# What is your walleye maximum?



## njsimonson

*What's the biggest walleye you will keep for FOOD?*​
16 inches45.13%18 inches1519.23%20 inches3342.31%22 inches1215.38%24 inches45.13%I'll keep a walleye of any size to eat1012.82%


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## njsimonson

What is the longest walleye you will keep when fishing to put a few in the frying pan or the freezer?

Just polling selective harvest.

I try to only keep male walleyes, and rarely keep one over 18 inches. What is your maximum?

I only am posting this because I saw lots of anglers today on Channel A keeping some BIG female walleyes, many in the 6-10 pound range. It turned my stomach, to speak frankly. Some of those walleyes that were kept were foul-hooked as well, and ND requires that all foul-hooked fish be immediately returned to the water.

Please, PLEASE practice selective harvest or catch-and-release, especially during the spawn and pre-spawn periods...SUSTAIN OUR SPORT FISHERIES!!!


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## duckslayer

I usually fish DL and try to keep the 15-18 inchers. Thats pretty bad NJ that people cant practice C&R. Ive seen my share of it too and it disgusts me. Take a picture if you dont think anyone will believe that "you caught the monster." Looks like you've been having a lot of fun!!! :lol:


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## magnum3.5

I was there last night and I got that same sour feeling in my gut N.J. foul hooked eyes kept. I seen two that were kept 6-7 lb range. I also saw a young guy catch a 45 inch pike weighed 18.5 lbs on spring scale and I am proud to say I witnessed him putting it back. Magnum


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## njsimonson

Amen Guys!

I heard about the 45" pike, that is awesome.

Not to stereotype, but those who tend to keep big fish seem to be older. Like 45 and up or so. I think the younger generation is becoming wise to catch and release and selective harvest. Lets hope we can keep this new responsible tradition going strong.

Tight lines!


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## duckslayer

yeah NJ, i see the same thing, its mostly the older generation that keeps the bigger.......releasable fish. A lot of us younger guys are catch and release type of people. Not saying that ALL older people keep the trophies. I just hope that the smart ones continue to C&R the big fish.


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## NDJ

#1 Slot limit---no 18-23"s and 1 over

if not #2 - close season when the females are running....

There is no reason to keep big females with eggs!!! unless it is going on the wall

back to the question, I like a 17" best...keep 14-19" and have kept a 20" also....always have a tape or a stick with so I know


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## GooseBuster3

Whats the big Deal if guys are going to eat the fish they catch?? I dont see a probalem with big fish being brought home for the table. I will keep a limit of 2-3 pounders any day.


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## duckslayer

GB3, Big fish on DL are not 2-3 pounders. The fish that we are talking about being kept are the spawning females that are over 6lbs. I dont know if i agree with NDJ about a slot limit. However, it could be interesting if we had some sort of "slot limit" during the spring to save these big fish. [/quote]


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## njsimonson

GB -

Yeah, I'm talkin stringers with 6-8 pounders on them. These females were FAT. I say let em spawn

This is what I would like to see ideally -

Catch and release ONLY season for walleyes March 31-May15
Catch and release ONLY season for all bass species Sept 31-June 1

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?!?


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## MossyMO

The bigger the fish, equals more eggs. More eggs, equals more fish. Enough said. Keep only the biggest mountable fish or go one step further and take a picture and have your mount made from that.


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## Bob Kellam

njsimonson
Why not have a catch and release season, i think it is a great idea! if you want a mounted fish, measure it take a picture and have a replica made.


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## buckseye

Kinda funny we used to compete to see who could catch the biggest fish for supper, now it's compete to see who can turn the most biggest fish loose.

nj has it right alot of people 45 and up tend to keep their fish, we fished for food and have known hunger, also we used to go home when we had our limit. We didn't need to catch every fish in the lake and turn them loose to possibly go die. We are more conservative and don't want to harm any more fish than we had to to have enuff to eat.

These same people probaly wish their deer would get up and runaway too, after the photo's of course. Catch and release will be a problem someday.


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## njsimonson

Mossy MO - I have heard studies that the eggs in fish that are smaller females, say 4 to 6 pounds are more fertile and more successful. However, every egg helps, just release all females!

Open Field - I'm with you, I'd be down with a C&R only season

Buckseye - Thankfully, I've never known hunger, and never "needed" fish. I don't think that C&R will ever be a problem, except if people start releasing fish that are mortally wounded. Using the methods that I fish with, that rarely happens. Can you expand on your "problematic" view of C & R angling?


