# What size walleye would you consider a wall hanger?



## duckslyr

I am asking the question because the 2nd and 3rd walleye i ever caught in my life were a 26" 8.5lb and a 28" 8lb. I am thinking of getting them mounted but i am not sure if i should hold off for a bigger one. I know i should have let them go but i was assured by a bunch of old timers at the lake that it was ok to take the bigger ones from lake darling since half the lake is off limits anyways. dont know if thats true or not but what is done is done.


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## Jungda99

My rule of thumb is 10lbs (unless a really good story behind a 9lb catch) or 30"

Anything less than that really isn't a "trophy" for most people unless something remarkable happened while fishing tha particular day which warrants keeping a 28 incher.

My rule of thumb is about 17"-30" go back. The only fish that hit the livewell for me are fishing I need to eat for shore lunch on week long camping trips.

I only like to eat fish fresh. No sense in taking a fish home to put in the freezer...to eventually throw away a year or two later.

Nice fish btw...26" and 28" are two nice fish in anyones book...anyones.


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## Kelly Hannan

depending on where you are, and the avereage size fish in your area, I agree with the 10# rule on Walleye.


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## rowdie

I would not mount a 26" fish. I've caught quite a few of them, and they go back unless they are damaged too badly. I don't care what the length chart says, one of my 26" was weighed at the marina, and it was just over 6 lbs. It was really skinny, it had just spawned. If I caught a 28" that went over 9lbs. yes, under no. If I caught a 29" that went over 8lbs, yes, If it were skinny and under,no. It would also have to have no dents, or damaged to it. Anything over 10lbs, and 30" yes, unless in Canada, then 12 lbs.


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## fox412

30 inches


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## duckslyr

Thats what i was kinda thinking. But then again i had been fishing out there every day for about 3 weeks without even getting a bite and then caugth those 2 within 10 minutes of each other. i also have a buddy that wants to practice his taxidermy skills and said he would do it for next to nothing.


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## Chinwhiskers

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. If you want to mount it don't worry about what others think. If you catch one bigger you can always mount that one as well.

I know people in deer hunting circles that look at other peoples mounts and say how they wouldn't have mounted this one or that one when they themselves havn't even shot one as big as the ones they are critisizing. Only makes them look like bungholieos.


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## drjongy

I'm getting a replica made of this 28 incher I released while musky fishing. Getting it done for a few reasons....my biggest walleye, caught on a large musky bait and put up a great fight, and I think it is quite a thick fish for a 28.

I always told myself 30 inches or 10 pounds, but this just seemed like the right fish to get it done.

On a side note, please consider getting a replica fish for your trophy. True, a fish this size is not a good spawning fish, but giving someone else a chance to catch it what it's all about, and just a general respect for an animal that has survived this long. 
:beer:


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## ej4prmc

For me, my # is 12.0+. I have caught one that I thought was 12lbs but when it got weighted at a offical scale it came in at 11lbs 15 ounces. and i never mounted it. Back then we(lake Sakajwea) had ALOT of 8 lb plus fish and i always thought i would catch another. I have caught 14+ lbs out of lake Erie though and threw them back in.


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## drjongy

So you killed a trophy fish and never mounted it because it was an ounce shy?

I think there is a reason why muskies keep getting bigger and bigger and walleye guys complain about the fish getting smaller and smaller.


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## allgamehunter

For me it's gotta be 34 or 36, because if you hit up Devils Lake at the right time, It's nothing to catch some ten pounders.


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## gamberc

I agree your trophy is in the eye of the beholder who cares what other people think your the one paying for it and your the one with the memory if i was to catch a 28 incher I'd mount it no questions asked but once i had the 28 mounted wouldnt mount any other eye unless it was 30 or had an awesome story behind it. My 2 cents


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## luveyes

Put a 9#3 on the wall last year. let a big girl this spring go that went just under 11. For my second fish on the wall I'll have to break 11 by a bit. Trophies are in the eye of the beholder. My father-in-law is as happy with his 26 inch mount as I am with mine over 9#. Do what you want.


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## Sask hunter

I caught and relaesed a 31.5" walleye this summer but I may get a replica when I see what my dads looks like


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## Bobm

Wow those are some big fish


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## buckseye

Any whopper deserves a place of distinction, getting trophies mounted is one of the main ways hunting and fishing is actively promoted.


