Lookin' for some walleye advice

[Skycruiser]

I've never fished for walleye before. A buddy and I are going to try the "Alder Street Fill", a narrow arm of Moses Lake where Crab Creek empties into it. Apparently this time of year the walleye make their way up the creek to spawn. The water's shallow, only 6 - 8 feet. Someone mentioned to me that the fishing would be better at night. Any advice as to tackle and tactics would be appreciated.

[BigGoonTuna]

i've always heard of snaggers hanging around there and taking the big spawning females this time of year

[Antlerking]

exactly most are snagging the fish with trebbles. The wdfw officers are watching em in the brush and busting them, they use flashlights and the walley's eyes glow and very visable. U could try and fish it but its a zoo and I wish they would close it down and let the females do there thing. I have tried it a few times and i have never caught any, i did foul hook 1 time and let her go after that i never fished it again. They are stacked in there at night and u can feel the your jigs actually bumbing into fish, there is that many in there, but the carp are fun to catch u get them alot all foul hooked.

[Skycruiser]

Thanks for the heads up. If it's as bad as you say, we'll probably try a little further out in the lake. We're mainly interested in having a good time and hopefully, catching a few walleyes. We're not looking for combat fishing.

Just the same, any advice on spring walleye fishing in general would be appreciated.

[Quackwhacker]

I have fished it for a couple years now.  I have done well at night with a Berkly power grub in bright green.  I have caught only males that were 18-22 inches.  It can be a zoo though.  Watched a guy net a very large female from the railroad bridge and called for a Warden.  As luck had it the Warden was just down the road.  The guy lost all his gear and got a nice fine.  The fish was released to spawn another year.  Good luck

[E-Town Hunter]

It's been years since I fished the "FILL" Did well one morning fishing after my graveyard shift. You get a lot of people down there where fishing the fill is pretty much the only fishing they do all year. They are only there because they know they have a chance to catch a really big fish. To me they are only taking advantage of the small channel the fish have to run through to get up stream to spawn. It's funny talking to some of these people brag how they caught a 10 plus pound walley down at the fill and they are proud as hell of them selves. The snagging issue has gotten better the past couple years due to under cover law enforcement officers and the no treble hook regulation, but it still happens. I have to say it really irritates me when I'm driving across the fill and see people hauling out these giant trophy fish on their stringers back to their cars. I don't believe these trophy bug eyes that have grown for years in the lake deserve to be plucked out of the fill by a bunch of people who don't appreciate what fishing is all about. I think they should close it off during the spawning period. If they want to catch a nice walleye, put the time in and actually put some work into it. 

[Skycruiser]

As it turned out, we decided to fish Potholes Reservoir instead. Fishing was slow, just one keeper walleye, one 18 inch catfish and a surprise, a 26 inch Burbot. Ugliest fish I've ever caught. Didn't know what it was until the game warden identified it for us.

We'll give it another try when the water warms up in late April.

[Bofire]

As a kid I probably fished off of the RXR bridge about 9000 times. We used to ride our bikes there was about 7-8 miles home. caught tons of fish. if you stand on the RXR bridge by hwy.17 facing towards ML the channel veers off to the right almost clear to the bank then veers back to the bridge at the "fill" by the way it is the Alder Street arm of ML the "fill" is the dirt they built the street and bridge on. We used to jump off that bridge all the time and play around swimming under it. killed tons of carp there.
Carl