waubay fishing report

[hawkeyelaker2001]

Curious of you slip-bobber fisherman who "slaughtered" and caught 163 walleyes how many fish swallowed the hook and were released only to die?

[walleyefey]

That is a very good question and concern of yours. I hope that you arent trying to point any fingures here at me and dispose any frustration out on us for catching fish, however, I hope your concern centers around the South Dakota GF&P and Waubay lake problem itself. I am a very active catch and release fisherman. I only keep a few fish a year and most of these take home fish are the ones that totally inhale a hook or lure. I have through the years, learned that by cutting off any part of a line in which the hook is totally swallowed inside the fish' mouth that it is better than just ripping the hook right out. When my buddy and I were bobber fishing we made sure to set the hook as soon as the bobber moved slightly. Not only does this make it easier to remove but it also helps with the chance of the fish swallowing the hook. I would say that 95% of our walleyes had the hook set right in their lips. We noticed the difference right away when we started catching and we did all we could to prevent any harm to the fish. I think that it is very important for us anglers to pay close attention to all details at all times when we are fishing. We only kept 5 fish all weekend between myself, my wife, and my friend. Sure we could have kept our limit but that isnt what my fishing is all about. Of the fish we did keep though, these fish were the ones that had the hook swallowing problem. I have many waubay experiences under my belt through the past years. I feel that there definitely is a problem. The fish are hunger, the fish are small, there is a lot of fishing pressure, and of course there are some anglers that dont pay any attention to details addressed here in this post. I hope that we can all do our best to promote honest fishing practices to help better our sport for years to come.

[kevfish]

maybe 0 or 3 or 50 or 100. maybe you can tell us. Are you looking for an exact number or an approximate?

[Norsky]

I have had the same luck on Waubay, and the concern over fish mortality is well understood. But, that fishery is so incredibly out of balance that taking out a large number of those small walleyes will only help the lake (not that we should just kill them off), in my opinion. There is obviosly a huge lack of forage, since the 13-15 inch walleyes pretty much eat everything in site, and I believe that their numbers need to be reduced greatly to balance out the fishery. If things stay the way they are, a large portion of those small walleyes will die off in the next few years (because of age and stress/lack of forage) and the fishing for walleyes will be poor until the baitfish population rebuilds and some good spawning takes place.

[walleyefey]

Norsky, I have to agree totally with your comments on the problem that currently exists on Waubay at the present time. I am hoping that people like hawkeye arent getting upset at fisherman, but rather at the problem that exist biologically on the lake. I found this post on the Lake of the woods and currently it reminds me kind of the waubay problem. I know the two are totally different in many ways be here is an example of how people think differently.

Small Fish

#554986 - 04/30/05 11:41 PM "Quote"

Why are so many small fish (10-13 inch saugers and walleyes) turned into filets at Lake of the Woods? If you go into a fish cleaning shack in the winter, most of the fish going under the knife are very small. The new regs are a step in the right direction. However, if the average size is ever to go up, those small fish need to go back in the lake.

curt quesnell

HotBiteFishing Pro Staff

Reged: 03/07/01

Posts: 1187

Loc: thief river falls, minn. usa Re: Small Fish [Re: Warrior56215]

#555040 - 05/01/05 07:19 AM "Quote"

Warrior,

I talked to the DNR last fall and asked them what would

be the best thing to do "fishwise" as far as keeping

these smaller fish.

Basically what they said was these 11 to 13.5 inch fish

are the huge year class from 2000-2001. There are far

more of them that anything else, it's what the lake has

to offer now. By rules of nature half of these fish will

face mortality every year, better the fishers get them

than many of the other ways they can go.

The fish of the year class that survive will have a much

better go of it. By catching the little guys the pressure

is taken off the bigger fish that have already gone thru this gauntlet.

The new slot will actually put more pressure on the smaller

fish since you will only be keeping smaller fish. This is

because these fish can take the hit due to their large numbers.

Bottom end size is up to the angler on LOW. According to

the people who should know, you wont hurt the lake by

keeping fish even as short as 10 inches. I start each

trip with 14 inch minimum for Walleyes and 12 for Saugers.

That number can change as the day rolls by.

What you are saying about the average size going up by letting these fish go isnt the actual case. The average

size would go up if these fish werent in the system at all

but then the pressure would be on the bigger, mature fish

that survived these high mortality years already.

