Is Wisconsin a better state for walleyes?

WHAT!!!! Gotta say Tom Boley has me thinking about a trip to cheese land for walters and Smbs. So take the big lakes out of the equation and look at mid sized stuff, he really catches some impressive fish. Think those lakes in NW sconi do not get as much pressure as our northern lakes. He goes to MN a good amount too. What impresses me about his show is he will do a show where he has not been to the lake, no guide or coordinates and he catches nice fish! Could all be a lie I get that, not that I believe everything on Pawn Stars is real…

He can get me thinking the same thing sometimes. He has some talent and his clips are great. But when I go to WI I do just as bad as I do here or you can say as good. It never hurts to try different lakes. Some of the stuff I picked up from him has put some great fish in my boat.

Yup, he happens to live there, still think those lakes get a little less pressure, that out of state license is spendy.

Wisconsin has no where near the walleye fishing that Minnesota does.. Just silly talk there. Lots of down time even with Tom.. If he does not get a show he does not post it on youtube. He just gets out fishing a lot. Lucky him

I fish Wisconsin. The answer is NO! On inland lakes walleye fisherman estimate the numbers are down 70% since the 80’s. Decrease in stocking, Indian spearing, introduction of LMB, emergence of milfoil, and rising water temps all contribute to the massive decline. The entire Minaqua chain has been off-limits to walleye anglers for 5 years.
Wisconsin is even more of a train wreck than Minnesota. I’m not familiar with Tom Miley but if he’s making a walleye fishing show and needs viewers which translates to sponsors….hes going to a lake where he knows he’s gonna catch walleye, and it’s not going to be a fair representation of the walleye population in the entire state.

Easy answer is “no”, WI does not have better walleye fishing. We have “ok” walleye fishing with some glimmers here and there. If a lake averages 2-4 walleyes per acre, WDNR classifies that as good walleye water. Do the math, that is not many fish- esp. with fishing pressure WI lakes can have. As Al Linder always said, 90 percent of the fish are in 10 percent of the lake. Certain times of the year anglers do well as fish stack up in known locales. MN has phenomenal walleye fishing compared to WI and MDNR does a much better job managing their walleye waters. Tom’s stuff is awesome, but I’d apply it to your MN lakes rather than run across the border. Grass is not greener.

buschman wrote:

Wisconsin has no where near the walleye fishing that Minnesota does.. Just silly talk there. Lots of down time even with Tom.. If he does not get a show he does not post it on youtube. He just gets out fishing a lot. Lucky him

This is the correct answer ^^^

I have lived many years in both states and have fished each extensively.

Not that Wisconsin is bad, just not close compared to MN.

Many of those smaller lakes have catchable populations of walleye, but not near the #’s and amount of big fish compared to the many top MN walleye fisheries.

Some exceptions there would be Green Bay and the tributaries, rivers like Fox, Wolf, Mississippi, Wisconsin river.

Like bushman pointed out, as with all fishing shows…all the non-productive time is edited out.

One thing I found of interest, many of the top winning and most successful professional walleye tournament anglers over the years were from Wisconsin.

SD has more than both, and a hawt governor

I would say no, I fish Wisconsin alot. Being in north branch im not far from the border.
What I can say is there are a ton of little lakes in middle of farm areas that have no pressure. They are all over looked and I love taking advantage of them. Doesnt mean there are more walleyes but I do tend to catch way more mid day eyes then say if I fished here locally. Not monsters but lots of good fish.
As far as Tom goes its the same as any you tuber. They have to spend a ton of time on the water to make a 15 minute video.

DaveB wrote:

SD has more than both, and a hawt governor

This is true. But sd is a long way from North branch lol.
And kristi is easy on the eyes for sure

Wisconsin hasn’t had a walleye had a walleye management program since the natives started spearing. They just now starting TALK about starting it back up again which in my opinion is long over due. So the answer is no, Wisconsin is years behind in the walleye compared to Minnesota.

Yes everyone should go there and fish.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Yes everyone should go there and fish.

Lol I agree with this

Beast wrote:

Wisconsin hasn’t had a walleye had a walleye management program since the natives started spearing. They just now starting TALK about starting it back up again which in my opinion is long over due. So the answer is no, Wisconsin is years behind in the walleye compared to Minnesota.

Well…to be fair, they’re far more limited in what they can do in WI.

And that’s “the nature of the beast” tee-hee.

Seriously though, with the exception of rivers and flowages there’s limited waters favorable for walleye abundance and growth in WI.

