Thames River Walleye Opener— May 13,2023 in Zone 16 🎣🐟👍🙂

[Red Hering]

Finally!! After waiting two months for the walleye sanctuary to be lifted today,east of the Keil Bridge in Chatham,myself and @Cannonball decided to get together to try our luck this morning for some walleye’s. After hiking about one kilometre to get to one of the many walleye spot’s that I know of,on this very large Thames River system,we finally arrived,and fished this spot for about two hour’s,with no luck at all!! We both felt that the reasoning for this was is,that the river is quite low & clear,and the water temperature was at 68 degrees Fahrenheit,( 20 degrees Celsius). Way too warm we figured for walleye’s to be still around in this warm water,and they have likely dropped back down into Lake St.Clair,and eventually to Lake Erie,etc. We both got “skunked!!” unless a out of season smallmouth bass that I had caught & released counts,as not me being “skunked!!”
lol We didn’t even see other angler’s walleye fishing anywhere at other spot’s that we had tried to catch a walleye at today. After about 3 hour’s total of walleye fishing today,we decided to grab some lunch,at our favourite restaurant nearby, called ,” The Little Beaver,” in Komoka. Anyone else who might of have fished for Thames river walleye’s today,have any luck?? Just curious & thanks in advance. All & all a great day of walleye fishing with a good friend,and it is now time for me to be focusing more on fishing the “Big Water” on our Great Lake’s,such as on Lake Huron & on Lake Erie with my boat!! No,not with my canoe , lol , like I had done pike fishing with yesterday,( May 12th ), out on long point bay. Tight lines to All!! & See ya on the water!!

 

[scrimmy]

At least the weather was nice Red. Great little restaurant but I do think the food was better when they were across the road. Maybe they have changed cooks.

 

[Trevor M]

unless a out of season smallmouth bass that I had caught & released counts,as not me being “skunked!!”

Of course it counts as not being skunked. Even if out of season or "undesirable" a fish caught is still a fish caught. IE if all you're catching is gobies, or sheephead, while undesirable, and obviously not what you're after, it is still a fish and therefore you did not get skunked. You just didn't catch what you was after, and I've had two trips so far this year, first one I got 1 bite, I caught it. It was a yellow perch, but it went back when I left since it was the only one I caught and it was still very much alive. The second trip, I got one perch, again it went back because I only had the one, and 9 gobies, but I caught those damn gobies before I caught the perch, so yeah, although not at all what I was after or hoping for, they counted when it comes to avoiding the lil black and white stinky critter

 

[Extra Virgin]

At least the weather was nice Red. Great little restaurant but I do think the food was better when they were across the road. Maybe they have changed cooks.

It's probably just the decades of encrusted grease on the old grills that made it better

 

[Red Hering]

At least the weather was nice Red. Great little restaurant but I do think the food was better when they were across the road. Maybe they have changed cooks.

What @Extra Virgin had posted @scrimmy about the grills being encrusted with grease over the decades. But either way,our lunch at the Little Beaver Restaurant,”Hit the Spot,” after some good hike’s this morning,in search for the Thames River Walleye’s!

 

[scrimmy]

What @Extra Virgin had posted @scrimmy about the grills being encrusted with grease over the decades. But either way,our lunch at the Little Beaver Restaurant,”Hit the Spot,” after some good hike’s this morning,in search for the Thames River Walleye’s!

It is still a good restaurant and I eat there often

 

[Red Hering]

It is still a good restaurant and I eat there often

For sure @scrimmy a good restaurant to eat there indeed! ️ etc.,

 

[Wilker Tim]

I went down to the Deleware area this morning for some fresh air, managed to get one little squeeker which I released. Not a lost cause though as I caught my first ever buffalo fish!

 

[Red Hering]

I went down to the Deleware area this morning for some fresh air, managed to get one little squeeker which I released. Not a lost cause though as I caught my first ever buffalo fish!

Nice catch there @Wilker Tim and yes,there was at least one walleye around to be caught this morning! lol because myself & @Cannonball had gotten “skunked!!” yesterday on the walleye opener. I almost went out again this morning,but much earlier than yesterday,to try my luck for walleye’s again,but I will wait through this week instead for some more Thames River walleye fishing. Congratulations as well on catching your first ever Buffalo fish,,they can sure put up a fight when they are hooked!! I always wondered if the Bigmouth Buffalo fish was a “protective” species,because they seem to be rare,and would you know? I tried to “google “ that information,but with no success. Thanks in advance,to you or anyone else that might know this answer,about the Bigmouth Buffalo fish being a protective species. Tight lines to All!!

 

[Tyler0420]

Nice buff