The walleye that got away

[kloe0699 12]

I was fishing earlier today and about an hour after I got set up my first flag went up. I saw it go up and walked out, the spool was sceaming... It finally stopped and I set the hook. Lots of wheight on the other end of the line. It was swimming right in as I was pulling line in till it got to the hole.. 2 runs later I had it back to the hole and I don't think it was gonna fit through my 8 inch hole, he bounced his head off the side of the hole and spit the hook. That was one nice walleye. :(

[Rollerman 290]

I have a "the one that got away" story when I hooked a large musky on Teacup Lk near Lewiston, MI years ago.

It broke the steel leader...a week after I got home the friend who I was fishing with father called to say a local bow fisher shot a trophy musky with a Blue Fox lure "mine" attached to a broken & frayed steel leader.

I don't remember the exact weight & length, just that it was huge.

Here in northern IN where I'm at the ice fishers are still waiting for the lakes to freeze over so they can get out.

Sounds like it was a nice walleye, hope you get another shot at it...or it's big brother.

[kloe0699 12]

I have a "the one that got away" story when I hooked a large musky on Teacup Lk near Lewiston, MI years ago.

It broke the steel leader...a week after I got home the friend who I was fishing with father called to say a local bow fisher shot a trophy musky with a Blue Fox lure "mine" attached to a broken & frayed steel leader.

I don't remember the exact weight & length, just that it was huge.

Here in northern IN where I'm at the ice fishers are still waiting for the lakes to freeze over so they can get out.

Sounds like it was a nice walleye, hope you get another shot at it...or it's big brother.

It does eat at you as you know.. Our lakes big winter tourney is this Saturday. I am kinda glad, sort of, that he's still out there. Biggest walleye/hour pays $1,000. We will have 55 tip-ups out. That one or his big brother will do just fine!

[chesbaycruiser 82]

Back in 1974, I was fishing off of my grandparent's pier on the Piankatank River about 8 miles up from the Chesapeake Bay. Typically, the only type of fish we ever caught besides eels and catfish was White Perch, or as we called them, "Stiffbacks". They were usually about the size of your hand...probably 1/2 pound or less. On this particular day, while casting a Mepps spinner-bait, I caught three huge specimens within a 5-10 minute span. One of the three was freakishly large.

I carried the stringer of fish up to the house, where we weighed them on a kitchen scale. The largest weighed in at 3 lbs, 3 oz.

My grandparents were thrilled that at long last, I had brought in fish big enough to actually clean and eat, which they did.

About two months later, I received the first issue of my new subscription to Virginia Wildlife magazine. Inside was a chart of Virginia State Fish Records. The state record White Perch at the time was under 2 lbs!!!

That was a hard revelation for a twelve year-old to take, and to be honest it still stings a little today!

The current record of 2 lbs 8 oz has stood since 1995.

BTW...years later I went back and checked the calibration on the scales and confirmed that they were accurate within an ounce or two.

Que Sera Sera!

[kloe0699 12]

Today I came home with a 25 inch 5.34lb walleye.. Not the one I lost, a nice fish though.

[6wheeler 586]

Walleyes hate me. No, they MOCK me. They are godless creatures that are only placed on this earth to steal my minnows and make fishing a living hell for me. Then, when I give up on them? They talk the crappies into tormenting me. But, at least I catch some of the crappies. I think the Walleyes sit around my hole laughing like crazed lunatics and chase everthing else away. They sit down there drinking Walleye coctails, smoking Walleye smokes, with their beady Walleye eyes and giggle their Walleye butts off..... At least, thats what I tell my therapist.... I think I am gonna start fishing for bullheads......