03-01-2007, 01:04 AM
[size 1]GREERS FERRY - Walleye time is close at hand in Arkansas, at least for those who regard fishing in seasonal terms. There is nothing official about a walleye season in this state, of course.
Yet, walleye fishing provides Arkansas with a legitimate bragging point - the world record is 22 pounds, 11 ounces, caught on GreersFerryLake by Al Nelson, now living near Quitman.
The weeks of late February through March are when walleye move into shallow water to spawn in rivers, creeks and other tributaries on several of the state's lakes. But this depends on temperatures of the water much more than the calendar. Some anglers say the magic thermometer reading is 47 degrees, but it's not an absolute.
For many anglers, walleye are mysterious but were something involved in a heralded competition on GreersFerryLake back in the 1970s and 1980s. FairfieldBay promoted the contest with some notable prize money.
Lo and behold, the state walleye record was broken twice during the World Walleye Classic - first by Ed Clairbourn at 21 pounds, 13 ounces then by Nelson with the fish that later became the world record..
Walleye, though, are out there for casual fishermen to go after without the lure of a contest.
Anyone who has sat down before a plate of well-prepared walleye fillets knows and appreciates the table quality of these fish. More than one fish aficionado has declared that walleye puts crappie in the No. 2 position among Arkansas fish for eating.
In this "walleye time," meaning when the fish run up streams to spawn, fishing can be by several methods.
Many anglers simply use customary bass fishing techniques by casting shallow-running lures into ripples or shoals and retrieving them at medium or slow speeds. It's common to make the cast upstream and bring the lure downstream with the flow of the current, cranking the reel handle enough to keep it a little faster than the water's flow.
Stick baits are popular for walleye work, both the standard kinds and the jointed type. Colors can be all over the spectrum, but a good many walleye anglers believe more fish-like colors are preferred to the bright or gaudy types.
Another popular scheme is to tip a jig head with a live medium-sized minnow and work it in the shallows. Most walleye chasers believe small, crappie minnows don't do the job, and big, catfish minnows are also less attractive to a walleye. The medium ones are "bass" minnows to some fishermen, though not everyone agrees on these designations.
Nightcrawlers are used for walleye work, and these are popular bait year-round, not just at spawning time.
If you are familiar with fishing for bass, the walleye fishing brigade will pass along one important bit of advice. Don't lip a walleye. Don't try to bring it to hand or into the boat by grabbing its lower jaw by hand.
A walleye has teeth, sharp and pointed teeth, that can wreck fingers in a heartbeat. [/size]
[signature]
Yet, walleye fishing provides Arkansas with a legitimate bragging point - the world record is 22 pounds, 11 ounces, caught on GreersFerryLake by Al Nelson, now living near Quitman.
The weeks of late February through March are when walleye move into shallow water to spawn in rivers, creeks and other tributaries on several of the state's lakes. But this depends on temperatures of the water much more than the calendar. Some anglers say the magic thermometer reading is 47 degrees, but it's not an absolute.
For many anglers, walleye are mysterious but were something involved in a heralded competition on GreersFerryLake back in the 1970s and 1980s. FairfieldBay promoted the contest with some notable prize money.
Lo and behold, the state walleye record was broken twice during the World Walleye Classic - first by Ed Clairbourn at 21 pounds, 13 ounces then by Nelson with the fish that later became the world record..
Walleye, though, are out there for casual fishermen to go after without the lure of a contest.
Anyone who has sat down before a plate of well-prepared walleye fillets knows and appreciates the table quality of these fish. More than one fish aficionado has declared that walleye puts crappie in the No. 2 position among Arkansas fish for eating.
In this "walleye time," meaning when the fish run up streams to spawn, fishing can be by several methods.
Many anglers simply use customary bass fishing techniques by casting shallow-running lures into ripples or shoals and retrieving them at medium or slow speeds. It's common to make the cast upstream and bring the lure downstream with the flow of the current, cranking the reel handle enough to keep it a little faster than the water's flow.
Stick baits are popular for walleye work, both the standard kinds and the jointed type. Colors can be all over the spectrum, but a good many walleye anglers believe more fish-like colors are preferred to the bright or gaudy types.
Another popular scheme is to tip a jig head with a live medium-sized minnow and work it in the shallows. Most walleye chasers believe small, crappie minnows don't do the job, and big, catfish minnows are also less attractive to a walleye. The medium ones are "bass" minnows to some fishermen, though not everyone agrees on these designations.
Nightcrawlers are used for walleye work, and these are popular bait year-round, not just at spawning time.
If you are familiar with fishing for bass, the walleye fishing brigade will pass along one important bit of advice. Don't lip a walleye. Don't try to bring it to hand or into the boat by grabbing its lower jaw by hand.
A walleye has teeth, sharp and pointed teeth, that can wreck fingers in a heartbeat. [/size]
[signature]