Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking how to catch a walleye?

I have a friend who has a well stocked 1 acre pond in North East Pennsylvania which had a nice population of large mouth bass, bluegills, crappie, and yellow perch. Then along came a generous friend and offered him 3 large walleyes (over 24" in size) for his pond. That was 2 years ago, this is the third summer with them in the pond.

The walleye moved right into the new role of top dog in the pond and since then he cannot catch anything, the walleye have done a number on his fish population to the point where he can't catch anything. He can't catch the walleye either, apparently they have more to eat in the pond so his lures don't seem to matter.

I told him the only sure way he could catch the walleye was by electrofishing the pond, although if they have established themselves and are breeding it complicates things a bit. Are there any other options, like a gotta eat it walleye lure? I have no idea what the electrofishing method would cost him but he would like to try other options first, he seems skeptical that his fish would ever wake up after being electroshocked, although he wouldn't care if the walleye didn't recover.

How old is this pond? I would consider the possibility that there is something else effecting the dynamics of this pond. I can't imagine three walleye, even large ones, would outcompete an established largemouth population.

The pond is a good 15 years old but he does not do any supplemental feeding, it is as he puts it 'au naturale.

I have been to his place for a picnic before the walleye were added and we caught over a dozen bass, put the largest in a cage until we were done fishing, and released them to keep up the breeding. The bass we kept were of a healthy weight to length ratio. He claims he did that a few times every summer. After the walleye went in the bass haul got progressively smaller until now nothing is taking the worm.

He claims all that has changed is the walleye and, as he put it, since his way of managing the pond is minimalist, it isn't from something he did.

If there are only 3 WYE in the pond you could be in for a pretty tough challenge. I usually vertically jig for them with as light of a jig as possible that allows you to feel the bottom of the lake with a minnow on the hook. The problem with fishing for Walleye for me has been finding the depth of water that they are feeding at. This method is the only way I have ever needed to fish for them. Some people troll with worm harnesses, but I like to sit in one place and relax and just drift with the wind tapping the jig on the bottom once every 5-10 seconds.

In my experience the best way to catch a walleye or just about any other fish is this:

1 - set out the bait of your choice - bobber, tightline, whatever.

2 - step approximately 1-2 steps away from the pole

3 - grab a sandwich in one hand, a beer (or beverage of your choice) in the other, and if possible have your cell phone ring and/or your fishing buddy distract you

You will immediately hook a fish. Now whether or not you CATCH said fish is based on a number of variables. Are you willing to drop your sandwich/beer/phone, jump partially in the water to save your pole, etc.

I agree with Omaha that 3 walleye even 24"+ ones will not outcompete the LMB and eliminate or dramatically impact the fishery. However the walleye might eat some of the fingerling and yearling LMB and perch. I think something else is going on in this pond. A 15 yr old pond is at a point in its fishery life where fish imbalance very often occurs due to improper management. Also maybe LMB are getting hook smart which is a common occurrence especially if some of the LMB recruitment has been hampered by a 2nd predator (WE). If LMB are essentially gone there should be scads of small fish 1"-3" around the edges which indicates lack of smaller LMB (6"-8"). The 3 big walleye will not focus on eating small BCP, YP BG until the favored prey is eliminated or scace.

I would not waste my money on depending on electroshocking to remove walleye. Electroshocking works well in shallow water and walleye often inhabit deeper water when in ponds especially if there is a noisy electroshock boat on the surface. My money is on the fact that not all three walleye survived transplanting - maybe 1 or 2 survived at best. Been there tried that. Large adult walleye do not transport well depending on the skill of the transporter.
I would take a bucket of FHM to the pond and use them for bait. I will bet the angling success changes.

So I guess you're saying a bucket of minnows is the gotta eat it walleye lure. Well nothing can be simpler than that, thanks for the advice.

In Bill Cody's pond, use his minnows.....

The minnows for bait are primarily to catch the other species of fish that are supposedly not present. You will probably not catch the walleye but you will sure find out that the bass are not as rare as once thought.

After catching and caging the LMB a number of times, I suspect that the LMB that he caught are now hook shy too. I second the "fish with live bait" suggestion.

We do best using FHM for WE'S approx. a hour before dark and even an hour after dark sometimes. But we've also caught them in the middle of the afternoon also. Sometimes its a hit and miss game.

I have a 3/4 acre pond an hour from you same species of fish except have a few catfish, and koi. I have at least 2 dozen walleye 10 - 22". Very easy to catch with a big black jig head w/ worm hooked through head looks like a mister twister moving.
I have very hard to catch LMB. Been trying to get out for 5 years. Will not take any lures, or live bait day, or night. Keep knocking the population down to about a dozen 6" to 6#. This is when they spawn near shore have to snag them. After a few that doesn`t work either.

I had to use a cast net when mine got near shore..
If you can see them spawnign in shallows toss a cast net over the bed...

Thanks for the tip. I will have to look into that. Dave