walleye from ky

[Jbyrd]

Well Jbyrd,

From the studies I've read, the only genetically pure Southern Strain walleye have been found in remote reaches of the Rockcastle. They are true river fish and do not migrate to the lake. The Erie fish will attempt to spawn in the lake and up the feeder rivers. Just like the walleye in lake erie do. There very well may be some southern stain fish living in the lake, who knows. The thought is that if they lived together and used the same breeding areas, they would have hybridized over the decades. It is also my understanding that the KDFW used the BSF spawners as brood stock for a period of time but now use dam spawners. Anyway to answer your question. The state record walleye and perhaps even the world record walleye were likely Southern strain fish. These fellows were well feed after the river was dammed up and lacked competition from stripers. So the thought is out there that if we stock the pure southern strain (Rockcastle) walleye and conditions are right for growing, we might just have another record fish in our mist. Nice thought anyway.

So you are saying that they are "hybridized" they are not spawning? Hybrid anything doesn't reproduce. Seems like an awful lot of walleye in the lake that are coming from some where. AS for the "big ones that used to be " what did the Bass cross with? In the old days they caught 5,6 7,8 lbers all the time . (sounds like Roland Martin ). LOL The lake has changed , more pressure. In the early 80's before Jamestown Marine was built you could fish the lower end of lake cumberland all night and Maybe see 3 or 4 boats. Heck now there are that many boats on every point around the mouth of beaver creek EVERY Sat night during the summer!!!!
Don't have any scientific info to back it up with but I think that is the main reason you don't see the big fish in the numbers that they had way back then .