help solving walleye puzzle on central WI flowage

[dodgeman29]

I have fished the Castle Rock Flowage in central WI since I was old enough to hold a fishing pole. My Grandpa used to guide out there and I couldn't tell you how many days my Dad and I have spent out there fishing walleyes over the years. We NEVER had a problem finding numbers or decent size walleyes until two years ago. It's been absolutely horrible-spring, summer, fall and winter. It's like they quit relating to any and all structure that has produced for the last 35 years. Brush, inside and outside bends in the old river channel, shallow and deep points, shallow flats, weeds.... I just cannot find them. I've tried every presentation known to man. Three years ago there was a bumper crop of white bass and now the sheepshead are coming on strong too. This is about the only thing that I can think of that would cause the drastic change in walleye fishing. I'm thinking that there are huge schools of young white bass and sheepshead that the walleyes are feeding on, maybe suspended in deeper water or there is so much feed that they just aren't looking to eat. It's very humbling for me to ask because I take great pride in my abilities to find and catch eyes, especially on my home water, but does anyone have any suggestions or ideas????

[schram24]

Here is my theory. Several years ago the DNR placed tougher laws/inspections on bait fish harvesting (for bait shop supplies) due to VHS. This has detered bulk dealers from harvesting the bait fish. There is now an explosion of the population of the bait fish, allowing many species of fish to feed freely, with out much hunting for food. I would stear clear of minnows right now as a choice of presentation in exchange for plastics or other non minnow like bait. Many of the walleyes are still staging as in the past, but have no need to chase a meal. Just my two cents. I am sure their are plenty of other theories available.

[Raybob]

have no need to chase a meal-relating to my food rich home lake...

1) try nights after a late daytime food location check for that days conditions.

2) try crawdad cranks in/along the rocks at night for the full-belly stuffed eyes that want a sweet treat.


Also, maybe Eye fishing pressure -combined- w/more A to Z mouths to feed results in less Eye fry/fingerlings to grow to catchable size...

BTW ~ the dreaded white bass take a mighty toll on the eye fry/small eyes when their numbers are up on my home lake in addition to other fish...

[wimwuen]

I don't fish Castle Rock a lot, but do frequent Petenwell. The white bass and sheephead have really come on up there too. I'm still finding fish on steep breaks along points. The big key has been finding points with predominant feeding shelves on them. This year in particular, the fish seemed to be relating to the flooded timber more than most years.

Trolling over 12'-17' deep stump and tree fields produced best most of the summer. I hope to get over to Petenwell again in a couple weeks, but I have the Mississippi bug right now. Gotta satisfy that first.

[dodgeman29]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll listen to any theories or ideas, anything to try to figure this out. I'm really frustrated.