New SD state Walleye????

[SDEYEGUNNER]

There is a report that an 18.4 lbs below the dam at Fort Thompson. Apparently weight confirmed on certified scale. It was apparently on the local radio stations around Sioux Falls and further west. If anyone can confirm this, please post.

Thanks!

[Brotsky]

I heard it was a fish story but who knows.

[walleyes13]

I've got pics.......supposed was caught this morning I believe......I also have pics of a 15lb 5oz caught there on monday. I guess we will wait and see if it is legit........big fish..........I'm jealous.

[Brotsky]

Eyes13, I think those are the same two fish you have pics of. Notice the background in the pics, from what I can see camera guys just swapped spots and they turned the fish around and held it closer to the camera...;)

[walleyes13]

It sure could be..........

[brentfrank]

Ahhh the internet, ain't it great? That would be what 5 or 6 fish over 15lbs out of Francis Case? HMMMM

[OaheJose]

I have both pictures also, definetly the same fish, same background, different guy holding the fish. 15.59 33 3/4. Got to love a story!!!

[brentfrank]

Can we see these pictures?

[OaheJose]

4055


This is the 15.59 33 3/4, I already deleted the "18"

[gottafish]

Gotta love the smile on that little guy!

[brentfrank]

Thanks, she's quite the hog.

[zeker]

its done stuff before like that one year it was all 8 to 9 pounders and alot of them,,,, they was caught in one area them fish hang out in there own size groups,,i grew up on francis case fished it for the last forty five yearsi know spots where ya use to get three to four pounders on a crappie rig two at a time,that isnt even in the water any more and aint been in years.i caught a 9 pounder one night and i seen a dozen more just like it shocked by the game and fish following my boat while i was realing in that fish.

[State Record?]

I was in Chamberlain this weekend and talked to the game fish and parks about the supposed state record being broke. He indicated that there has been several fish being caught between 12lbs and the largest certified fish was like 15lbs. 4oz. to date. I also inquired about the new state record coming out on Friday and he confirmed that there was a fish reported to the game fish and parks office to be 18lbs. 4oz cuaght, as they called his office to find a place to certify the fish. He was not sure if they were able to certify the fish yet but expects to see the actual wieght this week. Remember it was weighed on a non-cert scale for the 18lbs 4oz recording. Either way it was an awesome fish they caught.

[fish 4 fun]

I talked to a guy from Kimball this morning. He said he knows the the guy that knows the guy that took the picture and swears it's legit. I'm anxious to see it its true.

I know if I caught an 18 lb Walleye the world would know it. I'd be all over the media!

[10 Pound]

I like that "knows a guy that knows a guy". It must be true then. LOL. I do believe it, but I wish some pics or documentation or something would validate the story. A lot of people think it is a joke. Have any of the news stations verified the story. This should be all over KELO-LAND if it is true.

[Gotfish]

Look at this picture and judge for your self. If I caught a state record I would make sure my face is in the picture with the fish.

[sdlabman]

I like that "knows a guy that knows a guy". It must be true then. LOL. I do believe it, but I wish some pics or documentation or something would validate the story. A lot of people think it is a joke. Have any of the news stations verified the story. This should be all over KELO-LAND if it is true.

AGREED!!

Actually, I for one am tired of seeing that same (15 lb) Walleye show up, w/ several different men holding it, in several photos. Yet, not a photo of the "state record" fish??? Sounds like the guy that caught the 15 lb. Walleye is having alot of fun circulating the same fish, with different guys holding it.... :horsepoop:

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Congrats to the angler. No matter the details. To bad someone decided to kill the fish.

[Guest]

here we go again :) How about, congrats to a guy that caught a heck of a fish, legally, and kept his composier long enough to land the monster. The water was fairly clear, and I bet he and his buddies about needed fresh undershorts when they first saw what he had hooked. Great job, and I would have kept it also! That fish may have had 1 more spawn in her, maybe 2, who really knows, none now :) but did that really hurt that system to be missing that 1 giant fish? Can you imagine the beating everyone would have given him on these boards had he released it, and called it 15 pounds... you can't win, but my hat is off to whoever the angler is! Well done!

