Are there More?

[HillbillyRock]

Hi guys I am new and just fund this forum. Me and my son cought a couple walleye today in Douglas lake in Tennessee. We were fishing for crappie under a bridge that has large concrete pillars that are in the water. We cought a couple walleye there. Does this mean there are alot more? I kinda liked cathing those and they are extremely yummie,lol.

[JonSailerSD]

>Hi guys I am new and just fund this forum. Me and my son
>cought a couple walleye today in Douglas lake in Tennessee. We
>were fishing for crappie under a bridge that has large
>concrete pillars that are in the water. We cought a couple
>walleye there. Does this mean there are alot more? I kinda
>liked cathing those and they are extremely yummie,lol.


There is a good chance there are more. They typically travel in packs. Pick up some jigs and power minnows and try that spot again.

Jon

[karpbuster]

When you catch a walleye by accident, add a minnow or nightcrawler to your crappie jig and let it go to the bottom and work it up slowly, let the fish take your bait for moment and set the hook. I hate to admit it, but hey... I caught a walleye by accident crappie fishing as well, bonus!... and it was 4#s.

karpbuster

[l]

I consider it a bonus if I catch a nice crappie or two when walleye fishing lol.

There are definitely more:
http://www.tnfish.org/WinterGillNetSampleResults_TWRA/DouglasGillnetting_TWRA/TWRA_DougalsGillnetting.htm

The question is are they where you are fishing? lol

Bridges are generally necked down areas (funnels) so they can be a good place to fish for lots of stuff. Walleye's can stay in the same place for a month or more or just hang out in a spot for a few hrs. They eat a lot of the same stuff as crappie.

IMO and it is just opinion based on limited experience, some eyes may hang out in with the crappie but they are likely under your 15" size limit.

I would start looking for bigger eyes below the crappie down to the bottom (picking off injured bait below the crappie or waiting for a careless crappie). A 9" crappie can be dinner for a 25+" eye but I think they stop being buddies long before the eye reaches 25".

It might just be there are just some eye's mixed with a bunch of crappies. Either way, increasing the bait size a notch or two may discourage the crappie bite just enough to give the eyes a better chance of grabbing your bait 1st. Bigger minnows or using 1/2 a crawler on a jig is more eye friendly too.

If your nite fishing the crappie with lights, definitely try just outside the "crappie zones of light" to the side and below. Casting Husky Jerks/minnow baits to the edges of the lantern lite with a slow steady retrieve may be worth a shot.

You might also try fishing the same depth on the nearest couple of points or humps + any rip rap. Vertical fishing blade baits like silver buddies or hopkins spoons may be worth a try in addition to the other suggestions by previous posters. When you get serious about it, study up on fishing deep contours with bottom bouncers and harnesses. Another southern program on clear reservoirs is nite trolling stickbaits.

Sauger are very bottom oriented.

Hope this helps.

[HillbillyRock]

Thanks guys i will try to hook some more of these boogers, Oh I found out they were sauger not walleye, aren't they the same?

[JonSailerSD]

Their are Walleye, Sauger and Saugeye which is a cross between a sauger and a walleye. A sauger will usually be thinner, has dark blotches on its body and no white tip on bottom of the tail fin. They all taste the same though. :)

Jon

[north_alabama]

Walleyes and sauger are closely related, but distinct species. There are Walleyes throughout the Tennessee river chain and its tribs, especially towards the north and east, further south sauger tend to dominate.