THE SECRET TO CATCH 25LB WALLEYE(GREERS FERRY)

[DICK KNUTSON]

WELL IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE TO MOST OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS POST THAT SOME OF THE LOCAL BOYS HAD FIGURED OUT A WAY TO CATCH THE GIANT BLUES. OUR EXPERIENCES BEGAN AFTER WE HAD BEFRIENDED SOME OF THESE FELLOWS AND SWORE THAT WE WOULD NEVER TELL HOW THEY DID IT. FIRST OFF LET ME SAY THIS. FROM THE PROJECTS STANDPOINT WE KNEW THESE GOLIATHS EXISTED.THE NEXT TRICK WAS TO BE ABLE TO EXAMINE THEM CLOSELY. THE FISH THAT WE TEST NETTED WERE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED BACK INTO THE RIVER. WE KNEW THAT THE FISH ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST WERE DEAD OR ABOUT TO BE AND IT WAS MORE THAN A CASUAL INTEREST IN HOW MOST OF THESE FISH WERE REALLY CAUGHT. SO OFF WE WENT TO THE DEVILS FORK TO JOIN UP WITH SOME LOCALS ON THEIR FISHING EXPEDITIONS. NOW WE CANNOT LOSE SIGHT ON THE MILLION DOLLARS AND WHAT A MILLION MEANT TO THESE FOLKS!!!! WHAT THE HECK A MILLION TO MOST OF US IS A LOT OF CHINGA!!! WELL WE WERE TOLD TO PREPARE FOR NIGHTIME EXCURSIONS ON THE DEVILS FORK. THE FIRST NIGHT WE WENT WE JUMPED INTO SOME BOATS AND HEADED UP TO THE GENERAL AREA OF THE HAINES HOLE. THEY IMMEDIATELY BEACHED THE BOATS AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR FORKED STICKS AND FIREWOOD. THE FORKED STICKS? YOU GUESSED IT. TO HOLD THE RODS. THE RODS WERE PREPARED WITH SOME SLIP THROUGH SINKERS WITH SOME REALLY LARGE HOOKS AS THE BAIT HOLDER. THEN ONE OF THE MEN SAID TO ME "HAVE YOU EVER FISHED WITH "GRANOLA BARS". I LOOKED AT HIM AND POLITELY SAID "GRANOLA BARS?" HE CHUCKLED AND PUT HIS HAND INTO A VERY LARGE BAIT BUCKET AND HANDED ME A ONE POUND OR SO RAINBOW TROUT."RAINBOW TROUT" I ASKED?" YEP HE SAID THOSE BIG ONES WILL TRAVEL FIFTY MILES TO EAT ONE OF THESE. WE CALL THEM "GRANOLAS" SO NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WERE FISHING WITH. HE PROCEEDED TO HOOK THE TROUT ON MY HOOK, AND CASTED THE HUGE BAIT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER, SET THE ROD INTO THE FORKED STICK AND IMMEDIATELY TIED SOME TOILET PAPER ONTO THE LINE SO WE COULD SEE IF THE LINE STARTED TO FEED OUT IN THE BLACK NIGHT. WANT SOME BEANS THEY ASKED AS THEY LIT THE FIRE. WELL MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THE HUGE BAIT AND SO I ASKED. THE ANSWER WAS QUITE SIMPLE,"TO A 20LBER THIS IS NOTHING" THEY WERE RIGHT. A SHORT TIME LATER ONE OF THE FELLOWS LINES STARTED TO FEED OUT. WAS I GOING TO BE A WITNESS TO A NEW WORLD RECORD FISH BEING CAUGHT. NOPE! IT WAS ONLY A 17LBER. THIS WAS THE START OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE GUYS THAT LASTED MANY YEARS AND STILL DOES TO THIS DAY. KOSHER FISHING? DEFINETLY A GRAY AREA WE WERE LATER TO FIND OUT!!! SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WERE SO INGENIOUS THAT THEY HAD BUILT SOPHISTICATED AQUARIUMS TO HOLD NOT ONLY TROUT BUT ALSO TO HOLD BIG WALLEYE THAT WERE CAUGHT PRIOR TO THE TOURNAMENT!!! YEP THET WERE FEEDING THESE MONSTERS TROUT IN THE AQUARIUM TO GET THEM FATTER FOR WEIGH IN WHEN THE TOURNAMENT STARTED!! SOME OTHERS HAD FARM PONDS AND DID THE SAME THING. THIS WAS A VERY SOPHISTICATED OPERATION TO PUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKETS. NOW LETS GET BACK TO THE TROUT. GREERS FERRY BACK IN THOSE DAYS HAD A RAINBOW TROUT HATCHERY. THESE MONSTERS LOVED TO EAT TROUT FOR WHATEVER REASON!!!! IN A LATER YEAR WE WENT ALONG WITH ONE OF THE TRUCKS WHEN THEY WENT TO DUMP THE TROUT. THE TRUCK BACKED DOWN THE RAMP TO DUMP THE TROUT INTO GREERS WHEN I NOTICED A SMALL BOY NEXT TO THE RAMP WAITING FOR THEM TO DUMP THE TROUT. HE HAD CHEESE ON A HOOK AND WE ALL KIND OF WATCHED HIM AS THE TRUCK BEGAN TO DUMP THE TROUT . ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BOYS BOBBER WENT DOWN AND WE ALL KIND OF CHUCKLED WITH GLEE UNTIL THE BOYS ROD BENT OVER INTO THE TIGHTEST CURVE AND HE YELLED FOR HELP. I RACED OVER AND GRABBED THE ROD AND HE KEPT ON REELING WITH ALL OF HIS MIGHT. WELL HERE COMES A WALLEYE HANGING ONTO THE TROUT THAT ATE THE CHEESE. THAT WALLEYE WEIGHED 19LBS!!!! TRUE STORY. SO THERE YOU HAVE IT!! THE SECRET TO CATCHING BIG WALLEYE ON GREERS FERRY. I AM GOING TO DO ONE MORE STORY ON GREERS AS FAR AS THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY ON GREERS BUT REMEMBER THIS!!! WHEN ONE OF THOSE GOOD OLD BOYS TELLS YOU THAT HE CAUGHT A GIANT OF GREERS ON A BLACK REBEL PLEASE PLEASE DON'T START LAUGHING OUT LOUD IN FRONT OF HIM. DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[Sunshine]

