I think 4 WE(walleye)/ac is acceptable especially since you stocked the 5"-7" sizes. The smaller stocker WE are,,, the lower their chances of survival due to early post stock predation from other larger fish until the WE become established. A 6" WE has to live a many months 24/7 before it is out of the prey size for a 16"-18" LMB.
An existing body of water is usually at normal carrying capacity, and without prior to stocking the removal some existing predators, the stocker fish have a hard time surviving due to the "full house" of current well adapted residents who have a large survival advantage over any 'newbees'. You will be very lucky if 1 WE/ac survives. Future angler catch per unit effort of WE will tell the rest of the story.
In existing water esp with mixed sizes of LMB, I always encourage stocker walleye to be closer to 8"-10" long for best chance of survival when LMB are present. An 8" WE is still not much bigger body cross section than a cigar; easy meals for 12"+ LMB and 18"+ CC. Next time you catch a 12" LMB look at its mouth size gape compared to the diameter of a cigar 5"-7"WE.
IMO the 10" SMB have a better chance of survival compared to the 5"-7" WE. It would have been better to remove around 50-100 LMB-CC prior to SMB-WE stocking. This would have helped a lot in food availability and predator pressure reduction. The 20 pounds of FHM were likely very quickly consumed by the residents while the newbees were becoming accustomed to the new 'digs' and trying to not become easy food. Large predators usually choose larger prey compared to prey smaller than optimum or preferred size. Your CC are efficient low light predators whereas LMB are efficient variable light predators while both are bottom oriented which is where the WE and SMB primarily inhabit. Interaction is important in who survives in the prey-predator behavior.
Angler catch surveys will reveal the survival success of your new fish.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/10/19 11:08 AM.