Setting aside river systems, walleyes do better in large wind swept lakes both for natural reproduction and overall populations and size structure.

The top 5 or 6 MN walleye waters meet this criteria, natural reproduction and an environment conducive to maintaining a strong healthy walleye presence.

I was told by a reputable source that no amount of stocking will ever match a self sustaining walleye population.

Yes, there’s been some success in stocking smaller lakes (in both MN and WI) which amount to basically a put and take fishery.

And yes, I’ll agree that MN has done a better job of maintaining some quality walleye fishing in the smaller lakes.

But when it boils down, it’s the big lakes that make MN walleye fishing perhaps the best in the country.

Tom knows his stuff and is fishing on very good lakes that have some crazy numbers of fish in them and quality fish as well. Use what he is doing on your local lakes if they set up the same and you’ll be successful too!!

Hearing alot of ‘No’-kinda what I wanted to hear. Now I need to hear that the Vikes are off to a slow start but are actually better than the Pack

Apparently I need to start my go pro more often so I can be the next Tom Boley.

Mn has the eyes and Wi has the crappies/LM Bass.

ND is #1 and it’s by a significant margin. How good is ND? They have no freezer limit. It’s totally legal to have a thousand walleyes in your freezer.

Devils Lake, Sakakawea, Oahe, a stretch of the Missouri River from Garrison to South of Bismarck is true free flowing river, not dredged for barges, the Sheyenne, James River, hundreds and hundreds of sloughs that the G&F stock and walleyes grow fast and fat in. ND walleyes are footballs. The hardest part of fishing there is competing with all the forage but there’s so many walleyes it doesn’t matter. Your lure is bound to go in front of one that’ll bite just because you messed up it’s buffet. The slip bobber bite on Devils is akin to catching sunnies off the dock in MN. If you’re not boating a hundred walleyes a day in ND you’re either not trying at all or only fishing for an hour. It’s open year round, five fish limit, no slots, have at ’em.

People will say, “MN the limit is six with one over twenty,” as if that means something. Mill Lacs you can’t keep any, Red fluctuates between two and four, most of the big walleye lakes where 90% of the walleyes are caught are four or less with slots. Whatever your daily limit is that’s also your possession limit and that’s also your freezer limit. Again, ND has no freezer limit. Five a day of any size, posession limit 10 any size, freezer or storage limit—doesn’t exist—unlimited.

ND produces a ton of fry and fingerlings. So much so they have more than they need and sell them. Guess who their biggest customer is?

MN.

Many a ND walleye has been caught in MN after the DNR put them in someone’s local lakes.

MN has some great walleye fishing but nothing compared to ND. The only thing that sucks about it is that it’s so good it’s too easy…after boating a hundred plus walleyes every day for a few days without even trying it loses it’s appeal. Three days of fishing is perfect. You don’t burn yourself out, just when it starts to get boring you’re headed home. You get to eat plenty of walleye while there and still drive home with ten big fish (20 nice filets). You can fish two lines which is perfect trolling four with a buddy. ND rocks. They have awesome stainless steel cleaning stations at their landings. They encourage you to catch and keep fish. You get done fishing and drink a beer amongst everyone else there with their limit. It’s all smiles, stories, laughs, and camaraderie. No looking over your shoulder, no checking the regs umpteen times because you’re at a new lake so it’s got totally different and bizarre regs. You fish when you want, how you want, keep what you want, and it’s all totally legal.

There’s no way anyone who has spent any amount of time fishing in both MN and ND is going to say MN is better….no….way.

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Not even close, Wis is a shadow of itself when it comes to walleye. Too much pressure, to small of lakes, If it was not for some larger lakes and rivers it would be terrible. Don’t get me wrong, sure you get fish at certain times of the year on some lakes. Here is an example, On one lake a limit of 3,18 to 22 inches, then 3, 10 hour days on 2 different lakes, total fish, about 12 that were 12 to 14 inches, 4 ,16 inches,and 1 about ,17. Not one legal in the bunch. DK. This was last week.

I do better on the Minnesota side of the river fishing walleye than the Wisconsin side of the river.

What I think you will find is each person definition of best. If you want to go general stuffing your freezer like jonser vs quality vs trophy. To each their own.