[zeker]

i seen a different picture of a different fish at the dam, you could see the dam in the back ground,picture is on my phone fish weighed 15 lbs.3 oz,,,the pictures on here have been doctored already so they fit together and that made the face gone,some body cropped that picture

[kelwood]

No matter the details. To bad someonw decided to kill the fish. I personally have not caught an 8 or a 10# walleye but when i do i'm keeping it as a trophy and another one if its a state record. A state record fish can't be measured, photographed and released. It must be taken to certified scales and after all that its not going to live. Pretty nice trophy on your avitar pic, to bad you had to kill it!

[sdbigeye]

beat me to it kelwood! but i have caught big ones, mounted 2. no one around here says "to bad you had to kill it".

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

beat me to it kelwood! but i have caught big ones, mounted 2. no one around here says "to bad you had to kill it".
No good reason to kill a fish like that. Real mounts don't even compare to the quality of replicas. All the fish on my wall are still swimming. Not only that, but now that fish is dead and you and I have no opportunity to catch that fish. And you can't tell me you would eat that fish.

You can't really compare hunting. That's completely different. Catch and release hunting is not possible. And replicas aren't really possible either. Unless you have the antlers to replicate.

[Brotsky]

To quote a friend of mine: Catch 'em, kill 'em, and eat 'em. Grandpa didn't leave me any buffalo.... :D

[brentfrank]

If it was me that caught that fish it would be in a taxidermists freezer right now.

[10 Pound]

No good reason to kill a fish like that. Real mounts don't even compare to the quality of replicas. All the fish on my wall are still swimming. Not only that, but now that fish is dead and you and I have no opportunity to catch that fish. And you can't tell me you would eat that fish.

You can't really compare hunting. That's completely different. Catch and release hunting is not possible. And replicas aren't really possible either. Unless you have the antlers to replicate.


Cmon! Good for you! Just because that is your preference, big stinkin deal. I get sick of watching people that tell others what to do. Anything over 10lbs is a trophy. If it is getting mounted, Great! There are plenty of 4-10lb reproducers. Is it ego or jealousy that really makes a person say this.

[Hogslammer]

I once visited with a SD game and parks guy and he indicated that the best spawners are in the 3 to 5 lb. range and that the really big fish are not very fertile and some not at all. Chances are they might live that much longer and he suggested you keep the really big fish and throw back the medium size spawners. I personally don't keep anything over 23 or 24 inches, but if I caught the "big boy", (over 10 lbs.) it would go on the wall and I wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt. It's a free country and everyone deserves to have one for the wall without someone being critical of them. :cheers:

[Jettn Jim]

No good reason to kill a fish like that. Real mounts don't even compare to the quality of replicas. All the fish on my wall are still swimming. Not only that, but now that fish is dead and you and I have no opportunity to catch that fish. And you can't tell me you would eat that fish.

You can't really compare hunting. That's completely different. Catch and release hunting is not possible. And replicas aren't really possible either. Unless you have the antlers to replicate. 1st l agree on the replica idea...But thats just me...if others want to mount the real deal thats their choice, fine with me. Depends on your water...if your in my neck of the woods The Susqy we put back anything over 22"...but on Erie that and a whole lotta 25"s are gonna get eaten! ln the last decade on my boat weve released a whole bunch a eyes 9-13lbs...Now as a kid fish'n walleye in the early 70's on the Mighty Columbia, we ate a whole lotta eyes that big and ALOT BIGGER!:eek: Conservation wasn't an issue then and we had it all pretty much to ourselves. Sooo to each his own and good fish'n to all.:bowdown:

As for the Catch and release hunting yes its possible...figured that out years ago and havent taken the time to promote it...Been too busy fish'n:smirk:

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Fair enough. A lot of your guys make good points and I appreciate them. I wasn't trying to be a d**k. Just voicing my opinion just like the rest of you can. Remember, there are guys who simply don't know any better. If nobody showed them ANOTHER WAY (not necessarily the right way), then they'd never know. Maybe that guy didn't know replica mounts are possible.

My Grandpa was terrible and now, I actually can't/won't fish or hunt with him. "Kill 'em all" is his motto. Can't tell you how many times he'd kill a fish and then ask me if I wanted them at the end of the day (same with deer). He just can't wrap his brain around the idea of keeping enough for a meal and let the rest go till next time. My dad wasn't to far behind Grandpa. I remember taking Dad with me one day and he caught a nice 19" eye on Mille Lacs. He just threw it in the box, I had to tell him that's not how we do it anymore. First it needs to be measured to ensure it's a legal fish.

