By Capt. James McManus
When folks think of Lake Fontana, they think…smallmouth bass, classic mountain scenes, light boat traffic…but the thought we guides get most is…I just want to catch a few walleyes. Well, you all are not alone, a lot of us just want to catch a few walleyes. So, what has happened to Fontana walleyes? If there is a biology graduate student reading this you have a ready-made thesis topic in this question. I think I can give you a head start on some answers, but would love some real scientific research to back up my theories, which are based on years of observation on the water.
I think there are three main reasons for the lack of fish today. I guess, first, folks like me have to take some of the blame. Years ago, the springtime river run and the short period after that saw probably 90% of the walleye catch for the year. Sure, there were folks that fished at night through the summer and caught fish, but after that, âole eyesâ had basically the rest of the year off. A time when they would suspend in deeper water, cruise around feeding on huge schools of threadfins that were also suspended out over deep water. Most folks, until the introduction of really good sonars, didnât even know they were there. Now, we can spot and fish for a single fish at 80 to 100 feet out, in 200 feet of water, and drop a jig right on their nose, or even more effectively, troll downriggers and cover any area where they may be holding- there is really nowhere to hide. The big schools of eyes and most of the big schools of threadfins are dispersed now, which leads me to reason number two, spotted bass.
We can thank our bass fishing friends for introducing this little fellow. Now, I love to catch spots, especially bigger ones, but they are a feisty bunch. In the olden days, schools of threadfins that may have been a hundred yards long and fifteen or twenty yards deep, have now been broken up by roving bands of spotted bass, most 8 to 10 to 12 inches long. Walleye, as we know, arenât the most aggressive fish on the planet. If they have to chase open water fish, pushed to the surface by spots, it just ainât gonna happen. Times of finding big schools of walleye suspended right below big schools of bait are not ever going to be seen again. This trend has been going on for maybe 15 years. TVA has dramatic graphs of net surveys that back up this correlation. As the spots increased, the walleye decreased…itâs an almost perfect X on a graph.
This governmental information leads me to the third reason…neglect! For fifteen years, TVA and the wildlife folks have known about this decline. Now our wildlife folks do a tremendous job on a whole bunch of things, but the âpowers that beâ have totally dropped the ball on the Fontana walleye. I know there are tons of trout fishermen in the mountains and they are treated to some of the most heavily stocked and best maintained streams anywhere in the country. I have had guides come from Colorado, California, Maine and Florida, they all rave about the job the wildlife folks do on the trout. All we are doing is asking for a little of the concern for Fontana that they show to our trout streams. Increase stocking programs, not little test stockings to see if they take; by gosh, put some dern fish in there, we know the need is there. With the bluebacks now making a showing in the lake, I feel like they will take some of the pressure off the threadfins and give the walleye a little more to eat. It doesnât take a genius, it is well documented that bluebacks and walleye donât mix, there will never be a viable walleye spawn with herring present, so plan to totally supply the lake by stocking. I think you also need to do a correct stocking, not one place, not 2 or 3 inch fish that get gobbled up by spots, a lake-wide distribution of decent sized fish. You are not trying to recreate a spawning population, you are just putting fish in to be caught out, the big spawn… that is over forever with the herring here. Well, my rave is about over, any grad students with connections in Raleigh, I will gladly take you out to show you first-hand whatâs happening, especially if your mom, dad, uncles, aunts or grands wants to donate money and have a new walleye hatchery named after them. If you need my help, give me a call- my number is 828-421-8125. Be safe, thank God for our beautiful place and later, Capt. James
Capt. James McManus is the Owner of 153 Charters. Give him a call for a great day of boat fishing!