27″ 11.5 lb Walleye?

I don’t know if anybody else noticed this or not. On the bottom front page of this weeks Outdoor News there is a picture of a woman with a big, fat, pre-spawn walleye caught in pool 4 Red Wing area last weekend.

I am not saying that somebody is deliberately fudging the numbers. I definetly could be wrong. I just find it hard to believe that a 27″ walleye can weigh 11.5 lbs. I think either the length is to short or the scale was off. What do you folks think? Irregardless it is a great fish. I just don’t think a 27″er can weigh that much.

dd

Just like the guys you talk to that filled buckets of “2 to 2-1/2 lb crappies” on URL a few years ago .

Tim

I knew a guy and saw the fish a 29 that went 12.14 out of big winnie
It was during a MN walleye trail tourny 6-7 yrs ago
took big fish award
the only I remember it so well is that it was caught on one of my custom rods that I sponserd him with

They might be streching it a little bit, but not by much if they are. Just on Feb 18 i was fishing with a buddy and he had one just shy of 27″ that weighed just shy of 10 lbs
That was about a month and a half ago and pretty much had no eggs in her. It may be a little off but i dont think they are too far off. It sure would be nice to see a pic of it and you should be able to tell somewhat from that.

Just my .02 though

I’m looking at that photo right now and that fish is packed with eggs. I think its possible. Look at the belly on that fish…

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I knew a guy and saw the fish a 29 that went 12.14 out of big winnie

It was during a MN walleye trail tourny 6-7 yrs ago

took big fish award

the only I remember it so well is that it was caught on one of my custom rods that I sponserd him with

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I was at that tourney. USFA tourney in 200o if I remember correct. The scale was off by a LARGE margin and all weights had to be adjusted once the problem was discovered.. It was quite the mess. Tuckner was there as well. The problem started when they let a VERY inexperienced weighmaster weigh and record fish. Someone with any experience at all would have caught the problem on the first basket… 16″ fish don’t weigh 3 pounds.

The 12 pound fish weighed around 8 lbs once it was put on an accurate scale. Still a DANDY fish but not in the same zip code as a 12 pounder.

Here is one I got that was 28″ and we guessed it at around 12lbs never got a scale on her but Im sure she was at least 12lbs!

There isnt a 27″ walleye out there that will weigh 11# unless your stuffing it with a few pounds of sinkers when its full of eggs. I have seen a couple 28″ walleyes tip the scales very close to 10# that looked like they were going to explode they sere so fat. Its rare you will see a walleye under 29″ that weighs 10 pounds, most of the time it takes a 30″ fish… and a 30″ fish rarely weighs much more than 11 during the spawn.

I am not discrediting anyones fish… but everyone wants to catch that *10 pounder* so bad that everything close seems to gain weight.

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There isnt a 27″ walleye out there that will weigh 11# unless your stuffing it with a few pounds of sinkers when its full of eggs. I have seen a couple 28″ walleyes tip the scales very close to 10# that looked like they were going to explode they sere so fat. Its rare you will see a walleye under 29″ that weighs 10 pounds, most of the time it takes a 30″ fish… and a 30″ fish rarely weighs much more than 11 during the spawn.

I am not discrediting anyones fish… but everyone wants to catch that *10 pounder* so bad that everything close seems to gain weight.

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Amen . That is also why 40 inch, 20 lb pike weigh 17 pounds when they actually hit a scale…….

Tim

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I am not discrediting anyones fish… but everyone wants to catch that *10 pounder* so bad that everything close seems to gain weight.

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Well we are fisherman! telling stories is half the fun!

http://www.mi.gov/documents/catch-keepfinalreport2001_56423_7.pdf

As the story goes.” All Fishermen are liars, but me and you, and I’m not sure about you”

Enjoy Life!

I agree…….I don’t think that part of the story is fudged. Last year I caught one with BrianK that was 28″ and weighed 11.3# The part of the story I have a hard time with is was caught on a big Shad rap or something of that nature.

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There isnt a 27″ walleye out there that will weigh 11# unless your stuffing it with a few pounds of sinkers when its full of eggs. I have seen a couple 28″ walleyes tip the scales very close to 10# that looked like they were going to explode they sere so fat. Its rare you will see a walleye under 29″ that weighs 10 pounds, most of the time it takes a 30″ fish… and a 30″ fish rarely weighs much more than 11 during the spawn.

I am not discrediting anyones fish… but everyone wants to catch that *10 pounder* so bad that everything close seems to gain weight.

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What do you know? ……Your a cat and sturgeon guy!!!

I guess I’m surprised by folks replies. I was pretty sure we would have a concensus that 27″ walleyes can’t go 11.5 lbs. It seems to be pretty evenly split.

Nice fish TheguN!

dd

I think it’s a rare fish and I would sure like to catch it when it’s 31 inches.

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What do you know? ……Your a cat and sturgeon guy!!!

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I only know what has been put in the boat, put on certified scales at bait shops in the past(working), and a dnr chart I got to closely observe and discuss on pool 2 with walleyes up to 31″ of actual fish data. I have also got to handle, weigh, and observe 100’s of walleyes over 10# coming from lake Erie. I have seen enough bummed out people when their 29.5″ walleye weighed 9 lbs 12oz because they felt they failed because it wasnt 10 pounds?