He just didn't know any better, hadn't fished in many years Last time he did fish, conservation wasn't a topic. Back then everybody kept everything. Dad even talks about how messed up that thinking was back then. He told me how he killed a dozen 12"+ bluegills one day off their spawning beds. Just cause he was young and the fish were biting. Sure they ate them, but dang. What would any of us give to see a 12 3/4" gill now days? It's hardly possible do to fishing pressure.

Ever wonder why remote Canada lakes are known for catching big fish all day long? It's because everybody and their brother aren't up there pounding the heck out of it. I knew of a remote lake in Northern MN where one could catch 5#+ pike all day long. 30-40 fish a day. We had a lot of fun on that lake until one winter some douche and his hillbilly buddies discovered it. It took them a winter to fish it out.

In my boat, 14" - 20" walleye get eaten. Not usually a limit either. Just enough for meal for the day. The rest swim away. No point in killing the fish you don't want/need. Same thing goes for trophies. With the quality of replicas now, there is no good reason to kill a fish just to mount it. Heck, you can't even eat the meat. That classifies as wanton waste if you ask me.

Obviously I have a strong opinion on this topic. Not trying to offend. Perhaps just educate.

[Russ Simonsen]

Check this newspaper report www.argusleader.com (http://www.argusleader.com) and check the story in the sports section. Good complete report on the one large walleye caught below Fort Thompson dam.

[kelwood]

Ruger, fair enough for me too! Your point taken also. I will check into replicas first chance i get so when i do catch a "big one" i'll know what to do.

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Check this newspaper report www.argusleader.com (http://www.argusleader.com) and check the story in the sports section. Good complete report on the one large walleye caught below Fort Thompson dam.
My kind of man. An avowed catch-and-release angler, Klucas nearly slipped the fish back into Francis Case.
"You know, I don't take too many fish home, unless someone wants to eat some, and then just the little ones," he said.


Darn peer pressure.:fishhit: His fishing buddies would have none of that.

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Ruger, fair enough for me too! Your point taken also. I will check into replicas first chance i get so when i do catch a "big one" i'll know what to do.
Kelwood, there are a lot of guys who do replicas and I can tell you. NOT ALL REPLICAS ARE THE SAME. Check out Matt at Artistic Anglers. He does all my families fish. Actually he's been requested to do the new MI state record Brown Trout and I know he's done a lot of stuff for Cabelas. Check out his site, really cool. http://www.artisticanglers.com/

[SlimTastic]

I've gotten several picture messages of 15lb+ fish caught by Ft. Thompson. I love it! Everyone is buzzing with Francis Case reports and nobody has been mentioning Sharpe...good thing...fish aren't biting up here anyway!;)

Congrats to the angler or anglers who caught those pigs...impressive fish for sure.

[10 Pound]

Fair enough. A lot of your guys make good points and I appreciate them. I wasn't trying to be a d**k. Just voicing my opinion just like the rest of you can. Remember, there are guys who simply don't know any better. If nobody showed them ANOTHER WAY (not necessarily the right way), then they'd never know. Maybe that guy didn't know replica mounts are possible.

My Grandpa was terrible and now, I actually can't/won't fish or hunt with him. "Kill 'em all" is his motto. Can't tell you how many times he'd kill a fish and then ask me if I wanted them at the end of the day (same with deer). He just can't wrap his brain around the idea of keeping enough for a meal and let the rest go till next time. My dad wasn't to far behind Grandpa. I remember taking Dad with me one day and he caught a nice 19" eye on Mille Lacs. He just threw it in the box, I had to tell him that's not how we do it anymore. First it needs to be measured to ensure it's a legal fish.

He just didn't know any better, hadn't fished in many years Last time he did fish, conservation wasn't a topic. Back then everybody kept everything. Dad even talks about how messed up that thinking was back then. He told me how he killed a dozen 12"+ bluegills one day off their spawning beds. Just cause he was young and the fish were biting. Sure they ate them, but dang. What would any of us give to see a 12 3/4" gill now days? It's hardly possible do to fishing pressure.

