The walleye thread

[jad2t]

It's that time of year and since you all hate me eating trout :D help me figure where and when to find walleye and I'll eat those instead, then everyone's happy haha.

Seriously though, walleye experts, I'm heading to the Caney Saturday afternoon to fish until about dark. I've gotten some good advice from Mike on finding them below the dam near that waterfall. Of course on no generation since I don't have a boat, I'll hike it down the bank opposite from the steps as far as I can go. I've fished there several times with crankbaits and zoom flukes, caught some nice LM bass and white bass but that's it. Should I fish that deeper area by the waterfall and dam wall (keep in mind during no generation they will be letting out 250 cfs from the sluice just to keep a small current flow and I figured this would attract fish) or should I head to the deep water to the left of the Betty's Island access?

I've asked about and researched lures to catch them and I'm equipped. I've never caught one nor eaten one but I'd like to remedy that this weekend. As always, any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Fish Whisperer]

From what I understand, you'd be better off showing up at dusk and fishing at night...


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[txnative]

The flat in front if the first waterfall you come to is the area I've had the most luck. I use a floating smithwick rattling rogue in blue back/silver/orange belly. I've also used a black back/silver rebel minnow. I use the 4 1/2" versions. Cast them out and bring them back at a medium retrieve rate and throw a few short jerks in during the retrieve. The walleye will slam the jerkbait, so be ready. The bite is off an on, since the walleye move into the shallow area to feed then slide back into deeper water.


Chris

[punchs]

Rapala husky jerks. There is a secret handed down through my family to fishing them for Walleye and I can not tell you what it is. No just kidding when you are reeling it in jerk it. Take about thre winds and then give it a little tug to make it look like it's having a seisure in the water then wait a second and reel some more followed by another jerk. Drives them crazy because the bait looks injured. If that doesn't work then try some walleye worm harnesses and get them out there with a planner board. This is an awesome way to fish when the water is up and you just can't get to the fish.

Good luck,

[ditz1]

they are just so so fighters but are very good eaters. I like candy but walleye are better.;)

[MNfisher]

Yeah, right at dusk and after will be your best bet. Especially on a clear day with no generation.

[jad2t]

I'd stay until after dark but it's a little risky out there alone. I could slip and fall on those rocks and that could be a really bad situation if I'm alone... plus the future wife has begged me not to stay way after dark alone for that reason haha. I planned to head down the bank toward those waterfalls and fish until dusk. If I had a canoe or someone fishing with me I'd stay as late as I needed to catch a limit of walleye but it's just not a good idea to walk across those slippery rocks alone when it's pitch black.

[Mnfishingbum]

How did it go

[jad2t]

Not tonight, tomorrow night. I'll report back and let you all know

[agelesssone]

Once my leg get healed up to where I'm a little more nimble on my feet, I'm gonna get up there with you some night Jimmy. That way, when we fall, as least we'll have each other to commiserate with!

[jad2t]

Once my leg get healed up to where I'm a little more nimble on my feet, I'm gonna get up there with you some night Jimmy. That way, when we fall, as least we'll have each other to commiserate with!

Haha sounds like a plan! The pain won't be too bad as long as we are catching lots of fish!

[Alphahawk]

One of the reasons I got the kayak was so I could fish the pond without that walk. My son and I walked it for a couple of years. Those rocks do get slick.



Regards

[StriperFan]

Jad2T,

While below Center Hill dam is a great place to catch walleye, right below the dam is where your best luck is going to be most of the time for the upper part of the river. Center Hill lake itself is a prime walleye destination, and at times, spring and summer more than now, the walleye run the shallows chasing bait and can be caught on the cranks and techniques mentioned. And a superb destination for walleye on into winter and spring is going to be the headwaters of Center Hill around Rock Island. Check it out, there is excellent walleye fishing from the bank. Cast creek minnows on light carolina rigs up stream and let them fall and drift downstream a little till it hits bottom. Near blue hole and across the river by the waterfalls are both good.

[jad2t]

Jad2T,

While below Center Hill dam is a great place to catch walleye, right below the dam is where your best luck is going to be most of the time for the upper part of the river. Center Hill lake itself is a prime walleye destination, and at times, spring and summer more than now, the walleye run the shallows chasing bait and can be caught on the cranks and techniques mentioned. And a superb destination for walleye on into winter and spring is going to be the headwaters of Center Hill around Rock Island. Check it out, there is excellent walleye fishing from the bank. Cast creek minnows on light carolina rigs up stream and let them fall and drift downstream a little till it hits bottom. Near blue hole and across the river by the waterfalls are both good.

