10 POUNDERS

[Apex]

Hey guys I got a thorn in my side on what people really thinks a 10 lb walleye is. I have been looking at sites like walleye central and viewing pictures. I still can't believe how some people think a 31 inch walleye in the summer is a 10 lb. fish, or a 31 inch in the fall weighs 15 lbs. I know it's a "ego" thing on my part and theirs. I got a nice 28 x 16 and weighed the fish (on a non certified scale) and the fish weighed 8.6 lbs. vs the calculator which puts it at 9.74 lbs. And on the other note I have a friend that caught a 31 x 19 that just looked like it had a disease because of the girth, (never seen a walleye look so obese for that length) that fish was calculated @ 12.8 lb, a given 13 lb walleye to any veteran. Either put me in my place about the length and girth of 10 pounders or let me know your thoughts. Thanks

[reinhard1]

i caught a 31 incher in january once that went 11 1/2 lbs [full of eggs] i released. got another 31 incher during open water that i didn't weigh because i wanted to release it quickly, but it did not have the big belly the other one had and i'm sure weighed less. my buddy got a 30 incher in May that went 8 pounds.

so naturaly a pre-spawn fish will weigh more due to the eggs. i think the availability of forage is another factor. same with pike. the lakes with smelt for example seem to give the fish a little wider back and belly. good luck.

[harvey lee]

I agree with RH1.

I caught a 30 incher that went 8.7 pounds in the dead of winter.

I also caught a 31.5 inch with a pretty good sized girt, full of eggs in the spring that went 11.5 pounds.

Time of year, forage.

[kfk]

I have a 29.5" fish on the wall that weighed 12 pounds 6 ounces on a certified scale and my wife has a fish on the wall that weighed almost 10 pounds that's was just under 28" long, also weighed on a certified scale. They were both caught in late fall (November)and were both river fish. I never measured the girth on either. It varies alot from fish to fish, where the fish live, what they have for forage and the genetics of the fish. These are our personal bests, but I think there are alot of 10 pound fish out there and they sometimes don't have to be very long.

[nolte]

This thread reminds me what a PWT Pro told me a few years ago over at Mille Lacs. Most 10lb fish go 8.5 when they hit a scale.

An actual 10lb fish is pretty rare unless you fish specific places at times that are known to pump out big fish. To get the real turbos 12lb+ you almost have to fish those big fish producers or it's probably not going to happen. At least not with any sort of regularity.

[FirstIce]

Hey guys I got a thorn in my side on what people really thinks a 10 lb walleye is. I have been looking at sites like walleye central and viewing pictures. I still can't believe how some people think a 31 inch walleye in the summer is a 10 lb. fish, or a 31 inch in the fall weighs 15 lbs. I know it's a "ego" thing on my part and theirs. I got a nice 28 x 16 and weighed the fish (on a non certified scale) and the fish weighed 8.6 lbs. vs the calculator which puts it at 9.74 lbs. And on the other note I have a friend that caught a 31 x 19 that just looked like it had a disease because of the girth, (never seen a walleye look so obese for that length) that fish was calculated @ 12.8 lb, a given 13 lb walleye to any veteran. Either put me in my place about the length and girth of 10 pounders or let me know your thoughts. Thanks

I would also like to find out more info on this. A conversion that I always heard of was Length squared*Girth/1200. I know of a fish a friend caught a few years ago that was guessed at 30" with a 18-19" girth and 11 lbs. Pretty hard to make that speculations with out a tape measure or a scale I think that there are a lot of people like you mentioned with a big "ego".

[certified jumbo]

Ten pounders are tough to come by but certianly not impossible. The only real way to now the weight is to have officially weighed. Fish weighing charts can be close, but unless its weighed no way to no for sure.

I haven't wieghed too many big fish, but happen to have had two biggies weighed. One was got on Lake Bemidji during a late may tournament, 29 inches, 5.7 lbs. Obviously, long and skinny post spawn fish.

Also, weighed a 32.5 incher that weighed 11.7 lbs in July. So every lake and time of year make a big difference. Haven't actually weighed any other fish. Here is a pic of the 32.5 ".

[JohnMickish]

The best way to catch a 10 pounder is to leave the camera and tape measure at home!

Seriously, the only true way to see is to put it on a scale, hopefully in the boat and released. Anything over 30" in the winter/pre spawn SHOULD hit the 10 pound mark but stranger things have happened.

