SUPER WALLEYE 25LBSPLUS

[DICK KNUTSON]

I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD ADD MY TWO BITS WORTH ON THIS SUBJECT. IN THE EARLY 80S I STARTED A RESEARCH PROJECT CALLED THE WALLEYE RESEARCH FUND. OUR PURPOSE WAS TO GENETICALLY STUDY WALLEYE FROM PARTICULAR AREAS TO SEE IF THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS A SUPER WALLEYE. WE RETAINED DR. BRIAN MURPHY,FROM TEXAS, WHO WAS A RENOWNED FISHERIES GENETICIST AT THAT TIME. MOST OF YOU REMEMBER THE HUGE WALLEYE THAT WERE COMING OUT OF GREERS FERRY RESEVOIR IN ARKANSAS AT THAT TIME. SO OFF WE WENT TO GREERS FERRY AND FOR MANY YEARS WE CONDUCTED OUR STUDIES ON THE DEVILS FORK OF GREERS FERRY LAKE TAKING MANY SAMPLES OF 20LB PLUS WALLEYE.THERE WAS MUCH DEBATE AT THAT TIME WHETHER IT WAS GENETICS(HIGHLAND RESEVOIR BLUE WALLEYE) OR FOOD BASE THAT RESULTED IN THESE HUGE WALLEYE. THE ARKANSAS DNR ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THESE STUDIES.I CAN SAY WE LEARNED A LOT. THERE SEEMED TWO BE TWO STRAINS OF WALLEYE IN THE LAKE, THOSE THAT RAN UP THE RIVER AND SPAWNED AND THOSE THAT SPAWNED IN THE LAKE. SO THAT WAS AN INTERESTING SCENARIO INITSELF. IT WAS THEN THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT INDEED WALLEYE HAD BEEN PLANTED FROM ANOTHER LAKE INTO GREERS FERRY. THESE FISH DID NOT RUN THE RIVER AND DID NOT GROW BIG. SO THAT ANSWERED THAT QUESTION AND WE NOW REALIZED THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH AN OLD RIVER STRAIN OF WALLEYE THAT INHABITATED THIS SYSTEM BEFORE GREERS FERRY WAS CREATED BY THE DAM. THESE FISH TURNED OUT TO BE FAR, FEW AND DOGGONE FEW IN BETWEEN. BUT THEY WERE HUGE!!!! THE FUN HAD JUST STARTED BECAUSE A FEW OF US WERE SCRATCHING OUR HEADS ABOUT WHY WALLEYE IN MINNESOTA WERE SO SMALL. SO WE WANTED TO EXPAND THE STUDY TO INCLUDE MINNESOTA LAKES. BOY DID THE MINN. DNR HIERARCHY COME UNGLUED ON THAT SUGGESTION!!! SO WE DRAGGED A 20LB PLUS WALLEYE FROM GREERS FERRY AND SHOWED IT TO SOME MINN. LEGISLATORS. TO END THIS PART OF THE STORY THE LEGISLATURE GAVE US A SPECIAL $25,000 GRANT TO DO THE STUDY IN MINN. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE HIERARCHY OF THE MINN. DNR WAS LIVID BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY. DR. MURPHY CAME TO MINN. AND WE RECIEVED EXCELLENT COOPERATION FROM DNR OFFICIALS IN THE REGIONAL OFFICES. WE TOOK WALLEYE SAMPLES FROM MANY LAKES IN MINN. AND FOUND OUT SOME VERY INTERESTING INFO ABOUT MINN WALLEYE. FOREMOST WAS THE FACT THAT MANY OF THE LAKES HAD BEEN STOCKED IN THE EARLY 1900S FROM THE ONLY FISH HATCHERY IN MINN. AT THAT TIME AND THAT HATCHERY WAS LOCATED AT WASKISH ON RED LAKE. HOME OF THE FAMOUS QUARTER POUNDER. WE GOT A HOLD OF ONE OF THE OLDTIMERS THAT WORKED AT WASKISH AT THAT TIME AND LOW AND BEHOLD HE HAD A LIST OF ALL THE LAKES THAT THE FISH HAD BEEN SHIPPED TO ON THE TRAIN IN MILK CONTAINERS ALL OVER MINN. WELL IT BECAME A CHORE TO FIND A LAKE IN MINN. THAT DID NOT GET FISH FROM WASKISH. WE GENETICALLY TRACKED MANY WALLEYE IN MANY LAKES THAT WE TOOK SAMPLES FROM AND YOU GUESSED IT ,THEY ALL TRACKED BACK TO WASKISH. LAKE SAGAGANA IN NORTHERN MINN. WAS THE ONLY EXCEPTION. THEN TO OUR AMAZEMENT WE FOUND OUT THAT FISH FROM WASKISH HAD BEEN SHIPPED ALL OVER THE U.S. WHEN THE DNRS FROM DIFFERENT STATES TRADED WITH MINN.FOR OTHER SPECIES OF FISH OR JUST BOUGHT THEM FROM MINN. SO OFF WE WENT AGAIN TO CLAYTOR LAKE IN VIRGINIA BECAUSE THEY HAD RECIEVED FISH FROM WASKISH AND DID NOT HAVE ANY WALLEYE IN THE LAKE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF WASKISH WALLEYE. THIS WOULD BE INTERESTIN BECAUSE CLAYTOR WAS A SOUTHERN LAKE AND WARMER WATER. WOULD THE THEORY ABOUT WARMER WATER GROWING BIGGER FISH HOLD TRUE? WELL THE WASKISH FISH DID NOT GROW THERE EITHER. SO THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS THAT WASKISH FISH HAVE BEEN PUT IN MANY LAKES AND RIVERS THROUHOUT THE U.S. PARTICULARY IN THE WESTERN REGIONS. A 15 LG WALLEYE IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE 20LB PLUS GIANTS OF GREERS FERRY AND OTHER SOUTHERN IMPOUNDMENTS THAT HOLD THE OLD BLUE WALLEYE. CATCHING ONE IS THE NEXT TRICK.. GOOD LUCK!!! IN MY NEXT POST I WILL TELL YOU HOW WE FOUND OUT THAT THE SUPPOSED 25LB THAT HELD THE WORLD RECORD WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO REALLY WEIGHING 25LBS. DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[Dutchman]