I've been to Rock Island to swim but never fished. I've heard about this "blue hole" but isn't that the hole where everyone cliff jumps? There are walleye in there? I'd love to fish for them at Rock Island but it's a long drive for me that may not be worth it if I don't know exactly where to go. At least I know this time of year there won't be anyone swimming so I should have plenty of fishing opportunities. For Saturday I still plan to fish right below Center Hill Dam but in the future I'd like to try Rock Island. I vaguely remember that place, I do recall some shallow streams and then two small but deep bodies of water where people swim and cliff jump. Where am I looking to fish?

[rsimms]

Want walleye? Walk up the bank to where the opaque red circle (below) is AFTER DARK. That might be the spot many of you have mentioned?? I've been away too long.

Stand there and chunk and wind and chunk and wind all night long... the Husky Jerk mentioned is a good lure, or any jerkbait-style lure. Clown-nose Yo-Zuri's are killer (if you can afford them).

But if you go there and persevere... which again means chunk and wind all night long... you should catch walleye. A REAL good night would be six or eight fish.

I'm gone now but I lived in Cookeville several years. It's been many moons ago but I carried a lot of walleye away from that spot, but I don't think I ever caught one there in the daylight.
http://www.sceniccityfishing.com/forumpics/walleye.jpg

[jad2t]

That's exactly where I was! JUST as it started getting dark, I saw lightning and I split. Definitely not taking that chance. Very disappointing night, I lost one of my favorite crankbaits and only caught a crappie. A keeper size but I threw it back since I wasn't after them and it's not very common to catch crappie in the Caney. I saw action out of reach, I really hate not having a boat. I'm not giving up though, I'll try again one night and stay much later than I did tonight.

[txnative]

I showed up around 9 pm and caught 2 quickly. I used a 3 1/2" Excalibur ghost minnow in blue back/white/orange belly. I was in my kayak sitting a long cast off the bank in the same spot jad2t was fishing. Both fish were around 20-22 inches.


Chris

[jad2t]

I showed up around 9 pm and caught 2 quickly. I used a 3 1/2" Excalibur ghost minnow in blue back/white/orange belly. I was in my kayak sitting a long cast off the bank in the same spot jad2t was fishing. Both fish were around 20-22 inches.


Chris
Dangit man, so they were there if I had stayed until dark. That lightning scared me away. I wasn't sure how bad it may get and I didn't want to take the chance :mad:

How were you retrieving that lure?

[txnative]

It was smart to duck out before the storm hit. It had brief, but heavy, rain and some serious wind.

I use a retrieve that keeps the lure just off the bottom. You kind of have to get a feel for it, but it is easy to figure out: start slow and speed up till you hit bottom a lot, then slow it back down a bit. I also give quick pulls...not a jerk...every few turns of the handle. The hit usually happens right after one of these pulls.


Chris

[agelesssone]

TX,

This question may have been covered before, but I gotta ask it again.

Can I launch a boat there and fish below the dam?

I don't know ANYTHING about the place, but really want to get up there for some walleyes plus I've got a friend coming down for Thanksgiving and I know he'd love to catch some.

[MNfisher]

Jad2t,

You can't expect to get them all the time:-). If you could, we would all be there every night!

Also about the crappies on the Caney...you would be surprised, I have had trips where I could have filled buckets full of nice crappie down there!

[jad2t]

TX,

This question may have been covered before, but I gotta ask it again.

Can I launch a boat there and fish below the dam?

I don't know ANYTHING about the place, but really want to get up there for some walleyes plus I've got a friend coming down for Thanksgiving and I know he'd love to catch some.

There's a boat ramp less than a quarter mile from the dam that you can launch from. It's in the campgrounds

[jad2t]

Ok what I'm going to do is rent a canoe from Outdoor Experience here in Cookeville. They rent them for 35 dollars for a 24 hour period, MUCH better deal than Canoe the Caney, 50 bucks to use one for a few hours. I don't know when I'll have time to do this with school and all but when I do, I'm bringing it below the dam to night fish for walleye or anywhere else on the river I may want to fish for them...and big browns. When I do, I'll have room for one more if anyone is interested.

I need to just stop wasting my time bank fishing when it's not a good option, I waste too much time doing this and my free time is very limited because of school. Gotta make these trips count!

[StriperFan]

I've been to Rock Island to swim but never fished. I've heard about this "blue hole" but isn't that the hole where everyone cliff jumps? There are walleye in there? I'd love to fish for them at Rock Island but it's a long drive for me that may not be worth it if I don't know exactly where to go. At least I know this time of year there won't be anyone swimming so I should have plenty of fishing opportunities. For Saturday I still plan to fish right below Center Hill Dam but in the future I'd like to try Rock Island. I vaguely remember that place, I do recall some shallow streams and then two small but deep bodies of water where people swim and cliff jump. Where am I looking to fish?