Dick,
You're the Man! I thoroughly enjoy your stories! Thank You

[Andy K]

Better stock up on those granola bar colored lures!! LOL

Andy K/CO

[gilly8000]

I HOPE THIS ISN'T THE LAST STORY. I'M STARTING TO THINK I NEED 'EM TO GET THROUGH THE WORKWEEK!

[Dave in Mpls]

Great stories, Dick. I really enjoy them. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us!

Regards

[Backwater Eddy]

See T-Mac, what have I been telling you about feeding trout to the piggys!

:D

Thanks again Dick, great reading.

><,SUMO,>

Backwater Eddy.....><,,>

[Fishoil]

I DON'T REMEMBER WHO POSTS "FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS FISH FOR TROUT" , BUT MAYBE HE SHOULD RETHINK THAT ONE.

[Dutchman]

DICK, ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU, THANK YOU, GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, HOPE YOU HAVE MORE STORIES TO SHARE.....


" Fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope "

[Pitts]

I too have been enjoying all of your stories so please keep them comming even after your Greers Ferry line is done.
It sounds like you have had plenty of experience and can teach everyone a thing or too besides winding a very good tale.
Thanks


Pitts

[CJHughes@Norstan.com]

Thanks Dick I really enjoy your stories .

[Rich S.]

I too enjoy your stories very much. I also have used Rainbow Trout for bait. My frindes and I use to go to Jewel food store and buy the live trout they use to have in a tank. We would then go ice fishing on a very deep sourthern Wisconsin lake and fish for HUGE Northern Pike. The best to date was 28 lb. Thanks and keep the stories coming!

