The walleye thread
 

It's that time of year and since you all hate me eating trout :D help me figure where and when to find walleye and I'll eat those instead, then everyone's happy haha.

Seriously though, walleye experts, I'm heading to the Caney Saturday afternoon to fish until about dark. I've gotten some good advice from Mike on finding them below the dam near that waterfall. Of course on no generation since I don't have a boat, I'll hike it down the bank opposite from the steps as far as I can go. I've fished there several times with crankbaits and zoom flukes, caught some nice LM bass and white bass but that's it. Should I fish that deeper area by the waterfall and dam wall (keep in mind during no generation they will be letting out 250 cfs from the sluice just to keep a small current flow and I figured this would attract fish) or should I head to the deep water to the left of the Betty's Island access?

I've asked about and researched lures to catch them and I'm equipped. I've never caught one nor eaten one but I'd like to remedy that this weekend. As always, any advice is greatly appreciated!

From what I understand, you'd be better off showing up at dusk and fishing at night...


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The flat in front if the first waterfall you come to is the area I've had the most luck. I use a floating smithwick rattling rogue in blue back/silver/orange belly. I've also used a black back/silver rebel minnow. I use the 4 1/2" versions. Cast them out and bring them back at a medium retrieve rate and throw a few short jerks in during the retrieve. The walleye will slam the jerkbait, so be ready. The bite is off an on, since the walleye move into the shallow area to feed then slide back into deeper water.


Chris

Rapala husky jerks. There is a secret handed down through my family to fishing them for Walleye and I can not tell you what it is. No just kidding when you are reeling it in jerk it. Take about thre winds and then give it a little tug to make it look like it's having a seisure in the water then wait a second and reel some more followed by another jerk. Drives them crazy because the bait looks injured. If that doesn't work then try some walleye worm harnesses and get them out there with a planner board. This is an awesome way to fish when the water is up and you just can't get to the fish.

Good luck,

they are just so so fighters but are very good eaters. I like candy but walleye are better.;)

Yeah, right at dusk and after will be your best bet. Especially on a clear day with no generation.

I'd stay until after dark but it's a little risky out there alone. I could slip and fall on those rocks and that could be a really bad situation if I'm alone... plus the future wife has begged me not to stay way after dark alone for that reason haha. I planned to head down the bank toward those waterfalls and fish until dusk. If I had a canoe or someone fishing with me I'd stay as late as I needed to catch a limit of walleye but it's just not a good idea to walk across those slippery rocks alone when it's pitch black.

How did it go

Not tonight, tomorrow night. I'll report back and let you all know

Once my leg get healed up to where I'm a little more nimble on my feet, I'm gonna get up there with you some night Jimmy. That way, when we fall, as least we'll have each other to commiserate with!

Haha sounds like a plan! The pain won't be too bad as long as we are catching lots of fish!

One of the reasons I got the kayak was so I could fish the pond without that walk. My son and I walked it for a couple of years. Those rocks do get slick.



Regards

Jad2T,

While below Center Hill dam is a great place to catch walleye, right below the dam is where your best luck is going to be most of the time for the upper part of the river. Center Hill lake itself is a prime walleye destination, and at times, spring and summer more than now, the walleye run the shallows chasing bait and can be caught on the cranks and techniques mentioned. And a superb destination for walleye on into winter and spring is going to be the headwaters of Center Hill around Rock Island. Check it out, there is excellent walleye fishing from the bank. Cast creek minnows on light carolina rigs up stream and let them fall and drift downstream a little till it hits bottom. Near blue hole and across the river by the waterfalls are both good.

I've been to Rock Island to swim but never fished. I've heard about this "blue hole" but isn't that the hole where everyone cliff jumps? There are walleye in there? I'd love to fish for them at Rock Island but it's a long drive for me that may not be worth it if I don't know exactly where to go. At least I know this time of year there won't be anyone swimming so I should have plenty of fishing opportunities. For Saturday I still plan to fish right below Center Hill Dam but in the future I'd like to try Rock Island. I vaguely remember that place, I do recall some shallow streams and then two small but deep bodies of water where people swim and cliff jump. Where am I looking to fish?

Want walleye? Walk up the bank to where the opaque red circle (below) is AFTER DARK. That might be the spot many of you have mentioned?? I've been away too long.

Stand there and chunk and wind and chunk and wind all night long... the Husky Jerk mentioned is a good lure, or any jerkbait-style lure. Clown-nose Yo-Zuri's are killer (if you can afford them).

But if you go there and persevere... which again means chunk and wind all night long... you should catch walleye. A REAL good night would be six or eight fish.

I'm gone now but I lived in Cookeville several years. It's been many moons ago but I carried a lot of walleye away from that spot, but I don't think I ever caught one there in the daylight.
http://www.sceniccityfishing.com/forumpics/walleye.jpg