Walleye | SeafoodSource (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Mille Lacs walleye? ›

The DNR's 2023 Mille Lacs assessment found slightly lower walleye numbers in 2022. "Despite some rather poor ice conditions, anglers caught a lot of walleye this past fall and winter because those fish weren't finding enough to eat," said Brad Parsons, DNR Fisheries Section Manager, in a March 13 news release.

Big walleye don't hesitate to grab the entire large nightcrawler and a bonus is the walleye's natural instinct is to attack it head first right where your jig and hook are. By hooking the crawler in the tip of nose there is more chance of catching the walleye and not just hooking through multiple layers of the crawler.

Walleye is good for us!

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. Walleye is also rich in vitamin D, which works with calcium to keep bones healthy and strong.

He had reeled in a scandal that rocked the world of competitive fishing. The pair had stuffed their Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament catch with lead weights and fish fillets. The fishermen have now pleaded guilty to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals.

They were disqualified from the tournament. The walleye – a type of fish – in the bucket looked like they each weighed around four pounds, but the total weight indicated they would have to be at least seven pounds each, Fischer told CNN last year.

If you're new to Walleye fishing or just want to put fish in the boat, live bait is always your best bet. Lures are fun, but they can't compete with the real thing without a lot of practice. Walleye feed on a lot of different things, but three go-to live baits are minnows, leeches, and worms.

Walleye are terrible fighters for their size. They are slender and just don't pull that hard. You can catch them on very light tackle. It's almost like they want to come join you for dinner.

Hours near dawn and dusk are often the best time to fish for walleye. These are traditional feeding times. It's when meal-seeking walleye will often swim up from deep water onto shallow flats to feed on schools of minnow and small 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.

What is the biggest walleye ever caught in inches? ›

Inland anglers fished for food, as Mabry did when he set out on Old Hickory Lake on Aug. 2, 1960 to catch some catfish for supper. Instead, he caught a 25-pound, 4-ounce walleye that measured 41 inches long with a 29-inch girth.

Walleye are most commonly caught between 10-40 ft. To find where they're hiding, you must understand what kind of structure is under the water. Having a good understanding what kind of structure is out there is idea for increasing your chances of catching a Walleye.

So why is the walleye Minnesota's most popular fish? WCCO spoke with Brad Parsons, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' fisheries section manager. "I think a lot of it is just because they're so good to eat," Parsons said. "We really are the heart of walleye country."

To date, the species has proven difficult to farm, with mortality rates and production costs prohibitively high, so farming serves only to stock lakes for anglers. Most restaurant and retail supplies of walleye come from Lake Erie, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods and other large Canadian lakes.

Walleye: Beginning May 11, 2024 through August 15, 2024, all walleye must be immediately released. Beginning August 16, 2024 the possession limit is one walleye between 21-23 inches or one fish longer than 28 inches. All other walleye must be immediately released.

Mille Lacs will be catch and release only for all walleyes during the spring and summer season until August 16, 2024. At that point, Mille Lacs anglers may keep one walleye from 21” to 23” per day.

He stands boldly at the center of Baudette, MN, where passers-by can't help but see him. Marking its territory, Willie overlooks its namesake park called “Willie Walleye Park” as well as Baudette Bay and the Rainy River. took the job of building the fish statue. shape of a walleye.

Your bait isn't fresh enough.

Most anglers don't realize the natural movement of live bait is more important than scent or taste. To ensure crawlers and leeches continue undulating, change your bait every five to 10 minutes. Minnows last longer, but still check them regularly.