Thread: Mississinewa Spillway - Walleye

Nice Fish!! That makes 3 this week ive seen over 27".......the pigs are in big time!!

good group of guys here..... www.indianawalleye.com

Where else are you hearing of them being caught crappieman? If you care to share...if not, no worries! Just curious.

below salamonie, but you have to wade to the slack water...need chest waders and BE CAREFUL!!

water is murkier below salamonie....so rattles is a must....no husky jerks due to snags....larger profile minnow baits in bright colors.....rattling rogues are excellent...i paint mine with glow in the dark paint

Yeah it's snag city out there. I catfish out there on occasion. Usually do pretty well. I have gone after walleye there a few times but it was with jigs and as you can imagine, I lost a bunch!

Congrats!

Very impressive fish! I have never been 'eye fishing in Indiana, although I hope to. Please understand that I am just asking a question here and not criticising anyone for harvesting a fish. I am curious to know what the general school of thought is about whether a fish this impressive should be harvested for the skillet or mount as opposed to being released to reproduce or be caught again? For example, is a fish this impressive so old that it doesn't have much life ahead of it so the lucky soul who catches it should have no problem harvesting it? Or, is it better for the fishery for it to be released? Again, I am not passing judgment. Just asking a question. Thanks

Very nice catch, thanks for sharing the picture. When is the fish fry?

Bobo, Understandable. Although I did ultimately end up cutting up the fish, I had my 2nd thoughts on releasing it, or mounting it. I have been after them for a long time now and have only landed TWO legal walleye in IN, this being the 2nd. I respect them. After all, I've never had a fish make me work so hard to get one (See movie "Grumpy Old Men" and the Catfish Hunter). I am not sure of the growth rates around here, but I was catching them this size in ND and they were 5-7 years old. (knew of stocking year for an otherwise dead lake) From what I understand a fish this size around here could be near 7-9 years old. It was near middle aged I'd assume. I read of them living to 15+ years of age. There are more out there. And this has apparently been a great year for the catch, showing strong numbers. I stared at it as long as I could and got as many pictures of it as I could before she went under the knife. None of her will go to waste, feeding myself and members of my family, and I that's a way I look at it. More useful than a mount in my opinion! My two cents. Thanks for the question!

Nice catch.