Oak Orchard Walleye

[idn713]

Hey Guys, does anyone know whats the deal with the Oak Eyes? Every spring it seems that someone hauls a giant eye off the pier and every fall I read reports of guys running into them.

Now this tells me two things: 1. The walleye in the oak can be enormous, 2. There are schools that come to feed and spawn in the spring and fall. Now they should be able to be targeted with reasonable success.

My question is do any of you guys target these fish specifically, even amidst the trout and salmon? If so what do you do to catch them? I have some ideas of places they might sit upriver, but other than that I am clueless as to location and tactic.

I am not looking for secrets or honey holes, just a nudge in the right direction. Feel free to PM if you don't want others to see the info.

Also I am a hardcore trout and salmon guy, I just want to expand my horizons. (This should answer the inevitable, "why the heck do you want walleye with all the salmon around" question.)

Thanks!

[Has Been]

About 8 10 years ago we were getting a big spring run of eyes in Sandy up to the Falls in Holley . This lasted for about 5 years. There were some big fish & quite a few. They treated the stream for lamprey one year & it was over. I have freind who fishes there all the time & he rarely gets a small one now.

As for the Oak , guys troll at night from the mouth to the Parkway bridge. I have caught a few over the years Bassin on Cranks during the day. Seen some caught by guys on the piers from now till fall.

[idn713]

The past two years my buddy and I have caught real nice eyes at the mouth of sandy in April.

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[panfisher]

Just to expand a little....After hearing this about the 'eyes in early spring in front of the Oak and having landed a nice 8lb (or so...), my biggest ever, while setting original Rapalas out in close-to-shore, early spring salmonid trolling right at Hughes Marina in Wayne county, leads one to surmise that the large walleyes over at the BO Quinte may be expanding their numbers in the Big O. Could this be a growing fishery here, where very large walleyes throughout the lake enter into the bays and rivers to spawn? Has this been going on for years and been ignored (at their benefit) for the great salmonid fishing? Was this a historical event in the past before settlers came upon the Americas and fishing (and all "outdoors") environments were impacted by industrialization and development? Will trophy walleye fishing grow to take its place, along with the original atlantic salmon seeming to take a new hold in the lake and make the lake even mo' better than it is now? Or will the bigheads and black and other "asian carps" also settle in and goof it all up just when it gets good?? .....hmmmm

[BSmaster]

I think a lot get caught around the cove. I caught one last year up at the power plant. They are in Lake Alice, so it would seem that they are coming from both directions. The story about the catches in Holley is a good example of why the DEC closes non trout streams while walleye season is closed. They are attempting to preserve the fishery - saving it from the "fisherman" who don't understand how the fishery rejuvenates. There are so many places for fish to spawn in Sandy, I would hope that not all of the fish went up to the falls. The numerous miles for them to spread out would give them a better shot at reproducing. I think that is why the trout do well in sandy.

[tbulhead]

The Genesee River is the same way. There is a dedicated group that catches Walleyes off the Summerville pier every May. For better tasting ones that wern't swimming in the Genesee, I went to Sodus and caught some. Now to answer the original question, There are some dedicated walleye fisherman that are targeting the large schools of walleyes in Lake Ontario in the summer especially by the Genesee River. They are fishing with downriggers and copper and are out there with with the salmon boats. Everyone thinks they are salmon fishing. Can they be targeted over by Oak Orchard? Probably.

[idn713]

I guess my next question is how would I know which marks are walleye and not salmon and trout, is it a temp and bait thing?

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[BP Swing]

As far as I know theres been a small but steady stream of eyes at the oak in recent years. The only ones targeting them there are at night and around the piers. There could be others on them that arent talking too. Same lake as BQ and the Niagara so theres bound to be a few wanderers. Wish we had a steady supply of them though, seems like were in no mans land. If you get one at the Genny, what are you going to do with it, watch it glow?

