Wheeler branch first trip

I only caught 2 on wheeler to today ,super clear water, even after the rains.
Why are they stocking millions of walleye in a lake where almost no one catches them ,very few large mouth stocked and millions of smallmouth.
Is any catching these fish or know how ,I am at a loss.

I've never caught a lot of fish out there but I have managed some nice largemouths and a few smallmouths as well as some big ol' sunfish. Most folks seem to have luck wacky worming around the island. I've never caught a walleye but I've never really targeted them out there.

My son hooked one a couple of weeks ago. I caught a decent bass on a texas rig. I would like to go back and chase those bream.

I happened to be pulling in to the parking lot the day this year they dropped 365,000 walleye fingerlings in. Pretty cool.

Just a guess that many of them become yummy bass food, never make it to maturity. Rick at Angler's says walleye like live black leeches, says he can get them. They school and usually hug the bottom, so I suppose they would be catchable if one targeted them, had electronics.

On the LMBs, we had a heck of a spring out there during the spawn and post spawn, then the big rains came and it really slowed down for bank fishermen. From my canoe or kayak, I could almost always catch 10 or so LMBs though last 2 times out, I caught 5 or 6 as I recall, fishing half days.

I have only caught one small mouth but it was a beauty. It was over in shallow water by the dam.

You are correct. They haven't stocked any LMB fingerlings since 2011.

Brad

I did like the lake, I was there with only 1 other boat

Leaches are second to night crawlers for walleye IMO, I go to Canada fishing for them regularly and we use little joe/lindy rigs for them with nightcrawlers and minnows and do well. I do use a gulp leach on a jig tipped with a minnow and get plenty of them bouncing the bottom with that rig. The biggest advantage to leaches is they are TOUGH and a live leach usually nets quite a few fish before they come off the hook.

Once the water gets sub 55 degrees they will turn on the northern fish usually spawn in water 44-48 degrees so they are active throughout the winter. I plan to hit that lake for walleye once the temps get cool enough and anyone that wants to learn how to rig for and catch them is welcome to join me. I will say this now, if it is freezing I am still going so don't sign up to meet me then wimp out because the air is cold or it is a bit breezy that is prime walleye conditions. They don't like light and you want some chop and clouds if you can get them on a daytime bite.

Another note, they are excellent table fare and you can keep 5 only 2 can be less than 16 inches. A 14 inches walleye are about a pound and will yeild up enough of a filet for a decent fish sandwich or two good tacos. If we do a group trip I will also teach how to handle them as they have some nasty gill plates and teeth as well as best cleaning techniques for them.

Bert,

Count me in for most any weekend day you might choose. I actually like fishing when it's cold and I bank fished Squaw Creek last year one morning when it was 22 degrees.

Could you recommend a particular Lindy Rig? If so, I'll order a few.

We ought to get a small group of kayakers together for this to learn this skill set.

PM me any time with info and I can pass along my telephone number for contact purposes as the season and best time approaches.

Brad

Brad,

I make my little joe/lindy rigs it is much cheaper that way and easier to get the line weights and components I want. I make most of them with 8-25lb fluorocarbon line depending on the depth and water clarity I am fishing in. Also look at slow death rigs, mustad makes a hook that is bent for this rig and it is killer for fishing night crawlers in clear water as it is a much more natural presentation. I fish both and let the fish tell me what they want. One of the things that is best for these rigs is to have ball bearing swivels it makes the slow death work at greatly reduced speeds and makes it more effective and keeps the little joe/lindy rig from adding line twist if the bait is twirling when you have it down. The deeper you fish the lighter the line I usually use to allow them to stay deeper without rising up, even with fluorocarbon higher weight lines diameters will add resistance and have them rising too far off the bottom.

I would be glad to do a get together and make some before we hit the lake, all you need is patience, materials and time to tie them. For anyone that want materials I buy mine at Barlow's, I use indiana and french blades as they turn easier than colorado blades so you can go slower and still put vibration in the water. I only use silver and chartreuse blades sizes 0-3 and usually run a double blade rig as it puts more vibration and flash in the water. To build a lindy/little joe rig you need beads, clevises, blades, line and a hook I like the octopus hooks in size #2-6 and occasionally will make the rigs with a #4-6 treble stingers but mostly make them with 2 octopus hooks. For single hook rigs a uni snell knot will work for dual hook rigs you have to tie a traditional snell knot so the line will lie flat on the hook shank coming out of the knot and won't affect the way the bait looks in the water.

I have chased walleye at Wheeler Branch myself. I fish both canoe and kayak. I caught a walleye the summer of 2014 about 17" (yum!). I was trolling Rapala silver SR5 shad rapp on 8# Trilene xl, and missed a second that hit rod #2. This was summer '14. Was trolling 13-15 FOW, parallel to large rock reef, North side. I continue to vary techniques. Last weekend I jigged 30-50 foot depths immediately adjacent to 25-35 foot "shelf." Was using spinning gear w/braid mainline, 8# fluorocarbon leader, 3/8 oz jig w/various swim baits. Missed two strikes, but when jig coming up a ways from bottom. Bass? Saw nothing on electronics (likely user ignorance). If anything like Walleye up North, lake bottom and s-l-o-w is important, often deep, but not always. Funny about the one I caught in '14...July...10:30 AM, nearly 90 deg air temp, not a cloud in the sky, water crystal clear and smooth as glass. Not exactly the walleye fisherman's dream conditions. I love fishing this lake chasing walleye; I have caught giant largemouth, solid smallmouth, a 10+ lb. channel cat, huge bluegill, not to mention the awesome aquarium show in the clear water. I'll keep chasing! Count me in if you have any weekend plans coming up in the cold weather.

D.L.

Good info, Bert and Canoe-Yak!

