If anybodys interisted in about a 4 to 5 gour drive to down by where i live they take walleyes all year long below the dam at the Coralville reserviour. Its the Iowa river damed up by the corp. years ago. The Iowa river is known around here for nembers of better walleyes. I don’t know if any of you remember the economy slowing down where everbody moved south about 17 years ago, we were part of the crowd. When we moved back i wanted to start fishing, real fishing, again. I heard at that time that the dnr here let a few leases go in the reserviour to take out tons of carp and rough fish. So i ventured off too see if i could talk to anybody commercialing down there. I got lucky and seen a truck full of upright barrels full of carp these guys were hooping. I got out of the truck and walked up to them and asked if they were getting any walleyes in thier hoopnets. They both looked up puzzled and i thought say something now or i won’t find out anything. I said don’t worry im not the dnr, guess thats what they were thinking, and i explained that i just moved back and who better too talk to too find out where and how many and how big. They opened up and said they were running 12 hoops and everyone of them everytime they pulled them up, everyone, had walleyes in them. I asked how big they were and they said all sizes and they had to weigh one because it was so big. I asked how big and they said over 14 pounds and said they knew it was a new state record that i think is about 14.4 or close to that. I asked where they were getting the most numbers in what part of the river and they said it didn’t matter, anywhere was as good as the next. i thought holy cow. Well needless to say that solved my questions on how many thier were. I’ve been there walleye and saugeye fishing and seen lots of them 5 pounds and better and nice numbers of smaller 2 to 5’s go home. The state record for saugeyes is now around 11 or 12 now. If in question on the difference netween the two, saugeyes are a little browner, and sure way to tell is saugeyes have scales on thier gill plates, walleyes don’t. no scales walleye, scales saugeye, no doubt about it. The thing is this reserviour is never had a planerboard on it that i know of. Lots of sand, mud, jutting points, deep dropoffs next too sand, limestone bluffs etc. everything a guy could want for walleyes. I know guys throw jigs and some do troll lures but close to nothing pressure above the dam. I know there are some huge walleyes in the reserviour. The reserviour is just south of where i live in Cedar Rapids. Might be worth your while, i catch walleyes there, lots of guys do below the dam. Crappies are in big schools now and temps are dropping. Were going below the dam down river too fish them in the morning. Thier between 7 and 13 ft’. had too shut the alarm off. I’ll get back and let everybody know how it went and if the eyes are starting up. later
September 21, 2003 at 12:01 am
#1328607
at or above the 380 bridge then I catch some pretty good walleyes. There is a shelf just up from Jolly rogers that I have done real good for walleyes in years past, some times they adveraged 3 to 6 Lbs. Some times I think with the amount of shad in the lake all they have to do is open their mouth 
It can be frustating mentally………. John 
I’m not sure if my Marine radio works but my walkie talkies do and their good for up to 5 miles. I’ll probably have a friend with me, and look forward to meeting all of you. Another note; maybe we should be using the Coralville Lake Forum? {John}