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## ileddog

30+ inch or 10+ pound.


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## bobberboy

Im getting a 5lb 25incher mounted,its not the biggest fish in the world but the biggest walleye iv ever cought.I dont think it has to be a 30in+ or 10lb+ fish i think as long as it has a story behind who cought it or how it was cought i think it deserves a place on the wall.


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## duckslyr

It is no longer an issue on whether or not to get them mounted. The freezer I had them and all of my fillets in took a crap sometime last week.


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## Gildog

Jungda99 said:


> My rule of thumb is 10lbs (unless a really good story behind a 9lb catch) or 30"
> 
> Anything less than that really isn't a "trophy" for most people unless something remarkable happened while fishing tha particular day which warrants keeping a 28 incher.
> 
> My rule of thumb is about 17"-30" go back. The only fish that hit the livewell for me are fishing I need to eat for shore lunch on week long camping trips.
> 
> I only like to eat fish fresh. No sense in taking a fish home to put in the freezer...to eventually throw away a year or two later.
> 
> Nice fish btw...26" and 28" are two nice fish in anyones book...anyones.


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## Gildog

Here's the 30 my Dad caught...anyone want to guess what she went?


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## duckslyr

9.5


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## buckseye

That's a real cool pic! Size doesn't always matter... except to women! :beer:


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## ruger1

Gildog said:


> Here's the 30 my Dad caught...anyone want to guess what she went?


Around 9 pounds. That's why I've set a 10# marker for myself. Over here in the spring it's not uncommon to see guys catching 28" fish that go over 10#. For me, length is not as important as girth (she said that to!). I'd rather have that 28" 10# football on the wall than the 31" 10#. Of course I'd really like to put a 31" 13# on the wall*.

*On the wall means a replica, the fish is returned to breed and fight another day!


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## Chaws

I'm considering getting a replica made of this one that I caught early this summer in Canada. She came in just under 30" and just under 10#. The best part was that it was tagged and tagging of fish on that lake hadn't happened for 5 plus years. Reports of only a couple fish being caught that were tagged in the previous 3 years from that lake. Also caught it while fishing with my old man and convincing him to stay out even though some big rain had been moving through most of the day. She was caught, photographed and released to keep spreading those big girl genes.


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## USAlx50

ruger1 said:


> Around 9 pounds. That's why I've set a 10# marker for myself. Over here in the spring it's not uncommon to see guys catching 28" fish that go over 10#. For me, length is not as important as girth (she said that to!). I'd rather have that 28" 10# football on the wall than the 31" 10#. Of course I'd really like to put a 31" 13# on the wall*.
> 
> *On the wall means a replica, the fish is returned to breed and fight another day!


What he said, Id guess around 9 lbs as well.


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## Gildog

yep...she measured a true 30 inches, but weighed 9 1/4 pounds.


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## Choclabmax

old thread but...im over in michigan and for it to go on the wall...12lb's+ 8,9, and 10lbs are common ironically...TY huron and ERie, yall wouldnt believe the amount of 10lb+ fish that were caught this spring


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## slough

I've always told myself 30", but to each his own. I've seen "stringer" mounts done with several big walleyes on them and those look really cool...really expensive too though I'm sure. I'm not in a huge hurry to put a fish on my wall although if a special one comes around I will.


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## drjongy

Wow, old thread comes back to life.

I have the replica of my 28" now. Overall he did an excellent job on the painting and colors, but he made the belly too fat. I was a little disappointed in that aspect. That's the problem with a replica, but I enjoyed releasing the fish even more!


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## duckp

Very nice mount!Great coloring.Your earlier story about how it was caught is also interesting.My wife and I have each mounted one walleye.Both caught on jerk baits while muskie fishing.


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## Savage260

I have a 28 1/2" 8 1/2lb eye on my wall. I have had a number of people tell me it was too small to keep. I caught it on the last of our annual "Father's Day" trips to Oak Island on LOW. It was the middle of the day, and HOT! All the people at the resort said there was no reason to fish during the afternoon because the walleye don't bite on LOW in the hot afternoons. You should have seen some of their mouths drop when I brought it out of the livewell. That year my bro-in-law's dad (he was the glue that held our trips together) died of cancer. It ended a 9 year run of these memorable trips. Every year some one caught a wall hanger, and this was the biggest fish any one in our group caught that year. It was meant for the wall!

