So control your fall by keeping a small bit of tension on your line. Or use fluorocarbon  it also helps you pull jigs out of rocks and logs. 
I  hope this helps and I am not sounding like a know it all. These are just things that I have caught walleye doing.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I found that the Walleye in the South DO NOT School ... if they do they stay together only for the first year or two after a stocking ... almost 100-200 yards from where they are stocked. They are only 12 - 16 inches and you can vertical jig for them. I believe that there is just not enough space for Walleye to School in the Tullulah Basin Lakes ... Maybe in Hartwell and Russell ... but I have never seen it ... The Jumbo Perch do though ... and that's what the Walleye are eating ... not herring .. the BIG ones are Lone Wolves ... they leave the pack and hunt on their own. You might see two or three marks on your graph together that are mature Walleye but for the most part schooling is a big lake Walleye pattern. I look for small packs of Walleye not Schools when scouting.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I have noticed all the chatter on the forum as well as on and off the water that the interest about catching Walleye has Grown! And has got everyone on the Hush.  This is because IT IS NOT EASY ... and the numbers being caught are so low that the a Walleye anglers do not want to share there intel.

I'm a little different .. I like Bragging and Sharing information, its HOW you LEARN to FISH! I believe we can all stand to benefit from sharing information.

There are at least 12 Lakes that I am familiar with that hold a strong population of Walleye now.

Lanier
Yonah
Burton
Rabun
Seed
Tugalo
Hartwell
Russell
Clarks Hill
Carters
Tullulah
Blue Ridge

I have been fishing HARDCORE the Tullulah Basin for trophy Walleye going on 5 years.

My experience comes from 30 years on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake St. Clair ... and the Past 10 years I have spent chasing eyes in the Tullulah Basin.

I DO NOT catch a lot of fish. But Mostly Trophies.
Only catching between 1-3 Walleye on each trip ... 
NOTE: I am Targeting Trophies not Table fare.

I have never caught my limit ... I fished 40 trips last year for Walleye ... I was Skunked on maybe 5 of them.

I average (2) nice Walleye per Trip.

When I catch 2 or 3 Walleye that is a GREAT DAY for WALLEYE fishing in the SOUTH !!!

A lot of the northern guys might be thinking they can bag their limit in an hour or two .. like in a big school on a big lake ... It is NOTHING like that here ... they are stronger faster sprinters not herds of hungry Walleye .. They are smarter, stronger and much more healthy.

They also have Plenty of food to eat ...Herring, Perch, Shad, Bass, Bream, Crawfish. Leeches just to k=name a few ... your lures and a worm ... have to out play the buffet ... this is what makes it tough.

Walleye have the most sensitive eyes for colors and action on lures .. they follow and track the lure often for up to 30 minutes or a mile or two on water before a striking.

I found the more consistent your lure and bait run the better. Jigging, dragging and bouncing bait is NOT the best way to catch these guys unless you have a electronic jigging plate that can repeat the exact move each time ... if you do jig try to keep the jig the same speed and same height when lifting to get the best opportunity.

75% of the Walleye I am catching come from a Reaction bite not a Hunger Strike.

My experience comes from 30 years precision depth fishing in Canada on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake St. Clair... and the Past 10 years I have spent chasing eyes in the Tullulah Basin and developing the techniques and equipment.

However I am not a Biologist or Professional Walleye Angler ... Just an Avid, wanna break a record, love catching Walleye kinda guy... and do not know everything about Walleye .. yet.

I look forward to feedback and any questions the forum might have about Walleye in the South.


----------



## Yotes

WWR,

Do you troll big boards for Walleyes ever?


