# Pymatuning - Biggest Walleye this season



## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Made it out to Pymie this afternoon fishing weed beds again. Caught a few dink yellow perch and released. Made it to a section where the weed beds were more prevalent and after a few casts I had a light hit, I slowed my retrieve on the spinner and wham. I thought at first that I had a muskie because of the flash of color for a moment with the sun reflecting, then I did see the gold and white mark on the tail to reach back quickly in my kayak and grab the net. Didn't connect on any other walleye for the day. Fished edges then to catch some shade and caught some nice fighter bluegills on the same favorite spinner. All the fish were actually caught in less than 3 ft of water and on a spinner. The lake is still murky and I'm hoping it clears up soon.


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## Eye Dr (Mar 23, 2010)

Nice fish! I was on the lake from 7:30am to 6:00pm and only caught 1 legal walleye. I trolled the northern end all morning and only managed a few Perch and 2 Crappie. Loaded the boat up and went south. Fished from 5-26ft and the walleye came from 25ft. Not sure what's going on at Pymy but I'm really struggling with the Walleye this year.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Thank you, glad you were able to get a keeper too. Long hours and only catching one sometimes can be frustrating, so that's when I usually change up what I'm targeting to have fun...like gils. I have heard that many are not doing well this season. I wonder if weather or something else has to do with it?


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## Eye Dr (Mar 23, 2010)

I talked to a Warden yesterday and he said the fish are there. The numbers that they got in their nets this spring were unbelievable. He doesn't understand what is going on either.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Do you think it has to do with the weed beds not being grown as much in some areas? I know that one area that last year was absolutely filled with weed beds is hardly anything when I went searching with my sonar to find them. I am new to Pymatuning, as I have only fished there the last 3 years but this is just from what I have observed. I talked to a guy last summer who fishes Pymie all summer long and last year he told me he had never seen the lake so clear because of all the weeds being so thick...now it seems to be the opposite this season. That's good to hear that the survey was good, I hope to get some more walleyes in the skillet!


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## WickedWalleye (Oct 25, 2014)

Berlin is slow too. Fished last Saturday and caught 3 short eyes, 4 gills and a small perch. All wind drifting with a half of crawler in 10 FOW. Wind from NE. No weeds in Berlin. This weekend should be good, winds from SW. Mosquito always too choked up. Pymy, all I have is a 40 HP Mercury. Gonna get a small kicker, someday, love Pymy.


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

shad.... the problem is shad... they are gorging.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Kayak1979...any chance you checked stomach content of that eye? 

Nice fish by the way.


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> Kayak1979...any chance you checked stomach content of that eye?
> 
> Nice fish by the way.


Didn't check it, should have.


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## Huz-yak (Jun 3, 2011)

The couple of times i paddled Berlin this year I crossed the lake in open water and the sonar was lit up solid shad. It was baffling.


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## Jlin4869 (Apr 9, 2017)

In


WickedWalleye said:


> Berlin is slow too. Fished last Saturday and caught 3 short eyes, 4 gills and a small perch. All wind drifting with a half of crawler in 10 FOW. Wind from NE. No weeds in Berlin. This weekend should be good, winds from SW. Mosquito always too choked up. Pymy, all I have is a 40 HP Mercury. Gonna get a small kicker, someday, love Pymy.


limited at berlin last weekend. Went last night and only caught white bass


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I've heard that before about Berlin. That the lake is so chock full of shad that the walleye have easy pickings, and our presentations get lost in the shuffle!


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## alfred dawes (Jul 4, 2006)

The water level is higher than usual at Pyma this year and the shad bloom. lol


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## ramfan (May 6, 2008)

I am thinking we really need a good ice cover to kill these shad. Was out last week at Snodgrass hit my go to spots and all I did was small perch and a few cigar walleyes. Fished crawlers and minnows ,trolled a bit ,guessing next time will be leeches on single spinner slow troll.


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

ramfan said:


> I am thinking we really need a good ice cover to kill these shad. Was out last week at Snodgrass hit my go to spots and all I did was small perch and a few cigar walleyes. Fished crawlers and minnows ,trolled a bit ,guessing next time will be leeches on single spinner slow troll.


