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Wheeler branch #10763564 04/13/15 02:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2010
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Fishinfellow Offline OP
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Anybody fished Wheeler branch recently? Been getting the itch to head down there.


Thats my money fish
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Kris Winhold
Moritz Chevrolet - 9101 Camp Bowie W Blvd, Fort Worth, TX - Monte Coon (817) 696-2003
Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10763622 04/13/15 02:58 PM
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stetson Offline
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Been amazing 30-50 fish days most all dinks but few nices one are biting ,tuesday pulled 3 over 5 one being a 7.3

Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10763677 04/13/15 03:09 PM
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Ronnie Merrifield Offline
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Stetson, If you caught a 7.3 that would be the lake record out there! i only fished there once in the summer.. caught several 3-4'rs.

Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10763777 04/13/15 03:29 PM
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Brad R Offline
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Yes, the official record is 7.03 I think . . . but several large fish were taken out last week. I caught a 6+ pounder off the far retaining wall where another friend had caught a very large fish at some earlier date. And, up at the gate house, they have posted photos of some of the recent big ones and one appears to be in the 8 lbs. range. Always hard to say, that is for sure, unless they are weighed on accurate scales.

But, yes, the lake has a lot of fish in that 2 to 3 lbs. slot as if they are all cousins or something, likely just from the same "class."

I was out there three times since last Tuesday and fishing has been solid all three days, once on Tuesday from a fishing canoe, then off the bank on Friday and yesterday.

On Friday, the TPWD boat was out there, so I walked over to say hello, sort of see what was up and they told me they had just stocked the lake with an additional 360,000 Walleye fry. And, when I asked how the Walleye were doing in their sampling nettings they said that they had seen some but not that many.

Just a guess that about 350,000 of those Walleye fry will end up as bass food.

I saw the Tarleton boat out there . . . looked to be having a good time. And, a father and two boys in a small boat caught two small mouth bass over in the rip rap at the dam.

Gosh, what a lovely lake with some of the clearest water in North Texas.

Brad

Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Ronnie Merrifield] #10764029 04/13/15 04:24 PM
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stetson Offline
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Sir my buddy that fishes from a&m caught it with me in my boat wasn't me that caught him and it was weighed with a cul-m-rite and also before being real smart an technical a guy named jerry smith from glen Rose caught one 2 Saturdays agos that was shortly over 9 pounds he took it to the office for a pic and let her go, the picture is in the park office if you would like go see it

Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10764612 04/13/15 06:50 PM
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Phototex Offline
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OK.....how, where, and on what are they catching those big girls? Retaining wall? Where is THAT? I haven't been able to beat a 4-10 at Wheeler Branch.


PB: 10-01 on a Ribbit frog
Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10764733 04/13/15 07:20 PM
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catslayer Offline
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you can catch walleye out there... Buddy did it SEVERAL(WITH PICS) times last summer, he says they taste better than crappie.

He keeps telling me we need to go


"I'll never mess with bee's or wasp anymore, and I'll never gig another beaver..." Words from a man who learned things the hard way
Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10765318 04/13/15 10:42 PM
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Brad R Offline
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Just in general, it seems to me the larger fish on Wheeler are mostly away from the areas accessible by bank fishermen.

The stone wall I was referring to is the farthest point to the "left" from the boat launch toward the dam. It ends for bank fishermen where the "no trespassing" sign is. Several large fish have been caught there including mine on Friday which looked to weigh something over 6 lbs. maybe close to 7, large for Wheeler.

Most of the fish to the right up to and beyond the water inlet seem to be of the 2 to 3 pound slot but one can walk quite away around the lake and access a couple of more coves with lots of vegetation/trees.

The lake has very heavy vegetation, by the way, and most of the bank bites come on the edge of it to slightly deeper water.

There is also that island straight out from the boat launch and, often, you'll see a boat or two positioned around it, sometimes on the leeward side, at other times on the windy side, and they apparently are catching fish staging up in the quite water jumping on bait fish as they swim by. Boats don't leave there often so it must be good. It was for me last Tuesday when we were fishing there in my canoe.

Those fishermen from Tarleton looked like the real deal to me. Not surprised they caught a lot of quality fish. Brad

Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10765464 04/13/15 11:47 PM
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Rayzor Online Content
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I know they are in there already but they put 360,000 walleye fry in a 180 acre lake? Hmmmmm.......


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Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10766634 04/14/15 01:05 PM
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Aggie34 Offline
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I'm Stetson's buddy who caught the 7.3.That is my personal best and I fish it every week. I've caught a few in the 4-6 range but not many.

If anybody has any advice kn how to catch the walleys I would extremely grateful? Or the smallmouth, only caught a few of those


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Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Fishinfellow] #10771610 04/16/15 12:03 PM
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Brad R Offline
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360,000 is on the low side. Here is the stocking record for each year . . . though the current activity isn't recorded yet.

Again, just a guess that most of these end up on a bass's dinner plate; so, what is not such a good ending for a fry, is a tasty and nutritious, high protein meal for the small and largemouth bass in the lake.

It does appear that TPWD sees this lake as a viable reservoir for walleyes and that it is making a solid effort to build up the population. I don't think, I could be wrong, that walleye fry are intended as just a food source for bass unless they are cheaper or easier to raise than other bait fish.

*** Since I haven't caught either a SMB or a walleye on Wheeler, my only comments are observational and from conversations. What I have noted is that both are caught over in the deeper water near the dam. SMB are more interested in active water and current, less likely to live and hang out in the more dormant waters that attract LMB lying in wait for an ambush. I'd fish off the dam and see if you can catch one or the other.

Take pics!

Brad

Re: Wheeler branch [Re: Aggie34] #10771744 04/16/15 01:17 PM
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LoneStarHusker Offline
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Originally Posted By: Aggie34
I'm Stetson's buddy who caught the 7.3.That is my personal best and I fish it every week. I've caught a few in the 4-6 range but not many.

If anybody has any advice kn how to catch the walleys I would extremely grateful? Or the smallmouth, only caught a few of those


I grew up in the Midwest fishing for Walleye. We would normally troll for them, but I've caught them casting as well. A ball head jig tipped with a minnow or berkley gulp works well. No skirts, just the jig head. 1/4-1/2 oz. Larger if the fish are deep. I've also caught them on minnow profile crankbaits and jerkbaits. Rapala CD series is good because it sinks and you can fish it deeper. Throw them at night along rip rap. They will bite a small soft swimbait as well.

Let me know if you ever want to go chase them together. I miss walleye fishing!

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