# Walleye Question???



## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

At what age or length do they start carryin eggs? Im tryin to get on the feeding habbits of the bigger fish from the smaller ones. Seems like the 22in and down hold together tight to the bottom more so than bigger fish at times. Any thoughts!  :B


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

JIG,

Age 3 is when female walleyes are able to reproduce. Lake Erie will ahve many millions of "new" spawners this year, with the '03 class able to spawn this spring. If you are speaking of Lake Erie walleyes and their feeding habits the last few weeks my personal experience has been a catch rate of at least 4:1 females to males. I assume the females are more aggressive and feeding heavier because the need to build strengthy and develop the egg sack. Most of the females I've cleaned have very well developed eggs (they actually have have been developing egg sacks for some time, starting back in early fall). One large (6-7# fish from Friday had very tiny egg sacks, about the size of a baby's finger. This fish was possibly an old female or one that is unable to reproduce. Another similar length (normal) fish had egg sacks about 3-4" long the diameter of a golf ball and weighted 1.5# more. 

Almost all the fish we are catching recently are suspended from 8-20 feet down over 30+/- feet of water and the active ones are caught on baits run 5-15' down.

Tim


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

nice post TOOLMAN. 


hey *JIG* u might want to e-mail the ODNR they r full of great info.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

I would think its safe to say that the bigger fe-males in smaller res and lakes are gettin ready for spring. Im thinkin they have fed a month or so ago and the big water fish the last month. Dont know if Skeeter eyes spawn before Erie fish but the smaller would warm faster. Fish are acting like ice off last year. Just sittin for the right weather to unload. I have noticed the early eggs in fish inland also. Might mean the same feeding habits. 10 over 30fow. This mean first sign of ice eyes go down? We had that a month ago on smaller waters. Alot of bays froze.


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## dcross765 (Oct 20, 2005)

Last spring at the time of the walleye runs up west on erie the walleye were hitting the rocky shores of the inland lakes around here. I thought that inland would spawn first on theory that shallower water would warm up faster. But that did not hold true this year. I opted to fish inland as it is closer to home and less shoreline traffic. The fish were smaller but they still tasted great. Losing lures though almost sent me into convulsions LOL. The bad part is that if you do not own a boat your time and ability is very limited. The last few eyes i got from spillway fishing 18/20" both were making eggs. Dave


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## BigDaddy300 (Nov 1, 2004)

The rivers can warm up very fast.


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

BigDaddy300 said:


> The rivers can warm up very fast.


And the rivers and creeks are what is going to warm the reservoirs and lakes first before any/much effect from the sun. Thus the timing dcross mentioned. Hey, it makes sense to me.


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