What's to love about walleye?

[ccmtcanada]

I read this article in a magazine called "Western Sportsman" - November/December 2007 issue, and thought it was pretty interesting. I've noticed that walleye are quite revered by many members on this board. Since I dont eat them, and they feel like logs coming in, I always wondered what the allure is about them.

 

Anyhow, I've copied the following from the magazing and I thought I'd share it.....

 

===================================================================

By Wayne Norstrom

The Basic Walleye

What's to love about Walleye?

 

I was wandering around the Calgary airport, waiting for a flight into northern British Columbia when I noticed a guy packing a rod tube. Of course I went over to see how the fishing was.

 

It turns out the guy, an American, was returning from a trip in northern Saskatchewan. he was a pike angler and he was singing songs of praise for the pike fishing he experienced. Big pike, lots of them and most on the surface. It couldn't get much better, but I asked "You get any walleye where you were?"

 

"Yeah, there were lots of them," was the reply. "I had never caught them before."

 

"What did you think of them?" I questioned.

 

"You know - I liked them," he said and it was almost said with dismay. The question is valid, why like walleye?

 

When you look at the sporting qualities of a walleye there isn't much there. A walleye doesn't storm a surface lure like a pike, or rise up through the water to sip in a small fly like a trout or a grayling. The walleye stays down on the bottom, eliminating the excitement and visual stimulation that comes from watching a fish eat your lure or fly from the surface. And the subsurface take is a gentle tap rather than a solid hit. Not much of a start as a sporting fish.

 

And once hooked, the walleye fights deep. I've caught, and witnessed thousands of walleye and never have I seen one jump clear of the water. Compared to the surface show a rainbow puts on, the walleye is a dullard. Pike and bass put on a much better surface fight than any walleye and I've watched those big Mackenzie River grayling come clear of the water time after time. A walleye has no hope as a surface fighter.

 

The walleye is not a strong fish, showing nothing of the strength of a rainbow or the speed of a pike. His endurance doesn't match the trout familyi, and with the exception of a couple of larger, ice-caught-walleye, most of the walleye I hook are in the boat inside of a minute or two. Strength, speed and endurance are not on the side of the walleye.

 

Anglers like to catch big fish - in this regard the walleye moves up the scale. The average walleye will weigh more than the average rainbow or brown trout. As well is finishes ahead of fish like perch and grayling. There are exceptions like the rainbow trout in the Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, however on average a walleye is a much bigger fish. The walleye does fall behind the lake trout, muskie and pike - but of the three, only the pike is common to most Western anglers.

 

We all like to think we are great anglers, outsmarting the most educated of fish. How does the walleye stand up on the smart score? Here is gets more convoluted.

 

The fisheries folks I worked with in northern Alberta tagged a number of walleye from the Smokey River. They caught the walleye by angling. The fish were caught, sampled, tagged and released. It worked well, except after 20 to 30 minutes, they started to catching the same tagged walleye. To reduce the duplication they had to release them downstream in the next pool. Are they smart? Well, to put a bit of balance here another fisheries crew experienced the same thing with cutthroat trout in southern Alberta. Many are the stories of anglers breaking off a big pike and catching the same fish a few minutes later with the other lure still in it's mouth.

 

When walleye are in a feeding frenzy, they are simple patsies, however when they shut down thay are real tough to catch. That's when angling for them changes from fun to very interesting. Trying to get a walleye to eat your bait at these times is tough and I've gone home to many suppers of roasted wieners because I couldn't make it happen. I've seen other fish shut down, however walleye are annoying because I can see them down there on my sonar. Bad language often comes into play. And at times like this the walleye start getting a reputation. It's always from the one person who has come in with a limit.

 

The walleye strikes a blow.

 

When serious anglers get together and we start debating walleye, a common characteristic has floated to the surface. The very thing that makes the walleye a minor player is what makes him interesting. That subtle bite.

 

When a trout eats a fly off of the surface you know it. When a pike attacks a surface lure, it scares me. A walleye, however, will pick up bait and let it go without even the good anglers knowing it has happened. Need proof? How many times have you pulled up your jig without your minnow or leech attached? How often did that happen without you feeling anything? With me it has happened lots and will continue to happen even with small jigs and sensitive braided lines.