----------



## NCHillbilly

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> I found that the Walleye in the South DO NOT School ... if they do they stay together only for the first year or two after a stocking ... almost 100-200 yards from where they are stocked. They are only 12 - 16 inches and you can vertical jig for them. I believe that there is just not enough space for Walleye to School in the Tullulah Basin Lakes ... Maybe in Hartwell and Russell ... but I have never seen it ... The Jumbo Perch do though ... and that's what the Walleye are eating ... not herring .. the BIG ones are Lone Wolves ... they leave the pack and hunt on their own. You might see two or three marks on your graph together that are mature Walleye but for the most part schooling is a big lake Walleye pattern. I look for small packs of Walleye not Schools when scouting.



They certainly school in the bigger lakes here in western NC. They scatter out along the banks for awhile in April after spawning, but by mid-May, they are usually schooled up in open water on the main channel following schools of threadfin shad. I have caught limits sitting in one spot many, many times. I don't catch many of the really big ones, but have always done good on numbers. I walleye fish for supper, not trophies. I want all 8 of my walleye when I can get 'em.  In really small lakes, and lakes without good shad populations, they don't school up nearly as much. And the ones I'm talking about are naturally reproducing fish, not stocked ones.


----------



## Klag

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> There are at least 12 Lakes that I am familiar with that hold a strong population of Walleye now.
> 
> Lanier
> Yonah
> Burton
> Rabun
> Seed
> Tugalo
> Hartwell
> Russell
> Clarks Hill
> Carters
> Tullulah
> Blue Ridge



I have been trying Tugalo and Yonah.  Tugalo is my favorite because in my mind it has the most fish because it has the least fishing pressure.  I fish from a kayak I carry on top of my Jeep so the 4x4 only access to Tugalo is no problem for me.

Never caught a walleye, but I was really just paddling around looking for schools to jig since I didn't bring any bait.  I catch 2 or 3 perch jigging near the river mouths of both lakes, but not enough to take home.  (I keep them in a bucket of water so I can release later if I decide no to keep).

I'd like to catch a limit of the perch, jumbo or not, but I have no experience in that either.  I guess just find the school on the sonar and drop jigs with minnows/worms.  I believe it's legal to use a perch for bait as long as caught on a rod and reel.  

Back to Tugalo/Yonah - where do the fish hang out in the winter when not spawning?  By the dams?  In creeks?  Near the rivers?  In general that is.  I find the perch schools on the bottom usually closer to the north end almost in the rivers.

As someone else mentioned previously, I'd rather catch a few eater size walleye for the table rather then the trophy.


----------



## shakey gizzard

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> I have noticed all the chatter on the forum as well as on and off the water that the interest about catching Walleye has Grown! And has got everyone on the Hush.  This is because IT IS NOT EASY ... and the numbers being caught are so low that the a Walleye anglers do not want to share there intel.
> 
> I'm a little different .. I like Bragging and Sharing information, its HOW you LEARN to FISH! I believe we can all stand to benefit from sharing information.
> 
> There are at least 12 Lakes that I am familiar with that hold a strong population of Walleye now.
> 
> Lanier
> Yonah
> Burton
> Rabun
> Seed
> Tugalo
> Hartwell
> Russell
> Clarks Hill
> Carters
> Tullulah
> Blue Ridge
> 
> I have been fishing HARDCORE the Tullulah Basin for trophy Walleye going on 5 years.
> 
> My experience comes from 30 years on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake St. Clair ... and the Past 10 years I have spent chasing eyes in the Tullulah Basin.
> 
> I DO NOT catch a lot of fish. But Mostly Trophies.
> Only catching between 1-3 Walleye on each trip ...
> *NOTE: I am Targeting Trophies not Table fare.*
> I have never caught my limit ... I fished 40 trips last year for Walleye ... I was Skunked on maybe 5 of them.
> 
> I average (2) nice Walleye per Trip.
> 
> When I catch 2 or 3 Walleye that is a GREAT DAY for WALLEYE fishing inn the SOUTH !!!
> 
> A lot of the northern guys might be thinking they can bag their limit in an hour or two .. like in a big school on a big lake ... It is NOTHING like that here ... they are stronger faster sprinters not herds of hungry Walleye .. They are smarter, stronger and much more healthy.
> 
> They also have Plenty of food to eat ...Herring, Perch, Shad, Bass, Bream, Crawfish. Leeches just to k=name a few ... your lures and a worm ... have to out play the buffet ... this is what makes it tough.
> 
> Walleye have the most sensitive eyes for colors and action on lures .. they follow and track the lure often for up to 30 minutes or a mile or two on water before a striking.
> 
> I found the more consistent your lure and bait run the better. Jigging, dragging and bouncing bait is NOT the best way to catch these guys unless you have a electronic jigging plate that can repeat the exact move each time ... if you do jig try to keep the jig the same speed and same height when lifting to get the best opportunity.
> 
> 75% of the Walleye I am catching come from a Reaction bite not a Hunger Strike.
> 
> My experience comes from 30 years precision depth fishing in Canada on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake St. Clair... and the Past 10 years I have spent chasing eyes in the Tullulah Basin and developing the techniques and equipment.
> 
> However I am not a Biologist or Professional Walleye Angler ... Just an Avid, wanna break a record, love catching Walleye kinda guy... and do not know everything about Walleye .. yet.
> 
> I look forward to feedback and any questions the forum might have about Walleye in the South.



