Potholes Walleye...

[gasman]

Anybody but out yet fishing for walleye?

Are the boat launches even accessible?

I'm getting antsy for some walleye fishing.

[Griz231]

I'd be curious as well.  Time to get the boat out.  Also has anyone been to Tri Cities for pre spawn action?

[buckcanyonlodge]

Was in Moses Lake yesterday and it's still frozen over. No one ice fishing...maybe too thin?? Pothole is probably still frozen as well??

[plugger]

Drove up today to check it out. 100 percent froze over. every lake in the basin is froze over. Don't be planning on fishing the lakes that open up march 1st. It will be several weeks before you will be able to fish poteholes or moses in a boat. And I didn't see anyone ice fishing anywhere. There were puddles forming on top of the ice, but from the snow melt.

[Ripper]

I've been told that Banks is still frozen over also. Will probably be a late start this year.

[C-Money]

Yup, everything is still frozen. I imaging it will be frozen for a while cause its been dipping below freezing every night. Still quite a bit of snow on the ground as well. Late start to spring fishing for sure.

[jessie88]

wonder if the potholes is gonna be any good this year. most the year last year was insanely bad for a lot of people. the big wallys guy near banks thinks the numbers of walleye were way down last year.

[C-Money]

Right..I fished it a few times and only caught bass trolling plugs. No walleye out of Potholes for me last year.

[gasman]

Wake up walleye last year early season are potholes late January into the middle of February. Went back in April and only caught one tiny eight inch walleye, and some bass.

[Encore 280]

 

[plugger]

My guess is it will be a couple years before it comes back if there was a successful spawn the last few tears. Way to many fish taken out of the system. Way more people fishing them with all the other fisheries getting cut back. I would think next year you will start to see the smaller fish start showing up, 12 to 14 inchers. It will take awhile to get a few age classes built back up. Something to think about when everyone is killing those big females. You want good consistent fishing, then its up to us to manage it that way, the state isn't going to do it.

[jessie88]

i actually wonder if that 12 inch minimum is what made the numbers go way down from too many being kept?  seems you either have a huge population of 12-15 inch walleye with the old 16 inch minimum then you lower it to thin out the tons of smaller fish then the number are way low.

[C-Money]

16" minimum was working very well. Hope Moses and Banks are going to fish well this year.

[lokidog]

My one and only time fishing Potholes for Walleye, I caught a 32' almost eleven pounder.     Good luck when the ice is out.

[jessie88]

16" minimum was working very well. Hope Moses and Banks are going to fish well this year.

i wonder if they will change the regs again if the numbers stay low.  i guess having the walleye numbers down will help the bluegill and crappie fishing again though so thats a plus.