Headed Back to School?

Shop, Shop, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 THE OBERLIN HERALD 7A Shop Learn walleye habits to catch these elusive fish in hot weather Often walleyes are taken acciden- back to the security of the deep. tally because fishermen don’t take They are predators; they only have Chloe says the time to learn how to consistently three functions in life — eat, keep catch them. The Jayhawker from being eaten and reproduce. “Come to I’d always wondered how the When you fish for them, think in heck to fish for walleyes at night in By Jim Merriott terms of their food, safety and com- Flowers By Lee the late summer. fort. Comfort to a walleye can be In 1992, I sat down with Jeff [email protected] lying on the bottom. Remember the for guaranteed Rader of Rader’s Lodge at Lake cardinal rule of walleye — fish close Hugs & Kisses!” Waconda in north central Kansas to the bottom. Even if the bottom is near Glen Elder. in a shallow flat, walleye very sel- ❀ Yankee Candles Most Kansas fishermen refer to And so fishermen await luck. fishing. dom hit on top, unless the wind stirs Lake Waconda as Glen Elder, so The place to start, according to Here are some prime ways to up the insects in the water chop. ❀ Gift Items don’t get confused if you look for it Rader and close friend and col- learn walleye patterns on Waconda Recognize the characteristics of ❀ Fresh Flowers on the map. Glen Elder actually is league Ron Becker, another fishing and other area reservoirs: the walleye. A large female is a the state park around Lake expert on Lake Waconda, is with the STUDY — Talk to the local an- predator, an eating machine. It will ❀ Purses & Jewelry Waconda. walleye. glers; see how many walleye, sauger eat almost anything it feels like eat- Rader, a professional fishing Many fishermen consider wall- or saugeye have been taken over the ing. Some large walleye have had guide who knows Lake Waconda eye to be the craftiest fish in the lake. past few seasons during this time of 16-inch shad in their bellies when Think “Flowers”..... like the back of his hand, gave me If you think largemouth bass are year. hooked. some tricks that have helped me in spooky and wary you are correct, TAKE PHOTOS — That’s right, Walleye do have their preferences Think Flowers by Lee fishing for walleyes, sauger and but be prepared, on a night fishing take pictures of the lake during the — nightcrawlers, shad, minnows saugeye on lakes throughout Kan- walleye trip, to match wits with a day to find where the low spots are. and perch are their favorites. Re- sas, Colorado and Nebraska. creature far more difficult to catch. Kansas has been going through a member, even though it is warm, Flowers By Lee Since this season has been pretty The walleye is far more shy and se- drought over the past 10 years. walleye start relating to the fall bite Flowers, Gifts & Collectibles much a bust for me, I decided to see cretive than the bass. However, this year several lakes due to the length of the daylight if there was anything in my old fish- Put a good walleye fisherman have higher water levels, which has hours. This time of year, each day 157 S. Penn, Oberlin, KS ing journals, short of dynamite, to down on Lake Waconda with the made fishing tougher. Keep the pho- gets a little shorter. Toll Free 866-422-0867 • 785-475-3922 help me improve my catch rate. fish undisturbed and he will collect tos in your fishing log, and when the Long daylight hours means I found out that Rader had told me some in a couple of nights. lake comes up you will be able to shorter feeding spurts at night. Wall- that some fishermen stumble upon But put a good walleye fisherman look at the photos and know what eye have a tendency to gorge them- walleyes at night while fishing for at the same lake during the dog days structure is below the surface. selves, then rest. Sometimes they hit catfish. of summer and this angler is in for a Among good sources of walleye fast and furious, and at other times “A walleye picking up a flash, a long night. information are the Kansas Depart- extremely slowly. vibration or scent of the fisherman’s So just how do we fish Lake ment of Wildlife and Parks’ creel Toward the end of the summer bait will blunder into the hook and Waconda in August? census and stocking reports. vegetation is at its fullest, and bait Fountain Special! neither the fish or fisherman realize First, Rader said, get it well fixed However, those figures