Ever thought of fishing Dale Hollow Tn?


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

*Planner Boards*

I use big boards when the conditions on Lake Erie or St Clair are right and we have enough people to justify 2 rods per person x 5 per side ... down here I use Offshore Tackle in line Boards running 3-4 on each side depending on who is fishing with me. Big Boards are for Big Lakes ... there is not enough distance on the left and right in the key points to allow for them. Small boards are Ideal for the South!!!


----------



## Yotes

I am interested in your comments Worms mainly because I am learning about GA walleyes. It seems southern Walleyes along the Ohio River are the biggest WV, KY, TN. I mean the GA state record is a measly 11 LBS.  So there seems to be a line where they can grow really big. 

I disagree with having to replicate a jigging motion. No fall is the same no matter what you use to jig it, the bait falls differently every time.  No Wally Diver shakes the same while being trolled. I change speeds when trolling on purpose to change the swimming motion. And that is where I agree with you on reaction bites because it is that small change in the motion that triggers the reaction. 33IN 10.5 Pounds


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I believe there are several lakes in GA that hold 14lb Walleye now if not bigger.


----------



## Yotes

Love the input worms and that is good to know. I was going to build a set of big boards for river striper and walleye. So it is good to know that they would be more trouble than they are worth! 
Do you clip the boards on so they pop off or do you lock them on and unclip when you get them to the boat? My buddies in Green Bay swear by little boards but I only use them trolling for muskies and pike. So I use them so they pop off when you get a hit.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

@Yote .. I don't use Wally Divers I use WORMRigs coupled with bottom bouncers to control the troll better ... I also change speeds to create a reaction .. what ever it takes to get them in the boat ... as far as jigging a lot of people hold a rod and add additional jigging while trolling ... I found this DOES not work as  well in the small lakes here in the South at least the ones I fish. The walleye may spook from a jerking action after stalking it .... My technique included the consistent presentation of lures placed in rod holders ... My technique is probably not the same as yours ... all my stuff is custom made... and seem to work well.


----------



## Yotes

I actually like your style there. I bead, blade, paint and snell all of the crawler harness rigs I use. Paint my own jig heads and use my fly kit to tie hair or flash on the jigs as well.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Yote on the Small Boards ... I clip them off at the boat before we net the fish ... I clip them 20-30 feet back so I have enough time to regroup and see which way to bring the fish in ... Boards are as important as rods and reels to me!!! I use Red clips they are tighter than the black ones that come with the boards ... I sometimes have a knock off ... where a board will get knocked off the clips ... usually bumms me out especially if I don't get the fish ... have to turn around ...


