Fresh News from MarDon
Cole Quist of Yakima trolled a bomber jointed plug up in the Lind Coulee arm of Potholes Reservoir for this 32-inch 9.4 pound walleye. This fish was already spawned out on March 5 and heading back to the Lind Coulee perch feeding area. A 32-inch walleye on Aug. 19, 2015 weighed 13 pounds 4 ounces in our boat.
With 61-degree temperatures a a few weeks ago we are seeing a different type of spawn this year. Gary Roach, a professional walleye fisherman from Minnesota, taught us in 1983 that walleye spawn on the face of O’Sullivan at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Each year in the MarDon tackle shop we see some interesting yet unanswered questions on walleye spawn. Fishers bring in walleye weighing 7 pounds from seven feet of water in Crab Creek near the power line boat launch that are spawning.
The water temperature where the walleye was caught was 63 F; what is your assumption? My repeatedly seeing these spawning windows make me think these O’Sullivan Dam walleye are first each year at 45 F. Lind Coulee seems to be constant with 45 to 50 F spawn along with Frenchman Wasteway. I believe walleye might not seem to spawn at 63 F. I simply think these walleye as a number-one predator will always be in the Potholes. I feel without increased habitat boxes for additional sanctuary the walleye will only deplete the primary food base, perch. This is why the CWFAC will continue to build more habitat boxes to provide more deep water sanctuary on Potholes Reservoir.