Big South Fork Walleye

[cmac]

I have heard for many years about February and March walleye fishing on BSF. I would like to take my ten year old son down there this year but I have no experience whatsoever how to fish for these. We will probably canoe from Blue Herron to Yamacraw. Any suggestions (is this right time to go), lures, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[birdstrike]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Feb-06-06 AT 05:15PM (EST)[/font][p]Timing seems to be everything on the BSF. I swear you really need some local to let you know when the walleye are running. The sauger tend to show up fist, followed by the smaller male walleye and then a few (percentage wise) larger females will show. I've made the trip three years in a row now and have never hit it just right. Locals look for the "red buds" to come into bloom as a sign.

A small curly tail jig tipped with a minnow is your best bet. Bounce it along the bottom as you drift with the current in your canoe. Try to stay in the main channel and deep holes during the day and the shallow shoals or riffles from sundown to sunrise.

If you time it right, the banks around Devil's Jump and Blue Heron with be lined with fishermen and women. If the water level is high, fishing is tough. Regardless of the walleye, you and your son should have a great time. Good small mouth fishing and maybe even a musky. The canoe is the way to go as the BSF in notorious for destroying props (including one of mine.)


One more thing... if you catch a fat fish, please consider letting it go unharmed to complete it's spawning efforts. Maybe I'll see you down there, I'm shooting for the end of March. If you need any more info about the Big South Fork, Blue Heron area just let me know. Good luck!

Steve
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