Where do grocery store walleyes come from?

[MuskieJunkie]

Anyone know details on how walleyes end up in the grocery store isles? I saw one yesterday that was must have been a 26 or 28" fish, single bonless filet that wieghed 2.2 lbs. The package said wild caught product of canada. It just kind of shocked me to see a trophy fish like that in a freezer case. Does canada allow commercial netting of walleyes?

[RebelSS]

Don't know how else they'd get in the store, except through commercial fishing. Yes, Canada does commercial gill-netting of wild waldos...the nets used must have no smaller than a 3 1/2" opening, according to Canadian law. This is where 99% of your "Store walleye" (and herring) come from.

[SkitterPopper]

I am no expert on the subject. I have noticed on most of the packaging that it says northern Canada. There are lakes up there that are not even touched. They have lakes that produce natural walleyes and no stocking is needed. If you don't have any pressure on the lake except the commercial guys I would imagine that you could pull a lot out and not hurt the population. Just think how many fish would be in Mille Lacs if nobody fished it. This is just a guess.

[goblueM]

commercial netting from native tribes is a big contributor. i've seen firsthand the nets on extremely remote reservations in northern Ontario and Manitoba

[BobT]

I would also suspect farm raised.

[mrklean]

i remember when i worked at a restaurant back in the day the walleye fillets we would get frozen monsters

[DTro]

I've heard that a lot of them come from Red Lake (Canada).

[bobbymalone]

lake winnipeg is a major commercial fishery for walleye

[MN Mike]

Something I saw a while ago.

[Redline]

I've seen nets on Lake of the Woods in the Sioux Narrows area.

[Ed Carlson]

There has been a disturbing trend to market larger walleye under the category of Walleye Loins. These are large fish, even trophy fish. Some areas do it because there is a market for them here in the USA. To stop it, just don't buy it. No demand then no efforts will be made to target and harvest them. I seen this market on the grow in recent years in Canada.

Pollock is also often passed off as Walleye and many people do not know or care if there is a difference. Not walleye but often labeled as such. Often these are larger fillets too.

[reinhard1]

yes, Ed i used to call that Alaskan walley a few years back. some of the fillets were as big as the walley i kept as eaters. i agree, just dont buy it. normaly the netted stuff from canada come with skin on and smaller walleys. good luck.

[jwmiller33]

wouldnt be surprised if sometimes the "walleye" you are served in a restaurant is zander. I heard of some restaurants getting busted for having walleye on the menu when it was actually zander.

[reinhard1]

zander is a walleye, but only in germany. pretty much the same thing. it is in the perch family. looks like a walley and should taste like a walley. they also can get to a good size as well. there was some confusion for some time but a walley is pretty much a zander, with only the name the difference along with some coloration difference. but you are right, i would know a zander is a walleye but most over here do not and could get confused. good luck.

[Big Tom]

I never eat any that I didn't catch. Just rubs me the wrong way.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

zander is a walleye, but only in germany. pretty much the same thing. it is in the perch family. looks like a walley and should taste like a walley. they also can get to a good size as well. there was some confusion for some time but a walley is pretty much a zander, with only the name the difference along with some coloration difference. but you are right, i would know a zander is a walleye but most over here do not and could get confused. good luck.

walleye and zander are two genetically different species.

[reinhard1]

they are closely related. yes tecnicaly they are a different species but put them next to each other and they look very much alike. they are both in the perch/pike family. the sauger is also a different species but i woulnt scoff at eating a fillet from a sauger either. good luck.

[delcecchi]

I think that was Tavern on Grand selling Zander as Walleye.

If you look at some of those lakes like Winnipeg and Red Lake Ontario they are so huge that allowing commercial fishing makes sense.

[jwmiller33]

I think that was Tavern on Grand selling Zander as Walleye.

If you look at some of those lakes like Winnipeg and Red Lake Ontario they are so huge that allowing commercial fishing makes sense.

ya you are right. Even though I'm sure zander tastes very similar to walleye, you can't be having walleye on the menu and telling your guests it is fresh walleye when it is in fact zander.... In today's day and age, you're going to get into trouble for that

[Sherpa]

I googled the Tavern On Grand thing and came up with an article from 2004 about a test that was done on TC area restaurants and the "walleye" they served. They sent samples to a lab and found that 6 restaurants were serving zander and 7 were actually walleye. Tavern On Grand was actually walleye according to the tests. I was glad to read that because my grandma loves the walleye there.

[reinhard1]

in europe the zander is just as much prized as a game fish and for it's eating quality as the walley is here. i agree the labeling should be correct, however if someplace has zander on the menue i would order it. good luck.

[goblueM]

it'd be hard to find a place that has NOT sold mislabeled fish. Folks can't really tell the difference at the table, and restaurants who get their food from large suppliers are at the mercy of labeling. Plenty of deception going on there - pretty easy to substitute a fish that looks and tastes similar to a more expensive species and boost your profit margin

[PurpleFloyd]

Face it. In Minnesota if the average Joe went into a restaurant and had an appetite for fish and saw Zander on the menu how many would instantly think " Boy, that is very similar to walleye so lets go with that"?

My guess is less than a handful out of 100 people would know so in the end the name just makes customers familiar with what the fish will look and taste like. That being said and asterisk stating that the walleye may be substituted for the similar Zander might be a good thing too.

[reinhard1]

i dont know about resturants, however when it comes to retail labeling on products as far as seafood and fresh water fish the inspectors were not easy on you if they found fish that were not labeled properly. country of origin was one of the most importent "new" regs that came about prior to my retirement. there was a $10,000 fine possible if violations occurr.

in my opinion most resturants dont want their names in the news for selling products that were labeled improperly. not saying it doesnt happen, but you dont stay in buisness long. good luck.

[jwmiller33]

Face it. In Minnesota if the average Joe went into a restaurant and had an appetite for fish and saw Zander on the menu how many would instantly think " Boy, that is very similar to walleye so lets go with that"?

My guess is less than a handful out of 100 people would know so in the end the name just makes customers familiar with what the fish will look and taste like. That being said and asterisk stating that the walleye may be substituted for the similar Zander might be a good thing too.

EXACTLY! RH1, I'm not disputing the taste of zander at all. I'm sure it is excellent. My point is, of nearly all the people I know who don't know what zander is but like to eat walleye, none of them would order "zander" off a menu if we went out to eat somewhere, but they would order walleye. Restaraunts that advertise walleye when it is indeed zander are taking advantage of false advertising. Regardless of the frequency of this, it is wrong.