# Walleye Run Question



## Set_the_Hook (Jan 6, 2006)

Hey all, this may sound like a silly question...(actually, I have 2 questions)... but have to ask...
I have been doing some research on the walleye run in the spring up in the Sandusky and Maumee rivers. It sounds to me like there would be a large population of female walleyes in the rivers... 
My first question is how do you know if you have a female or a male?
My second question, are you allowed to keep the females? It seems counter-intuitive to keep the females, if you want to maintain the fish population... but I really don't know.

I have never fished the walleye runs, but am hoping to bring my wife up with me for a day or two this spring, and I want to know as much about the tactics (and ettiquette) of fishing these rivers in the spring.

I'm not interested in any "hot spots" (but hey, if your offerin', I'm takin'...lol).

Any info would be greatly appreciated.


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## EYE MISOR (Jun 21, 2004)

i never fished the rivers. ive always fished the reefs. but the females have a nice big belly on them before the drop thier eggs. after that they arnt very active.and the males will be (milkin) and ull see it get all over the place while ur unhooking them.and yes u can keep either sex. but u can only keep 4 till the end of april.

hope this helps

bob


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## lilkev76 (Sep 6, 2004)

Anytime I catch some kind of trophy fish it's understandable to wanna keep her, but I am a picture guy but if I caught "the one" hanging on the wall might happen. Mainly I let all the big guys and girls go, they don't taste as good as the ones 18-20inches. This is just my view on all species of fish and I as well plan to do my 1st Maumee outing this year to. Hope to see ya there.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Hey guys what time is best to go up after the wally's. Specifically Freemont.


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

I fish the Maumee every spring and have not kept a female in years, they have a pretty strong taste i.m.o.and as much as I fish it so to me its the least I can do to help. Acording to everything I have read only 10-15% of the fish spawn in the rivers and angler pressure has VERY little to do with spawning sucess, weather is the key factor that makes or breaks spawning sucess. My son's(9yrs old) 1st walleye was a female and your darn right we kept it and it hangs on the wall now, just because I don't keep females I am not one of these guys that looks down on others that do and you can bet when I catch that elusive thirtysome incher I will keep it.

Set the hook I sent you a p.m.


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## kingjohn (Apr 23, 2004)

There startin already up there!

I go anytime in March , April, youre bound to get some action,, and different types of fish run through at different time too.
Look up Maumme River Run or Maumee Tackle and they have very good info !!! 
I have come to learn to trust your gut not what some say !! There will be false reports, and streching of the truth but just heads up,, be mindful of the regs. dont try any monkey bussiness or the DNR will have your [email protected]# on a platter. Ive watched them shakedown poachers too many times!
But go,, have fun you,, can catch fish w/out a boat ,,,,, i'm going to try a few different rivers that dont get the publicity the Maumee and Sandusky get..
Ps wear warm waders if your in the river!


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Thanks king, a buddy at work was wondering when to go.


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## kingjohn (Apr 23, 2004)

let the big girls go ,,eat the jacks!
If you wait till later in April the white basss run as well . I had a friend who woud have rather fished for those! but ! I would rather catch walleye.It will be a little easier to swallow with a 4 fish limit ( the drive) but thats not why I go. Its 4.5 hrs to Toledo from home
I have a jet boat so it makes it less stressful while boating the rivers, and I can go places others can't. Some think Jets are the spawn of the ANTI-CHRIST but thats ok to each his own. On the New River people get touchy as well as some steelhead rivers in Michigan but Its not too bad,, until they cast in your boat. I had a guy do that last year twice,, the third time I took his carolina rig wrappedd it aound the kicker ,,,, and juiced the motor. The look on his face as his rod was nearly yanked from his hands!!!!!! I motored back down by him to see If he was going to start anything!! he did not!
I'm a pretty laid back fellow too but I figured out he was doin it on purpose.

But all and all its a good time ,, you'll run into some jerks,, but more good people than jerks!
Have fun
John


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## billybob7059 (Mar 27, 2005)

I would have to agree with evryone on this post. I have been going up to the maumee for years now and I have yet to keep a female with eggs. Now I have kept a few with no eyes in them. you can tell because there bellies will be sunk in. I think most guys don't keep the females from what I can see. good luck to ya up there


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## kingjohn (Apr 23, 2004)

I have kept one big female,,, I took co-worker up with us. His very first walleye was a 12lb female. So it was real hard to tell him to toss it back,,, so she went home with him!
But All in All the bigguns are not the best eaters,,,, kindagoes with most fish!
I am going to start this weekend if I can shake the flu, on a smaller river just to give it a try. 

John


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## Fishin' Coach (May 19, 2004)

I'm sure this will anger some of you, and maybe I'm the only one, but I'll admit I keep females from time to time. Usually the people I have met who are most adamant about me releasing my female fish during the run, they are the same ones who think nothing of keeping a limit of 6 females off the lake during the rest of the year. If you take a female in April or August... that fish wont reproduce again.


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

I certantly can't argue that logic. The other thought bouncing around in my feeble mind is how many walleyes male, female, shemale, whatever are commercially netted out of the lake every year??? I don't think us hook and line guys have as much impact as we would like to think positive or negative on the fishery.


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## ERIE REBEL (Jan 28, 2006)

Hey Randy, have you ever seen some of those hog eyes that can be found inany store that sells fresh fish? You gotta know they came fromsome Canuck,s nets.


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## rattletraprex (Sep 1, 2005)

I've had state guys ask me to tell them if i got a female walleye during the spawn,they would come over and take the eggs for introduction into another stocking program.Thought that was pretty cool.Didn't release those fish cause think all the stress would have killed the fish anyway.mostly catch the jacks anyway and unless it's a record just as soon release the females.


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## reel (Dec 15, 2004)

You do the math .....
====================
From Canada Website:

* There are 211 commercial fishing licences on Lake Erie.
* In 2004, a total of 12.3 million kg (27 million lbs.) of fish were caught with a landed value of $23.7 million (landed value means before processing). Lake Eries harvest represents 80 per cent of the total value of Ontarios commercial fishery and 76 per cent of the provinces total catch.
* Of that total, 1.3 million kg (2.9 million lbs.) of walleye were caught with a landed value of $6.5 million. In addition, 2.4 million kg (5.3 million lbs.) of yellow perch were caught with a landed value of $10 million.
* Commercial fishers operate out of 11 communities along the Lake Erie shoreline.
==============================
Total Ohio Licenses
Year Hunting Fishing
1977 544,044 922,976
1978 573,099 898,909
1979 468,228 895,732
1980 468,406 973,438
1981 464,549 986,428
1982 477,826 1,047,342
1983 454,971 1,009,170
1984 453,782 1,011,591
1985 445,996 1,077,355
1986 450,522 1,077,398
1987 454,467 1,082,496
1988 446,881 1,065,291
1989 420,388 1,047,854
1990 418,089 918,481
1991 427,995 918,403
1992 400,749 873,382
1993 402,638 867,969
1994 395,261 866,700
1995 394,441 804,609
1996 382,919 769,479
1997 370,487 781,247
1998 351,628 764,177
1999 347,974 753,825
2000 343,078 742,587


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