New walleyes?

[Random guy]

Ok walleye boys another riddle. Local guides and avid fishermen that used to fish Upper Red (myself included)before the crash have theory that the stocked fish migrate, feed and relate to structure on a whole new level compaired the origanal Red Lake walleye. Question is with the walleye population next to nothing and all of a sudden a new society of walleye is put in place do new feeding habits and locations come with them in the genetics or just how it worked out? I do know we are seeing walleye in spots we never did before and the big monsters that we have to assume are native to the lake are all caught in the same places as years ago bit the fish from 24" and down are in the new spots being caught with methods that never worked before the crash but outproduce now.

[Rost]

Good Post Jon. I read an artical awhile back that said stocked walleyes naturally are weed fish. They naturally migrate to weeds because most rearing ponds use weeds for natural cover. On the other hand, walleyes that are naturally reproduced tend to hang out in that mid lake structure such as a rock pile or reef. Not sure if this is true or not, but it makes sense...

Can you give us a few examples of where you are finding fish now compared to years ago?

[Corey Bechtold]

Just ask the fish.

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold

[Random guy]

Well we always found them on the break from six to eight feet and around some rock structure. Now we are seeing them in the reeds, over mud flats under the cabbage stocks and several fish are being caught in the middle of nowhere suspended four to six feet of the bottom. Maybe they think they are crappies?

Of course Red lake currently has a more efficeint angler base then fifteen years ago, maybe we just never looked in those spots until the crappies showed them to us?

[Stizo]

Jon,

I do believe the genetics and behavior of the parents of the imported fish are passed on to same.

I believe I saw on the Vermilion forum from early spring that a great deal of the stripped eggs from the Pike River hatchery were and have been going to Red Lake to rebuild the walleye population there. It also said they chose Vermilion walleye because they were most similar genetics wise. If that's the case, you've got some wiley wally critters on your hands. Maybe it's because their moms and pops were constanly being harassed by huge Musky and it got imprinted on their survival gene...who knows. Vermilion is so large and has such diversity in its forage base , structure, cover, habitat etc... that it seems like the walleye on that lake can be anywhere at any given time (including suspended) and at the same time also. They're very adaptable. A few things are certain, Vermilion walleye aren't always in the traditional places you would think they should be, catching them can be a puzzle and they usually don't nite bite well if at all. If this sounds like your new crew, the apples didn't fall far from the tree.

Stizo

PS This genetics / behavior thing would probably be a good question for the Mn DNR. It would be interesting to hear what they have to say. Should we forward?

[zepman]

Good Post. I would think that the lake itself has changed tremendously over the past 10 or so years. The forage base is probably not what it once looked like given the up and down cycles of the predators that have been in the lake (or more importantly not there). Hard to say really but I'm sure the fish are relating to what comes naturally for them and that would be food and cover. It would be interesting to find out if the forage base in the lake has changed at all over the past decade or so.

[Team Otter]

Great post Jonny P. Sounds like the fish are acting like they do in southern MN and even out in eastern SD. The fish that are stocked will do just about anything you wouldn't expect. And, if I had to guess on where to start on any lake that was stocked, I'd head for the closest weeds.

[Random guy]

Trouble is we don't have any weeds.

Today brought fish suspended over mud in the middle of nowhere, rock piles where quite, gravels bars have perch with zero walleyes. Now the walleye think they are pigs playing in the mud.

I truly think these fish need therapy!

[chickeywing]

Follow the forage. Walleye, like men, are driven by 2 things: Food and ... The spawn is over. I like your theory about today's anglers being more efficient. GPS is a wonderful thing! The last time I was up there was in '89. The only way we could catch them was speed trolling Spoon Plugs in the middle of nowhere.

TC

[fisherman-andy]

Quote:

---

Follow the forage. Walleye, like men, are driven by 2 things: Food and ... The spawn is over. I like your theory about today's anglers being more efficient. GPS is a wonderful thing! The last time I was up there was in '89. The only way we could catch them was speed trolling Spoon Plugs in the middle of nowhere.

TC

---

Agreed. I think it has to do more with forage & abundance of fish. I have found Walleyes everywhere when the population is abundant in a lake or river. But mostly concentrated in spots with alot of forage.

[Team Otter]

Well, those fish are "up north".

[Kyle Sandberg]

The seals are running them off they're most prestine spots. Gravel bars and cribs are well known as prestine spawning area's for the elusive red lake seal.

[Fishin Beast]

With the size of the northerns in there if I was a walleye I would be on the move constant and sit in very random places.

[rms]

Since most of the stocked fish were fry I don't think they ever would have had the chance to relate to any kind of structure--if they were fingerlings it would be a different story. My own guess would be that the population has become pretty large so you are seeing them in more places than ever before. Also, has the forage base changed in the past few years. There were a lot of mouths to feed before the season opened back up--maybe the places you're finding them now are the best spots for them to find a meal. What are the perch and minnow populations like now?

[Random guy]

I was able to speak with a few fisheries boys and some fish doctors that informed me several studies are currently underway trying to answer this question. Currently the basic theory is yes fish do behave and inhabit certians area due to genetics when stocked although in time they will begin to adapt and pick the traits of the native fish. Now this is all currently theories yet to be proved but it did make sense to me.