Pool 14 walleyes just starting to spawn

The Quad Cities Nuclear Station fish hatchery is in full swing with 2.3 million eggs in the jars after the first 10 fish spawned yesterday. Thanks to all the folks that came out (particularly IADNR) and helped collect fish the past week. Big fish for the spring was a branded fish likely between 13 & 14 pounds. We got a measure on it after it sat in a hatchery tank for a week and it was just under 13 lbs, having not feed during that week. Fish between 8 and 11 pounds were plentiful.

As was the norm, finding big females was easy, getting those males down deep with electrofishing equipment was not as easy. Thanks again to everyone that helped make 2017 a success.

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Are they marking them different this year? I read an email a couple of years ago and can’t find it. Was it an x behind dorsal? It was always nice to catch one on 13/14/15 and look for the markings.

In 2014 we did an X,^, or V. On smaller fish the full X doesn’t always come through, which is why you get the V or ^. All other years have been the single vertical bars. Left side bar, stocked in Pool 14, right side bar, stocked in Pool 13. So the X brands are 2+ years old now (essentially 3) and running 14″-17″ on average.

There are a few double vertical bars out there, which were fish stocked in Pool 12, but that happens only every 4 or 5 years when we have a lot of extra fish.

Thanks! It is nice to catch a home grown walleye.