I actually prefer MN for living here and fishing (I lived in ND a decade). I don’t mind working for a limit. A MN limit has much more value than a ND limit. It got to the point where you could never have a really great day because every day you expect to have a great day. When that’s the bar the only place you can go is down. You either crush them and it’s ho-hum nothing new, and would be embarrassing if you didn’t. Heaven forbid you actually do bad because then guys are Flipping out, getting upset, and the thought of having to tell their wife or buddies they sucked makes the whole experience negative

Like I said, three days in ND is perfect. I’ll enjoy the rest of my season in MN.

And there’s PLENTY of quality in ND if you’re referring to large fish. Still, from start to finish I’ll take MN.

I took a ND buddy out this summer, his first time buying a license in MN in seven years, he didn’t expect much and the mid-summer bite had slowed for him….

…he’s still talking about the trip he came and fished with me in MN. He couldn’t believe how good it was and having it be so unexpected tickled him pink like I’ve never seen. It helped we didn’t see another boat and the water we were fishing was aesthically just beautiful. Far prettier than anything in ND.

The whole experience never could of happened in ND. If I went fishing with him and we didn’t do as well there I honestly could care less. I fish to have fun, put in a decent effort, and if it’s not going to happen I’d rather kick back and take it easy while getting to catch up with old friends than hit it hard trying to woodtick it for one more fish.

Despite him knowing that if we were in ND and we didn’t do well the guy would lose some sleep over it, and he’s already got a severe case of insomnia.

That’s the curse of fishing being that good. When the standard is that high it starts only becoming a negative for going fishing and having it be fun.

I fish a lot of the same lakes that Tom Boley fishes. I’ve spent many days trying to put together a decent bite. Either I really suck or Tom Boley is a really good fisherman. Maybe both!?! I don’t know…. He is very good at understanding what his electronics are telling him. I’ve spent countless days on the same water he’s fishing. Every time I go home with my tail between my legs ready to sell every piece of fishing equipment I own. Not kidding

Tom Anderson wrote:

I fish a lot of the same lakes that Tom Boley fishes. I’ve spent many days trying to put together a decent bite. Either I really suck or Tom Boley is a really good fisherman. Maybe both!?! I don’t know…. He is very good at understanding what his electronics are telling him. I’ve spent countless days on the same water he’s fishing. Every time I go home with my tail between my legs ready to sell every piece of fishing equipment I own. Not kidding

anyone that has watched a fishing show or video tries to duplicate what they have just watched and very seldom have the same results, I know I’m guilty of it as well.

I find it interesting people having a conversation about watching other people fish.

Tom Anderson wrote:

I fish a lot of the same lakes that Tom Boley fishes. I’ve spent many days trying to put together a decent bite. Either I really suck or Tom Boley is a really good fisherman. Maybe both!?! I don’t know…. He is very good at understanding what his electronics are telling him. I’ve spent countless days on the same water he’s fishing. Every time I go home with my tail between my legs ready to sell every piece of fishing equipment I own. Not kidding

or maybe he is piecing multiple days of fishing? I watch him time to time and the dude sure fishes a lot! I can expect to do well 1 out of every 3 trips to P4. do these youtube guides have full time jobs and do their shoots as a side hustle? I love fishing don’t get me wrong but this new generation sure loves to spend time recording it, analyzing it and so on. I am lucky to take a few pics when I get out because I would rather spend more time fishing…….wait until he and Shelby have kids. vids will be few and far between. I havn’t seen jack from Aaron Wiebe since last winter.

I fish a lake that he frequents up there. When I’ve chatted with him in the past he said its actually the lake that he prefers in the region for numbers of quality walleye, but not necessarily monsters. I’ve fished there a few summers now and I’ve gotten them into a bit of a routine after dark but I still cant believe what he’s able to do during the day. I’m lucky if I catch one in bright sun. I had a weekend where I legit couldn’t keep a walleye off the whole weekend, several evenings/nights where I’ve done well, and countless days that have been awful. I can confirm he really, really knows what hes doing but I cant confirm its any better than some of the lakes in MN. If you’re anything like me I can promise you wont just show up and start reeling them in like he is able to make it look in some of his videos I’d just pick a lake here or there and focus on it vs bouncing all around looking for them on different lakes in different times of the year.

cant speak much on the difference in pressure but the only time I ever saw the ramp full was the weekend I absolutely smacked them. Reports from multiple other boats said they couldn’t buy a bite. Bummer.

The official state fish of Minnesota is the walleye. The official state fish of Wisconsin is the muskie.

I’d take the vast numbers of lakes of MN any day. However, Green Bay of Lake Michigan is an absolute gem for giant sow-belly walleye. Super fun fishing.