I usually fished up there from late February on through spring and early summer. Blue hole you park in the park and have to walk a mile down many steps to get to, but yes you will catch walleye right off the bank there. Lots of Walleye are also caught where the boat ramp is, there is a bottleneck to the right where it is hard to pass with most boats. You will see boats lined up there mostly vertical jigging and drifting back, over and over, not a good place to fish from the bank but it will give you an idea of how many walleye are there. The other best place to fish from the bank there is to go back out of the park and take a left, then a left again to go over the dam, then back around to the left till you get to the upper access area, forget what it is really called, find it on a map first. Water comes accross from great falls lake there and it is shallow, and swift. Good numbers of Walleye, spots, and smallmouth inhabit those waters and no boats make it up that far.

[commdd]

hey guys, new to TN this year, posted here a few times... and one of the first places I went (in march) was the park at Rock Island and the park ramp was way out of the water...where they doing repairs at that time or is that normal...thanks!

[ojibwa]

The water at Rock Island has been low since they started the repairs on Center Hill dam. It fluctuates a lot depending on rainfall. Check the generation schedule for the water level. The best ramp to use is the Warren Co. ramp.

[StriperFan]

I haven't been there in a few years, but it was so regular then that I wouldn't even have thought things could have changed so much.

[robhal11]

Talked to a guide last Friday and said to come up in Feb, just off the boat ramp, run up jig float back, do it over and over. Hopefully will be able to this spring. I have being trying to get over there for several years at the right time and have always missed it. Floated a portion of the Collins last Friday only saw one Musky(in about 8 to 12 miles) tough day but great to be on the water.

[jad2t]

I usually fished up there from late February on through spring and early summer. Blue hole you park in the park and have to walk a mile down many steps to get to, but yes you will catch walleye right off the bank there. Lots of Walleye are also caught where the boat ramp is, there is a bottleneck to the right where it is hard to pass with most boats. You will see boats lined up there mostly vertical jigging and drifting back, over and over, not a good place to fish from the bank but it will give you an idea of how many walleye are there. The other best place to fish from the bank there is to go back out of the park and take a left, then a left again to go over the dam, then back around to the left till you get to the upper access area, forget what it is really called, find it on a map first. Water comes accross from great falls lake there and it is shallow, and swift. Good numbers of Walleye, spots, and smallmouth inhabit those waters and no boats make it up that far.

Ok so you're telling me the Blue Hole isn't a winter hotspot for walleye, its more Spring to early summer. I'll definitely make a trip out there around that time. I guess for winter I either need to get in a boat with someone fishing for them in Center Hill or try my luck at the dam at night during no generation or during generation in the day. I'd rather not be out there at night alone so next long period of generation I'll try to get some time away from studying and give it a go. Thanks a bunch for the tips!

[Travis C.]

Ok so you're telling me the Blue Hole isn't a winter hotspot for walleye, its more Spring to early summer. I'll definitely make a trip out there around that time. I guess for winter I either need to get in a boat with someone fishing for them in Center Hill or try my luck at the dam at night during no generation or during generation in the day. I'd rather not be out there at night alone so next long period of generation I'll try to get some time away from studying and give it a go. Thanks a bunch for the tips!

The Blue Hole has been a walleye producer for years but what hasn't been said yet Jimmy is there are special regs up there between January 1 - April 30th. Just be aware of it. I imagine they keep check on it since some refer to that place as the best walleye fishing in the entire state.

"On the Caney Fork River from Rock Island State Park Boat Ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam. Anglers are restricted to using 1 hook having a single point, or one lure having a single hook with a single point. No more than three rods and reels or poles per angler may be used."

[jad2t]

The Blue Hole has been a walleye producer for years but what hasn't been said yet Jimmy is there are special regs up there between January 1 - April 30th. Just be aware of it. I imagine they keep check on it since some refer to that place as the best walleye fishing in the entire state.

"On the Caney Fork River from Rock Island State Park Boat Ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam. Anglers are restricted to using 1 hook having a single point, or one lure having a single hook with a single point. No more than three rods and reels or poles per angler may be used."

Oh wow, so there goes using the shad rap and husky jerk I just bought from Cabelas haha. Ill stick to using those below the dam for them. Thanks for that information, I was totally unaware of it!

[Transplanted Sportsman]

Does anybody has any idea where Walleye can be found this time of the year at Center Hill lake, or even Tims Ford lake, all this talk of 'eyes has me wanting to go and see if i can find any, I'm making plans to go this weekend and maybe do some trolling or any other technique that you guys may have in mind, I'm new to this kind of fishing and any idea of what kind of patterns fish may be, what do i ned to look for as far as structure or baitfish, also should i go strickly artificials, cranks, jigs etc or should soak some minnows and crawlers instead, any imput would be greatly appreciated, I will report back hopefully with some pics!!!