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## buckseye

To me it's harrasing wildlife and I know thats illegal. Why put them thru all that exertion and stress when you don't really want them. I think it's a braggin rights thing for you sportsmen.

If you don't see the problem with this, I sure am not going to point it out to the world wide web. Your just giving the animal rights people more to ***** about how cruel we are as a group. I am glad you at least try to single yourselves out with your competitive ways.

Thank your Mom and Dad for you not ever being hungry.

I aint trying to piss ya off just giving you an outdoorsman/hunters point of view. We grew up on this land and relyed upon nature to feed us hundreds of meals a year. I wouldn't want it to be any other way.


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## njsimonson

Buckseye - 
Don't worry about getting me ticked off, that takes a lot, and I love to debate, so by all means, I want to hear your views.

I understand that you grew up on the land. And that is an admirable and certainly impacting trait that you have. I am sure it affects your decisions when you are in the field or on the water.

I just didn't understand what you were saying about the "problem" with C&R. I think with a lot of us, it is not about bragging rights, but more with keeping good catchable sport fish in the water for generations to come. And preserving the future generations by releasing spawners.

I even understand your "harrassment of wildlife" point, and I never thought of it that way. In my mind though, the preservation of a fish takes precedence over the "harrassment" of it. Furthermore, when state agencies like the G&F encourage catch and release, I hardly can see it personally as "harassment" on an illegal scale.

If I subscribed to the harassment view, I'd never go fishing! Personally, I can't equate C&R fishing with chasing deer or other animals on ATVs or snowmobiles.

I don't know how much "competition" is in it. Sure it is nice to catch a big fish, but when I'm out there fishing I'm not competing with anyone and I sure hope no one is competing with me for size, numbers or otherwise.

And yes, I am grateful for my parents keeping me well fed!! (even too well fed as a kid  )


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## NDJ

I have heard in Lake Erie they are encouraged to keep the "big girls"....I believe that theroy is specific to that fishery....so what nj says about the age of fish rings true.

http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/OSGRANT/OU ... N/FAQS.HTM


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## buckseye

I guess I have never seen G&F show mercy for any animals. Hell it's illegal to kill animals that are suffering unless you have a tag or license to do it, so don't use G&F as an example of what is right when it comes to mercy and humanity.

I always thought fish was a food not a toy to play with.

I say it makes you look bad and cruel and wasteful, like an animal that can't quit killing just for the sake of killing. Have you ever watched a kitten learn how to survive, they will worry and practice killing a mouse for as long as they are entertained by it.

Lets see this deer season I'm gonna wound deer just enuff to subdue them so I can weigh/score them and return them to the wild. Oh your the one who mentioned deer not me!! :lol:

ps my method of wounding is ever so slight


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## njsimonson

I will continue to use the G&F as an example because they are the enforcing entity of what is legal and what is not in this state regarding wildlife. Your personal opinion has little bearing on the law. What is right within the law is right by me, regardless of whether I like it or not. (IE abortion - I don't have to like it, but it is legal)

Comparing deer or huntable game with fish is a difficult tangent. I'm not sure you realize this, as I can't tell if your post is dripping with sarcasm (which parts of it are), or if it is zealously serious. As there is no law regarding the "harassment" of fish, I merely took your "harassment of animals" statement and compared it with what is truly illegal, harassment of wildlife such as deer. I mentioned it as an example. For heaven's sake, no one would ever shoot, or "hook" a deer, and bring it in and let it go. But there are those that would harass them without injuring them. I think that is where your analogy falls short, and strays from the context of this situation.

I am entertained by fishing, much like the cat practicing with the first mouse. I always have been. I think the majority of the people I fish with feel the same way, and a limit of fish is not the ultimate goal. The goal is to go out, catch some fish, have a good time, enjoy the experience, and respect the resource.

Trying to lump selective harvesters / and catch-and-releasers into a seperate target group for the "antis" is ludicrous. Do you really think that the antis view us any differently than those who hunt or keep all they catch? Answer - most likely not.

However, at this time it is apparent that neither of us will change each other's mind. The debate has been entertaining and I have received your points, and its always fun to see through someone elses eyes! Post a reply, but I don't think I will. No offense, I'm just heading out to do some catch-and-release fishing on the Sheyenne this weekend.  I'm sure we'll talk again buckseye!


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## buckseye

You must still be chokin after that mouthfull


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## Brad Anderson

NJS, I think you defended C&R perfectly. Big fish taste like shoe leather. That is why we release the big ones.

Buckseye, I have never heard anybody complain about C&R. What gives?? C&R can be called "respecting the resource". It is a known fact that the larger females produce a majority of the offspring.

