Walleye Introductions in Bass Lakes

[Curt]

In a few lakes in Connecticut, they decided about 20 years ago that they "needed" to introduce Walleye into the water. I'm not 100% sure as to their logic, but I think it was basically just to add a new species for people to catch locally.

Well, at least two of those lakes are fairly close to me and they are lakes I used to fish regularly. One of them was my favorite lake to night fish for bass. The other was up in my top three for night fishing also. And now one of them is a lake I will not go and fish unless we have a tournament there, and the quality of the bass fishing in the other lake has declined badly also.

CT DEP hasn't had much too say about this. But in my opinion they destroyed two very high quality bass fisheries for a fish species that nobody really wanted or asked for. And sadly, it will probably never go back to the way it was.

I hope they don't add any new lakes to their list of lakes that "need more diversity" in species available to anglers.   

[JackJ]

They stocked 85,000 back in our lake here back in the 80's.   We haven't seen one caught in about 10 years now.  I think the spots ate them all up

[frugalangler]

Being a little closer to the traditional walleye belt, they seem to survive OK from here north, and being they are a little different habitat seekers they don't seem to compete too much for territory. I know way further north, they are the 3rd predictor, second only to Musky and Pike. Just remember, bass are NOT the only sport fish that swim! If you want a serious challenge, outsmart walleye, they are much more difficult to pattern out consistently.

[Curt]

We haven't seen one caught in about 10 years now.  I think the spots ate them all up

That's a good thing! They decimated the bass lakes here, sadly

[Curt]

Just remember, bass are NOT the only sport fish that swim!

Agree 100%. But with our smaller fisheries, adding a top level predator fish like Walleye definitely had adverse effects on the bass fishery. I would have liked to see them add the Walleye in smaller numbers and give the fishery time to balance itself a bit before going gung-ho with stocking them.