Anglers prepare! Walleye opener soon

Walleye and pike season opens Saturday, and local waterways can expect plenty of visitors.

Saturday, May 5, will find a flotilla of boats on Oneida Lake and Fish Creek may resemble a scene at Hong Kong harbor.

It is the opening of walleye and pike season, an event that is eagerly anticipated by many anglers. Locally, most of the fishermen will concentrate on walleye, a fish that is prized for eating. And the majority will focus their efforts on Oneida Lake, which is arguably the best walleye fishery in the state.

I have never pretended to be an expert walleye fisherman. I have always gone with, or relied on the advice of, local experts with lots of experience. This week I checked with Ted Dobs who has guided and fished extensively on Oneida Lake. Ted also passed along some advice and insight from one of his friends who works at the hatchery.

Despite cold weather this spring the walleye have completed their spawning. Personnel at the Constantia Hatchery which collects eggs and fertilizes them for stocking said that there was a healthy population of good sized walleyes taken in their nets this year. Apparently the walleye have been growing fat on gobies and other baitfish.

Most veteran anglers will be concentrating on the lake. It is important to remember that the vast majority of walleye spawn in the lake, not the tributaries. Your best bet will be finding drop-offs or deeper water next to shallower areas or shoals where they have spawned. This year more than ever success will depend on electronics. A good graph needed to find drop offs and bottom contour changes since these areas will hold fish recovering from the spawn. Trollers will do great by trolling the shallow areas and covering water with no weed beds in the way. The entire east end is totally devoid of weeds since the old winter killed them off.

This year with colder water we will probably see guys casting sonars (blade baits) doing well since these lures entice a reaction bite rather than a feeding fish response. Colder water keeps their metabolism down so fish are feeding less. Ted emphasizes that the secret is going to be make the walleye mad enough to hit your lure. Guys who traditionally use buck tail jigs may consider going to a heavier size than they normally use to increase the rate of the jigs fall and entice a reaction.

The largest walleyes are females and even though it’s been a cold spring almost all females will be back in the lake by opening day and only males will remain. Male walleye will stay in tributaries well after the spawn until the water level either drops down too low or the water temperature reaches the mid 50s.

In addition to this being prime time of the season for action, the current forecast indicates water level and temperature should be perfect for this weekend. Remember you don’t need to simply find fish, but you need to find fish that are actively biting.

Ted Dobs’ suggestion is find rocky gravel areas near tributaries where the walleye spawn and look for warmer water. Ideally the electronics with a temperature indicator and GPS mapping

will be a huge help.

In past years, Ted Dobs has often recommended checking Shackleton Shoals or similar area because there is spawning area with fish holding depths ranging from 8 to 30 feet deep close by. Once you find the depth they are biting at, you can then go to your favorite spots at that depth. Some anglers prefer the 20 foot areas north from Sylvan Beach based on past year’s experience.

The hatchery typically stocks 150 to 180 million fry back in Oneida Lake. But even less than one percent of those survive to reach adult size. Think about that. If even one percent survived there would be one and a half million adult walleye more in Oneida Lake in a few years! In most years the population ranges from 350,000 to 700,000 adult walleye.

The hatchery also supplies walleye fry and fingerlings to many other waters around the state. This is why we have a viable walleye population in many lakes and rivers that did not have any only a decade or two ago.

Some of the rivers where you can find good walleye fishing include the Black, Chenango, and Mohawk. Popular lakes for walleye are Lake Delta, Canadarago, Tupper, and Otisco. Smaller nearby waters that offer walleye are Eatonbrook, DeRuyter, and Redfield Reservoirs. Good luck and let us know of any interesting stories or bragging sized catches.