What is the largest walleye caught on record?
The biggest walleye ever caught weighted 25 pounds.
This world record was caught on Old Hickory Reservoir in Tennessee by Mabry Harper on August 3, 1960.
- The biggest walleye in the world was caught by angler Mabry Harper back in 1960. ...
- That monstrous fish had a weight of an incredible 25lb. ...
- It measured an unbelievable 41 inches! ...
- It was caught on Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee.
That fish was caught on May 26, 1943 and weighed 22 pounds and 4 ounces.
...
Average Walleye Length vs. Age.
| Length (inches) | Typical Female Age (Yrs) | Typical Male Age (Yrs) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 8 | 12-20 |
| 26 | 9 | |
| 27 | 10-11 | |
| 28 | 12-13 |
No state has more lakes, rivers, streams, and reservoirs stuffed with walleyes than Minnesota.
- Lake Francis Case, South Dakota.
- Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota.
- Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee.
- Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.
- Saginaw Bay, Michigan.
- Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin.
The best eating size fish: walleye 15 – 18 inches, perch 9 – 12 inches and northern pike 22 – 28 inches. We encourage our guests to enjoy eating while they are here when the fish are at their very best freshness and taste. Shore lunches where fish and food are cooked over an open fire are especially delicious.
Honestly, an 8-pound walleye for most folks is a trophy walleye. If you don't fish 100 days or more each year for walleyes, then the chances of catching a 10-pound walleye are slim.
The oldest recorded walleye was 29 years old, weighed 25 lbs., and was 107 cm (42”) long.
Baudette, the town trying to federally trademark the phrase “Walleye Capital of the World,” is in the northwestern-most corner of Minnesota and has a population of 1,106. Outside the town we spotted a large wooden sign rising out of a grassy field with “Walleye Retreat” hand-painted on it—our lodgings.
How old is a 15 inch walleye?
Female walleyes grow faster and become larger than males. The males reach maturity in two or three years, when they are 12 to 13.5 inches long; females mature in four to five years, at lengths of 15 to 17 inches (Fig. 2). On average, walleyes live to be about seven years old, but older specimens have been caught.
The world record bluegill recorded by IGFA or the International Gamefish Association was caught in 1950 at Ketona Lake, Alabama. What is this? This bluegill weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds 12 ounces and came in at 15 inches long with an astounding girth of 18-¼ inches.
Some of the research confirmed details that anglers have long suspected. In clear water, the study found, walleye will strike white lures or almost any color. When the water is clouded by sediment, they are more likely to go for yellow or gold, and in green algae-laden waters, walleye eyes are best at seeing black.
Walleye are generally caught between 10-40 Ft. A typical mid-sized lake in the Midwest would likely hold Walleye between the depths of 10-15 Ft. during the Spring, 15-25 Ft. transitioning to Summer, 25-40 Ft.
I'd say 30 inch walleyes are far more rare. We landed anywhere between 30-40 walleyes within my guide service in a year over the 28 inch benchmark, but usually only a handful actually make 30 inches. That is on prime water, prime spots…. ALL THE TIME.
Feeding. Walleyes are nocturnal, feeding in shallow waters at night. Adult walleyes mainly eat other fish. Young walleyes eat small crustaceans and insects, primarily mayflies.
Examples of popular walleye fisheries are Lake of the Woods in Minnesota, Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin, Devils Lake in North Dakota, and the Detroit River in Michigan. Like most fish species, walleye are often found near structure. Try fishing near rock piles, weed beds, humps, points, and ledges.
Walleye spawn in the spring or early summer. They spawn over gravel or rocks in rivers or shallows, where there is enough of a current to clear away sediment and aerate the eggs. Females can deposit more than 100,000 eggs, which hatch in about two weeks. A walleye lives about 10 years on average.
| Rank | Name | U.S. states/Canadian provinces/Mexican states |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Superior | Michigan–Minnesota–Wisconsin–Ontario |
| 2 | Lake Huron | Michigan–Ontario |
| 3 | Lake Michigan | Illinois–Indiana–Michigan–Wisconsin |
| 4 | Lake Erie | Michigan–New York–Ohio–Ontario–Pennsylvania |
Minnows. Minnows are the most popular bait option for walleye anglers, I have found consistent success with shiner and flathead minnows. When targeting bigger fish, shiners in the 4-6″ range are the mainstay, these will weed through some of the smaller fish and get you on 25″+ Walleye.
What is the tastiest lake fish?
Many people call walleye the best-tasting fish in freshwater, although yellow perch should also get the same accolades, as they are a smaller cousin. Most walleye are filleted, but they can be cooked in a variety of ways, including frying, baking, and broiling.
What's the Verdict? Citing our first two case studies from 81 Ponds and Lake Sharpe, color does correlate to increased or decreased success catching walleye. However, the importance of color is likely not due to the fish's individual preference but rather their ability to see the bait.
The best oil for frying walleye or other fish is one with a high smoke point, so canola, grapeseed, peanut, rice bran, safflower or avocado. These oils can go to 400°F without burning. Keep your oil as close to 350°F as you can.
The full moon will move some of the largest walleyes in the lakes into the shallows to feed, especially in lakes with clear water. Walleyes use the backlighting from the moon to silhouette their prey against the surface of the water and blindside their prey from below.
Walleye tend to feed more actively under low light periods, such as just before and after sunset. Because of this, these low light periods are popular times for anglers to fish for walleye. Walleye are generally found within a foot or two of the bottom.
Despite the fact that walleyes are one of the firmest, mildest tasting freshwater fish to eat, some people complain that they are too fishy and are reluctant to eat them.
