Made me sick to see!

[leech~~]

I really don't get the guys who say it doesn't matter when netting takes place? Eggs hatched even only if 10% survive is still 10% more fish. If it didn't, why does the DNR mark off some areas on lakes with a No Fishing signs during the spawn if they though it doesn't matter then?

[nofishfisherman]

Since there has been a lot of speculation about where Foley's walleye came from I simply emailed them and asked. Not sure who it was that responded because they didn't include a name but they confirmed the walleye they sell is wild caught on Red Lake, MN.

So we can at least put that question to rest.

[flipper]

One thing that can't be put to rest though is a band members insistence that no walleyes over 22" are harvested for market and the visual of a larger walleye from Red Lake Minnesota in a meat case. Something doesn't jibe.

Many don't care, that's there right. I do. I, like most taxpayers and license buyers, have a financial interest in the resource.

[laportian]

I don't think the band sells hog walleyes. The largest that go out to the public are 10oz fillets. They have a 22 inch max which is ,give or take, a 4 pound fish. Have you seen many four pound fish filleted out? Those fillets look huge. Just saying that it would be easy to see a big fillet and assume that it came from a monster fish. Fillets off those monster fish look absolutely ridiculous. 7 pounder has like a 20 inch fillet that is 8 or 9 inches wide and almost three inches thick. Trust me on this guys I know these things. Been privileged to handle many thousands of walleye in my day. I grew up in the fish camps around Red Lake.

[nofishfisherman]

One thing that can't be put to rest though is a band members insistence that no walleyes over 22" are harvested for market and the visual of a larger walleye from Red Lake Minnesota in a meat case. Something doesn't jibe.

Many don't care, that's there right. I do. I, like most taxpayers and license buyers, have a financial interest in the resource.

You're right, there is still the question of the large fillets.

It could be as simple as what Laportian mentioned and it was just a case of mis judged size. As fisherman we all know how difficult it can be accurately judge the size of a fish. It could be even more difficult when all you are looking at is the fillet.

Other possibility is that the band is processing fish above the supposed 22" limit. However if such as thing was done on a large scale with the fillets being sold all over the state you'd think it would come to light pretty quickly and would be hard to get away with.

Other possibility is that Foleys is mislableing canadian or farm raised walleye. However, I have no reason to believe that to be the case.

If I had to guess I'd put my money on the simplest answer as its usually the right one. I'm guessing it was a fillet from a 20-22" fish that was just midjudged by the original poster.

[leech~~]

I'm guessing it was a fillet from a 20-22" fish that was just midjudged by the original poster.

No-fish-man.

All I fish for, for the most part are Walleyes Spring, summer & winter. I can assure you that I have over the years filleted out just about every size fish legal to keep and years ago when there was no slots big ones that I just would not keep any more because they are important to the resource. And I just don't think they are as good eating as the smaller ones! The fillets I had seen were from fish that had to be in the 6-9lbs size!

Walleye Length to Weight Conversion Chart

Length weight

25.5--6.1

26--6.5

26.5--6.8

27--7.2

27.5--7.7

28--8.1

28.5--8.5

If you take a 8.5lbs fish and cut off the tail 3" and the head about 5" from the gills forward. The fillet is 20.5" easily the size I had seen in the case.

[CaptainMusky]

Maybe they just did a better job of getting all the meat off the fillet? I've seen plenty of people butcher fish. ;-)

[laportian]

Just a little info on enforcement on the Red lake Reservation. My best friend was caught by the game wardens trying to turn in a fish that was literally just a tick over 22 inches. He was fined $500 and had a strike against him. 3 strikes with fish violations gets you a lifetime ban from fishing the reservation waters.

When he caught the fish he put it in one of those 'The Judge" fish measurers and it was right on 22. When he went to turn his fish that evening in it measured just over. He figures that the walleye must have relaxed and ended up being illegal.

[TruthWalleyes]

A walleye within 1/2" of the slot is not a fish you want the DNR to measure. I toss them back within 1/2" to be safe