----------



## NE GA Pappy

Dylan, my 12y/o son, and I are looking forward to fishing some of those lakes in a few weeks.  He is wanting to catch a "big long fish" instead of the crappie and catfish we usually go after.

Maybe we will luck up with something to brag about.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Pappy Maybe Lake Seed then ... he at least would be able to get a Jack Fish aka Chain Pickerel ... they have a Slew of them and they make a great picture ... he could break a chain record maybe. I caught a 9 pounder in 2012 ... only about 6 oz off the state record.


----------



## NE GA Pappy

are you fishing for the pickerels with the same methods for walleye?  I have caught some picks in small reservoirs on crankbaits during the summer. I have never gone out to catch them and consider them to be trash fish.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Pike ... they are a nuisance in Seed ... you said your son wanted a long fish though ... I catch them using my WORMRig technique ... I often catch them in the back waters 6-10feet ... not in the main lake ...  when I take a niece or nephew that want to catch a fish ... and don't really eat them any way or no the difference ... Iwouldn't mind breaking a Chain Pickerel Record ... not as much as a Walleye but a records a records and sometimes last a lifetime...


----------



## NE GA Pappy

are you catching them year round or spring/fall?   About the same speeds you are trolling for the walleye?   You know that for a kid, a fish 2 ft or so long is a trophy regardless of what kind it is. 

Only problem is those pickerel stink to high heaven. Only thing I know smells more is an alligator gar.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I catch them on seed year round ... and try to keep them in the net and release them after taking a good photo ... I usually don't winter fish for Walleye I usually target Hybrids Stripers and Bass ... catch more and better fights in the cold ... I will be trying tomorrow as the water clears up a bit and I'll know more...yes same speeds ... I go from 1.3mph to as much as 2mph with bottom bouncers and 1.8-2.5 with Jet Divers.


----------



## NE GA Pappy

I crossed Lanier yesterday down at the 129 bridge.  It looked like pure mud down there.  Funny thing was that the day before up at the 52 bridge, the river was stained, but not muddy


----------



## lampern

There are walleye in Clarks Hill/Strom Thurmond?


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

lampern, I have confirmed with the GADNR that they stock Walleye annually in the following lakes:  Seed, Carters, Yonah, Tugalo, Rabun, Rocky Mountain PFA, Lanier and occasionally Hartwell.  There normal stocking rate for the small lakes is 50 fish/acre, Lanier’s rate is about 5 fish/ac and Hartwell only gets walleye occasionally.

While these are the TRUE stocking numbers ... there are also a number of Walleye that survive Wash-Downs and a lifestyle that maybe short lived ... but does happen ... That's were the GA Walleye State record came from ... in Russell were they are NOT stocked ... Clarks hill had a stocking of Sauger in the 60s that died out in the 80s.

We should all work on Rounding Up some Walleye and/or Saugers in May June and work together on a Walleye study and Tournament. I found that is a good time to catch them in all the Lakes that support Walleye.


Also Burton still has some Walleye but for the most part they are dying out.


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## NE GA Pappy

Worm,  I sure hope to get on the water before much longer.  Right now, I am putting a new steering cable in my boat.  It got to where I had to really muscle it to turn the motor. The new cable should be here by this weekend. 

I like the suggestion of some of us working together on a study to help increase the sport.  

Would anyone else be interested in getting together and fleshing this idea out?  Perhaps we could talk with DNR and get some ideas of what information they would find useful.


----------



## lampern

NC is now stocking walleye into Lake Chatuge.

I'm hoping to come down and try for walleye in Tugalo or Yonah.

They look like walleye hotspots


----------



## NCHillbilly

lampern said:


> NC is now stocking walleye into Lake Chatuge.
> 
> I'm hoping to come down and try for walleye in Tugalo or Yonah.
> 
> They look like walleye hotspots



Chatuge already has walleye in it-the NC state record (13 and some change) came out of Chatuge a good while back.


----------



## crackerdave

Bumpin' a good thread!
Always heard walleye eat good,but never fished for 'em.


