how big does it have to be for you to mount an eye?

[BucksnDucks]

I wouldnt hold a grudge against anyone for mounting any size walleye. You caught the fish, do as you please with it! I personally have a 28 in. limit, once it gets that big I have a serious decision to make. Alot of guys like there replica's and thats fine also, but from my experience I've never had a good clear picture for a taxidermist to work with, so that option is not a good one for me.

[fish2live]

why do you think a 28.5 couldn't weigh 12?

[hunt&fish89]

because a 12 lb walleye is more than likley around 30in+

[BucksnDucks]

At this time of the year from what i've noticed is that the females have not filled up with eggs, so that would be the only way 28.5 would make 12lb.

[gregg52]

this time of the yr it could weigh that if its a female and i'm sure it is belly full of spawn

i have have one mounted buts its only bout 27-28 inches never did weigh it it was a winter fish out of miile lacs with a belly fuly of spawn it was just a NICE lookin fish i have one bout a 1/4 to 1/2 # mounted to with it i caught that one to looks cool made a good mount on a piece of drift wood the guy did a good job i've caught lot of bigger ones since but it cost mony to have them mounted lol

i believe you should mount what ever you want we all pay to fish if that fish trips ur trigger mount it i dont mean mount alot but this lettin big fish over 32=33 let go to swim another day if you do thats fine but that fish more than likely is on its death bed probably not reproducing alot any way so i dont think any body should critize any body that keeps and mounts whatever i'm not a big fan of takin pics and making one that looks like it i can just go there tell the guy make me 40lb northern what with that lol

[hhguide]

I have seen 27 inch walleyes that weigh 11 or 11.5 pounds in Tournaments So I wouldnt doubt that its over 12 pounds. Thats a big fish, Do you have any pictures?

[stretch]

ok it actually said on the digital scale 11.89 lbs. so you are right not a true 12 lbs. but close enough in my book.

[Get-em-good]

i highly doubt ur 28.5 inch walleye weighed 12 lbs...prolly around 8-9lbs

How do you know? 12 is tough with that length, but doable during winter. And yes, they do have their eggs right now. They will of course ripen and add mass come ice out, but most female walleyes caught during winter will have quite a bit of fat egg in their belly. I had a 29 inch fish 20 inch girth one year, never weighed it as it was released and had no scale to put it on, but the weight calculator on walleyecentral puts it over 12 lb. Was it? I don't know, but I will tell you that it was well over 10.

[gregg52]

like i said if you like mounted you are the one thats going to look at it the most lol

[Shack]

I have one eye caught on the Mississippi that was close to 30 inches, and well over the 10lb mark. It was caught in pool 2 which is catch and release, so she was let go to swim another day. I doubt I would have kept her though, as she was not the prettiest of fish.

jparrucci, I feel your pain on Pool 2

My brother in-law got this pig down on Pool 2 a couple summers ago. It was very close to 31", but was pretty thin. I can not remember if we even weighed it. I thought it was about 10.5lb. Caught in mid July on flathead gear and on my rod while I was taking a number 1 to boot I have had my far share of big walleye's, so I gave the props to my brother in-law for the catch. He never get walleye's when we go for them and it was the right thing to do .

It was caught on Pool 2, so no doubt this eye is still swimming, but if it had been caught on legal waters we would have thought about it for a minute, before throwing it back Funny thing, when I came down the hill from taking the #1, I saw him reeling in a fish and when I found out it was an eye I was kind of bummed it was not a flat

Sorry for scratching out the back ground. I can not give up one of my best flathead shore fishing spots .

[BSG]

Pictures last just as long as mounts do. I practice catch and release any eye's over the 20ish range. The reason everyone has fish to mount is from C&R.... I always look at it like this, with C&R, someday my child can have the same opportunity as I had to catch that fish. Plus, nothin' looks better than a stack of pictures of trophy fish.

[hanson]

I have absolutely no problem believing a 28" eye weighing 12lbs.

Just for reference, this is a fish a friend of mine caught 1-1/2 years ago on the river in the fall- 29" long, 11 lbs 2 oz. Fattest walleye I've ever seen. Does it look like it could carry a little more girth... possibly.

[Northlander]

Its very doable. There have been fish in my area in the heavy 11's and lower 12's that are in the 28.5" to 30" range.

[Musky Buck]

I would mount a 17 lb 9 ounce and up. That would be a new state record I think if not I'd mount just the state record. If it were any smaller I'd give it back to the lake or river. Any walleye 20" up is going back, digital camera gets all I need and knowing a big eye is still kicking in the lake I fish gives me more than any mount will ever give me back. Do I like to see mounts of course, it's just the way my family was raised.

[skeeterpro1]

I just wouldn't mount that fish it is definetely not 12lbs..i would make sure that it really is 12 or even 11 because mounting an 8 or 9 isn't right. I would throw it back then.

[hunt&fish89]

i dont care what time of the year it is a 28.5 inch walleye isnt 12 lbs or even 11

[Northlander]

Maybe you need to come see some of the fish caught up here lately. Piggies coming in from lake superior full of eggs and smelt. 28.5" that was caught was 11.75 and a 29.5" was 12.25#

It can be done but not often and only usually pre spawn. The walleyes are holding a lot of weight this time of year. I wish I would have got a pick of the PIG my buddy got today. Only about 19" but FAT. Looked like it had a softball in its gut.

[stretch]

I just wouldn't mount that fish it is definetely not 12lbs..i would make sure that it really is 12 or even 11 because mounting an 8 or 9 isn't right. I would throw it back then.

[hunt&fish89]

i would prolly have your scale checked for accuracy

[kosterguide]

i would have to go with 32 inches have a 31.5 on the walleye along with 2 30 incers, all fish were bigger then the last, i however am going to try a replica on my next mount

[Get-em-good]

You guys are just trying to [PoorWordUsage] people off. There are many that have caught and mounted, or caught and released 28-29 inch fish that are running 11-12 lbs. Check out the Mississippi river fisherman during March and early April. You will see 27 inch fish pushing 10-10.5 lbs at times. Not nearly as rare as you think kids.

[Northlander]

Hunt&fish you dont have to believe it thats cool. Some areas do hold fish like that. Maybe not your area but some do. Believe it or not.

I guess i really dont see why you have to doubt others catches though.

[HOT SPOT]

I was fishing in a tourny last spring and I got a 28 in that went 9.74 lbs and that was in bounceing around in a livewell for 4 hr before weigh in. The DNR said that she was completly spawned out to. But I have one on the wall thats 28.5 in that went 11 lbs exact and she just spwaned out. the only reason i keeped her was she was dead but in the right lakes eye can get some girth. But onne the same lake i have also got a 30 im the went 9.56 lbs

[stretch]

i would prolly have your scale checked for accuracy

It's a brand new digital scale. I don't think it would be off that much. ya are are pis@#@ and moaning over this. So i caught a nice fish and you can't come to terms that it weighted that much.

[kg2]

I caught a 26"er that went 12 1/4#. Honest. Weighed on my new De-Liar from Zebco.

It really doesn't matter the size, it's the motion of the ocean.