[tbulhead]

I know someone who ate a walleye caught off the Summerville pier. He said it tasted like the river and threw it away. Not like the good ones from Oneida or Erie.

[kappy]

if you don't care about eating them go up the genny, excellent eyes in there year round. and plenty of other species

the reason the walleye around here taste like crap is what they eat ALEWIVES.... PERIOD

I have caught them from braddocks to sodus, terrible these are the spring fish too..

[GAMBLER]

if you don't care about eating them go up the genny, excellent eyes in there year round. and plenty of other species

the reason the walleye around here taste like crap is what they eat ALEWIVES.... PERIOD

I have caught them from braddocks to sodus, terrible these are the spring fish too..

The eyes in the river do not taste bad due to the alewives. They taste horrible because the water quality is horrible. They taste the way the sewage smells that comes out of the Kodak treatment plant. You can soak them in what ever you want and it will not help.

[devoknevo]

As for the Genesee, go a little further upstream and they taste just fine. Ever try one out of Conesus? !!!YUK!!!!Alwives.

[BSmaster]

I have heard people complain about the alewives making the meat taste bad. I don't know really what makes a fish taste bad but I am pretty sure I wouldn't eat a resident fish from the lower Genny even if alewives weren't the cause...

When I fish the Hudson, I will keep the Stripers because except for when they are young they eat Herring (and) which also lives out to sea. They only run up to spawn. All the other resident fish that get hooked go back. When I catch channels in the Chemung, they look silvery and pristine. WhenI catch them out of the Hudson, they look like they lived in a sewage plant all their lives with leaches hanging off them and weird looking skin tones.

My point is that it is well known that people think that the fish that lives in disgusting water will taste like disgusting water but I have heard the alewive theory and it might have some merrit as well. Either way, walleye are a challenge to find but fight pathetic. If they do not taste good... then why bother? And if it is to CnR than why not go after something that fights better like Musky or Pike? Just my two cents.

Our water in the southern tier has improved dramatically over the past 20 years and we do not have alewives. Not intended to brag but our Fish Stix taste good.

[kappy]

Brian, agree no doubt, my bad for saying PERIOD.. I have tried them out of sodus also taste like crap, not as strong as out of the river, still not good. Devo agree, needless to say won't catch me eating any walleye from anywhere around here, or any fish, besides panfish, the river eyes stink right out of the water, spring time they are just terrible out of the lake in front of Iron bay, good quality and good looking fish though,tried once out of the river about 15 years ago. stupid move lol

how bout honeoye are those ok, never tried them.

[panfisher]

As far as fish tasting like the river..... many fish species often pick up a "muddy" or, well, a "muddy/vegetable" or weedy-like, tainted flavor. Even out of salt water. The sense of taste and the sense of smell are very closely related....describing these "tastes" of mud, bottom of the river and water weeds is a good comparison. I have had just killed, clean fresh, just alive, beautiful healthy northern pike from the St Lawrence River, caught by me from clean, clear flowing water areas, which had this "fishy, muddy flavor" to their otherwise beautiful fillets. Same was true of beautiful, fresh channel cat meat from the International Rift of the same river. I have had fillets of pike from Mendon Ponds (Hundred Acre Pond; the big one) caught in the middle of summer in the dark channel between that and Deep Pond that was beautiful and sweet. Here's one... While fishing the south end of Canandaigua Lake in September a few years back, I caught 2 largemouths under the same dock just north of the launch at Woodville on the same black plastic worm, one just 3 or 4 casts after the other. They were twins in size and weight, about 3/4 lb. apiece. Having been aware of this "muddy flavor" in the past in some bass I've eaten, I wanted to try something. Both fish were reeled in with the same speed. Both were put onto a stringer and kept alive until departure. They were both gutted after being klunked on the head and put in fresh ice for the ride home. Upon arriving at the kitchen, the 4 fillets (beautiful) were seasoned and breadcrumbed in the exact same way. I made sure to keep the fillets from each different fish with each other so as not to mix them. They were both fried in the same large cast iron skillet at the same time with fresh peanut oil....Excellent results! But, alas, the fillets from one of the fish had that sort of muddy/weedy taste, and the ones from the other were creamy and absolutely scrumptious, with no "off" flavor, the way bass can be! BTW, the largest chain pickerel I ever landed, over 4 lbs and 32", came from there that day on the same lure. It's flesh was also cooked and consumed in the same way and tasted wonderful. The main thing here though is there seems to be some chemical "thing" going on in fish that can affect their flavor in unexpected ways. I did not sexually examine the 2 bass, as I am not an ichthyologist. Maybe there has been some research into this fish taste thing published somewhere, but it does sort of baffle me. I have had fresh frozen whiting that had that flavor too. And factory frozen fish are processed immediately and frozen. And we're not talking about some freezer burned or refrozen fish either. I have stumbled upon a marinade that works well to actually make this "muddy/weedy" taste in fish, well, taste great! But, you can't always do that with your fish cooking, and, as with those bass from Canandaigua, you can't always tell until it's cooked. And I have never had a walleye that tasted like that, but I have never caught one out of the Genesee at Rochester. Had one from the upper Genny from the Portageville area that tasted great. One thing I do know. We must do everything we can to keep and continue to improve the quality of our great waters here in New York...and everywhere! Our lives depend on it ......