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## NCHillbilly

Dave, they are great eating, and are addictive to fish for. They don't put up a fight like a bass or striper, but there's just something about them that gets in your blood. One of my favorite fish to catch.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

In my opinion Walleye are the best eating Freshwater fish available! .. a lot of restaurants use the name Pike or Pickerel as the name for them on their menus cause Walleye is not so appetizing ... however Pike are not good eating ... Walleye are like GOLD to me!!! They are like Chilean Sea Bass ... but not as fatty ...  The attached photo is one medium 6 lb Walleye .. serves three people ... GOLDEN BROWN ... White Flaky meat ... with NO blood line ... What a FISH!!!

I also cut out the Cheeks ... they are a true treasure sauteed in brown butter and garlic.


----------



## Klag

Holy smokes that picture made me take a bite of my monitor.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Here are some Walleye from Seed, Yonah and Tugalo .. 
These are all about 6-7lbs ... one or two are under 5lbs and make great table fare .... All caught during the day ... the Monster Chain Pickerel is from Seed and the Brown from Burton. The Perch is a small one from Tugalo.


----------



## NE GA Pappy

nice catches Dave.  Makes me wanna hit the water, but the boat isn't ready.


Yet.


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## lampern

Walleye and yellow perch taste great.

Brook trout taste much better than browns or rainbows.


----------



## HossBog

I do love to eat them rascals! I've only caught one in me long life, at Clarks Hill in South Carolina side around 1962. Drifting on bottom with minnows. But, the rascal had a fungus all over. So my Dad and I turned it in to South Carolina DNR to be checked out, and they got bavk in touch a few days later and said they had done an experimental stocking of wall eyes in Clarks Hill, but my fishes problem was caused by water being too warm. Anyway, I'd love to fish for them on purpose.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I had three Walleye chew through my line yesterday ... I normally troll but its even tougher to catch eyes in the winter so I decided to down rod some herring on 8lb test line ... and sit on a few walleye I had marked ... I was not surprised that they chewed through the 8lb ... At first I thought it was just the herring going crazy ... but every time I went to pick up the rod .... no bait or hook ... and frayed line looked like teeth ... not once but three times ... I bet a lot of you guys are catching Walleye on light tackle and coming up with blanks like I did ....  I can't wait till the troll bite is on and I can get back to steel leaders and Monster Walleye!


----------



## Klag

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> I had three Walleye chew through my line yesterday ... I normally troll but its even tougher to catch eyes in the winter so I decided to down rod some herring on 8lb test line ... and sit on a few walleye I had marked ... I was not surprised that they chewed through the 8lb ... At first I thought it was just the herring going crazy ... but every time I went to pick up the rod .... no bait or hook ... and frayed line looked like teeth ... not once but three times ... I bet a lot of you guys are catching Walleye on light tackle and coming up with blanks like I did ....  I can't wait till the troll bite is on and I can get back to steel leaders and Monster Walleye!



What lake did you try?  I got into a mess of small perch at Seed a few day ago on nightcrawlers on a jig head dropped into the schools of perch.  No big ones, but some mighty tasty ones!

I marked zero trout and zero walleye, just perch everywhere!


----------



## NCHillbilly

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> I had three Walleye chew through my line yesterday ... I normally troll but its even tougher to catch eyes in the winter so I decided to down rod some herring on 8lb test line ... and sit on a few walleye I had marked ... I was not surprised that they chewed through the 8lb ... At first I thought it was just the herring going crazy ... but every time I went to pick up the rod .... no bait or hook ... and frayed line looked like teeth ... not once but three times ... I bet a lot of you guys are catching Walleye on light tackle and coming up with blanks like I did ....  I can't wait till the troll bite is on and I can get back to steel leaders and Monster Walleye!



That's odd, I've never in my life had a walleye chew through my line, and I've caught I guess well over a thousand of 'em. I'm not catching those long-as-your-leg ones, though, we don't have many of those here, just plenty of eating sized ones.