The number of anglers on LOW is almost unbelieveable. We

need a bunch of fish just to keep the bobbers going down.

750 thousand pounds of Walleyes and Saugers in the 1/2 to

3/4 pound range is well over a million fish!

I also would like to catch more nicer fish on the big lake.

If a minimun slot was what the lake needed, they would have

one imposed already.

And, finally, there are places on the lake where you will

catch a much better average size fish a good deal of the

winter. In the middle of the one thousand fish houses over

Pine Island isnt one of them, in fact if you see more than

a couple of fishhouses you arent in one of the good spots.

Pine, Morris Point, Long Point, Zipple Bay,the Reefs, and Warroads south shore produce all season long. Eaters and a few good larger fish. There are pictures of big fish caught

at all of these places all winter and all summer. If you

want consistantly better fish you need to get away from

everyone and find a stone of your own.

Sorry for the long reply, your question is good one and

I wanted the answer to be fairly complete.

--------------------

Curt Quesnell

NorthCountry Outdoors Radio

[PERCHJR]

A very, very good post, "walleyefey" I have your back on this one. I am about 50 miles west of Waubay and I agree with your fishing practice's, I wish we had a few more fisherman like you!!! A few bad seeds wreck it for the rest of the Out of State fisherman, I think alot of the South Dakotan's appreciate the way you think!!! I believe this fella is just a little jealous!!! And to you "Norsky" I 100% agree with you also, Waubay Lake needs something done to it soon, or it will be in trouble big time!!!

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[beavertickler]

I totally agree with youguys, the fish are so small because the game, fish, and parks only lets people keep 2. If They swiched the limit to 4 for one season it would help the lake. The numbers would go down and people wouldnt catch as many fish, but the fish would grow faster. You guys have a good point and i think something will be done soon. The GFP in the webster area watches this lake hard and realizes something needs to be done. I agree with you guys 100%. Its good to know that you Out of state people really care. I as a south dakotan really appreciate that.

[ifishsd]

I believe the GFP dropped the size limit to 14 inches last year to help with this problem. The walleyes in Waubay have not spawned the last few years and the GFP has not stocked the lake either. The walleyes are all from the same year class. If the limit was increased all the walleyes would be caught out and it would turn into the dead sea. I think the GFP is doing the right thing with the 2 fish limit.

[beavertickler]

[Please read forum policy]

The walleyes spawned great this year. Every female that was caught this year had lots of eggs in it. The GFP in Day county is my uncle, so i think i got my facts straight. The biggest problem is that there are to many walleyes the same size and not enough food. If you take a large number of them out then the ones left will grow at a faster rate. It will not be a dead sea, there is more walleyes in this lake then there is in 50 lakes combined. I love it how sioux falls people know everything about waubay lake. If really understand the growth process of the walleyes you would know that there is way to many in this lake. Soon they will start killing each other off for food. The limit will be raised within the next 2 years, thats a fact.

[ifishsd]

[Please read forum policy]

[ifishsd]

From Tony dean's HSOforum. 8-05-03 The article is old but I'm sure it still applies.

Tony,

Thank you for allowing Game, Fish and Parks (GF&P) the opportunity to address the concerns raised by Steve and Scott concerning the walleye population at Waubay Lake. Steve is correct, indicating that it appears there have been a lot of walleyes between 12 and 15 inches the last couple of years. These fish are part of an extremely large year class produced through stocking in 1999. Growth rates for this year class have varied each year depending on the success of yellow perch reproduction. In Waubay Lake,

the walleye diet is dominated by yellow perch. When yellow perch have a successful spawn, walleyes grow fast and during years of poor perch spawning the walleye growth slows.

We assess young-of year walleyes in our lakes with nighttime electrofishing during the fall. Our fall electrofishing survey looks at the abundance and size of young-of-year walleyes. In 1999, we collected nearly 600

young-of-year walleyes per hour of electrofishing. We typically consider in excess of 150 per hour of electrofishing as a strong year class and the indications in 1999 were that the 1999 year class was an extremely strong year class and remains strong today. The 1999 year class grew well during their first growing season averaging 6.1 inches when sampled in October. Unfortunately these fish grew extremely slow in their next year. When sampled as age-one fish in August 2000, the average length was only 7 inches. The average walleye had grown less than one inch in almost a year's time. The average length of 7 inches was far below the regional average of 11 inches at the end of two growing seasons. Growth improved in 2001 with a

successful yellow perch hatch; the mean length following three growing seasons was now 11 inches making the 1999 year class approximately one year behind in its growth. In August 2003, the average length of the 1999 year class was 14 inches remaining 1 year behind the regional growth average.

