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Blue Walleyes


Clampet

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I have listened to the "blue pike" stories for years from my father and other old fisherman, many who have since passed away. I myself never caught a true Lake Erie "blue pike" but did catch some of the blue tinted walleyes on the French River about 25 years ago.

 

Here in the Buffalo area walleye were and sometimes still referred to as yellow pike because of the blue pike that most guys fished for. From what I was told they were a much smaller fish but also a better tasting fish than the yellow pike. I can remember going for fish fries with my family at a favorite tavern in the village that my dad knew the owner very well. Dad would seem to always get stuck working late on Fridays and we would arrive late for the fish dinner when all the "blue pike" were sold out. The owner would say to my dad, "sorry Art but were out of blue pike buy I have yellow pike for 50 cents", a 25 cent savings over blue pike. Boy those were the days, now a haddock fish fry is about $9.99 at most taverns that are left here.

 

Over fishing by sportsmen, commercial fishermen and pollution did it's toll on the prize eating blue pike in Lake Erie and Ontario :(

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So, youse guys call walleye "yellow Pike"? Like, is that short for Pike, as in "Pickeral"?

 

YES, any of the OLD timers will still call then "yellow pike" however, anyone less than 60 now refer to them by their correct name "WALLEYE" eh :)

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Yes we have caught a few of them on the mighty ottawa river,my buddy who is from deep river,and his father and grandfather have been fishermen & log drivers on the ottawa river since the turn of the century,and they kept trying to tell the MNR whos head office is in pembroke that they had caught a few small blue walleye,in the river,till they finnally kept a few and took them in to the office to be verified,and they were blues....him and myself have caught a few of them,but i have not caught one in about 10yrs,i will look for pictures i have they are on film,so if i find them i will post for everyone to see,i do think that they are still there,and for whatever reason they are only about 1-1.5 lb fish from what i remember...cheers

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I have heard that in years past, that blueish walleye in Quinte were primarily caught slightly south of Thompsons Point in a small bay. That said, MNR staff stated that this was just an annomally from one specific area of the BOQ and not the Lk. Erie strain that if I remember correctly was the original (believed to be extinct).

 

outdoorguy61

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We still catch them north of Parry Sound at my Grandfathers hunt camp. I believe the ratio is 1 in 15 walleyes we catch are blue. The colour doesn't come off, they are generally smaller, and their eyes are larger and higher on the head than the yellows.

3877blue.jpg

My brother Joonmoon sent a pic in to Bob Izumi over 20 yrs ago. He offered to have my brother on Real Fishing with him if he'd guide him to the fish. Joon declined.

 

 

one guy in our group last year caught a little one on a lake in north eastern ontario near kirkland lake, it was only about 10 inches but pretty neat to get to see one in person. i have also heard that they will turn the ice or snow blue colored when layed out .

 

jason

 

 

236blue1.jpg

 

Caught in the same place as Studds....

 

Released the next moring, not sure if it turned anything blue, because I really didn't want to look.

 

 

I too have caught Blues up around Kirkland Lake when I lived/fished in the area. They have a gun-metal colouration about them as well as bigger, higher-set eyes and longer, skinnier bodies. The ratio seemed to be one Blue to every 15 or so Yellows.

 

...And no, I don't believe them to be extinct.

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Blue walleye don't exist anymore. If you are curious about the blue walleye story, I've searched the web and post an interesting post on my blog : Blue Walleye.

 

You will also find in my post a link to a scientific research on Blue Walleye. I was amazed also to read one of the research update from Dr. Wayne Schaefer : «It is possible that walleye in Canada use, as a sun screen, the very chemical which forms in their blood from exposure to too much sun. This conclusion is still only speculation but it is our best hypothesis.»

 

Mike

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Had a pic of one somewhere. That is, the one's with the blue slime. Like Dan says, they are not that rare. The slime is caused I believe by a protein... or maybe it was a healthy, natural bacteria. Read it in OOD.

 

Now, blue walleye... several years back my friend John did take a super blue walleye off the Cheepas River. Every other fish that weekend was gold, there was no reason for this one to glow blue.

 

Extinct... ??? Did not the latest OOD or ODC have an article contrary to that? Cougars... now aren't they supposed to be extinct around here too?

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