Thanks Dick, Very interesting reading, keep it coming...


" Fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope "

[Backwater Eddy]

Dick wasn't that sleuthing of the old record done by examining the first digit of the persons finger holding the fish?

If I remember right it was compared to the standard digit size and found to be way off scale to the excepted world record weight.

I thought I read that some where along the line, In-Fisherman most likely?

It would be interesting to hear that full story some time.

Thanks Dick,

Backwater Eddy.....><,,>

[JCarp]

Thanks for the info. I would have to imagine there was some discussion about introducing the big fish genetics into other stocks??

[Mark]

Dick I truely love those kind of stories...I think that's what it's all about....I recently did an article called "Eye on the Past for Michigan Outdoor News in which a reader sent me a pic of a 20 pound walleye taken from the UP in Mich...email me at saker@tir.com and I'll send you the story and a copy of the picture...I would like your opinion if you feel this eye could go 20 pounds...Mark Sak

[Rickk]

GREAT STUFF DICK!

[WAeyes]

Very interesting read. You should contact Walleye Insider about this.

[ETT]

Great read Dick, but next time please don't use ALL CAPS. IT MAKES IT HARDER TO READ.

I already want to know what the final outcome was and if any of the information had any impact.

Email me if you'd like some help, getting this submitted. Some of the DNRs around the country, could use a small dose of reality. I thought your referrence to Min. DNR and their attitude was great. They've got us to a point that we almost expect the wrong reaction.

[Xplorer]

Dick,
Great stuff, very very interesting. As a side note, guess where the Minnesota state record walleye was caught back in 1979??
Thats right, Saganaga lake, or more exactly the seagull river that flows in to Sag. Many Sag lake walleyes run up it to spawn in spring. The area it was caught in has since been closed to fishing during the early part of the season and opens around Memorial day now to prtect those huge girls!!
Keep the stories/info coming Dick. Xplorer

[Fish-on]

The Minnesota state record was caught right off the end of my dock in 1979. The deep hole in the seagull river right in front of Northpoint Canoe Outfitters where I worked.