[Fishoil]

DICK, I ALMOST FORGOT TO THANK YOU FOR THE POST. KEEP 'EM COMIN'!! I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE ALREADY. THANKS AGAIN

[DICK KNUTSON]

A FEW OF YOU HAVE EMAILED ME ASKING HOW THE "BOYS" GOT THE TROUT. REMEMBER I TOLD YOU THAT THIS WAS CONDUCTED LIKE A MILITARY OPERATION. WELL ALL THEY DID WAS GO ON SOME MIDNIGHT OPERATIONS AT THE TROUT HATCHERY. ANOTHER INTERESTING ASPECT IS THAT THESE GUYS SENT DIVERS DOWN NEXT TO THE HATCHERY NETS TO GET TROUT AND LOW AND BEHOLD GUESS WHO ELSE WAS WAITING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE NETS GIANT WALLEYES!!! THESE WALLEYES LOVED RAINBOW TROUT!!!! ANOTHER QUICK STORY INVOLVES THE GROUP THAT HAD THE FARM PONDS. WELL THE STORY GOES THAT THEY CAUGHT TWO 20LB CLASS WALLEYE IN NOVEMBER AND PUT THEM INTO THE PONDS IN ORDER TO FEED THEM. I WAS TOLD THAT ONE OF THE WALLEYES DIED RIGHT AWAY AND THE SECOND DIED SEVERAL WEEEKS PRIOR TO THE TOURNAMENT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WEIGHED THE FISH AND IT WENT 24.5 LBS. I AM SURE THAT BROKE THEIR HEARTS!!! SO CLOSE TO THE MILLION BECAUSE IT TOOK A FISH OVER 25LBS TO DO IT . HARPERS FISH HAD NOT BEEN DISQUALIFIED AT THAT TIME. DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[Neal/CO]

Great story Dick!!! Does the Southern strain still exist genetically? Are there still 20lbers swimming in Greers?

The Colorado state record Brown trout was caught in the Roaring Judy ponds next to the Hatchery. These ponds are stocked with stocker bows for kids and tourists to catch. Some Gunnison locals used to fish these ponds at night for Browns that swim up the Gunnison river from Blue Mesa and sometimes find their way to the ponds. THis one liked it so much he stayed until he was almost 31 lbs. Then one night he mistook a rainbow pattern Rap for the real thing!

[WAeyes]

All this talk of 20lb. plus fish is making me a little queezy in the tummy and little shaky in the hands...not to mention my heart is beating a little irregular. How many more stories does this guy have? Did you and the fish doctor ever make it out west to the Columbia River? Keep them coming Dick, great stuff.

[Jeff Berg]

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR STORIES. I'VE BEEN ENJOYING THEM VERY MUCH.

JEFF BERG

[ozarkeyes]

Good story to wet the appetites of all the walleye anglers. But just a word of warning to those who might decide to head down here with a load of trout to use as bait. The times have changed since Mr. Knutson experienced those excursions. Forget the trout. It is illegal to use trout as bait. The only game fish that can be used are bream under four inches. Some striper guides on Lake Ouachita last summer were using rainbows as bait and found out the hard way it is illegal. But come on down anyway. Weather has been up and down, but nice at times, such as this weekend- 50's-60's. - John Holstine, AWA.

[RANGER]

MY PALMS ARE SWEATY AND COLD, A SHIVER DOWN MY SPINE - WOW - GREAT STORIES!!

THANKS DICK.

[nosnoots]

But rainbow pattern cranks are fine eh...................
:)

nosnoots

[Luvtotroll]

I was around the Gunnsiosn area when that Brown was caught. I twas an old breeder that was released into the pond. People who were there said it was snagged because it would not hit anything. It just swam around on top of the water. Either way it is a huge fish. It was on display for a while at the local sporting goods store.