[Stick in Mud]

There's a picture of a guy in the bar at Myr Mar with a fish that measured out at 28.5'' with the weight being....11 lb. Seems high to me, but that's what the scale said. I don't know if the scale is "certified" or how accurate it is, but how realistic is a weight like this? The fish is definitely FAT, if that makes a difference...

And for what it's worth, I got a 28.25 out of Mille Lacs that weekend that looked about the same as the one in the picture (and on the mount...it's mounted in the bar now). I let mine go and didn't evene estimate the weight, though my online guesstimate is now putting that fish up near 14 lbs.

[Apex]

Thanks for all your input guys. All you seem to understand the different variables of all walleyes (esp. river eyes). I love nolte's explanation of it! certified jumbo, heck of a fish for July- wish I could of got her in the fall! But if no one has any other comments we should all agree to disagree any walleye over 28 inches in the fall that has a very nice belly on her (g @ 14+) SHOULD tip the scales at 7-9 lbs not 1lbs?

[DTro]

It's all about the girth.

This fish had the body and genetics to be that 15lb 31"er. I think people would be AMAZED at how round most river fish can be in November.

[Het]

Length has nothing to do with weight. We've caught fish in the summer that were 29" long and weighed 6 1/2 pounds (we call those fish super models). In the spring and fall, when the fish have their feedbags on, we've caught fish that were 27"-28" and 11 1/2 pounds (we call those tanks).

Here are a couple typical Erie pre-spawn fat bellied slobs.

Here are a couple, typical, mid-summer super models

[Mike Stark]

Lake Winnipeg Sumo Greenback from a couple weeks ago. 30.5in long. Estimated 14-15lbs

[reinhard1]

that's HUGE!!!!good luck.

[Whisker Warrior]

Dtro's right! Its all about the girth as opposed to the length! Plus consider that a full belly might have eggs or a fresh kill that adds some weight....I wonder as well if the river fish might weigh slightly more since they have a more developed muscle structure since always swimming in current as opposed to lake fish??? Just a random thought while waiting to go home from work....

[slurpie]

got one mounted at 28.25" long and a 19" girth is massive looking. weighed 10.75 or something close to that been a few years.

[rattleL]

Following up slurpie i have a fish that was measured 28 1/8 long with a 20.5 girth that went 11lbs even on a certified scale. Fish that are in a river system will build up a hump back at times that will widen them and give them more muscle or meat. While they will also be carrying eggs as well as a perhaps a fresh kill. I caught a fish out of the missy that went 28.5 with a 19 inch girth that was released that weighed 10.12 oz this fish had a large lump in its stomach probably a baitfish that it just ate. All depends on the environment the fish is in and what it is eating.

[JohnMickish]

I can't wait till I get back out to Erie in May. I only bring this up because as Het shows in his post, there are some PIGS out there. Lake Erie fish are alot like pool 4 fish in build. Maybe it has something to do with the Zebra muscles?? (no, it dosen't, it's genetics and food supply).

Mike Starks fish looks like a loaf of bread with a head and a tail. Awsome fish dude.

[BigTen]

The thing I get annoyed with is all the people who claim their fish have these massive girth measurements when anyone who has handled and measured fish with those ACTUAL dimensions can see they are nowhere in the ballpark. I don't think most people have any clue what an ACTUAL 18" girth on a walleye looks like. Its ridiculous.

Its amazing when you talk to taxidermists and they've never seen a walleye with a girth of say 18.5" or 19", yet there are guys running around left and right on the internet bragging about their 20" girth walleyes.

As someone who has been blessed to catch, measure, and weigh many, many large fish from a fishery that kicks out massive girths, trust me. There are barely any walleyes with an ACTUAL girth of 18.5" or bigger.

[BigTen]

And I'd like to add that my rant includes fish from river systems. I live less than a mile from the Red River, which is famous for girth.

18.5" is a long, LONG distance around a walleye.

I am not pointing fingers at specific people at all, just generalizing.

[smeese]

I second river fish being bulkier in my experiences, although I have seen some Chunky girls out of Madison as well.....

[grizrunner]

Well, Big Ten you can point your finger at me all you want. I've got a 30.25" x 18.5"-10.6# on my wall. Sure she's a very big girl, but ridiculous wouldn't be a good description.

[LipRipper!!]

Well big ten.. since I measured and weighed this fish and you are full of opinions, what do you think the girth and weight is of this fish?

[reinhard1]

that's a beautifull fish!!!!!good luck.

[Het]

What would you guess the girth on this 14+ is?