Fishing and hunting aren't even comparable. Like NJS said, we don't throw back mortally wounded fish. I think you need to reevaluate some of your views.

Sorry we enjoy fishing so much we want to sustain it for years to come. Also, sorry we don't kill every fish we land on shore. God only knows how many game hogs there are out there.


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## buckseye

I was kinda curious about C&R and the yuppitty attitudes about it. I guess I take my hunting and fishing more serious than alot of people, it sure is not a sport to me. And I will say this again, when you change what is necessary (hunting/fishing) into a sport which is not necassary (catch/release) you will eventually ruin the chances of hunting and fishing for all of us.

I guess there are still a few fish left after a couple hundred thousand years without C/R. This is a fun subject. 8) Just a bit of a question for you youngens, who do you think has been paying for all the stocking of lakes and improvements to make fishing accessable and to ensure even greater fishing than we had. I would guess it has been the working class people not students and kids, but thank God you will get your turn.


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## Brad Anderson

WOW, thank god there aren't as many people like yourself around. I saw a guy much like yourself out fishing the other day. He snagged 2 26" walleyes and kept them both. Horay for the old timers. First it was illegal to keep snagged fish, and second fish that big are sooo dang good to eat (note the saracasm).

I guess you know nothing bout the word "conservation". Quit kidding yourself, you didn't pay jack to ensure the great fishing we currently have. Mother nature did more than you'll ever do.

And when we get our turn, we won't have to worry bout game hogs like yourself, TIME will have gotten the better of you.

Do you seriously understand what your saying, or has dementia already kicked in??

And on a side note, I'm gonna catch and release every fish I catch this weekend. Just to make you happy :withstupid:


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## Nodak Duke

Yes, Mr. Simonson, I am in the same boat with you on this thread discussion. And I would share a boat with you any day.

I for one have an enormous problem with people catching and keeping the big spawning females. This is the future of the lake. You might as well shoot yourself right in the foot because that is what you are doing when you take one of these big fish home with you. And to say that you are fishing for food is absolutely obserd. Perhaps if you were living back in the depression, but we are living in a modern day where there is readily available food. And staying with that very same topic, I agree with Mr. Anderson in the fact that if you are only fishing to catch a meal there is plenty of the smaller class male walleyes available (that taste much better.) This argument that you throw up against the wall is based on some circular logic.

Buckseye-Sure, C&R may hurt a couple fish and they will indeed die...There is a concept involved here though... It is called for the greater good... There is much more positives that come out of releasing a fish that is a producer than merely slapping it on a stringer so that you can go home and throw the hunk of fish (that won't even fit in a frying pan) down your throat. It is called "THE FUTURE." Yes, us "new age hippies" like to think of the future... The last 50 years of the country has been wasteful... Sure, mother nature has still fought back and done pretty well, but don't be patting yourself on the back, pal... Your tactics haven't helped out one iota.

And while we are talking catch and release... I personally caught the same bass upwards of 7 times in one year. Everytime I caught the beauty it was great. And everytime I turned he back loose it was great. I got a couple of pics of her and I be she has produced offspring every year since. I wonder how many other fisherman have had the joy of catching this fish? I sure know Buckseye never caught her otherwise she would no longer be with us.

-The True Hippie


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## duckslayer

:sniper:


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## Brad Anderson

WOW, other people with similar ideals. Must be a socialogical change occuring here. Er' wait a minute, maybe it has always been this way. Some people always get left in the dark!


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## buckseye

I will probaly never understand why you go out to catch fish you don't want.

duckslayer...I won't make sport of killing, and by the way killing is a death situation. Just not mine.

nodak duke...you sure are bigheaded, think about it. Was your bass tagged, how do you know it was the same one. Or was it in your fish bowl?

I know it is fun to catch fish and there is a limit on them, so why not try to limit yourself a little then. Are your hero's/mentors from TV land or what.


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## duckslayer

:sniper:


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## Nodak Duke

It always says something when you have to start name-calling in a post... :roll: The reason why/how I know this was the same bass was because I caught it under the exact same dock on the same lake and it weighed the exact same amount... :lol: Then again, I know nothing and am a hippie idiot though. :eyeroll:

Good fishing and hunting...
~duke


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## buckseye

I am still wondering why you risk catching these big spawners, ya know fishing season used to be closed during the peak of spawning season most of my life. Absolulty let them spawn, holy moly. That's why I say limit yourself, wait until spawn is over then go fishing you'll have less chance of disrupting the cycle. 8)

Hey guys... sorry I have been kidding you a bit. I don't care what you do to the fish.