Ucrit10 (the highest speed maintainable for 10 min) values ranged from 0.43 to 1.14 m/s and also increased significantly with fish length and water temperature. When startled, walleye were able to attain higher speeds (1.60–2.60 m/s) during short (temperature-independent) bursts of swimming activity.
Fishing success tends to be highest in May and June. That's when walleye are most frequently in shallow or semi-shallow locations near shore, thereby making them easier to catch. Walleye move to deeper locations as water temperatures rise throughout summer.
Is eating walleye good for you?
Walleye is an excellent source of protein. Protein is needed to build and repair all parts of the body. It is also a source of healthy fats, called omega-3 fatty acids. These fats help to keep the heart healthy and are good for brain development.
The Bay of Quinte, just off Lake Ontario in eastern Ontario, is arguably the best walleye fishery in the world for consistently large fish -- in any season, but especially after Labor Day. From early September until freeze-up in late December, the fishing just gets better and better.
Best depths
On stained lakes, I like to concentrate my tip-ups in the 6-foot to 12-foot range. On clear lakes, the best depths are usually in the 10-foot to 20-foot range. However, fish movement does vary and depths as shallow as 2 feet and deeper than 20 feet can often be very productive as well.
On average, musky are about 11 inches long after their first year of life, reach 34” in year 7, reach 40” in year 9, and reach 50 inches by age 17.
Most walleye caught in Lake Erie are between 18 and 28 inches long and 4 and 8 pounds. However, trophy fish exceeding 30 inches and 10 pounds are boated with some regularity.
According to the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, the largest black crappie ever caught weighed 6 pounds even. A fisherman landed it in 1969 in Westwego Canal, Louisiana.
Perch weighing 1.5 to 2 pounds are caught regularly in Pennsylvania, but the average is about half that. The record-setting fish was 16.875 inches long with a girth of 14 inches, but the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission bases state records on the weight of the fish.
The Mekong giant catfish is the official freshwater heavyweight champion of the world. According to the Guinness Book of Records, a nine-foot-long individual caught in northern Thailand in 2005 weighted an astounding 646 pounds, making it the largest exclusively freshwater fish ever recorded.
BaitCloud is the best attractant for walleye. It mimics live bait by creating sound, vibrations, and a visible cloud as it releases a proprietary scent into the water.
As water temps continue to rise, try fishing deep, as summer walleye will relate to points, main lake basins, breaklines, weedlines and river channels.An added bonus is that fish in deeper water are usually a bit more aggressive during the day, so if you're limited to fishing while the sun is up, try staying out deep.
What bites walleye at night?
WALLEYE NIGHT FISHING LURES
Since walleye feed primarily on baitfish, try fishing with live minnows or minnow-imitating crankbaits. Two of the best types of lures to use when fishing at night for walleye are minnow-tipped jigs and minnow-imitating crankbaits.
My favorite big fish locations over the years for walleye are typically snaggy, difficult to fish and often feature either wood snags, log jams, large round rocks or best case scenario… all of these elements on an attractive piece of structure.
While the depth of walleyes may be relative to the system in which they live, their ability to survive summer capture at those various depths is not. Most fish caught in 30+ feet of water will likely die as the result if water temps are at their peak.
Walleye are difficult to catch and many anglers spend their entire lives after a just few trophy fish. If your first lure presentation, tactic, or location doesn't work, don't be afraid to switch it up. It is oftentimes after the third, fourth, or fifth presentation or color of the day that you get your first bite.
This means that, on average, a 10-inch walleye is about 2 years old, while a 20-inch walleye can be aged 8 to 10. It's also important to remember that female walleye grow faster than their male counterparts, which means that the 20 incher mentioned above would be an 8-year-old female and a 10-year-old male walleye.
The United States declared blue walleye an endangered species in 1967, and extinct in 1983.
15 – In terms of length, a 15 year old walleye will be about 58cm (23”).
And when is a walleye considered a trophy fish? While the walleye's average size is between 15 and 20 inches and 1 and 3 pounds, they can reach maximum lengths of around 35 inches and weights of up to 25lb. A few specimens have even reached record weights of around 30lb.
Baudette, the town trying to federally trademark the phrase “Walleye Capital of the World,” is in the northwestern-most corner of Minnesota and has a population of 1,106. Outside the town we spotted a large wooden sign rising out of a grassy field with “Walleye Retreat” hand-painted on it—our lodgings.
How fast can a walleye swim?
Walleyes can swim for only about 10 minutes in water flowing 2.5 feet per second. They seek current breaks to conserve energy, while remaining in range of potential prey.
Walleye spawn in the spring or early summer. They spawn over gravel or rocks in rivers or shallows, where there is enough of a current to clear away sediment and aerate the eggs. Females can deposit more than 100,000 eggs, which hatch in about two weeks. A walleye lives about 10 years on average.
Walleye are generally caught between 10-40 Ft. A typical mid-sized lake in the Midwest would likely hold Walleye between the depths of 10-15 Ft. during the Spring, 15-25 Ft. transitioning to Summer, 25-40 Ft.
Walleye fishing Rods and Reels
As you gain an understanding of how to fish for walleye, we recommend purchasing a lighter rod and reel combo specifically for jigging and live bait. Ideally, the set up should be a 6' medium light, fast action spinning rod with a medium-sized 30 reel.
Since walleye feed primarily on baitfish, try fishing with live minnows or minnow-imitating crankbaits. Two of the best types of lures to use when fishing at night for walleye are minnow-tipped jigs and minnow-imitating crankbaits.