Like I said, I am not discrediting anyones fish. All the walleyes stated are very big walleyes, and very respectable fish. I have seen plenty of big walleyes on accurate scales… and I have seen taxidermist more than one time that will tell you whatever weight you want to hear too

I am not saying its impossible for any short fish to be some of the claimed weights. It seems there is a trend going in the recent years.. and soon every 25″ fish is going to be called a 10# fish, 27″ will all be 12#, and a 30″ is going to weigh 19#.

I have a couple older spring scales here I could hang a 10″ crappie on and they would read 4 pounds! The scales have been worn out by big catfish. They still are accurate on heavy fish(tested with weigts), but the lower readings are worthless. I guess I could catch one of those 25″ walleyes and weigh it, and get the 1st 10#, 25″ fish?

They are all big walleyes guys!

My pal Al has a P4 walleye that is 28.5″ and went 10.5lbs (certified at Four Season’s scale and the Taxidermist scale 10 hours after being caught)

That fish is the fattest pig of a fish I’ve still seen to this day and it was caught about 5 years ago…..

To take 1.5 inches off that fish and put another pound on it, after looking at the picture posted…….just doesn’t seem real.

I sure don’t want to discredit anyones fish. Kooty said it perfect. It is very rare and you and I probably won’t see it with our eyes, in our day.

I was kidding Dave!

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I guess I’m surprised by folks replies. I was pretty sure we would have a concensus that 27″ walleyes can’t go 11.5 lbs. It seems to be pretty evenly split.

Nice fish TheguN!

dd

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Pool 4 pre-spawn fish are a special breed. I’ve seen some fish, weighed on digital scales that have been verified for accuracy against other scales, produce some very impressive weighs.

Here’s what I’ve seen from pool 4… and I’ve been blessed to see a BUNCH of big fish from that pool.

A 27″ fish, if it is a mega-fattie, can come close to 10 lbs. I’ve never seen a 27″ fish pass 10 lbs. Ever. Give that fish another 0.5 – 0.75 of an inch and it is possible.

A 28″ – 28.5″ fish with max-girth will weigh, on an accurate scale, in the 10.5 – 11 lb range. Again, for a fish to hit those weights she’s going to need to be a rare specimen.

To get past 12 Lbs you’re going to need a minimum of a 29″ fish.

Everything over 13 pounds I’ve ever caught has been 30″ or better. The 14.1 Lb fish we landed a few years back was 31.5″ long.

What throws people is the incredible proportions…. length to girth. Most people catch few big fish and when they land one with an 18+ inch girth they have nothing to compare it to. Weight “guesstimates” can be a little off.

Chappy… if you caught a 28″ post-spawn fish that weighed over 11 lbs you caught one with some plutonium in the belly. My longest post-spawn fish, a handful in the 30 – 30.5 inch range, have never passed 11 lbs. The heaviest have both hit 10 lbs 14 ounces. Again, weighed by a third party on a digi-scale that had been checked against another. I’m NOT saying yours didn’t weigh 11 Lbs+… but that girl would have needed a 18″ – 19″ girth to pull it off and I’ve never seen a may / june walleye with a girth anywhere close to those dimensions. IF you caught one… I tip my hat to you.

The one in my avitar is a 28″ 11.4 lb x 19.5″ girth P4 walleye. Checked on my local meat locker’s scale after it had been in the freezer a week.I have also personally wittnessed a 25″ 8lb eye caught on P4.

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I was kidding Dave!

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No problem Chappy!

I wasnt trying to get anyone mad at me.. I was just trying to make the same points man others are here. It takes a genuine freak of nature to create fish that heavy out of walleyes that size. I agree pool 4 fish do tend to be on the girthy side early in the year, I truly think they have very good genetics and an endless supply of prime fatty forage(shad) over the recent years. Those fish lay near motionless all winter in minimal current, slightly warmer water(longer growing seasons), and pretty much open their mouth at will to eat a dieing shad. Fill that more healthy than average walleye up to capacity with eggs.. you have a heavy fish.

Perfect habitat for growth.. but we still need to keep our eye on reality of what a fish is physically capable of obtaining.

Ok.. I’m done with the subject before I get into more trouble

Chappy was being a fisherman in his numbers James…and he wasn’t using a rap either.

James….., I suppose it was. That was the weight Jack told me it was before he cleaned it for mounting.Just what I was told. And it did have an 18″girth……..Was probably more in the 10# range,Brians Scale said 10.3# But It was covered with cat slime and I took the larger of the 2 readings. I’m a fisherman,What can i say?? . Those were the measurments I was told though……..

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I took the larger of the 2 readings. I’m a fisherman,What can i say??

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I think you’ll be hard pressed to find an angler that will opt for the lower reading.

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Those were the measurments I was told though……..

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You havent learned how to take your own measurements yet??

Yeah…….Nobody’s ever showed me the correct way!

Was this before or after the 1lb 4oz bully was removed from the eye? j/k .Sorry I know we can olny use 7″ bullies

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27″ 11.5 lb Walleye?

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Myth BUSTED!! …… Could olny happen on P2

Chappy, you’re memory is failing…you caught 3 eyes…a 27…a 28 and a 29.5…well, my memory is failing, it was a 29 something. The largest was bleeding badly and that’s why we kept it for a mount. The two shorties were released.

The 29.x did tip my digital at over 10 lbs and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacks measurement came in at 11. somthing.

I know it was 29 inches because we were so upset that we accedently kill such a nice fish. She was bleeding badly when we got her into the boat and the time we spent trying to revive her. I’m just glad you were along and decided to have her mounted.

You are correct sir……… Must of had it written down somewhere huh?