Walleyes offer good fishing, eating
We were hanging around a fly fishing shop discussing the merits of various fish when my friend, Mario, made a pronouncement.
Trout anglers throw them back because they aren’t fit to eat, but nobody throws a legal walleye back.
The trout fishermen who were there almost had heart attacks, but you know what? He was right. Nobody returns a legal walleye to the water.
As far as I know, there are three members of the perch family of which the largest, the walleye, belongs. A long time ago, there were four members, but the blue pike of Lake Erie have disappeared.
What brought about the extinction of the blue pike is still a mystery. Was it over-fishing by both commercial and sport fishermen, or pollution that eliminated them from the lake? Or could it have been a combination of both?
We might have lost the blue pike but we do still have the other three. The smallest, the perch, is caught in huge numbers in Lake Erie. Ice fishermen will dot lakes that hold perch all winter long stocking their freezers.
In most instances, the perch caught will be in the 7- to 10-inch range, but they can grow a bit larger. A 15-inch perch is a large one, and anything over that is a monster.
Perch can be caught on worms, but minnows are the best bait.
Because perch are small, it is the other two members of the family that I prefer to catch, particularly the walleye. The sauger can grow to decent sizes but a 20-incher is rare, and they are not as common as walleye.
Many times, the sauger and a crossbreed between the walleye and sauger, the saugeye, will be stocked in impoundments by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Both walleye and saugeye can grow to over 25 inches, and both have to be 15 inches in length to be legal to keep.
I saw a 30-inch saugeye caught in Cross Creek Lake two years ago. That fish was huge.
A casual angler will have a tough time telling the difference between a walleye and saugeye. I usually judge them by the blotches on the sides of the dorsal fin of the saugeye.
There are obviously some saugeye in Cross Creek Lake but few target them, preferring to fish for bass and panfish. The local rivers also hold walleye and saugeye, but keep in mind they are fish to eat. Trout and bass are sport fish, but walleye are for the table. For that reason, I prefer to fish for them in cleaner water.
There are not many good waters near here that hold walleye, but Dunlap Lake near Uniontown is one. Just south of Route 40 between Uniontown and Brownsville, Dunlap Lake isn’t very big at just 40 acres. But it is very deep.
Dunlap Lake has a boat launch, bait shop, picnic area and toilets. It also holds crappie, bass and is stocked with trout each spring.
It is impossible to bring up walleye without bringing up Pymatuning Lake in Crawford County. This is undoubtably the king of walleye lakes in Western Pennsylvania.
There have been ups and downs in walleye numbers, and we seem to be in the start of an upswing.
When fishing for walleye, think deep. Successful walleye rigs will hug the bottom.
The classic rig will be a jig sweetened with a nightcrawler or minnow. Just drop the baited jig into 10 or 20 feet of water and drift along.
Catch a fish, mark the spot and go back. Walleye are a school fish.
Sometimes, walleye are caught deep by running a lure. Using a combination of both methods is a good way to work the breeze conditions. Drift with the wind and troll against it.
Walleye dislike sunlight and will be caught in overcast conditions and when the water is choppy.
There are other lakes where walleye can be caught, with most located in the northwest corner of the state. Sugar, Conneaut and Woodcock lakes hold walleye.
Always remember the wisdom of Mario. Nobody throws back a legal walleye.
George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.