----------



## JJJSDAD

I would say eyes are hungry on the pre spawn meal and gobbling the bait and the line is between their teeth. Count less maybe you will ketchem or hookum. I would like to have that problem.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I have never had this happen either ... and have also bagged my number of eyes averaging 1000 per season on erie ... but have never sat fish for walleye ... only trolled  ... this was a first .... the line would not move ... only vertical for a second or two ... like a nervous herring ... they kinda just mauled or chewed on the the bait never moved or took it anywhere .... I could feel them when I picked up the line they would either spit the bait or I came up empty lined ... maybe the 8lb line I was using was week leader material? or Houdini herrings? ... 

I wouldn't write about it if it didn't happen three times ...

I also had very small hooks number 4 that the Walleye could have just swallowed and hit the week line with there teeth. (see attached)

I was on seed Klag and saw about 7 Walleye and worked on them for about an hour.. they would not move or get to the hook ... the perch were to small for the herring and only caught two nice spots...around the dam shoal.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

@ Hillbilly, We have Plenty of 12-14 lb Walleye logs here in Georgia and South Carolina!! The 2004 GADNR Stocking of Walleye are 11 years old and are at State Record sizes and in not great but good numbers for a fisherie of this scale.  There will be a number of people catching walleye this year and turning in records ... and I plan to be one of them!


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Here's how we do it up north.


----------



## StriperrHunterr

I see some roof space that isn't completely covered.


----------



## NE GA Pappy

StripeRR HunteRR said:


> I see some roof space that isn't completely covered.



that is where they sunbathe for the 5 days a year they don't have snow.


BTW, Dave... nice looking bass.  I have lost a BUNCH of walleye on Burton back in the 80's by them chewing the line up.  I actually found that a lighter line, either 6 or 4 lb was less likely to be cut.  I guess it fit between the teeth better.  A walleye doesn't fight like a bass, so if you have the drag right, you can coax them up to the boat and net them before they make a break for it on 4lb test. Now, I am not talking state record eyes, but the smaller 3 to 5 lb ones.


----------



## greg_n_clayton

NE GA Pappy said:


> that is where they sunbathe for the 5 days a year they don't have snow.
> 
> 
> BTW, Dave... nice looking bass.  I have lost a BUNCH of walleye on Burton back in the 80's by them chewing the line up.  I actually found that a lighter line, either 6 or 4 lb was less likely to be cut.  I guess it fit between the teeth better.  A walleye doesn't fight like a bass, so if you have the drag right, you can coax them up to the boat and net them before they make a break for it on 4lb test. Now, I am not talking state record eyes, but the smaller 3 to 5 lb ones.



Come show me pappy !!


----------



## NE GA Pappy

Burton is not the lake it was for walleye.  They haven't stocked there in quite a few years.  Better choices are Seed and Tugalo.  I haven't fished Seed in years, and never on Tugalo, although I do plan on fishing it some this year.


----------



## greg_n_clayton

NE GA Pappy said:


> Burton is not the lake it was for walleye.  They haven't stocked there in quite a few years.  Better choices are Seed and Tugalo.  I haven't fished Seed in years, and never on Tugalo, although I do plan on fishing it some this year.



Burton was also hurt years ago by a group with lights and gigs. Rabun also has them. They can be seen below seed dam during spawn time. It is sight to see by many. Folks standing on the bridge looking at them.


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

The GADNR stopped stocking walleye a few years ago in Burton ... the Walleye in Burton were effecting the Trout population. They have been working on eradication efforts for years ... maybe this was an effort from a group that was a part of this effort?


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Here is again a list of lakes that the GADNR Stock annually and the numbers . Seed, Carters, Yonah, Tugalo, Rabun, Rocky Mountain PFA, Lanier and occasionally Hartwell.  Their normal stocking rate for the small lakes is 50 fish/acre, Lanier’s rate is about 5 fish/ac and Hartwell only gets walleye occasionally.