aren’t in- fish are at their largest. That means what has happened, he said. in your mind that the night walleye fallible. After all, a heavy concen- more weeds, more hiding places and “In other words, we do not have is a real adversary. Walleye have tration of walleye fishermen may shorter feeding cycles. Find good Root Beer Floats many fishermen who actually go out never gained much respect as a have lowered the total figures. feeding structure and be persistent. Regular and purposely fish the correct tech- game fish in the Great Plains, but not Once you have studied the statis- If you are interested in making the $2.10 niques for walleye in the evening. because of lack of game qualities. tics, you are ready for the pinpoint trip to Cawker City and fishing Lake They may go hoping, but they have Oh, no, he said. It’s because few stuff. Waconda, contact Glen Elder Dam- not the slightest idea of how to go walleye fishermen are good enough From the Kansas Department Waconda Lake, c/o Glen Elder Special about helping out their hope. to outwit them! Wildlife and Parks files, ask for a Wildlife Management Area, The “It is amazing that although wall- When you have been convinced breakdown on the best general ar- Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game $1.85 eye fishermen have been stalking of this, then begin to study the late- eas, and if there are current creel Commission, Box 1028, Pratt, these fish for centuries, few have a night habits of walleye, and you’ll census figures, you need to know the 67124 for map information. MIKASA CRYSTAL SALE game plan that works based on end up with better results. up-to-date figures. Write Park Manager, Glen Elder Select items only knowing when, where and why Becker and Rader believe that You will quickly get a picture of State Park, Glen Elder, 67420, for unless you have a good idea of Lake Waconda walleye population. Fountain Closing Hours these fish bite during the dog days current information on the lake and M-F Close 5 p.m. — Sat - close 2:30 p.m. of summer. where the walleye are on Waconda, A large lake like Waconda might accessibility and reservations for “This is a specialized sport, re- you are just spinning your reel gears. sustain numerous large white bass, camping. quiring the upkeep of equipment, This sounds obvious, but it takes but only a few large walleye. Write the Beloit Area Chamber of knowledge of the lake and the a lot of planning to find out where In addition, walleye are not the Commerce, 123 N. Mill, Box 582, Serving Decatur County for 100 years proper techniques to learn about to start the night. least bit aggressive right now, so Beloit, Kan., 67420, or call (785) walleye and about night fishing that One good way, Rader said, is to check the water temperature. Wall- 738-2712 for further contacts. may not guarantee anything, but will isolate holding spots by using an eye hang deep in cooler, deeper Call the Rader Lodge hotline, most certainly raise your chances.” underwater hydrosurvey or “topo” holes during the days, then move to (785) 545-3482, for updated fishing Little real technique of night wall- map. Isolating the areas where big feed on the flats in the shallows dur- information. eye fishing has ever been worked up females rest is one of the keys. ing the evenings. They like that Lake Waconda is north off I-70 Phone 475-2661 — Oberlin – Toll Free 1-800-794-3784 because fishermen and writers have Knowing where they rest and where comfort zone. They also like to find at U.S. 281 at Russell and south of Service and value are the cornerstones of our business. been saying for years that walleye they go for their quickest meal will underwater highways that quickly Cawker City. are taken at night only by sheer luck. unlock the door to night walleye get them food and then get them Headed back to school? “The choice of the discriminating shooter” Take us with you and get all the news from HOME. $1,000 Subscribe today! Subscribers whose mailing address is in Decatur, Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Thomas and Red Willow counties $33 Elsewhere in Kansas $38 Elsewhere in the United States $42 Students in Kansas $27 • Students out of state $30 To order your subscription, fill out the coupon below and send it with payment to: THE OBERLIN HERALD 170 S. Penn Ave. Oberlin, Kan. 67749 Name ……………………......….………… Address …………………………...……… City………………… State…… Zip……...

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