Now that I live on Devils Lake 10lb is my next target!


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## ruger1

drjongy said:


> So you killed a trophy fish and never mounted it because it was an ounce shy?
> 
> I think there is a reason why muskies keep getting bigger and bigger and walleye guys complain about the fish getting smaller and smaller.












Exactly. There is no reason to ever kill a trophy fish. Kill them for "hot grease release" or CPR them.


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## drjongy

Joe Bucher always used a similar line as well, "catch and release.......into the grease"

Seriously, though, catch and release works...period. Minnesota is a world-class musky fishery because of it, no question about it. If someone wants to keep a large walleye to eat, that's fine, but I hate to hear stories of a large fish in someones freezer that ends up getting thrown away because they were too lazy or cheap to take it to the taxidermist. It either gets freezer burnt or their freezer will quit working and ruins the fish. Now that's a waste and a shame!!


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## Nick Roehl

I would say 10lbs or bigger before it's considered for the wall. I have yet to put one of them on the wall though. Once you get them in my hands I just think what if I release her and a number of years down the line she could be the state record, so back in the water they go. 
As for throwing one away because it didn't make 12lbs, that's just something an idiot would do. Have some respect for the resource.


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## goatboy

I was waiting for a teener, and got lucky and was able to mount a 15 lber on a 3D pedistel display. :beer:


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## Stobber

To me, its all in the eyes of the beholder. You have to take into consideration how often you fish, and what bodies of water you fish. If you live on the water and spend lots of time on big walleye water you should set the bar pretty high. If you dabble around whenever you can ride along with a buddy, if its big to you, and have a good story...don't be shy. Whatever makes you smile! Living most of my life in Wisconsin, I fished Green Bay, Little Bay De Noc, Lake Winnebago, Lake Erie, Petenwell Flowage, etc etc etc. I fished lots of water with big fish, so I knew I always had a chance at 30+ at any time. My biggest was a 31 1/2 caught in Canada, at night in three feet of water. Great fish, great fight, great night. I took some measurements just in case, and watched her swim away. I never did get a replica made, it just was not fat enough. That's just me, I am not a snob, but I just felt that I could maybe someday get one with a little more girth.

My Biggest.


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## ruger1

Stobber said:


> My biggest was a 31 1/2 caught in Canada, at night in three feet of water. Great fish, great fight, great night. I took some measurements just in case, and watched her swim away. I never did get a replica made, it just was not fat enough. That's just me, I am not a snob, but I just felt that I could maybe someday get one with a little more girth.


Man you are right. That fish is skinny as a rail. We've been having the same problem this summer. We had a 28.75 that only weighed 8.02# last weekend. I can't wait for fall when they start to fatten up again.


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## Rick Acker

25 up certainly wouldn't be shameful! I got a 28 1/2 skin mount of my first whopper. Wish I would've let her go and got a replica instead. I really like the new walleye replica's I've seen. Take them over a skin mount anyday!


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## magnum3.5

I am a firm believer in if it's a great catch with great friends Mount it! I have been fishing for many years and now just mainly ice fish but have never caught a 10lb walleye. Been in that 8-9lb range many times but have never sealed the deal. I am getting older now and that spot on the wall that I have saved for the 10lb walleye is still empty. I may never catch one. If I do I have a place for it if it does happen. 
Have you ever been on a fishing trip and you just crush small fish and have a great time? I was on one of those one time I thought about keeping a 5" and mounting with a plaque saying I caught this on Lake of the Woods with Great Friends.

If it was a memorable trip mount it. Taxidermist need the work too. It's your trophy.


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## T-Mac

It is strictly a personal opinion situation.

Also keep in mind, what is considered a wall hanger, will vary depending on where you are fishing, too.
In some areas of N. America, it is relatively uneventful for serious walleye fishermen to catch multiple 30" walleyes .. most years.
In other locales...a 28" walleye is absolutely huge.
I used to mount fish and I mounted walleyes from 5 pounders to 17 pounders...all were trophies to the folks that caught them.

BTW..There is a truly excellent walleye taxidermist in Minot... Steve Silseth.


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## Do It Like Prewett

I am looking to book a guided fishing trip on Sakakawea this summer, probably going to be 4 or more of us. Does anyone know of a good guide service that could accomadate?
Any info would be helpfull, I got folks coming a long way that I dont want to disappoint.


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