----------



## greg_n_clayton

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> The GADNR stopped stocking walleye a few years ago in Burton ... the Walleye in Burton were effecting the Trout population. They have been working on eradication efforts for years ... maybe this was an effort from a group that was a part of this effort?



No. It was a clan that figured out how to poach walleye at night in the flats near the mouth of the Tallulah river with lights at night. Ya already know their eyes glow blood red at night in a bright light and are blinded like a deer !!


----------



## NE GA Pappy

I would hate to be the one caught doing that.  Gigging a game fish would be bad news if you got caught.


----------



## greg_n_clayton

NE GA Pappy said:


> I would hate to be the one caught doing that.  Gigging a game fish would be bad news if you got caught.



I know. There are some everywhere I am sure that don't play by the rules. I personally don't want my name in the local newspaper.

I wish I had some experience targeting walleye. Maybe some of you guys would allow a observer sometime !!


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

I'm gonna be at the BASS Master OUTDOOR EXPO with Walleye tackle and giving Walleye fishing techniques and tips for fishing Walleye in the mountain lakes ... Feb 20-22 at the TD center booth # 6306.

I'd be happy to share my techniques and tackle.


----------



## Klag

Aww darn, too bad that's so far away!  I'd love to check that out!


----------



## shhfish

*Walleye*

When is the round up. I'm in!


----------



## JJJSDAD

Great photo nice fish 
?'s 2015 fish, Where  caught Ga, N.C., Lanier or Ga. Power Lakes
PM okay
Thanks


----------



## NCHillbilly

They should be starting to stack up around the river mouths now.


----------



## JJJSDAD

Dang cold weather going to put a damper on me chasing them


----------



## NE GA Pappy

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> I'm gonna be at the BASS Master OUTDOOR EXPO with Walleye tackle and giving Walleye fishing techniques and tips for fishing Walleye in the mountain lakes ... Feb 20-22 at the TD center booth # 6306.
> 
> I'd be happy to share my techniques and tackle.



Dave, that is great news.  Now if we could just talk you into giving away the tackle too....

Dylan and I will try to make it over there.  What are the times it is open?


----------



## shhfish

*Walleye*

The river bite is not there yet. Most of the fish are still down the lakes over main lake points and humps. Look in the 25 to 35ft depths tight on the bottom in or around structure.


----------



## NE GA Pappy

shhfish, was that one on natural bait or artificial?  I hope to get my boat running again in the next week or two.  I just about have it re-wired.


----------



## shhfish

Herring


----------



## fish hawk

shhfish said:


> When is the round up. I'm in!



Is that Todd Hoffman from Gold Rush?


----------



## WalleyeWORMRigs

Nice Eyes Guys!


----------



## JJJSDAD

any eye reports ?


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## Rabun

if i launched my kayak on the chestatee where the end of 400 crosses it would that be a good area to catch walleye once the spawn run begins...fishing downstream from there?


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## Klag

JJJSDAD said:


> any eye reports ?



Not in the rivers yet, I checked yesterday from my kayak in the ice.


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## shhfish

*Walleye*

The fish are still on the lower portions of the North GA lakes.


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## WalleyeWORMRigs

Nice Eye! SHH!


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## WalleyeWORMRigs

Anyone interested in talking Walleye?

I am heading to the BASS Master EXPO at the TD Center and will be there all weekend talking Walleye and sharing gear and techniques for catching Trophy Walleye. Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 10-7pm and Sunday 10-4pm.


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## WalleyeWORMRigs

Here's a MONSTER I have been catering to all year.


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## WalleyeWORMRigs

She is right where she is supposed to be where the water temp changes at 20 feet ... my favorite walleye depth!


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## shhfish

*Walleye*

That looks like about 3 fish or so coming up and going back down.


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## NE GA Pappy

hopefully you will get a chance to boat her Dave.


