Quote Originally Posted by tbiser View Post
I hope someone gets the test completed soon so something can be done to rescue the fishery if needed. The way to much at stake for Ohio.
I agree, but if it is an infection either bacteria or virus then there is nothing that can be done except letting nature run its course. I will wait untill the test results are in and I am hoping it turns out to be spawning stress related. One thing in our favor with this thing is that the catch rate this spring during the jig bite was no where near what it has been in the past, can't remember the exact figure but think the catch last year was around 200,000 fish during the spawn with 10% of those being females, the catch most likely was not even 25% of that this year. It appears that most of the dead walleyes are males and the females fared much better through this. That is one reason they feel it is most likely post spawn stress related as the females head out once the eggs are dropped but like all males, walleye males hang around for that final fling in the hay which very well could have cost them their live's.