walleyes stop feeding

[Guest]

I live in indiana and the lake I fish the walleye seem to have just stop feeding for a month now. I did catch afew a week ago.and theyboth still had spern in them.
What I was wondering do they stop feeding
that far back before spawning.Or do they still feed on spawn? Any help to find these fish would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
iceon

[Guest]

During spawn is an easy time for both finding fish as well as catching them. Female walleyes need to feed more often around this time to keep their eggs fertile. Just Remember to put the big girls back cause that's the future of the lake.

[Guest]

It's hard to say without knowing anything about the lake. Are you fishing opon water or fishing Ice? If their there in the summer than they got to be their in the winter too! During cool water it does get hard finding fish in deeper lakes. Walleye in general tend to be more neutral when the water cools. Fish light and vertical with little jigs and minnows. 6 pound fireline with 2 pound diameter in smoke gray is my favorite. If fishing Ice tip-ups are my favorite tool for finding them. If there there and not biting going small is the key. They could have a fully belly of perch, but might just have room for somthing small.

[Guest]

I don't now the weather there or how big the lake is but on some of the lakes i fish the walleye migrate up rivers starting in the next month or so.

[Guest]

there not feeding at all
there were guys all over the lake
and there not getting anything either.
A few guys catching perch just before dark
but thats it.And no big ones caught all winter. alot of 13&14 inchers, and a few
a little bigger. First time I've ever caught
that small of fish out of here.Just don't know whats going on this year.
thanks
iceon

[Guest]

I'm ice fishing ,and
i use a no#5 jigging rapala
and usualy do real well.This year they just stopped.
The water I fish is a natural lake(about 3000 acres) with the max depth of about 90ft.Hard sand and rock bottom ,there are a few sucken islands
but only one has cliffed drops on it.
most of are weed beds are from 5ft.to 20ft.
of water.I got told where they spawn out at so I'm going to try to find it.and give it a shot.
iceon

[Jim W]

iceon,

What time of day are you targeting them walldogs?

Depending on whether or not this is a "true" lake makes a world of difference.

It could be a time of day issue. If it is a popular lake with a lot of traffic during the day, the walleyes could be feeding later in the day or before light or at night.

Sometimes doing the opposite of the "norm" can produce!

SOunds like there is perch in that lake. So try keying in on the movement of the perch.

During low-light periods or at night the feeding walleyes shouldn't be far away.

Keep the rods bendin'!!!

Jim W

[Guest]

I myself have never had any luck catching walleyes on open water before so I don't usually fish till winter. So you could have a good point. The lake is really clear and the weed beds I do fish around you can see alot of small perch. There was one walleye I caught this winter had a small bluegill
in its belly. There are alot of guys doing real good catching 1/2lb. perch this winter
and I haven't seen that here before...
How would you suggest catching these fish?
(walleyes) iceon

[This message has been edited by iceon (edited 02-23-2003).]

[Guest]

years that are area lakes go flat is that there happened to be a large hatch of bait. fishing through summer and fall and seeing large quantitys of bait is a bad sign for winter to come.