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## JJJSDAD

Any body boated any eyes in the river or near Clarke's Bridge ?


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## Madfishinskillz

Can't let this thread die......it's too good.  Any reports?  Hopefully I'll be able to post one of my own soon.


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## Rabun

We went out on the 8th on Seed...could not coax a bite out of the walleye's...marked fish, fished hard, but couldn't make them bite....would watch them come off of the bottom, sniff our baits and go back down...lock jaw.  I think the time change confused them   Thanks Capt Wes for the fine effort, good company and transfer of knowledge!

I'm willing to bet this front and warm rain will have them fired up.


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## The mtn man

Bout time for them to start stacking at the river mouth on hiwassee.


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## MartyJones

Still a little early in NC for the rivers. Won't be long, though.


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## Browning Slayer

panfried0419 said:


> Belton Bridge to Lula Bridge



Oh no... Keep going past Lula in the spring trolling Shad Raps.. And that run should start anytime now. Not to mention you can fill the cooler with some big crappie while searching..


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## akaGoldminer

*Walleye on the Chestatee*

I was fishing up there the last couple of days and a guy told me that DNR shocked up a bunch of walleye north of the Lumpkin County Park ramp. I didn't catch one though.


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## Klag

Same story on the Hooch side, lots of boats, plenty of fish, but no walleye.  Looks like the only people catching any are the DNR, and the bait of choice is an electrical shock to the face!


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## KKrueger

I agree Klag. I fished the upper reaches of Carters and passed the shock boat. They did much better than me.


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## NE GA Pappy

I need to get me one of those shock boats.  I bet the harvest rate on walleye would be way up if I had one.


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## The Longhunter

NE GA Pappy said:


> I need to get me one of those shock boats.  I bet the harvest rate on walleye would be way up if I had one.



For less than $40.00 you can have one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HAN...c-TELEPHONE-GENERATOR-48-A-Nice-/321699786017


Wonder how many of today;s game wardens have ever seen a telephone?

You could tell them you're trying to charge your cell phone.


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## NE GA Pappy

anybody got any info on walleye this year?  I haven't had time to go and I am itching to hit the water.


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## wncslim

Here in NC they are done in the river and moving back down lake. We don't have  'em like we used to but caught a few yesterday. Trolling the channel and near banks with Alabama rigs 36' deep, may be as deep as 65' just depends on where in the lake they are, these were 1 1/2 miles from running water, in about 50 feet of water. Should be showing up on the banks just haven't yet.


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## NCHillbilly

Should be just about time for the clay-bank bite, Slim. I was out there yesterday catching white bass around the river mouths. I hung a big musky that cut me off, too. First one of those I've got ahold of in awhile. 20 lb. muskie + 6 lb. mono don't work too good.


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## Lindseys Grandpa

I gots me a RV in Ellijay now. I may not learn to catch them but it aint gonna be for lack of trying.


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## roostercruzr

WalleyeWORMRigs said:


> Here's how we do it up north.


Anderson Boyz Fishing Charters. I grew up with Jeff and his brothers, Uncles, cousins fishing Lake Erie. I grew up in Harrow Ont, launching mainly out of Colchester Harbor. Photo Brings back alot of memories. Erieau Marina?


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## Micropterus Salmoides

*Best Lure For Night Time Walleye*

Best of the Best Lures : Glass Rhap Rad Glass Blue Shad

Lures size : GSR04

Line : Sunline Shooter Metan Invisible Fluorocarbon

Line size : 8lb-12lb

Fishing Rods : I like the St. Croix Legend Xtreme XC70 MHF

Best of the Best Range Catch : Min 30 FT Max 60 FT

Best Tips : YOU MUST VERY-VERY SLOW REEL IN !
If fish show the lures, YOU MUST STOP REEL IN !


Read more: http://www.in-fisherman.com/walleye/technique-specific-walleye-rods-and-reels/#ixzz3YExBiqD6


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