Carters Walleye - Nov. 2011 Update

[jim hakala]

walleye rig

Found a link to a three way rig I've used for walleye fishing. It has been a long time since I used one (and many miles), but the last walleye I caught was on this rig.

http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/3_way/3way-rig.php

I used a 1 ounce weight on the bottom, and a floating original rapala on the tag end. If you use a lighter line on the weight end, then if the weight gets hung, the lighter line should break first allowing you to retrieve your lure. I slow trolled (drifted) it along the bottom. You can also cast it and slowly retrieve it back to the boat. This rig allows you to keep the bait in close contact with the bottom - where the walleye are holding.

You can vary the line lengths to the weight and lure until you find what they want. The lure color seems to change often with walleye. You might try a perch, bream or trout pattern. I've seen Carters walleye cough up bream t
his time of year.
With all this rain, the headwaters are muddy. But remember, walleye are use to feeding in low light. Things will hopefully improve next week.

The bigger females should be moving upriver over the next 10-14 days. Good luck and keep at it.

Jim

 

[jim hakala]

Update

Walleye: Week 5

Heavy rains and high water levels prevented us from walleye sampling this week, but enough angler reports trickled in to piece together some patterns. Water temperatures cooled off a bit but that should not impede walleye from their pre-destined appointment with the spawning grounds. Because the walleye spawn is triggered more by the amount of daylight (photoperiod) than water temperatures, more fish are moving upstream as the days grow longer. In fact, the high river flows should draw more fish upstream. If river flows settle down a bit, this weekend should be pretty good. For those with boats, Lanier & Carters are still your best bets this weekend, but heavier weight may be needed to keep your bait close to the bottom. For shoreline anglers, Yonah & Rabun are your best bets. Conditions for your favorite lake are detailed below:

Lake Lanier - The abundance of walleye in the Chattahoochee River upstream of Mud Creek will be at its peak for the next two or three weeks. More fish are in the pools and shoals and now walleye are all the way to Bull Shoals, which is as high as you can go in a jet-drive boat. Fishing guide, Wes Carlton, caught some walleye in the Bull Shoals area and another angler reported catching walleye upstream of Bull Shoals on small bucktail jigs. Who knows.....walleye may be at the shoals in the Highway 115 area.

Carters Lake - One angler reported catching a few walleye up to four pounds trolling Shad Raps on rocky points upstream of the Big Island. There should be quite a few fish in the shoals for the next few weeks. Currently, the Coosawattee River is running high and muddy according to Jim Hakala.

Lake Hartwell - The high flows in the Tugalo River will draw more walleye upstream of the Walker Creek Boat Ramp all the way up to Yonah Dam. One angler reported taking a couple of walleye fishing with a floating Rapala in the shallows below Yonah Dam at sunset. There are several pull outs along Yonah Dam Road where shallow riffles can be accessed from the bank. The area below the mid-channel island is a great congregation point for walleye waiting to move further upstream.

Lakes Yonah & Tugalo - Walleye are in the headwaters of both lakes in low numbers, but these numbers should build rapidly over the next two weeks. Yonah walleye in the headwaters are easily accessible from the shore below Tugalo Dam at dusk and dark.

Lakes Rabun & Seed - Fishing guide, Wes Carlton, boated a 7 lb walleye this week from Lake Rabun and marked several schools in the river channel. This is a good sign that more fish are moving upstream. During the day, walleye in both lakes hug close to the bottom in the river channel, but at dusk they migrate upstream into the shallow water where they can be caught from the shore using surface lures.

Good Fishing!

Anthony

Anthony Rabern
Senior Fisheries Biologist
Georgia Department of Natural Resources

 

[Gitterdone]

I m going friday night sat and sun.going to try everything ive heard about and more.anthony,will the muddy water effect the bite or does it matter.looking foward to night fishing,going up river before dark and going to work my way back out.do you think i should use small baits or will it matter.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I saw some guys in green down here on Bartletts Ferry durring the summer, It looked like they were shockfishing, do you know were I can find any info on there results? My next question is, Are walleye the some as the chain pickerel we catch around here (Columbus Ga.) in the creeks and rivers.

Walleye are not the least bit similar to chain pickerel, except for the fact that they both have teeth. Totally different fish from different families.

 

[Lake_and_stream]

Robert , hope you didnt fish today , sure was nasty out up here.

The walleye are all staged on the shore line from the island up right now. Like Jim said the ones in the river now are gonna be your males , these are the smaller of the two. The females wont start the move till the water clears and slows down a bit. The best bite will be after the full moon . The week after the moon will be hot. these fish willl go one a post spawn feeding and thats when you can catch them. Live bait rigs with 3-6 foot leaders of flourocarbon on the bottom is what your going to want to fish. also if you have a HYDROGLOW they can be a great addition to a night trip.

I have a half dozen trips booked for the next few weeks Ill keep ya posted on how the bite is going.

