Submitted Photo The Dunkirk weigh station for the Southtowns Walleye Association Tournament is located off Route 5 behind the defunct Stephans Marina.

With a walleye population estimated to be in the millions, anglers are wondering where are all these toothy critters? In a word? East. As of Thursday evening, fishing out of the “Cat” and heading east seems to be the most productive program. Two 11-pound walleye were reportedly taken out of the “Cat “on Wednesday and the top four entries in the Southtowns Walleye Association walleye tournament are all more than 11 pounds. The SWA tournament will end on Sunday so it’s difficult to get a lot of accurate information, until then.

There are several theories as to why the walleye appear to have a case of lock jaw. The most likely one is there is plenty of easterly wind. There is an old saying, “East is least, west is best,” when it comes to fishing. Sunday evening the lake picked up and Monday was no picnic either. By Tuesday, most of the anglers were reporting catching fewer walleye and with blue bird skies and little wave action, it has been a struggle for many. Even the yellow perch anglers are reporting fewer numbers of fish lately.

With the strong wind and wave action reported earlier in the week, the lake flipped, causing the water temperature to change dramatically. Anglers reported fishing on Wednesday and found the surface temperature was around 64 degrees most everywhere. However, the bottom temperature was in the low 50s to the low 60s depending on your location. Another theory on the lack of walleye action is a lack of wind. Walleye seem to like choppy water. Lately the wind has been relatively calm. Bait preference varies, too. One boat reports catching walleye on stick baits, while another reports spoons , or worm harnesses.That’s fishing! In a few weeks anglers can expect the annual migration of walleye from the Western basin, and with some consistent weather, the fish will school up and become easier to pattern.

Even the musky fishing has been affected. Captain Larry Jones, who operates Mostly Muskies charter service, commented that he got out on Chautauqua Lake on Wednesday. In less than an hour he and his friend caught and released a 45-inch fish. That one proved to be the only taker for the rest of the day.

Bass season statewide opens today. If you plan on spending any time outdoors in the near future, be sure to use sunscreen. The UV index has been in the high numbers so use precautions. Also, if you plan on heading out in the woods, use precautions against ticks and other insects.

Calendar: The Southtowns Walleye Association 36th annual Derby ends on Sunday at 4 p.m.