With normal food availability we anticipate that the majority of the 1999 year class will surpass 16 inches by August 2003. One must remember that the average lengths are averages and that not all fish in the year class are

the average length. In August 2003, the 1999 year class ranged from 11 to 16 inches with an average length of 14 inches. Because of this wide array of lengths we expect the number of walleyes exceeding 16 inches to be a gradual occurrence. This may result in an appearance that few walleyes are exceeding 16 inches as those individuals that make 16 inches, with the current level of fishing pressure, will likely be harvested.

Because of poor natural reproduction and poor stocking success in 2002 the 1999 walleye year class makes up the majority of the walleyes in Waubay Lake. If stocking and/or natural reproduction are successful in 2003 then

the 1999 year class needs to carry the Waubay fishery until at a minimum the year 2007. In an attempt to maintain the walleye fishery until additional year classes are established, the daily limit was reduced to two fish

beginning in 2003.

It is unfortunate that Scott believes GF&P totally ignored stocking Waubay Lake in recent years. I would not say that GF&P ignored stocking, but rather has looked at available data and because of this data has taken a responsible approach to walleye stocking. Waubay Lake was first stocked in 1994 and subsequently in 1995 and 1996. All three of these stockings were successful with the 1996 stocking producing an extremely large year class. When establishing new fisheries, three years of stockings are typically made, as was completed at Waubay. Natural reproduction generally occurs from the original stockings and a self-sustaining fishery develops. Lake Thompson is an excellent example of this; no supplemental walleye stockings have been made following the initial stocks. We waited two years for natural reproduction to occur and when it did not, we stocked in 1999. The stocking in 1999, as I discussed above, was extremely successful. Because of the

abundance and poor growth of the 1999 year class it would have been futile to stock in 2000 or 2001. Competition for food would have been extremely high with the 1999 year class and any walleyes stocked in 2000 or 2001 likely would not have survived or if survival had occurred, a more extreme growth slowdown would have been expected. In 2002, the 1999-year class had reached a length where it was believed that stocking would not further jeopardize growth and a stocking was completed. Unfortunately, success was

poor and at best a weak year class was produced. Waubay Lake will be stocked in the next couple of weeks in hopes of establishing another year class.

Waubay Lake has truly been an incredible fishery since. Because of the fishery that developed following GF&P efforts, many economic interests have benefited and many anglers have had successful outings. Since the beginning

of 1998, anglers have fished Waubay Lake in excess of 1.3 million hours; the angling trips would equate to an estimated $20 million added to local economies because of fishing opportunities created. During this period, anglers harvested in excess of 175,000 walleyes and 900,000 yellow perch.

To keep this fishery going Game, Fish and Parks has reduced both walleye and panfish limits and will continue to be dynamic with regulations when necessary to maintain this fishery. I encourage anyone with questions concerning Waubay Lake or any other fishery in northeast South Dakota to call the Webster GF&P office (605)345-3381.

Respectfully,

Brian Blackwell

Fisheries Biologist

Webster, SD

[saleen281gt]

Quote:

---

I believe the GFP dropped the size limit to 14 inches last year to help with this problem. The walleyes in Waubay have not spawned the last few years and the GFP has not stocked the lake either.

---

The walleyes in Waubay spawn every spring. Its instinct-they always will. The walleye's spawning success in Waubay has been extremely poor, meaning, very few if any spawning walleyes produced any young. So both of you are correct-in a sense.

-info according to an SDSU fisheries student (not me)

[beavertickler]

[Please read forum policy-NO bickering]

That article is from 2003. that might have been true 2 years ago. In my opinion the problem is that smaller fish need to be taken out so others can grow. Simple as that, but keep spending all that money in our area we love it.

[sdfshman]

Heres the truth [Please read forum policy].

Found these today.

I believe what the GF&P biologist boys have to say than you guys. ifishsd i agree with you buddy.

Found at: Great Plains Game & Fish:

Though the lake has receded slightly from its high-water mark set in July 1999, it currently has a maximum depth of 35 feet - and it's full of walleyes, perch, and pike. If you haven't tried fishing Waubay lately, you've really been missing the boat.