I await the proper weather to take Bert up on a walleye trip. I've seen a few caught out there by guys holding them up from boats as they passed by but none were fishing specifically for them.

It looks like fairly heavy winds tomorrow, 15 to 18 mph, and that means Wheeler would be even windier. Sunday looks like a better day to me. I may head down there for some LMB fishing.


I'll keep watching the reports!

Brad

I would be interested in joining you guys for this trip, Bert. Please let me know when you guys go.

You got it Bert, so it looks like we have 4,

Me
B_Rod
Brad R
Canoe-Yak

Anyone else interested? I will try to set up a venue to tie up rigs that is central to the metromess once we have a head count and we can tie up some rigs so everyone will be set.

I would be interested in the walleye trip. What are you thinking in terms of days and time of days early morning late evening? if you give me enough notice I can ask off

Lewisville fisher,

I think Bert is watching and waiting for water temps in the 45 to 50 degree range for the walleye outing. What we will do is scan this thread for anyone who has shown an interest to alert them.

This ought to be fun: get a half dozen or so kayaks out there and see what happens.

Brad

I am actually going to start going when the water temps get down to 55, they do a fall feed like other fish they just do it when the water is a bit colder. This is when they will stay shallower and be more fishable during the hours available at Wheeler.

Lewisville,

Probably going to try to do a Saturday or Sunday in the next few weeks and will continue to go all winter to truly figure out the walleye and lock them down. I plan on being there when the gates open at 7 and launching by 7:15 as they prefer lower light conditions.

New list,

Me
B_Rod
Brad R
Canoe-Yak
Lewisville Fisher

Who is actually interested in making bait rigs?

Bert,
I might be interested in tying up some rigs, or at least spending some quality time learning, depending how far away the get together is from Midlothian. I looked up the slow death rig. Might try this. Will order some hooks, plastics.

D.L.

Bert,

I'm in depending on scheduling.

I'll be down there Saturday, by the way, most likely.

Brad

What does everyone's schedule look like for the Saturday the 21st to tie some rigs? I am going to see if APT will let us invade the shop Saturday around lunch to tie some rigs if enough people can make it. We can ply the management into agreement easier if Bert can talk his better half in to making some Carne Pollo so we can make tacos...I'm just sayin. The other option would be if someone lives in the mid cities and would not mind hosting at their place.

Let me know what you think, I will bring clevises, beads, blades, leader material and hooks. My cost per rig with good hooks and flouro line is less than 1$ a rig so no big deal if you use my material.

This is the ball bearing swivel I buy on ebay, it has 2x the lb test of comparable swivels due to the welded rings and the price is far less than retail for ball bearing swivels. Using a ring swivel gives you one less thing to get hung up or fail IMO, I use size 0 or 1 to keep the drag from water down so they keep the bait from rising as much.

swivels

I also use walking sinkers with quick change sinker slides for weights so I can go from 1/16-1.5 oz to get down to the bottom easily. I change the snap on the sinker slide to a #2 to keep snags down, they don't make the 1/16 and 1/8 walking sinkers easy to find any more so you have to search for them or buy some drop shot sinkers and round out the line holder with a line up punch.

sinker slides

I could do rig tying on Sat Nov 21, especially since Windfinder showing N winds, 20 gust to 30 mph, 44 deg F high, albeit long range forecast. Hey what is "APT"? Apartment? Where?

Saturday may find me at Wheeler, but also kicking around idea of crappie fishing Cleburne State Park since I haven't been there lately, and never in the fall. Not sure if canoe or yak, yet.

Anglers Pro Tackle in North Richland Hills off 820 and Rufe Snow

Bert,

APT sounds good to me on that date, so I'll be there unless I have a schedule conflict.

Oh! And, if for any reason someone wants or needs a primer or lesson on tying FG junction knots, I have learned to employ several little tips/tricks that make it rather easy. I do these FGs at home . . . tying on a fresh leader before I go out.

Not that we'll need an FG for Bert's rigs, but a handy knot to know if you are a heavy user of leaders to braid main lines.

Brad

Brad,

I use a reverse albright knot for braid to flouro leader and have never had it fail. It ties much easier than that knot on the water in the wind and will pass through rod guides so you can tie a longer leader. I used to use the standard albright for this but switched after the first time tying this one.

I have contacted Rick and he is willing to let us use his facility on the 21st and at present I have this list for rig making,

Me
Brad
Canoe-Yak

If anyone else would like to attend let me know soon so I can let Rick know how many will be there.

Fishing,

Me
B_Rod
Brad R
Canoe-Yak
Lewisville Fisher

I can't be there the 21st but I would like to be at wheelers branch for the fishing. I'll google lindy rigs and try to tie some up.

I will tie some up and bring them for you, easier than you having to buy all the supplies. It is just fun to me to make the lures I catch them on.

Thanks Bert. I appreciate it very much.

What time Saturday 21st at APT?
D.L.

I can't make the 21st either Bert. Sorry. I could make Sunday, the 22nd.

Bert, just confirming that I am open for Saturday, preferably early rather than late, but still open.

What time?

If only a few of us can make it, we should be able to tie up the rigs and have a supply ready to go for when the conditions are right on Wheeler.

Too, I'd also be able to meet at Wheeler Branch though it is going to be a little cool on Saturday. I haven't looked at Sunday yet but I will likely fish one day or the other, somewhere.

Brad

I was thinking 11 AM to noonish at APT if there are 3 of us we should be able to tie up a dozen or so rigs and have everyone covered when we get together at the lake.

Windy on Saturday too but this is the first front that will drive down the water temps, a few more weeks and they will be on.

Bert, I'll see you there at 11 AM unless the time gets changed.

Brad

Sorry for late response. I will not be able to make it this sat.