Any Folks Fly Fish for Walleye? (Check PFBC Draft Plan)

[Fishidiot]

Walleyes have never been a big target for FFers but, considering their wide range across the state, I'd imagine there might be a few of you that target them(?). Smallmouth bass fishing on medium to large rivers takes a lot of my angling time during the summer and fall months. These rivers have good to excellent walleye populations but I rarely target them. In a typical year, I'll catch maybe 3-5 or so fish, usually smaller ones and usually during the late fall when swinging streamers for bass. Once in awhile I'll put on a sink tip line and a Clouser Minnow and finesse a deep pool, usually below a low head dam in hopes of sticking an 'eye but I usually don't have much luck. Local gear guys who chase 'eyes usually focus their efforts at night and I'd imagine catching walleyes at night with FF gear would be pretty effective (I've never tried it). Anyway, if you're interested in walleyes, whether you FF for them or not, the PFBC is seeking comments on a proposed management plan for these game fish. I breezed thru it briefly and there are good lists of waterways across the state that hold (or don't hold) walleyes.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/newsreleases/2011press/walleye-plan.htm

 

[streamerguy]

Thanks for the link

I didn't read the whole thing but the lists on what lakes/rivers have a fishery was interesting, and was surprised at some.

I have only targeted walleye spinfishing and do pretty well. Only caught one on the fly that was about 10in on a brown bugger. One of the rivers I usually only fish in the summer I tried in spring and nailed eyes and white bass on spinning gear, so next spring I'm definitely going to target some on the fly when they're in so thick like they were.

 

[RLeep2]

I've caught pretty fair numbers of walleye on flies and have been known to specifically target them in this way. In my experience, if walleye and smallmouth co-exist in the same waterway, there is a period during water level and clarity changes due to rain where the bass disappear and the walleye seem to gravitate into a lot of the normal smallmouth holding lies during periods of off-color water. When it clears, they're gone back to wherever it is they came from. But while the water levels and clarity are at the right point for walleye, you can do pretty well on clousers and murray marauders and the like. Most of the fish seem to be on the smaller side, averaging 15-18" or so. But this is the best eating size anyway.

FWIW..

 

[sandfly]

going out this week for them and stripers..
saw lake galena on the list, used to fly fish it night near the boat launch near the dam on south side. big eyes in shallows feeding there.

 

[bikerfish]

I've caught them out of french creek here on the western prairie side of the state using BIG wooly buggers in blends of olive,brown and black. I tried to mimick the bait fish the bait guys were using.
oh yeah, those 5lb smallies can get in the way of the walleye fishing!

 

[Mike]

Sandfly, I have terminated the walleye stocking program at Galena starting this year. It appears that there is too little interest in walleye fishing there to justify the stocking program. The good news is, however, that the population should still be large for a few years since stockings have occurred annually for the most part and some fish from previous stockings have not even reached legal size yet.

 

[sandfly]

That's a shame as there is a viable fishery there in my book. is there any spawning going on ??

 

[Mike]

Sandfly, there is little to no successful reproduction.

By "viable fishery" do you really mean a moderate to large population and good to heavy use by anglers or do you just mean a moderate to large population of fish without considering angler use. The Galena problem is not the size of the walleye population; it is that relatively few anglers fish the lake for this or other species, which is amazing to me given its location.

 

[sandfly]

as in population, how do you come up with very few anglers ? I haven't been there in 6 years but it did have a lot of anglers then.

 

[Maurice]

Mike wrote:
Sandfly, there is little to no successful reproduction.

By "viable fishery" do you really mean a moderate to large population and good to heavy use by anglers or do you just mean a moderate to large population of fish without considering angler use. The Galena problem is not the size of the walleye population; it is that relatively few anglers fish the lake for this or other species, which is amazing to me given its location.

Maybe they just don't know about it? I mean if its a successful planting program with a resulting reasonable fishery, perhaps the answer is encouraging more angler use through awareness rather than cutting the program....unless cutting programs is the current goal. then its a success, removing something nobody uses.

How does the PF&BC go about discovering that angler use is down?....Is it the catalyst of a program change, or the convenient reason for making the cut?

I mean sandfly hasnt been there in 6 years.

 

[Mike]

Maurice, I would be glad to keep stocking the lake if anglers would utilize the fish, but after 30 years this Bucks Co lake has little or no reputation for walleye fishing, despite their good abundance. We spend a number of days on the lake doing surveys over the years and only occasionally saw an angler. Walkers, joggers, and lovers galore, but few anglers a the best time of the year for fishing. Contacts with park personnel, WCO's, and sport shops all indicate the same thing............not much of a walleye following. It's a shame...we built it (the walleye population), but they did not come. The same thing happened at Bucks County's Lake Luxembourg. It had a fair walleye population; anglers only occasionally caught the fish, and when we stopped stocking hardly a wimper was heard. Just as we thought, there was little interest. On the other hand, Bucks County's Lake Nockamixon has always had a walleye following despite their being fairly difficult to catch except at the spillway. Additionally, a following has developed at the recently created at a lower Bucks County's Falls Township Park Lake.

