I have friends that have never fished in waters that contain Walleye and have never seen one. So the name amuses them and why not? Walleye is certainly a strange name, but they have earned it. probably the best way to understand the name is visit a lake that holds them. The time to go is in the spring of the year when they are spawning in the shallows and little creeks. if you stand on shore and shine a flashlight into the water, there they are, those huge eyes of theirs reflecting the light and surprising you with their brightness. But be careful and do not bring anything other than the flashlight with you. The game wardens are very alert that time of the year as poachers will use a flashlight to find them and then spear or net them.
Most anglers that target Walleye have their own technique for fishing them. But like many fish they are seldom picky and will bite on almost any bait available. Plugs, spoons, jigs , minnows, worms, leaches, fly larva, May Flies, rubber, plastic, wood, metal all work. The bigger issue is where are they? Finding them can often be the biggest challenge of all. Are they in 6 feet of water or 40 feet. So we spend a lot of time looking. But when we find them they usually not alone. They are a schooling fish and you can often catch an entire limit in one spot.
Walleye filet easily and their meat is sweet and flavorful. This is not surprising since they are a member of the perch family. When you fillet them reach up and also harvest their gullet as well as their cheek meat. If it happens to be a female that has not yet spawned, grab the eggs also. All of that is edible and delicious. Many seasoned anglers prefer to eat those around 14-17 inches and let the larger ones go unless they are trophies over 24 inches.
Below is my brother Max with a limit of Walleye. Following that is a picture of my “Walleyes” here at the house.
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