 

And for a lot of anglers - here is where the walleye makes it's move, on the days when the bite is so subltle that all we do is donate minnows. It's here where anglers who can recognize a light line twitch or feel the tiniest of weight catch fish. it's here where the anglers get separated and the reputation of the walleye is floated high. (Especially by the anglers doing the catching.) The anglers who can't hook a fish put him on a pedestal and the anglers who are catching them do the same, but for entirely different reasons. If the walleye is so smart and difficult to hook, then the guy catching them must be one hell of an angler.

 

And of course there is one spot where a walleye stands out from all the rest. That's on the table. I've eaten fish all over the world and fresh walleye remains my favourite, however my Newfie friends argue, with some merit, that fresh cod is just as good.

 

Give me a day in the water with a couple of buddies; give me a few laughs and a few fish. Top is off with a campfire and a supper of fresh walleye and I'll give you every reason to like Walleye.

Edited November 1, 2007 by ccmtcanada

[Moosebunk]

I think Cliff it's because they are founded in nearly every province. Their range is great and so it's a fish many people across the country are familiar with and have had opps to fish for. Their taste is amongst the best and ODC says walleye is Canada's top sportfish, this in relation I'd bet to those who fish sportingly but for sustinence as well. And, they're not just a beginners fish, as, shore opportunities and simple newbie tactics would not often work. To be a good walleye angler through all 4 seasons would mean really "being into" angling, as to catch them consistently takes know-how, a number of tools and dedication.

[huntervasili]

I will second that... neat read Cliff, gives some people a new perspective I would believe

[tbayboy]

Good article Cliff thanks for putting it up. I grew up fishing for nothing but eyes with the odd pike tossed in but the last year I've caught pike, muskies, small and largemouth bass, salmon (trolling) and a zillion panfish of all varieties and I think this guys right - they're subtle tricky pain in the butt fish at times. Walleye are the one fish where I see some guy with a limit of big guys where everyone else gets skunked and boy would we drill that guy to find the trick. Certainly there's times when they're easy to pick up but those tough bite days really stand out to me as fun fishing though I'm hard pressed to explain why - its definitely a 'you vs the fish' kinda thing on those days and I guess thats what I like. Tweaking over a zillion colours and presentations (how many blades and swivels and colours do you bring pike fishing?). My brother for example won't jig for eyes with the bail closed (gotta let the fish feel comfortable on those taps), most guys I know refuse to put any terminal tackle on even if pike are all over the place. Yeah the fight sucks (relatively) and they aren't giant fish or anything like that but compared to say smallmouth which generally any idiot can catch (last trip to stony does not count - grrr) walleye can be finicky and you tend to get proud of the catch. Its a weird thing for sure but even after all the fun fishing I've done this year it was still the walleye trip that I'm proudest of simply because I out fished my buddies and was able to use stuff I'd learned (much from this board) to pull out fish when my friends couldn't.

 

That said - top water fishing (pike, bass, muskie) is still my favourite and I was one of the few guys on the walleye trip this year that wasn't upset to see the smallies making headway in our walleye lake.

[Tarzan's Jane]

That was a nice read Cliff, thanks.

[ecmilley]

walleye mmmmm great post cliff.

[lunkerbasshunter]

interesting read. im a bass angler but i do enjoy catching walleye once in a while. I cant really explain why but maybe that article hit it on the head.

 

CHeers!

[walleyejigger]

the question is ,what isn't there to love about walleye ?

 

 

 

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

[Deano]

Good write up, but I think walleye are on top because it's the only fish that the wife and kids will eat. Most people who don't like fish will eat walleye. Most people don't like any fishy taste that you'll get with most other fish, but cook up a pike with walleye and most won't know the difference. I prefer to catch bass, pike, trout and salmon for the fight, but when it comes to feeding the family, walleye is the only one that everyone will eat.