Exploding with limits of hungry scale-tipping walleyes, Waubay has stood the test of time. And, thanks to the management of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, the lake is still a favorite place for walleye anglers to wet a line.

Daily limits of four fish over 5 pounds each are but a pleasant memory on the big lake. Anglers are today allowed a daily limit of just two walleyes with a possession limit of eight; of those, only one can be 20 inches or longer. The minimum-length limit has been set at 14 inches for this season - a 2-inch reduction from the past two years' limit of 16 inches. The reduction in length limit still allows anglers to tap into a bonanza of walleyes while at the same time helping forage species regroup by trimming an unusually large year-class of walleyes now swimming the lake.

Veteran angler Cory Fields of Webster predicts great things for Waubay this season. "The lake is full of walleyes between 13 1/2 and 15 3/4 inches," he said, "and still has good numbers of those larger walleyes into the 20s (over 20 inches). We are going to see a lot of walleyes coming out of the lake this month."

Fields, who guides on the massive lake with partner Jason Coaster, has seen Waubay rollercoaster from its meager beginnings to pandemonium a few years ago, and then taper down into the fishery that it has become. "The GF&P has done a great job managing the lake," Fields noted. "There is little to no natural reproduction on the lake, so the majority of the walleyes we are taking are from stocking efforts. The problem with stocking is that it isn't successful every year, and the bulk of the walleyes in the system right now are from only one year-class."

Brian Blackwell, large-lake biologist with the SDDGFP, agrees. "We have a huge year-class of walleyes from the 1999 stockings that are not growing at rates once seen on the lake," he observed. "Thus the reason for lowering the minimum-length limit, which will trim the population and allow forage in the lake to rebound."

Currently, yellow perch play a huge role as a food source for the lake's walleye population, but poor spawning conditions for the game fish have resulted in lower forage, slow growth rates and a lot of hungry walleyes. Blackwell explains that the population could quickly rebound if only water levels would cooperate and let the perch pull off another solid spawn. "We want to trim the walleye density in the lake to help the forage," he said. "We need a better predator-to-prey balance, but we kept the daily limit at two fish so we can maintain the fishery for quite some time. We can't forget that with limited natural reproduction and low stocking success the past couple of years, that large year-class of walleyes may have to sustain the fishery for a while." He added that stocking success in 2003 improved over 2002 levels, but not as much as he'd have liked. Last year, Fields says, catching a walleye over 20 inches was no problem, but catching a walleye in the slot was. "I really noticed it at tournament time," he recalled. "The guy who came in with a 27-inch walleye didn't concern me, but the guy who pulled out an 18- or 19-inch fish was trouble, because everyone had their bigger fish."

Fields looks at June as a transition period on the lake. Early in the month, fish are found spread evenly across the lake, with the bulk of the catches being made on the many vast grassy flats using live-bait combinations. By months' end, however, there is a shift toward deeper water, and a lot of anglers switch gears and start pulling plugs. The area between Duck Island and the School Bus in particular is a plug-puller's dream.

Cormorant Island in the southeastern part of the lake is always a likely place in which to find fish. There are many rocky structures spread across the lake that also attract a lot of attention from both boat fishermen and shore-anglers, but while those areas hold a lot of bread-and-butter walleyes, Fields looks for bigger fish in submerged timber.

"There is a ton of submerged timber in the lake and the bigger fish like to ambush baitfish there," Fields offered. "Catching walleyes on Waubay is unbelievably easy, but you still have to work for the better fish. I like to vertical-jig or use slip-bobbers in the small openings in the timber, generally in the 8- to 12-foot range, and search around until I locate a pocket of good fish.

"Once you find that pocket of fish, they are pretty predictable; I can usually stay on them for several days by making small moves in the timber. The guys pulling plugs get their share of bigger walleyes too, but I like the challenge of finessing them out of the timber."

Just how big do Waubay's walleyes get? Trophy fish over 8 pounds - some of the lake's original inhabitants - get pulled from the lake monthly. A few real giants - walleyes over 10 pounds - have been registered as well, many of which have been released back into the lake.

Stable water levels at the lake over the past couple of years have allowed anglers, in Fields' words, to "catch up to the lake" - that is, to get to know the lake. "The first few years we were constantly looking at new areas and searching for fish," he said. "But now we have a good idea of where and how to fish the lake and is doesn't take long to find them."

