Long Island Walleye, Part I
Most Long Island freshwater fans are well aware that the New York State DEC stocks both Lake Ronkonkoma and Fresh Pond in Montauk with walleyes. The stockings have been going on for over three decades at this point and action with the toothed predators has been pretty solid from late fall through early spring over the past several years.
Despite the walleye providing a better than decent bite once you get to know them, it’s surprising that even some of Long Island’s most experience freshwater sharpies have yet to give them a serious try. True, most sweetwater fans on Long Island focus on bass and trout throughout most of the year, but with many of the weakfish look-alikes pushing up over three pounds these days - and some even toping six pounds – the odds have never been better for catching significant walleye here on Long Island.
A Little History
Lake Ronkonkoma has been stocked since 1994 while Fort Pond in Montauk began receiving its walleyes in 1997. Ronkonkoma, Long Island’s largest lake at 267 acres, received 10,000 fingerling walleye each year from 1997 - 2009 and 5,000 walleye per year since. Fort Pond, our second largest freshwater honey hole at 181 acres, welcomed 4,000 fingerlings every other year from 2001 to 2010, followed by 4,000 annually since that point.
The high number of stockies at both locations was designed to help establish a significant population in each location as quickly as possible, which it certainly did. It was hoped at the time these ravenous cousins of the yellow perch would tear into the overabundant and stunted white perch which had taken a significant toll on the largemouth bass population at each spot. Prior to the walleye stockings, tiger muskies had failed to control the perch in Lake Ronkonkoma while hybrid stripers struggled to significantly trim the white perch count on Fort Pond..
By any measure, the stocking program at Lake Ronkonkoma has been a huge success with the walleye performing admirably. In fact, they have done such a terrific job of controlling the white perch that bass catches have bounced back significantly here over the past few years, allowing the DEC to decrease the numbers of walleye stocked so they don't outstrip their forage base. At the current rate of 5000 per year - roughly 20 walleye per acre - DEC expects the walleye can continue to keep the white perch under control while providing recreational anglers a viable target in the milky-eyed predators.
On Fort Pond, the walleyes have also established a significant and much appreciated population, but DEC has noticed a lack of small bass coming through the ranks and suspects white perch – which outcompete young of the year bass for zooplankton - are still the culprits. For that reason, they are requesting to double the walleye stocking numbers on this lake in the hope of replicating Lake Ronkonkoma’s success. In theory, that should result in fewer white perch, more walleye and better bass recruitment – a win, win, win scenario for recreational anglers.
Silver and brightly colored crankbaits are consistent producers of summertime walleyes. Northland Lures photo.
Spring Trends
How and where to target Long Island walleyes depends largely on the time of year you try for them. Spring and early summer have seen some pretty consistent fishing but fall probably has an edge in the lunker department, and you’d be surprised what can be caught through the holiday season if the winter isn’t too cold. Heading into the New Year, hard water prospecting also becomes a viable option on both Ronkonkoma and Fort should we get a solid freeze, although that is certainly a less common occurrence than when these stocking programs were first instituted.
For those new to targeting walleye, a quick tour thorough the internet will uncover plenty of great rigs, lures and techniques to try throughout the seasons. These fish are heavily targeted in the mid-west, but much of the info you’ll come across translates well to our smaller, more shallow waters. At home, however, where walleye pressure overall is light and many of those who have been successful to this point have tended to be tight-lipped, it may be more difficult to zero in on the immediate bite but there are some long-term trends that can help tip you off in terms of getting started.
Spring action, for example, kicks off right at the season opener on the first Saturday in May and usually peaks in early June just as black bass fishing hits full stride. During this period, the walleye are often found in open water well off the banks of both lakes during the day but fairly tight to shore after dark. Expect to connect in six- to 12-foot depths by casting or trolling minnow imitating hard baits along the lines of one-quarter- or one-half-ounce silver, white or transparent Bill Lewis Rattletraps, silver Rapala Shad Raps, Countdown Minnows and Husky Jerks, plus Northland Lure’s Rumble Bug and Sebile's sinking Magic Minnow and floating Koolie Minnow ML all work well. Panther Martin’s Sonic Streamers in the one-half-ounce size are also a great choice if you are marking or finding fish in shallower water as can happen after a few consecutive days of temperatures in the 70-degree range. Silver White, Gold Chartreuse, and Silve/White/Red are popular color patterns with these spinners. Should a cold front slow the fish down and drop them a little deeper, a simple three or four-inch Berkley PowerBait Grub in white or chartreuse should get the job done.
The main idea at this time of year is to simply cover as much water as possible until hooking-up - a task made much easier if you have electronic fish-finding capability aboard your kayak, jon boat or bassing machine as you can target individual marks on the screen or locate and hang close to "fuzzy" schools of perch and small panfish. Cloudy days, dawn and dusk are prime time while bluebird skies can drive the fish deep or even shut them down completely.
In terms of tackle, most standard 6- to 12-pound class bass spinning rods will prove suitable for walleye endeavors. If you are looking for something dedicated to walleye fishing, consider matching a seven-foot, medium-light Daiwa Tatula XT spinning rod with a Daiwa Fuego LT 2500X-XH spinning reel. This outfit is lightweight, super-sensitive, has a smooth drag, and will turn any lunker-gone-wild you’ll encounter.
- Bryce Poyer