[fishindevil]

Great article cliff !!!...I fell in love at first sight with walleye when i was a kid and caught my first one with a hook & worm & bobber !!!!! the rest is history as they say...LOL..LOL.. and i still love them today more than ever.....and man do they taste great..yyymmmmmmyyyyyyy walleye filletts

[Kerry]

Interesting read Cliff,

 

I love catchin' them,I love cleanin' them and I espescially love 'Eatin' them.Mmmmm walleye fillets,walleye cheeks,walleye wings.Man,now I gotta get me some walleye!!

Kerry

[Clampet]

In Northern Ontario, people have made fishing a way of life.

When I was young, I caught my fair share of Pike, as did many other people I knew. When we got older, we gave up the Pike in favour of Pickerel (Walleye), and felt it was a natural progression. For many northern anglers today, the only reason they pursue Pike, is for the money to be won in Pike derbys, same for Bass. Most people I know up North, target Walleye exclusively, and throw back everything else.

[Dano]

Good read Cliff, thanks for that. I dont fully agree with the "coming in like a log" thing though.Sure, I have caught them and they have felt that way, but for me those were caught trolling with fairly heavy equipment. I generally target walleye in the spring and early summer in the north east areas like Cochrane with a light jigging rod and fairly light jigs, say 1/8 to 1/4 oz. At times we smash them casting minnowbaits (right Keith?). I find the walleye downright scrappy and a ton of fun to catch. They can also hit like a ton of bricks at times and......I have caught them off the surface during a mayfly hatch.

 

How can anglers opinions on the same species of fish differ so much? Several things factor in here and I think it depends what season it is, the choice of equipment and technique, coupled with your geographical location determine what perception we may develop about this wonderful fish. Besides, look how pretty they are.

 

 

I love them for all of the above reasons.

Edited November 2, 2007 by muskie dan

[irishfield]

Ever thought of giving up your plumbing career Dan and doing some writing or fishing shows?

[Dano]

Lol...all the time Wayne!!

[Whopper]

Good read Cliff!

I'm inclined to agree with moosebunk and Dan on this one plus I love to feast on the walleye from the cold waters of NWO.

 

Cheers

[Rizzo]

what isn't there to love about walleye

 

their fight can be compared to a wet dish rag, how's that for a reason.

[irishfield]

Had one last year at BOQ rizzo that we thought was a Sheephead for about 15 minutes of struggling to reel it in. It faught like hell...all the others..well..what you said.

[danc]

They can be very easy or very difficult to catch. They're not great fighters. Tough to beat in the frying pan though. Not my first choice.

[Moosebunk]

Ohhh I know, I know... Dan, your favorite is the bass right??? lol.

[BLACKFISH88]

Jacks seem to be quite a bit scrappier than the sows. I've seen two pound jacks fight more than ten pound sows.

[doubleheader]

Catch a walleye in lake Erie on a stick bait and it really is like pulling in a log. Most will not trip a down rigger and sometimes it's hard to tell on a planer board. Nothing like most of the other lakes I fish....why? Last year on vacation I caught a number of large eyes that fought so hard they had to be revived at the boat. Truly harder the the Sheepsheads we'd catch on occaision. On our local lake when the fish are in shallow you'd swear you have a decent eye on and you finally get it to the boat and it's 14". The only point to all this I think they can be great fighters at times. But the real attraction is they are never the same on two consecutive days and on many days change preference/location within the same day. So you are always anticipating and always experimenting even when you know their habits and patterns. I've caught many many varieties of fish over the years but for me there is nothing like finding the right presentation for a school of eyes. There is a sense of satisfaction in knowing that for at least that one day you figured them out. The satisfaction is even greater when you're tournament fishing and you know you have the winning basket before you're even weighed.

[tdotfisherman]

Interesting article to read.. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Walleye fishing, but it's a change from throwing spinnerbaits for pike, and top-water for summer bass.. If your goal is to go out for a nice relaxing evening of fishing, have some good conversation with your buddies at the cottage, have a couple smokes, and do some light fishing, then jigging for Walleye is the ticket..

