What is this?

[Tom7227]

A friend caught this on Bald Eagle on 10-11 on a wax worm and an ice fly. It is about 14 inches long and I would call it a walleye but I have never seen on with these markings on it.

[jwmiller33]

Definitely a walleye. Is it in a fish tank right now? Walleyes will change their coloring to blend in with their surroundings. You ever see how different a walleyes coloring will be after sitting in your livewell for a few hrs [and still alive]?

[CAMAN]

Does it have a white tip on its tail? If so then its a walleye, if no then it's probably a sauger.

[Tom7227]

Yes it has a white tip, and it had these colors when brought into the boat.

[CAMAN]

Definitely a walleye then! Just has blotchy coloring.

[Kyhl]

Isn't it illegle to keep wild game for display?

Might want to board up this thread.

I couldn't find anything about it in the regulations but it did speicify transport rules.

Here are the transport rules. Looks like this one was broken.

Transport of fish for display in a home aquarium is legal under the following

conditions:

– Game fish purchased from an authorized licensee transported with the

necessary documents (such as a sales receipt).

– Anglers 16 or under may transport legally caught largemouth bass,

smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass, black crappie, white crappie,

bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orangespotted sunfish, and

black, yellow, and brown bullhead. No more than four of each species

may be transported at any one time, and any individual fish can be no

longer than 10 inches. At no time may water from infested waters be

transported. (See DNR Web site)

[GlassEyeangler]

looks like a walleye to me...just a heads up - walleyes don't do well in tanks. someone mentioned they change their colors...check out the big ones at the big C store. they look horrible! good luck tho - it's a really cool looking fish.

[fishnowworknever]

looks like a walleye to me...just a heads up - walleyes don't do well in tanks. someone mentioned they change their colors...check out the big ones at the big C store. they look horrible! good luck tho - it's a really cool looking fish.

Agreed, I always thought they changed color in your livewell because they were slowly dying from lack of oxygen and/or low water quality.

That is a cool looking walleye though.

[Tom7227]

It will be either going back in the lake or a frying pan very soon. I know it's a walleye but given the coloration I was wondering if it was some sort of cross breed or something. I can't claim to have a huge amount of knowledge about walleye but the markings on this one just seem very strange.

[CAMAN]

It will be either going back in the lake or a frying pan very soon. I know it's a walleye but given the coloration I was wondering if it was some sort of cross breed or something. I can't claim to have a huge amount of knowledge about walleye but the markings on this one just seem very strange.

Do people with freckles or birthmarks look strange to you too?

Unless there are open sores, 2 tails, or something along those lines, I wouldn't worry.

[jwmiller33]

the dark blotches resemble that of what you typically see on a perch. Perch and Walleyes are very much related in that they have the same Kin gdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family and Genus.

[bobbymalone]

check out the big ones at the big C store.

my first thought after looking at the picture was that it was taken at the big C store. A lot of walleyes in there are splotchy looking.

[BobT]

Could it be a saugeye?

[ozzie]

not with a white tip on the tail.....

[solbes]

Looks like a walleye that is not too pleased with its new surroundings.

And please either fillet that fish right away or throw it back. Kind of sounds like a certain someone that married into our family. Notorious for giving fish a lot of time in my livewell with the intent to fillet and then "releasing them" after turning all kinds of weird colors from the stress. Not my favorite practice.

[jwmiller33]

It can't be a saugeye because that would require a sauger to breed with a walleye, and there are no saugers in Bald Eagle.

[Knoc]

Not to sound like a dumbass, but by "The big C store" are you guys referring to Cabela's? If so, why the secrecy? Just curious.

[Bigtom]

not a sponsor, they are a trader

[311Hemi]

not a sponsor

Off topic....but Cabelas does not need to be a sponsor for us to talk about them. Just can't post contact info.

[Knoc]

Sorry to be off topic. Just wanted to make sure there wasnt another sporting good store I was missing out on

[Tom7227]

Could it be a saugeye?

Coloration is right on the saugeye except for the white tip. How would such a thing occur in Bald Eagle - no sauger that I'm aware of in the lake.

I Googled saugeye and came up with a link to the Ohio DNR. If you look at the pics they post of the sauger, the saugeye and the walleye they all have this blotchy coloration.

http://www.ohiodnr.com/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/saugeye/tabid/6750/Default.aspx

[Great Outdoors]

My grandson caught one of these on Burntside a year ago, about 15 inches in length. White tip on the tail, appeared to have Perch type stripes, and far different coloration from any Burntside Walleye I've ever seen.

[reinhard1]

it almost looks as if there are spots on the dorsal fin [near the bottom of the dorsal fin]. maby just the picture who knows. good luck.

[Hardyboy]

Its definitely a walleye !!!

[Great Outdoors]

I agree it's a walleye. The one we caught was with a school of walleyes in a boathouse stall, but looked like a Zebra when it was pulled out of the water.