In a nutshel: If the stockings do not produce an acceptable population, stop stocking. Likewise, if angler use for walleye is low despite promotional efforts, stop stocking. This will allow us to increase the stocking rates at other waters where fisheries are more popular. We are looking to develop and maintain targeted fisheries. You will also find this to be increasingly true with muskellunge stockings. The "shotgun" approach, spreading all species throughout our waters, is going to be a thing of the past.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Mike,

I'm not shining you on when I say this, but doesn't the Fish Commission know they are wasting a valuable resource by keeping you stuck in the South East?

When I read your reports and your responses on this board I know you know what I am talking about. I'm a Bucks County kid and I know what you say is the truth in regards to fisheries and the usage they get. It hasn't changed in the 30 years since since I left town and it will never change.

If only the PAF&BC could find a way to make walleyes the same color as Pallies. You wouldn't be able to make them as fast as they would kill them.

It's shame, but when I was kid it seemed that all the kids I knew or wanted to know spent time fishing or farting around near water. If we couldn't catch fish we caught crayfish, or tadpoles, or frogs, or snakes. We caught something, regardless, for it was our mission.

Nowadays even the most commited kid on Earth would soon run afoul of some hovercraft Mother who didn't want her CHILD associating with kids who ran around with muddy boots or hands.

Its' a good damn thing I'm old and I don't have to grow up around there, otherwise I'd have to resort to playing in traffic.

Who wants to fish anymore when there is an APP for that?

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[FlySwatter]

I'm with you, Tim. I was the same way (and I’m a Bucks County kind, too). We had a little creek in our yard. We spent copious hours in Mill and Neshaminy Creeks fishing for smallmouth bass. We fished Lake Galena (for bass). It’s just what we did. Of course, there were no video games and only 6 or 7 TV channels.

I try to make sure my son is around water a lot. I am constantly lobbying his friends’ parents to let me take them fishing with us, but after years of this, no one has taken me up on the offer. I can see in the kids' eyes that they really want to go fishing, frogging and generally knocking around the water.

It's disappointing.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Flyswatter,

Im just curious, but when you say Mill Creek are you talking about the creek in Holland near the old Mill Race restaurant?

I spent the better part of 4 or 5 years during my youth splashing around that place. If I had a dollar for every time myself or my brother's and our friends were chased out of the hole right next to the restaurant dining room I'd be a very rich man!

Once we graduated from single speed Schwinns to ten speeds we branched out and managed to keep the Suburban Water Company guards busy at Churchville Reservoir for much of the year.

Just thinking about those days is making me smile and laugh out loud. It was a good time to be a kid.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[FlySwatter]

Tim,

My mother grew up about a mile from there just off of swamp road and I fished Churchville Res. some.

Not the same Mill Creek, though. I grew up in Wycombe (near Wrightstown). The Mill Creek I fished used to be stocked with trout. By the time I was old enough to fish it on my own (14 or so) there were only a few trout left since they stopped stocking it 5 years earlier.

My brother & I used to fish the water in the FOP area in Wycombe. I know that mile stretch intimately.

Yeah, it was a great way to grow up.

Mike

 

[sandfly]

Tim and Swatter,
Did you know mill creek and its tribs have wild browns and some brookies upstream of wycombe near rt.263 and Buckingham..The bucks t.u. has been working there to preserve them. I grew up across from Del val and burpee farms fished the neshamminy and peace valley areas.(before lake galena) had Sm. bass in the stream..Once i got my drivers license I fished Mill alot during the season.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear sandfly,

I only fished the Mill Creek near Wycombe a few times when I was kid. It was a long way to go from Feasterville even on a ten speed.

Last year there was a dam they had to drain on the upper end of Mill Creek or one of it's tribs and it had some nice bass and large wild trout in it. I remember reading about the dam being drained in the Courier on line.

I had a buddy who was 5 years older than I was. When he got his license he would take us to Cooks Creek. At age 12 that was like going on safari, it seemed to take all day to get there.

My brothers and I stuck to Churchville for the most part because it was close. Sneaking into the back part of the reservoir and wading the coves was where I really got started in fly fishing. I caught tons of bluegills and perch and the occasional bass on my hand me down Montgomery Wards fly rod and Martin 63 reel. It was a lot of fun.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[FlySwatter]

sandfly wrote:
Tim and Swatter,
Did you know mill creek and its tribs have wild browns and some brookies upstream of wycombe near rt.263 and Buckingham.

Interesting...

I remember there ysed to be a deep hole right along 232 next to the road. I saw 2 big largemouth bass there. Then it got pretty brushy along the school property.

 

[Mike]

I'm not aware of any brookies, but the wild brown trout population is in Watson Ck., trib to Mill.

 

[sandfly]

Brooks were in Lahaska Creek mike. maybe we lost them due to degradation.