 

[308-MIKE]

having walleye tomorrow night ,, buddy of mine lives on lake Erie from May to October and does nothing but walleye fish ,, best eating fish i have ever had ,, hush puppies and walleye nothing better , ok and a beer !

you're right crappie man. the best eating fresh water fish. i grew up in the cleveland area, and we used to go walleye fishing all the time on lake erie from may until september.. we were taught a simple method for catching walleye, and usually limited out. after going out 1-2 miles, we would put a hook on our swivel, a split shot just above the swivel. put a night crawler on the hook, and blow it up with a syringe and needle (mom is a nurse). when you hook the nightcrawler, do it one time through the band. drop the nightcrawler down until it hits the bottom. reel up two turns. sit and wait. we always drifted. when the fish bit on the nightcrawler, open the bail and let it take the bait. wait about a minute,close bail and start reeling slowly. once the line is taught, wait to see if bite is still there, set hook and reel up. (if no bite found reel up and replace nightcrawler, because it's probably gone).some very smart angler invented a rig many years ago called the erie dearie. essentially a hook on a piece of wire with beads and a spinner. put a nightcrawler on the hook and you could drift or troll with it. (the guy is probably retired by now). google it to see exactly what it is. in the spring many people would fish the rivers feeding lake erie, for the spawn. i imagine it's the same down here. we always waited until they went back to the deep bottoms of the lake.
robert eidson, there is no wrong way to cook a walleye, unless you over cook it. my dad used to put the fillets in a caserole dish with a little water and butter. add a little salt pepper and paprika to fish and bake until it flakes. then eat to your hearts content. i promise, the best fish you'll eat out of a lake.
my 75 year old dad would be willing to move back to cleveland, just to have a chance to catch walleye again. so, i guess i'll have to get us to carters lake and find some walleye.
ps oh yeah forgot to mention, they freeze well. we'd take the fillets, put in ziplock bag filled with water,(remove all air) put in freezer. had great eating "fresh" walleye all winter long.
i hope this helps you guys. best of luck to you.

 

[Msteele]

Thanks for the update Eric. My trips up there are going to be limited with these gas prices going up.

 

[Twenty five ought six]

Walleye: Week 5



Lake Lanier - The abundance of walleye in the Chattahoochee River upstream of Mud Creek will be at its peak for the next two or three weeks. More fish are in the pools and shoals and now walleye are all the way to Bull Shoals, which is as high as you can go in a jet-drive boat. Fishing guide, Wes Carlton, caught some walleye in the Bull Shoals area and another angler reported catching walleye upstream of Bull Shoals on small bucktail jigs. Who knows.....walleye may be at the shoals in the Highway 115 area.

Where is Mud Creek and Bull Shoals. I see Buck Creek State Park, which is apparently not open.

Is there any public access to either of the two referenced sites --boat or bank?

 

[Gitterdone]

any fish or water updates from today,planning non going this evening,is it a waste of time

 

[Robert Eidson]

any fish or water updates from today,planning non going this evening,is it a waste of time

I talk to a couple of buddies that went up there this morning. They said it was just a waste of gas. Rolling mud and heavy winds.....

 

[Robert Eidson]

Thanks for the update Eric. My trips up there are going to be limited with these gas prices going up.

Heck you live just minutes from me. Next time I go up there you just come jump in the truck with me........

 

[Gitterdone]

thats a plan.anytime you wanna go just let me know.calling for winds 5--15 next three days.cant sit in the house need to figure something out.not to cocerned about wind just how bad is the water

 

[Gitterdone]

I talk to a couple of buddies that went up there this morning. They said it was just a waste of gas. Rolling mud and heavy winds.....

Hey Robert,you were talking about carters,wernt cha.May give it until tomorrow afternoon then will have to go for sure.Just bought 2 containers of crawlers and 2 doz.medium minnows..12 bucks worth,gotta use them

 

[Robert Eidson]

Hey Robert,you were talking about carters,wernt cha.May give it until tomorrow afternoon then will have to go for sure.Just bought 2 containers of crawlers and 2 doz.medium minnows..12 bucks worth,gotta use them

Yes Sir !!!!! I think everyone I know is trying to figure out the walleye fishing on Carters right now. I think we need to take up a pool. First one to catch their limit wins. But it has to be back up with a picture.....Lake and Stream I added this rule just for you......lol BTW, Your still ugly........

 

[Gitterdone]

Im in as long as the winner has to share his secrets as how he caught them.Im willing to donate a few bucks for some proven secrets.So far I cant even catch one,so the limmit being 8 I feel its pretty safe with me but I wont stop trying

 

[Lukikus2]

Here is a tip ya'll can try that use to work for me on Tim's Ford. When the weather is bad, the water moving and muddy, don't waste your money on live bait. Slow, slow troll crankbaits such as shad raps or bombers in firetiger color from 10' to 15' deep. Find some banks up river that have alot of rip rap where the banks taper off slowly, not shelves that drop off abruptly, but a tapering bank. If you can find long points and follow the contour around it, especially with moving water creating eddies, these are usually hot spots. Walleye love moving water and muddy water only will help you catch more because they will strike out of reaction. It works. And I'm a firm beliver in eddies.

 

[Lukikus2]

And another thing. If they are about to spawn don't overlook gravel points and coves. Good luck.

 

[Gitterdone]

Thanks for the advice,but will this work during the day or fish it at night

 

[Lake_and_stream]

Im cool with that as long as you dont have your favorite lure in the boat ..... YOUR CAST NET

 

[cartersvillealex]

Thanks for the advice,but will this work during the day or fish it at night

From what I have been reading, although night may be better, day time will work just fine.