NO NEED TO GO NORTH FOR WALLEYE

By Roger Boskus – Owner Fish & Fiddle Resort

Have you been thinking about a winter or springtime fishing trip for walleye? Lake Norfork never freezes, and there are no closed seasons. Weather is mild from November through April, with daytime temperatures averaging well above freezing. Fall foliage usually occurs anytime after October 15. If walleye are your pursuit, consider Lake Norfork. Here's why.

One of the best-kept secrets about walleye is that Lake Norfork, near Mountain Home, Arkansas, is chuck full of this great sport and table fare fish. Arkansas Game & Fish, along with Missouri Department of Conservation, have been doing a great job of stocking walleye in Lake Norfork for a long time now. In 2001 alone 200,000 walleye fry were stocked with additional large quantities thereafter. In previous years stocking levels have been about the same. Great natural spawns have also added to Norfork's growing walleye population.

In the spring quite a few bass and striper fisherman are surprised to catch many good-sized walleye. They were especially surprised by the different methods and type of water they were catching them in. Many fishermen know that if they go up to the mouth of the lake where the river feeds in, the walleye will be there in February through April. What they didn’t realize is that a lot of these elusive fish stay near the same areas where they are found in the summer months. The only difference is, the fish move much shallower during cooler months and are sometimes found near the crappie areas. We were delighted to be able to catch many walleye from March through May in several areas of Norfork Lake, and there was no need to travel very far up the lake.

One of the methods that produced a lot of walleye was slow trolling (electric motors), and long lining very small jigs; a method used by many of our crappie fisherman. Some bass fishermen casting right into the banks during the bass spawn were also catching the walleye. Needless to say, many fishermen quickly switched to fishing for walleye instead. A 1/16 oz to 1/8 oz jig tipped with a small minnow seemed to work best. Also your favorite walleye worm harness is always a favorite. The color of the jigs varied with the weather. Bottom bouncers may also work well, but we have not tried them yet.

So many fishermen do not realize what a premier walleye Lake Norfork is so they concentrate on other species of fish. Of course everyone loves to fish for & catch the lunker Norfork striper that Lake Norfork is known for, but the walleye are the real bonus. Some biologists are predicting a 20 lb walleye will come from this lake as they are so under fished and are growing in size and population by the day. So when planning your next walleye fishing trip, make sure to look at Lake Norfork as you will not be disappointed.