The massive dimensions of the lake can be intimidating to new anglers, but it only takes one stop at the local bait shop in Webster to pinpoint the best action of the day. Doug Johnson at the Sportsman's Cove is always glad to steer anglers toward a good bite, whether it be on Waubay or on one of the many other fisheries in the area. A stop for bait, snacks, and information can save an angler hours of searching once he's on the water.

The explosion of exceptional walleye fishing in the northeastern part of the state has drawn the attention of a lot of serious anglers. It's hard to dispute the assertion that Webster may be the state's new walleye capital, given the wealth of angling opportunities within earshot of the small town. Walleye fishing on Waubay Lake has seen its ups and downs over the past few years, but with new regulation changes, an abundance of walleyes in the 2-pound range and a good number of larger fish, the lake is undoubtedly the No. 1 spot for filling your stringer this month.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

For guide services or more information on the angling opportunities at Waubay or the other fisheries in the northeast part of the state, contact Cory Fields or Jason Coester of Glacial Lakes Guide Service at (605) 345-3180, or (605) 345-3311.

Found at:

dakotaafs.sdstate.org(no links thanks)

Influence of Age-0 Yellow Perch Abundance on Walleye Populations in Two Eastern South Dakota Lakes

 

Daniel A. Isermann and David W. Willis, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University (605-688-6121); David O. Lucchesi and Todd R. St. Sauver, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Sioux Falls; and Brian G. Blackwell and Matthew J. Hubers, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Webster

 

Eastern South Dakota lakes typically range from mesotrophic to hypereutrophic based on the trophic state index. Biologists often believe that prey supplies, whether they be macroinvertebrates or fishes, are abundant. Thus, we often believe that quality of sport fishing is more closely linked to interannual variation in recruitment (i.e., year-class strength) than to prey supplies for sport fishes. Here, we document two case histories that challenge this premise. We noted substantial increases in age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens abundance between 2000 and 2001 in Sinai and Waubay lakes. For example, larval yellow perch abundance (number/100 m3) was 723 times higher in 2001 in Lake Sinai and 46 times higher in Lake Waubay. Similarly, juvenile yellow perch abundance as indexed by seine hauls increased by a factor of 251 in Waubay Lake and a factor of 385 in Lake Sinai between 2000 and 2001. In conjunction with these increases in age-0 yellow perch as available prey, both condition and growth of walleyes Stizostedion vitreum increased in both lakes, although the most pronounced effects were noted for smaller (i.e., <38 cm) rather than larger walleyes. Based on these case histories, we suggest that prey availability may be more important to sport fish population structure and dynamics in these lakes than previously believed.

P.S. now i know why MN has to have a fishing season or their would be no walleyes left that state.

[walleyefey]

Very informative and interesting. I have to agree with the 2 fish limit because nobody needs to take home that many fish. I am an avid catch and release, therefor, much of this discussion doesnt relate to me. I do however, believe and conform to what that last article mentioned. The GFP isnt do a great job turning this lake into an "awesome" fishery, they are however doing a wonderful job prolonging the chance of this lake ever turning into a dry sea. I dont think this problem is easy to over come. Late stocking measures continue to be tough, reproduction isnt as prevalent as it should be, and there are deffinitely a ton of anglers taking many fish home each year. This post seemed to be started on one member jumpimg on the fact that many fish are left to die. I had a great time and only kept a few fish. It was hard to keep the fish off the hook at times and yes sometimes that is bad for the fish because many of these fish do die. I hope everybody doesnt get all bent out of shape here. Many people think differently and have different practices. I pay a lot of money to South Dakota each year and I try my hardest to respect the land and the lakes.

[aquafang]

Bottom line........

I think Waubay will be dead in 5 years.

I'm a bowfisherman and the carp population is great!

Rough fish are dominant. they grow at alarming #'s and grow BIG!

[kevfish]

I do not think waubay will be dead in 5 years. I think you will still be able to go and catch a few walleyes and perch. Maybe not hundreds in one day but enough to not call it a dead lake. If you could always go and always catch alot of fish- it would not be fishing to me. The challenge is most of it for me. Just my 2 cents worth

[sdfshman]

any reports from waubay? hows it doing? any one been out?

[aquafang]

Was out bowfishing last Sunday and I saw about 3 boats on the whole lake. It must have died off.

[Wadinator]

I've driven past the lake once a week for the last three weeks and have yet to see a boat on the lake.