I agree that this info is great stuff, but please don't type in caps. I'd love to see a book about this kind of thing.

[DICK KNUTSON]

I HOPE I AM NOT OFFENDING ANYONE BY TYPING IN CAPS BUT I HAVE REALLY POOR EYESIGHT AND I CAN SEE WHAT I AM WRITING WHEN I DO TYPE IN CAPS. I WILL WRITE SOME MORE ABOUT THE WALLEYE RESEARCH PROJECT IN A FUTURE POST AND TRY TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSES. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO WRITING IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS THANKS AGAIN DICK KNUTSON GENETRON

[Fish-on]

I can live with the caps, keep the good info coming.

[FJH1]

GREAT STUFF DICK. I LOVE STORIES LIKE THIS! PLEASE KEEP IT COMING.

BEST REGARDS,

FJH

[Fshngyd]

Great Stuff Dick, very interesting and looking forward to the next story!!!

[gilly8000]

EXCELLENT STORY, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO READING WHAT ELSE YOU HAVE TO WRITE. SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS GUYS, BUT I WANTED DICK TO READ THE FEEDBACK EASILY.

[J_fromPA]

Dick,
Are all river walleyes the blue strain you are talking about? I know it would depend on whether the other strain mentioned were stocked but in general, are river walleyes larger? Does Pennsylvania have any studies similar to the one you conducted? I would be interested in knowing what types of eyes are in the Allegheny river system. I know they grow large, especially in the upper reaches, and I know they spawn in the tributaries in the spring. What opinions do people on the board have about a possible record coming from the Allegheny River or Kinzua resevoir?

[Sunshine]

FOUND THE INFO TO BE VERY EXCITING READING. PLEASE KEEP IT COMING. WOULD YOU LIKE OUR RESPONSES TO YOU TO BE ALL IN CAPS SO YOU CAN READ THEM EASIER? I'M SURE THAT NO ONE WOULD MIND.

I FOUND IT EXTREMELY INTERESTING TO SEE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THIS SCENARIO AND THE ONE THAT I READ ABOUT THE WORLD RECORD MUSKY. BOTH STRAINS WERE ORIGINALLY RIVER FISH THAT WERE IMPOUNDED. SURE SEEMS LIKE THOSE RIVER FISH GROW TO BE BIG AND SASSY WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORK AS HARD WITHOUT CURRENTS. I WOULD THINK SOME AGENCIES WOULD PURSUE THIS LINK FOR PRODUCING LARGER FISH.


PLEASE KEEP THE INFO COMING

[stewart]

If I remember the story was in Outdoor Life.Like you said, they used the hand in the picture as a measureing stick. Can't remember the issue though.It also showed a picture of somebody who built a replica according to the measurements the guy claimed for his fish, and it came out looking like a chinook.

[Glyde Ryder]

I FISH THE RIVER RUN AND BARKER HOLE AREA ABOVE BEAVER CREEK DURING THE WINTER NEAR FORSYTH, MISSOURI ON BULL SHOALS. NEAR THE MOUTH OF SWAN CREEK ,BELOW THE FORSYTH BRIDGE, THE MISSOURI RECORD WALLEYE WAS CAUGHT IN SPRING 1988 BY A FELLOW THROWING A ROAD RUNNER WITH HIS TRUSTY ZEBCO 33 COMBO FOR WHITE BASS. THAT 21# 1 OZ FISH HASNT BEEN TOPPED SINCE.

NOT TOO MANY FISH, ERIE IT AINT. HYDRO ELECTRIC GENERATION CONTROLS THE BITE AND I AM NEVER THERE AT THE RIGHT TIME. SOMEDAY.........

JOHN ESTES

[Peanut]

INTERESTING STORY. DID ANY OF YOUR RESEARCH TAKE YOU INTO CANADIAN WATERS?

I SEEM TO REMEMBER READING THAT THERE WAS A STRAIN OF BLUE WALLEYE IN CANADA, BUT NOW IT IS ALL BUT EXTINCT. IS THERE ANYTHING TO THIS?

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!