October 16th - Night Walleye

Post by **BBRich** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:04 pm

Well Curtis was busy tonight so I decided I might as well hit the river alone in search of night walleye with my new head lamp.

So I got up to Curtis' super secret spot and began casting a grub around. To no avail though, I couldnt rise a bite, even from a rock bass. I tried casting a few crankbaits around and nothing. As darkness fell I started losing faith, but turned on my headlamp and voila! I could see tons of glowing eyes under the surface looking right back at me! So I put a jig/clothespin spinner on and let it sink to the right depth, then reeled in very slowly.. and BAM! A hit! But it got off. Well to make a long story short I had 4 more consecutive hits on 4 casts until I finally hooked and landed a little 14 incher.

Not big, but hey it was a fish.

I stuck on that spot for quite a while longer, and could see the glowing eyes all night but they all seemed rather small and were getting tired of looking at my jig/spinner combo. So I moved downriver to a spot I had not yet tried. I got down and looked around, and it looked pretty deep but I could not see any glowing eyes. Then I looked at a drop off to my left and BINGO there was a HUGE pair of eyes looking back at me! The fish turned towards me and his eyes were probably 4 inches apart.. that meant a pretty nice Ottonabee River walleye. I got him to chase my jig/spinner about 6 times but he would not hit. I tried a suspending jerkbait and he didnt even look at it even when I put it right in his face. I think my light spooked him. Oh well, I packed it in around 8:30 and rode home.

All in all it was a fun night on the river and I'm glad the walleye are starting to come in and feed. At least I know where one big one lives now!

Post by RJ » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:13 pm

Hey Rich,

Fishing with the use of a light is illegal......

RJ

Post by **Markus** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:18 pm

Rich, good to see ya out walleye fishing, but ya gotta give up the poaching or you're gonna end up on the poacher reports.

Post by **BBRich** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:20 pm

Wait a sec I'm not allowed to use a headlamp to see where I'm casting? Is that actualy a rule? I know you're not supposed to submerge a light for crappie or anything.. but I'm pretty sure this light wasn't helping me anyway. Every one I saw in the light was too tight lipped to bite.

Post by **joco** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:32 pm

HI BIG BASS RICH

sees like you have fun,,,,and got som action,,,,,,GREAT,,,,,

dont no about the light,,,,,but i do used a light to see where i put my feet and where i am casting and where my lure is going,,,

,,

did you try some live minnows........if not, try it,,,you will see the result,,

..

keep us posted on your night fishing,,,,

i will do the same thing here soon,,,,,,,,,,but my fishing is frome shore and i start fishing around 12pm......

take care,,,and go get some nice one,,,,

joco

Post by **wolfe** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:38 pm

Seeing the glowing eyes in the water might freak me out a bit, actually...

W.

Post by **Markus** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:45 pm

Here's a quote formm the MNR Website....

Fishing Gear

There are some limits on how you fish, and some ways of fishing are not allowed at all.

You can only use one line when sport fishing in open water. **note exception

A fish must be hooked in the mouth, and not snagged in some other part of the body. You must let snagged fish go.

You cannot use lights unless they are part of a fishing lure.

Post by **joco** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:03 pm

I would like to more about this,,,,,,,,,,,,the reg,,,

((you can not used light unles there part off the lure))....?

so we cant not use a light wen night fishing,,,,,

ho dont use a light,,,,,,,,

its a bit at large phrase,,,,,,,

i do no your not supose to put a light IN the water,,but looking in hit frome above,,,,,,,,,?

i will chek tomorow wit the quebec mnr,,,,,,would like to no on the ontario side to,,,,

i never taught that its was iligal to do so,,,,,,,,,,,

,,if it is,,,

joco

Post by **Markus** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:05 pm

I have a small light clipped to my jacket that i use to retie, work out tangles, baiting the hook....but I never shine it in the water to locate fish.

Post by **BBRich** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:08 pm

Okay Markus ever try walking on a steep rock shoreline at night? Your little clip on light would probably have you in the river with a headache. And the headlamp frees up my hands for tieing. I also like to see where I'm casting!

Post by **QuakerOatz** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:22 pm

I honestly don't know of any regs that prohibit the use of lights for navigation. If he wasn't using the lights to attract fish, its all good.

Post by **Kpin** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:52 pm

OK, I'm curious about this, I've never seen anything in the regs about this. So I pose the following Q. I was fishing Crosby Lake from a friends cottage/dock @ night. He has a big honking light out there. Tech. would that be considered against the regs?

Post by **BBRich** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:55 pm

How about the guys who night fish from boats? They legally need to have their lights on, including that big pedestal light at the back. What if by chance you saw the reflection of walleye's eyes in the light from that? I highly doubt you would be jumping up looking for something to dim the light with.. because of your "unfair advantage"

Post by **Markus** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:59 pm

Big Bass Rich wrote:How about the guys who night fish from boats? They legally need to have their lights on, including that big pedestal light at the back. What if by chance you saw the reflection of walleye's eyes in the light from that? I highly doubt you would be jumping up looking for something to dim the light with.. because of your "unfair advantage"

Rich, i don't think you'll find any boats in in shallow water using their nav lights to locate glowing fish eyes.

If they had a spot light and turned it into the water to locate fish, than I think they'll be asking for it.

Again, I'm not 100% sure myself, but I'm betting it's handled much like jacking deer.

Post by **BBRich** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:05 pm

I wonder what the point of this law really is? I dont mean to get into great debate here but thinking about it, it doesnt make any sense..

Like I said earlier, whats the difference between that and seeing them in clear water during daylight? Or seeing them on a flasher, underwater camera, or sonar? Hah. Underwater cameras. Now there's an unfair advantage...

And what's the deal with airline food?