 

The key plus for me about Walleye is just that it's a break from other types of fishing, and it's a different style of fishing, but in terms of personal preference, I'd rather go after monster Pike or lunker Bronzebacks then Walleye, but to each his own..

[Cookslav]

I guess it depends on how you want to fish?

For me 50% of fishing is the fight....the other 50% is the actual hook up after locating them, and enticing the strike.

Pickerel Fishing on open water can be as, or more challenging to locate fish then say Bass, or Salmon etc....

Just depends I guess?

 

Heck I've caught Specs that feel like I'm pulling in a wet sock only to spaz at the boat but its to late by then...

Then Last year Big Swede and I were fishing the BOQ and he nailed a 36" Pike that was Fatter then I've ever seen...an absolute tank.

But it came in like a log....awesome fish, but disappointing fight for sure, it actually fought considerably less then the 31" pickerel I pulled in about an hour later, and that isn’t saying much LOL!

But really it doesn't matter to me if they fight or not.

 

The species I decide to Target is based on the season usually...we have such a variety of options here in Ontario, why not switch it up and keep it fresh right?

 

A great fight is certainly revered, and I'd rather have an epic battle then walk the dog any day, but

for me Targeting the Species, feeling out the Patterns, finding the colors, depths, speeds, running the Planners or riggers, playing the elements etc...

That’s the challenge, and the enjoyment aspect of Pickerel fishing.

[lew]

Pickeral (walleye) fish'n to me isn't about catching a fish, it's about memories.

 

I only fish for them about 4 days a year, the long weekend in May on one of my favorite lakes in the world, the Bay of Quinte. That's a trip and a tradition in my family that started way back in 1955 and has pretty well continued until the present.

 

Myself at 9 years old, my brother Ed at 8, my dad and my grandfather, went to Hay Bay for the 1st time in search of pickeral. We found a little general store beside the water and stopped to ask if he knew of any campgrounds in the area. He said we could pitch our tent in his backyard and seeing as it was right beside the water, we could launch our 15' cedarstrip there too.

 

That little backyard went on the become Pickeral Park, one of the Hay Bay landmarks of today, and we were about his 1st ever campers.

 

For many many years after, My grandfather, dad, brother & myself looked forward all winter to that trip and it never failed to be fabulous. Hot & sunny, cold & wet, even some years with snow, we always had a wonderful time and were building memories as we went.

 

Over the years, we gained a few members to our group, and sometimes lost a few, but the 4 of us continued and it was still always one of my best trips of any other time of the year.

 

Eventually, my grandfather died and he was missed terribly on those camping trips, but the remaining 3 of us kept going and then eventually my son was old enough to come along and he enjoyed it as much as the rest of us and sort of took my grandfathers spot.

 

Ten years ago, my dad died and that was terrible and as was his father, my dad was missed on these trips too, but myself, Ed, and my son continued going every year. It was tough without my dad, but again the memories helped get us thru it and we continued to have wonderful trips.

 

Three years ago, my son was killed and I thought my world would end.

 

I didn't know what the Quinte trip would be like without my son along, but myself and Ed went anyway and made the best of it, but it was really getting tougher to enjoy myself now with most of my family gone, but the fabulous memories of past trips kept me going.

 

Now, it was only Ed & I left and we were sposed to go to Quinte last May 17th as we'd done for 50 odd years, but then Ed got sick and died the same day we were spose to leave.

 

Now my fishing world has completely fallen apart.

 

I've lost all the men in my family that I spent so many wonderful fishing trips with, the people that taught me how to cast and retrieve, clean a pickeral, pitch a tent, build a campfire. I'm the only male left on my entire side of the family now and I hafta tell you, it's getting very lonely now.

 

No pickeral trip to Quinte will ever be as good again, infact I don't even know if I COULD go to Quinte again, but I have memories, infact so many memories and their all good. Fabulous memories of so many unbelievable trips with so many great people.

 

Even if I never see Quinte or another pickeral again, I'll still be a happy man every time I think of past trips, and bonfires, and tents and sleeping in the backyard of a general store on the shores of Hay Bay, so many years ago.

 

And to me, that's "What's to love about walleye".......er pickeral

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2007 by lew