Just Got back with Walleyes

[Wally Cotton]

I have 2 things that I want to talk about and I believe that anyone that has been going to Leech Lake for a while can relate to. The first is fishing Walleyes, I grew up fishing Stoney Point and the main lake starting 40 years ago as a little boy with my Grandfather, using Little Joe spinners and night crawlers that we would hunt for with flashlights at night where we stayed at the Stoney Point resort. Over the years I would continue to fish the traditional spots, some years were better than others, and only a few years ago with very little success. I would like to say that it is great to see that the Walleye have come back and this trip was the best I have ever had catching fish. I hunted for the fish on the main lake and tried all the spots with little success for 3 days. We stayed at "The Shores of Leech Lake" in Walker Bay and each day I would see boats 200 yards away from my dock fishing. I thought that they were crazy and didn't know what they were doing right there in my back yard, but I was curious so on the 4th day of my trip I decided to give it a try... WOW!!! For the next 3 days I drifted using my spinner rigs, that I now make myself and caught over a dozen Walleyes from 21" to 26" that I was happy to give back to continue the Walleye population, but my wife and I limited out each day and we are thrilled to fill our freezer. We caught most on red or green 24" spinners behind the lightest weight that would stay in contact with the bottom, tried nightcrawlers, shinners and the Walleyes wanted LEECHES, started in 30' of water and drifted up to 14' (anything from 14' to 10' all we got were perch and rock bass) the Walleye were hitting in 21' to 17'. For those of you fishing the main lake, you have to move to the bay... TRUST ME!

Second Point - Leech Lake earned it's reputation from the Blue Collar families that would come up to the lake each summer with their families. There were alot of resorts and the town was a fun place to be. Over the years I have watched it change as the resorts have closed up and sold out to private lake houses, with fewer resorts, even with all the campers it seems there are a lot fewer people in town. I worry that Walker is struggling and that the income that the stores received each summer to get them through the year is not there. Everything is over priced and many of the people visiting are snobs, I miss the feeling of the old Walker. For those of us who have done well and continue to carry on the tradition of yearly visits to the lake with our family, I wish that people would remember to leave their attitudes and arrogance back home. The fish are not impressed!

[djwilliams]

Great Post!
Yes Walker has changed a lot. I see it catering to the higher end consumer, yet I see places going out of business. We used to go there 2x a week for a typical 2 week stay. To save money, we rarely go there anymore, preferring Longville, where our place is closer to. Reeds used to be a popular place to go, and still is for most, but the crowds have thinned. Johnson's used to be probably the busiest store in town, but sadly has gone too. I see more people in a rush when they arrive- gotta have that parking spot behind downtown and don't want to walk. But I also see examples of arrogance on the part of some of the new shopowners, mostly the more upscale gift and art shops- specifically an attitude that shows they are tired of just lookers, which I am sure they are.

[brevikfshr]

Walker has changed a fair piece mostly because of the resort business has changed. I have heard that there used to be over 150 fishing resorts on Leech back in the 50's and 60's. I suppose only two dozen or so exist today. Walker still is a nice town, just much less turnover of customers. I too have many fond memories of viewing the frozen trophy catches in Johnson's window, Pow Wow's at the museum, and buying cheap trinkets at the corner store(kitty corner from Johnson's) that had the statue of the old man smoking a corn cob pipe on the bench out front.

[Southpoint]

Your post about the old Stony Point Resort caught my eye.

I remember your Grandfather and may have even fished with him a time or two and recall how he used the smoker to fix northerns for the weekly pot luck.

My last time at Leech a few years ago. The fishing was ok but nothing exceptional. I go back just for the sake of the memory of fishing with my own Grandparents.

My wife and I go to Canada these days and have found very good fishing there. On our trip this Spring we got a 29 and 28 and two or three 27's. Our guide caught a 31.

Take care.
Bob