[panfisher]

BTW kappy... The 'eyes in Honeoye have always tasted great to me and some of my other fishin' & eatin' buds...

[tbulhead]

DEC reports that walleyes are caught in Hemlock year after year probably by those trolling for trout. I bet those are the best tasting because the water quality is excellent. I also caught a small one (maybe 7 or 8 inches) ice fishing in Cranberry Pond a few years back.

[panfisher]

Yes, some pretty big walleyes do come out of Hemlock. There are a couple of postings in the "LOU archives", with pics. Also some in the New York Outdoors News....And it does seem they are caught incidentally to trolling for salmonids.

[zackblain]

Its unfortunate the DEC won't let the rod n gun club stock walleye in hemlock anymore. I think it would be awesome if hemlock had a fishable population of eyes.

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[devoknevo]

WARNING! Everyone stop fishing for walleyes......... NOW!!!!!

They taste funny.

Go catch a black salmon instead!

Now is the time for change!

Revolt!

[panfisher]

devoknevo......Hhaaannh? Wwhaat?.... Dude. 'Splain yoself ! Sound like Eastwood at the RNC !

[143447]

Yes, some pretty big walleyes do come out of Hemlock. There are a couple of postings in the "LOU archives", with pics. Also some in the New York Outdoors News....And it does seem they are caught incidentally to trolling for salmonids.

There are guys down there trolling exclusivey for eyes, got the program down and they are boating giants. just don't post anymore. There cannot be many left considering the lake was stocked long ago and I highly doubt they get tossed back

[zackblain]

I

Yes, some pretty big walleyes do come out of Hemlock. There are a couple of postings in the "LOU archives", with pics. Also some in the New York Outdoors News....And it does seem they are caught incidentally to trolling for salmonids.

There are guys down there trolling exclusivey for eyes, got the program down and they are boating giants. just don't post

anymore. There cannot be many left considering the lake was stocked long ago and I highly doubt they get tossed back

I wonder if the dec would rethink the walleye stocking if enough people got together.

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[tbulhead]

I thought I heard somewhere that at one time Hemlock Lake had a natural population of walleyes until it crashed in the 60's or 70's. The DEC should stock Hemlock with walleyes, but then again they screwed up with the Blue Pike in Lake Ontario. Also they could dump some muskies into Canadice or Hemlock. The DEC seems happy stocking muskies everywhere else.

[NitroMusky]

The DEC seems happy stocking muskies everywhere else.

I'm going to assume you mean tiger muskie. Nearest waters stocked with pures is 90 minutes from Rochester.

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