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## Brad Anderson

That is why we let them go.

Good thing you weren't out fishing this weekend.


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## piticu

it is kind of strange that you are asking what is the biggest that you would keep...
I would have asked what is the smallest that you will retain.
For example here we can legally retain walleyes and pikes both only OVER 16 inches (40cm to be more precise)
Of course, some of us are practicing 100% C&R.


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## rap

i think there are way to many people eating these large fish also. i'm sure sakakawea frequenters have seen shell village many a day and have seen all the large fish thrown into livewells. it's there choice, and they can do what they want, but we snap a pic and let those go to catch again. anyways, it's an awesome feeling to see those big fish swim back beneath the surface...


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## drjongy

Catch and release....into the grease!

Since I summer fish perhaps one or two weekends total, I am looking for some meat on the table and have no problem using anything I catch for a meal.

I guess I don't see the point in catching a bunch of fish I am not going to use. There are a certain percentage of fish that are going to die after being released, and I view this as total waste.


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## duckslayer

:sniper:


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## piticu

:lol: release... into the grease, yep, this is my option, too.
but I still keep only the ones over the legal dimension.
these are to be alive because they are released imediatelly.

the problem is that due to a long period of time in which the environment policy was neglected we are now hardly founding fishing ponds or lakes that can offer nice captures.

only the danube delta remained the "fisherman's heavens" and also this area, not entirely... 

i hope that in a few years things will get better.


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## Goosepride

It's getting crazy in here!

With today's technolgy and the way you can get a fish mounted, there's not really any reason to keep the monsters. Take a picture. If you want it mounted, go get a replica. I'm not saying that I haven't kept a monster here and there, but I'm sure a heck of a lot better now. I don't know how many monster snakes we've thrown back over the years, and the only reason we haven't thrown back the whopper walleyes is because we haven't got any that would qualify!

It really bugs me during the winter when guys catch big females through the ice and keep them. A person has to be real careful with the depth they fish in during the winter for that very reason. If you bring a fish up from 30 feet, chances are, he/she isn't going back down!


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## rap

piticu- so how's the fishing been way over there? how long does the ice fishing season last?


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## dugie_fresh

Something has to be done. I would like to see a liberal slot. I would also like to see the season shut down at this time. Just because you release that fish, doesn't mean she'll live. These female fish are already stressed to the max and even if they don't die (which is common even though we don't see it) there is a good chance they'll abort their eggs and absorb them back, meaning no spawn for that fish. I understand that shutting down the season completely may ruffle some feathers. Maybe we should shut down some of those areas. I see people taking limits of 6-10 pound fish. I know these are not the best spawnners, but they're our tropby fish. It still makes me sick to see the 3-6 pounders taken. They are the fish that will sustain the fishery. Give em a brake.


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## purepower

i will keep anything from the minimum size limit of 14" to 20"'s anything over i will do one of two things get pic of me holding it and take a pic of it on the hand held fish scale, or i will once and a while keep for a mount. But in order to mount it, it must be a male.


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## tmonster

Newby here and reading this subject. Just a little fyi for ya. I just read an article in the in-fisherman ice guide 2005 p. 12 relating to minnesota walleyes. According to the mn dnr "If every angler(resident) harvested a six fish limit of walleyes, almost 86% of the adult walleye population would be removed." Wow, I thought that was a little eye opening. Last year I fished DL pre spawn and broke my personal best walleye 3 times in one day, and watched them all swim away as i cared for them. The best part was emailing pics to all my friends from home. I saw stringers full of walleyes of 8 lb. plus, and it was sad. They kept the fish like they were table fare. I really wish that I'm exaggerating but if anybody's been out there they know what I'm talking about. Funny thing was, when a buddy of mine an i started releasing these, I think that the people around me saw the care put into the resource because soon they were also releasing large fish. Almost like when the grinch grows a heart. I didn't say a thing to them about their stringers and minded my own business, but they followed anyway. Leading by example is far more productive than preaching. For those who say only fish for what we eat, I caught some nice smaller males. We did keep a couple little guys to eat because I love the sweet taste of a walleye, and its not hard to determine gender. I also believe that we did the resource a favor because those around us felt accountable. I think it was "when in rome do as the romans" until we showed up. Thanks


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## njsimonson

tmonster -

Welcome to the site. I too witnessed the "carnage" on DL last spring. Me and my buddies caught and released 20 walleyes over 7 pounds last spring, watching the meathogs keep those 6-8 pound fish to eat (which some of them snagged, and did not release as is required by law) made me ill.


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