[DICK KNUTSON]

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR THE VERY KIND COMMENTS!!!!ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE INFO THAT LIVE RAINBOWS ARE ILLEGAL TO USE IN ARKANSAS. HOWEVER A BIG FAT AC SHINER IN A RAINBOW PATTERN? USING CRUNCHED UP RAINBOW AND THEN DIP THE BAIT IN IT? HMMMMM. IN MY OPINION SOME 20LBS PLUS ARE STILL THERE BUT YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT THEY WERE DOGGONE SCARCE BACK THEN. IF SOME OF YOU ARE GETTING THE URGE I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT RACED THROUGH MY MIND A WHILE BACK WHEN I TALKED ON THE PHONE WITH ONE OF THE GOOD OLD BOYS THAT WE SPENT MANY A NIGHT WITH ON THE DEVILS FORK.I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS THINKING OF DOING THESE STORIES AND ASKED FOR HIS BLESSING ON TELLING YOU FOLKS HOW IT WAS DONE BACK THEN. HE SAID GO AHEAD WHICH MADE ME FEEL GOOD. HE SAID THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO AND RELEASED ME FROM MY PLEDGE NOT TO TELL. I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT WE LAUGHED AND CHUCKLED FOR 45MINUTES STRAIGHT RECALLING SOME OF THE EXPLOITS. BUT NOW ITS SOMEONE ELSES TURN TO HAVE A CRACK AT THE WORLD RECORD AND GREERS HAS THE FISH TO DO IT.SOMEONE ELSE ASKED ABOUT THE COLUMBIA AND WE NEVER MADE IT OUT THERE. SO FAR THE COLUMBIA HAS NOT PRODUCED WALLEYE OVER 20LBS SO I WOULD STILL PUT MY MONEY ON GREERS.I DID RECEIVE A CALL FROM A GUIDE ON GREERS AND I AM GOING TO TELL HIM EVERYTHING WE KNOW AND WHEN HE GETS READY I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW TO GET A HOLD OF HIM. SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. LET ME REMIND YOU OF THIS . ALL THE KINGS HORSES AND ALL THE KINGS MEN TRIED AND TRIED AND ONE MAN DID IT BECAUSE AFTER HARPERS FISH WAS DISQUALIFIED FROM FIRST PLACE THE SECOND PLACE FISH BECAME THE NEW WORLD RECORD AND THAT FISH WAS CAUGHT ON GREERS FERRY NOW ITS YOUR TURN!!! GO GET EM!! BECAUSE THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ARE PRIME TIME AT GREERS!!!!!!! DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[WAeyes]

Hey Dick, how much did the second (now first) place fish weigh and measure? What month and year was it caught?

[rick-AR]

i'm new to the game, so don't think of me as being rude. but, was'nt the Dupont spinner from Delaware? And as far as "telephoning", never heard of it. have'nt the natives cornered the market on spearing on the Red, and set their sites on Lacs? again, don't mean to offend anyone, especially Mr. Knutson. everyone seems to hold you in high regard, and i'm just a guest. Dutchman, your quote says it all!

[DICK KNUTSON]

