30 inch walleye vs. 40 inch northern

Just wondering what you guys think…what would you rather catch or what do you think is harder to catch??? Just curious…

I go with the walleye i have one 30.5 incher and have caught several 40+ inch pike the biggest being 44 and weighing 25lbs(she,s on the wall) Also the pike had a 16 inch eye in it,s stomach.

Ajs

Hands down… the 30″

big G

X3, The 30″ walleye is a much more challenging goal.

X4 has to be the eye hands down!

x 5 30″ walleye

x227, the walleye…

Yep, what they said!!

I’d have to disagree and go with the 40+ Ern. I’ve caught countless Walleyes over 30 but only a couple Northerns over 40″.

30″ Walleye

With out question it would be the northern pike !!!!!!

I would welcome either!!

30″ eye any day. I’d give up ever catching a northern again to catch one more 16″ eye. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t miss slimy smelly nets and boat carpet, tore up crankbaits, and slime covered ice gear.

30″ Walleye for sure. I’ve caught more 40″ northerns than I can count. All they do is reck my crankbaits. I hate those slimers.

I’ve caught more 40 inch northerns than walleyes so 30 inch walleye it is. Also may depend on where you fish. It may be tougher to catch one or the other.

I would have to say the 20″ bass

I would have to say Green Sunfish.

Quote:

---

I would have to say the 20″ bass

---

I didn’t know we could vary from the original question. I’m not sure how long it would be, but I would like to tangle with a 50 lb kitty just once.

i think the situation has to be right i think the walleye is harder to find but the pike will put up a longer and better fight. i would mount a replica of the them both if i caught either one

I would rather catch a 30″+ walleye. I’ve had my share.

IMO, a 40″+ northern is harder to catch, where I’ve fished. Those big pike seem to be rare on the lakes I fish most now. I’ve hooked one 40″+ fish on Rainy, and I may have caught a pike of that size in BWCA years ago through the ice. I didn’t bother to measure fish back then.

The eye for sure. Pic and back she goes. A 40″ northern sure would be a lot of slime to deal with. I don’t carry that many towels.

Fishing for 40″ northern and catching them are much easier than catching a 30″ wally dog. Up it to 45″ norby and I’d call it a toss up.

Quote:

---

I’d have to disagree and go with the 40+ Ern. I’ve caught countless Walleyes over 30 but only a couple Northerns over 40″.

---

Wow countless eyes over 30″ Any pics??????? You must be a pro

I think it’s really a matter of where a person is fishing.

My boat has brought in many eyes in the 26 to 30 inch range, but it’s never brought in a pike close to 40 inchs.

With the bait I’m using and the way that I’m fishing, I’m not going to say never…but I wouldn’t be surprised if I never hook in to a pike.

…and for the record, I’m not a pro walleye guy. In fact, I’m anti walleye.(they steal my bait )

Better fish Rainy lake This open water season, and that 30 inch walleye will be T-boned by a 30lb pike after digesting that 18 inch crappie.

I’d say 30 inch walleyes are far more rare. We landed anywhere between 30-40 walleyes within my guide service in a year over the 28 inch benchmark, but usually only a handful actually make 30 inches. That is on prime water, prime spots….ALL THE TIME. With that being said we landed 49 pike over 10lbs just last spring, and somewhere around 20 of those fish surpassed 40 inches. So……..From Rainy Lake you can draw your own conclusions. Regardless both are trophy fish, yet I’d trade either for a 18-19 inch crappie this May/June!!

catching either one right now would beat sitting here in front of the computer reading this silly argument

Hey Brett!! Need to talk SMOOTH MOVE….For my boat. PM me when you get a chance.

For my boat, where by far most of our fishing occurs on Lake Wisconsin, the 40″ pike has been much tougher to come by. Last year we put two walleyes over 30″ long in the boat. No pike have hit the 40″ mark in recent history and the only one that would have came unbuttoned about 20′ shy of the net.

I agree with BK on this one: different waters = different results.

Quote:

---

catching either one right now would beat sitting here in front of the computer reading this silly argument

---

Well said Brett

Both are tremendous catches. where ever you may be. Give me a 30lb channel cat any day over either of them. Those fish are rare anywhere and have zero respect for man or tackle.