Did you notice if the water in that spot seemed clearer than in years past? Clearer water mean deeper light penetration. The fish are going to move to where they're more comfortable. Same thing happened at another lake i've been fishing for over forty years. We didn't have zebras filtering the water for thirty five or so years but these times are diffrent. Those fish may still be in that area but moved to a more comfortable area. It may be an edge with a nice shadow, or bottom of a dropoff. Search patiently and dont post if you find them and dont want company cause if you post it, they will come. Guys are still catching lots of eyes. They're not telling you where and how now.


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## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

Was out yesterday 7:30am to 7 pm. No one catching anything. ODNR was out putting fish structures out in the lake on


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## BuckeyeFishin07 (Apr 10, 2017)

I agree with all the guys saying it is the shad. The winter didn't get cold enough to kill any of them off so now they are spawning again this year and there are just too many. That is just my opinion though.


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## smilinjimt (Jun 15, 2008)

Hello,
I've not fished Pamytuning since last November, but I do intend to get there soon. I would think though that having an over abundance of any baitfish (shad) in a body of water is to the benefit of the quality of the gamefish that lake produces, and therefore eventually to the individual fisherman. In a situation like this I would first try to locate the schools of baitfish (whether by sight or electronics). If you can find a school of shad you'll almost certainly find predators working the school. Work the area with shad imitating lures on the periphery,throw in some erratic action to simulate an injured shad, and you are showing those predators what they are looking for. Don't be afraid of experimenting, formulate and execute a plan based on whatever situation you are dealt by the fishing gods. We all have our favorite techniques and lures, but there are times when we must adapt our presentations to match the circumstances we are facing. See you on the water.


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## Eyecrosser (Apr 10, 2016)

Your idea of following the shad is a good idea but with the over abundance of shad you'll be chasing bait schools all over the lake. The eyes don't have to chase the schools, they come to them. I don't bother to fish early at Pymie but catch all my eyes from now till the end of July. I hardly fish any structure but pay attention to depths of my lures. Trolling will present your lure to more fish increasing the opportunity to catch more fish. Find the thermaclime and fish just above it.


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## smilinjimt (Jun 15, 2008)

Trolling is a very effective technique and at times I use it. You also probably fish Pymatuning more than I do. I was just offering a suggestion that might be of help given the situation. Another option would be to target a species that the shad population doesn't affect as much. Panfish might be an option now that the spawn is done, as they should be moving into their summer patterns. Some bull gills make fine eating, and Pymie has plenty of them. Drop-shotting near the causeway with minnows or worms should be fairly productive for crappies, sunnies, and perch, plus an occasional predator of good size. Vertical or near vertical presentations in all those snags will be more effective than fishing from shore. I hope this helps, see you on the water.


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

going to try drifting this Saturday......nightcrawlers and minnows.....some friends rented a pontoon for 5 hours.....south end by the duckndrake.....


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Just read the local fish report from Darl Black. He covers Pymatuning lake too. Said the eye bite is picking up pretty good in the last week. All the baitshop have reports of the same thing. Some deep some in as shallow as seven feet near weeds. Hope this helps.


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

chaunc said:


> Just read the local fish report from Darl Black. He covers Pymatuning lake too. Said the eye bite is picking up pretty good in the last week. All the baitshop have reports of the same thing. Some deep some in as shallow as seven feet near weeds. Hope this helps.


thank's......everyone going is pretty inexperienced....so it will be interesting to say the least...


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## Eyecrosser (Apr 10, 2016)

Yep they really must be biting. Saw a total of 4 boats the other morning from bay 41 to the dam.


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## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

Great fish, love the photo it's a dandy!!


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

I stopped at Gateway Bait & Tackle and spoke to the owner and he said the past 30 years I believe there has only been 2 years that he hasn't been able to ice fish on Pymatuning and this last season was one of them. With that he told me that there would be an over abundance of shad fish and things might not heat up for walleye bite until July. He also informed me that he had heard that the PA Game Commission released thousands of shad as well, but I couldn't find any exact information on that with a search online. That could play a role as well in the slower fishing this season.


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## Eyecrosser (Apr 10, 2016)

Fished Pymie this morning for 4 hours trolling. Trolled 7 miles. Caught one eye that measured 27" that I put back. Don't like to eat those big ones. Only hit I had.


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

Walleye bite has been extremely slow this year. But the size perch we are getting is crazy!


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

ignantmike said:


> going to try drifting this Saturday......nightcrawlers and minnows.....some friends rented a pontoon for 5 hours.....south end by the duckndrake.....


well...did more cruising than fishing.....nothing caught.


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