IN ANSWERING SEVERAL REPLIES I WILL START WITH THE STATISTICS ON THE NEW WORLD RECORD WALLEYE. IT WAS CAUGHT BY AL NELSON AND WEIGHED 22LBS 11OZS. ACCORDING TO MY NOTES IT WAS CAUGHT ON MARCH 14 1982. MY NOTES SAY IT WAS MEASURED BY CARL PERRIN WHO WAS A FISHERIES BIOLOGIST AT THE TIME FOR THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. THE FISH MEASURED 35 INCHES LONG WITH A GIRTH OF 24. I JUST WENT IN AND MEASURED THE WALLEYE I HAVE FROM GREERS FERRY. IT MEASURES 35INCHES BY 24 ALSO. OURS WEIGHED 22LBS 6OZ SO IT CERTAINLY MATCHES THE NUMBERS ON ALS FISH. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THE FISH I HAVE WAS TAKEN FROM THE TEST NETS. I REMEMBER FISH OVER 24 LBS IN THE TEST NETS AND THEN RELEASED BACK INTO THE RIVER.AT THAT POINT IN TIME WE HAD NOT DONE THE RESEARCH ON HARPERS FISH. WE WERE HOLDING WORLD RECORD FISH IN OUR HANDS AND DID NOT REALIZE IT!!!!! I REMEMBER CALLING AL NELSON ABOUT DR. MURPHY AND ME INTERVIEWING HIM ABOUT HIS FISH AND AT THAT TIME HE WAS INUNDATED WITH CALLS AND WANTED HIS PRIVACY. WE DID NOT KNOW HIM NOR DID WE EVER MEET WITH HIM. IN REPLY TO THE GENTLEMEN WHO QUESTIONED "TELEPHONING" AND "DUPONT SPINNERS" LET ME SAY THIS. THE USE OF OLD STYLE PHONES THAT HAD GENERATORS IN THEM TO SHOCK FISH WAS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO ARKANSAS. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE EXPRESSION "TELEPHONING" BEFORE. WHEN I ASKED A LOCAL GAME WARDEN ABOUT THIS I WAS TOLD THAT THE OLD STYLE PHONES WITH GENERATORS IN THEM WERE BRINGING A PREMIUM PRICE!!!! THIS PRINCIPLE OF USING GENERATORS TO SHOCK FISH IS STILL USED BY GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENTS FOR DOING RESEARCH ON FISH. ALSO USING THE NICKNAME "DUPONT SPINNERS" IS NOT NEW AND FISHING WITH DYNAMITE IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO ARKANSAS. IN BOTH CASES IT IS HIGHLY ILLEGAL. THE THEME OF THE WHOLE STORY FROM THE START IS THAT A MILLION DOLLARS CAN BRING OUT THE WORST IN A LOT OF PEOPLE. I THINK ALL OF US KNOW OF PEOPLE CHEATING IN FISHING TOURNAMENTS FOR A LOT LESS THAN A MILLION. THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING SO KIND WITH YOUR COMMENTS DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[Backwater Eddy]

Dick in resent years has the local AR fisheries seen many sumo class monster blue walleye?

Do they suspect that most of the older brood stock has died off in the system lessening the chances of continued production of sumo class walleye?

If so won't this subsequently limiting chances for any new world record fish?

Very interesting information you have shared with us, I thank you for doings so. Please feel free to share more.

Thanks,

Backwater Eddy ~ ~ ~><sUMo> ~ ><>

[Polite suggestion]

Could you please type with your caps lock off. It makes your stories very hard to read.

Thank you.

[gilly8000]

Polite Suggestion - The reason Dick types in all caps is because he said his eyes were bad. This way he can better see what he's typing.

[Walizz 1]

Hi Dick: Great stories and great reading. Thank You.

[DICK KNUTSON]

IN RESPONSE TO BACK WATER EDDYS QUESTION I WILL TRY TO GIVE YOU THE RESULTS OF OUR STUDY AND WHAT WE LEARNED IN A FUTURE POST. EXCELLENT QUESTIONS BY THE WAY !!!!! DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[Hawgeye]

And to think there is very likely a walleye out their twice as big as my biggest of 13lbs...WOW! I am humbled. Almost depressing! My biggest doesn't seem like such an acheivement. I guess that is another reason for committing myself to fish more frequently, learn more about it and fish harder and smarter! Like I needed another reason to go fishing!

[MOeyez]

Great stuff, Dick. Keep 'em coming! So a world record walleye (from Greers in early spring) would only(!) have to go about 35-36 inches? I guess it depends on the body of water. A gal I know caught a 37-incher from upper Bull Shoals this past June, but it only weighed 13-9. Wonder what that fish would weigh in March? And I got a 33-incher from the same area in July that went 11-12. I'm guessing these are shad-fed fish. There's trout in Bull Shoals, but not in that area.

Mike

P.S. Her fish just came back from the taxidermist and is now on display at the K-Dock Marina--as fine a fish and mount as I've ever seen.