Where are the big walleyes in relationship with the small ones?

[TruthWalleyes]

I have caught 40 walleyes on 1 peticular mankato area lake. Not one of them has been over 14" in length. I'm finding them between weedlines and 19' fow, and large flats(10-15'). There is deeper water close to all of the areas mentioned above.

So, if i've found the small walleyes, where do i find the larger ones?

And, If you're fishing a lake, and start catching small walleyes, where would your next move be to find the bigger ones?

They have been hitting on cranks trolled 1.2-1.8 mph with constant turns and slow downs.

Thanks,

[KTapper]

Your best move would to take me fishing with you, usually people catch large fish when I fish with them.

[JohnMickish]

First ask yourself, does this lake have a fishable population of large walleyes? Is there any natural reproduction on the lake or is it a "put and take" lake? What is the slot on this lake? Whats the water clarity? How is the recreational traffic? What is the forage base? And most importantly, what's a "big" walleye, are we looking for an 18" fish or a 28" fish?

All questions that need to be figured out before one can go hog hunting.

[TruthWalleyes]

Yes, good questions....

For me, a large walleye is anything bigger than what i'm catching...Not looking for a 28". But would like to find the 14-24" size.

Lake certainly does have a good population of walleyes, data is below. Slot is normal MN walleye limits, 1 over 20". Not a put and take lake, though i can't say for certain that there is a strong natural reproduction. Clarity has been getting a little more green every day, but for the mankato area, clarity is pretty fair. Recreational traffic is increasing as the year goes on, but i fish in any weather to avoid the traffic, and usually avoid this lake like the plague during the heat of the summer (jet skii's, rec boaters annoy me!)

Max depth ~55'

2008 Gill Net Survey shows the following. 15"-19" (18), 20"-24" (15), 25"-29" (2)....12-14" (Zero?) Which is odd, since i've caught fish only in that range.

Should i be looking deeper during the day? Weeds during low light?

Thanks.

[TruthWalleyes]

Your best move would to take me fishing with you, usually people catch large fish when I fish with them.

I have a similar problem, usually i get outfished in my own boat when there's company along!

Send me an email if you want to head out sometime and chase some walleyes, maybe you can show me how to get them big dogfish...I've only gotten 2 of them buggers in my life.

[email protected]

[Jim Almquist]

The one thing you left out is the time of day that you are fishing. It might be that there are small walleyes there in the daytime but at night well after the sun sets the big ones might move up shallow from there daytime haunts. They might be out at 35' during the daytime were they just sit and will not chase anything but if you put a leech on a lindy rig or a jig and minnow in front of them they might very well bite. The down side to fishing that deep is that it might very well be catch and kill with there stomach coming up from that deep of water. Is there a possible transition from mud to sand out deep that the walleyes are relating to that you might be able to pick up on your graph. You know they are out there now its just finding them and finding out what it take to get them in the boat. The easy part just kidding but it will be satisfying to you when you do finally break the code.

[SkunkedAgain]

My general philosophy is that big walleye have generally figured out where not to be. So if I'm going for big walleye, I head for less traditional spots. They didn't get big by hanging out at your favorite honey hole.

[mr_jman]

I have this same problem on an area lake as well. My walleye count is probably pushing into the 70's already, yet all but 1 of them fall in the 10" - 13" range. I did lose a very nice fish that had the typical walleye "tap" hit. I know and have seen some nice walleyes come out of the lake and caught a 19" earlier this year. My thought is to get my line in the water as many hours and days as possible. Maybe try different baits or speed/slow your presentation to trigger a strike from a larger walleye.

[Northlander]

My general philosophy is that big walleye have generally figured out where not to be. So if I'm going for big walleye, I head for less traditional spots. They didn't get big by hanging out at your favorite honey hole.

I agree 100%. Most of my big , over 30", walleyes have come from out of the way spots or at least way away from others.

[hhguide]

Look in the weeds shallow! Thats what I usually do,I know that your fishing in that 10 to 15 but look shallower! Or if you really want a spend a day or two map out the basin of the lake, you said its roughly 55 feet thats perfect for some open water trolling. When those fish move off the breaks those fish are the big fish. Drive around with the locator, look for stuff up off the bottom schools of bait or big arcs! Good luck!

[JohnMickish]

The one thing you left out is the time of day that you are fishing. It might be that there are small walleyes there in the daytime but at night well after the sun sets the big ones might move up shallow from there daytime haunts. They might be out at 35' during the daytime were they just sit and will not chase anything but if you put a leech on a lindy rig or a jig and minnow in front of them they might very well bite. The down side to fishing that deep is that it might very well be catch and kill with there stomach coming up from that deep of water. Is there a possible transition from mud to sand out deep that the walleyes are relating to that you might be able to pick up on your graph. You know they are out there now its just finding them and finding out what it take to get them in the boat. The easy part just kidding but it will be satisfying to you when you do finally break the code.

I'm going to say this is pretty close. Night fishing might be your best bet if the day pressure is high. One thing to keep in mind is fish are not that smart, they act on instinct but can be conditioned to things outside their natural born instinct. For ll and a half months their primary concern is to eat and not be eaten. for two weeks there is the spawn and then it's a different set of rules.

Keep in mind fish have to eat, and in a nutshell, little fish eat little things, bigger fish eat bigger things. Maybe where you are fishing there is small bait available. If perch is the primary food source, do some research on perch and find out where larger fish will be at certain times of the year, and then look for classic walleye spots in those areas.

Shallow feeding flats are always a great spot catch fish at dusk, if you have some on your lake, maybe try a larger bait. Maybe try something like a 6" redtail or chub, that should keep the little fish off the hook.

[TruthWalleyes]

Thank you all for your responses.

I'll be out there tonight in the waves trying some "non typical" areas, and i plan on fishing it late friday night to see if they are moving in after sunset. Wind is a blow'n, so i'll also be factoring that in as well. If i don't spend saturday on the river, i'll start looking those basins over real hard.

Additional info: In the shallow feedings flats, i am snagging a bunch of the 4-6 inch perch. I would expect that to be a good food source for the larger fish.

[JohnMickish]

Those flats where you are catching those perch, I would definitly fish there at dusk. Have you tried a perch colored crankbait?

[TruthWalleyes]

Been fishing until about 1/2 hour after dusk except for last night (Only guy on the lake and got off 2 minutes before the hail started). perch color lures have been working, also a silver metallic with blue/red has outfished any other color. Did get 1 bite last night, but when i set the hook i lost my hat, then the fish...i don't think the 40mph wind was helping!

[JohnMickish]

Did you get your hat back, that's the important part.

[TruthWalleyes]

Did you get your hat back, that's the important part.

Yup

[delta hunter]

Go shallow and slower presentation!!! Look in 3-6 fow as long as there is some chop, even if its from rec boats making waves. The lake that I have been fishing, if I fish deeper than 8-10 fow I have been getting nothing but small ones. The two main presentations that I have been using is twisters tipped with leeches and slip bobbers with crawlers pinched in half then treaded on a white, pink, or combo of both jig heads but leave part of the crawler dangling for action. 95% of the eyes that I have caught in 3-6fow are in the 16-25 inch range. Plus it hasn't really mattered what time of day it was, or if there was cloud cover. I have average 3-4 fish every outing!

[TruthWalleyes]

I finally broke my 14" or less streak on sunday, Pulling lead in 25' produced a 30" northern and 21" eye. Bout Time!