Ever wonder why remote Canada lakes are known for catching big fish all day long? It's because everybody and their brother aren't up there pounding the heck out of it. I knew of a remote lake in Northern MN where one could catch 5#+ pike all day long. 30-40 fish a day. We had a lot of fun on that lake until one winter some douche and his hillbilly buddies discovered it. It took them a winter to fish it out.

In my boat, 14" - 20" walleye get eaten. Not usually a limit either. Just enough for meal for the day. The rest swim away. No point in killing the fish you don't want/need. Same thing goes for trophies. With the quality of replicas now, there is no good reason to kill a fish just to mount it. Heck, you can't even eat the meat. That classifies as wanton waste if you ask me.

Obviously I have a strong opinion on this topic. Not trying to offend. Perhaps just educate.

Fair enough. My apologies. I am not a replica advocate, especially for 13 lb plus, but our difference in opinion or preference can be respected. Your catch and release style is great. I actually release 95% of my walleyes of any size. Old school is "catch em Kill em". Good Luck on the water!

[zeker]

file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/PREFER%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-6.pngfile:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/PREFER%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-7.png now is this the same fish thats suspsoe to be 18 pounds i got this picture and it had 15 3oz on it

[saj2025]

There is no new state record walleye. There is one fish and it has had several different pictures taken with several fishermen. How do I know? I have either taken the pictures, been in them or know the person in them. First off, Ron Klucas caught a 15 pound 8 ounce walleye and it was weighed on a cerified scale. The write up in the argus leader tells the story and I took that picture. They guy holding the fish with his little boy looking on is the guy that netted the fish and it still weighed 15 pounds and 8 ounces. The picture that is the supposed 18-4 and half of his head is missing is me holding the fish. It was taken on someones cell phone and someone must have thought it would be funny to add 18-4 to it and the rummors grew. There has NOT been several fish caught over 15 lbs this spring at Ft. Thompson either. Think about it. The state record was 15-3 for something like 20 years until 2002 and now it gets broke 4 times in a week! Not likely! Once again it's the same 15 pound 8 ounce walleye. I hope that the rummors stop and people realize that the fish that was caught was an amazing South Dakota walleye!
Nice fish Ron!

[stinkycat]

There is no new state record walleye. There is one fish and it has had several different pictures taken with several fishermen. How do I know? I have either taken the pictures, been in them or know the person in them. First off, Ron Klucas caught a 15 pound 8 ounce walleye and it was weighed on a cerified scale. The write up in the argus leader tells the story and I took that picture. They guy holding the fish with his little boy looking on is the guy that netted the fish and it still weighed 15 pounds and 8 ounces. The picture that is the supposed 18-4 and half of his head is missing is me holding the fish. It was taken on someones cell phone and someone must have thought it would be funny to add 18-4 to it and the rummors grew. There has NOT been several fish caught over 15 lbs this spring at Ft. Thompson either. Think about it. The state record was 15-3 for something like 20 years until 2002 and now it gets broke 4 times in a week! Not likely! Once again it's the same 15 pound 8 ounce walleye. I hope that the rummors stop and people realize that the fish that was caught was an amazing South Dakota walleye!
Nice fish Ron!

Thanks for the clarification! Now I still need more popcorn :popc1: to enjoy the rest of this saga! It is amazing how rummers spread.

I personally believe that if an angler catches what he considers to be a trophey/fish of a life time and wants it on the wall so be it. My trophies are replicas but either way is fine for me.

[reddog]

There is no new state record walleye. There is one fish and it has had several different pictures taken with several fishermen. How do I know? I have either taken the pictures, been in them or know the person in them. First off, Ron Klucas caught a 15 pound 8 ounce walleye and it was weighed on a cerified scale. The write up in the argus leader tells the story and I took that picture. They guy holding the fish with his little boy looking on is the guy that netted the fish and it still weighed 15 pounds and 8 ounces. The picture that is the supposed 18-4 and half of his head is missing is me holding the fish. It was taken on someones cell phone and someone must have thought it would be funny to add 18-4 to it and the rummors grew. There has NOT been several fish caught over 15 lbs this spring at Ft. Thompson either. Think about it. The state record was 15-3 for something like 20 years until 2002 and now it gets broke 4 times in a week! Not likely! Once again it's the same 15 pound 8 ounce walleye. I hope that the rummors stop and people realize that the fish that was caught was an amazing South Dakota walleye!
Nice fish Ron!

I agree, great fish and congrats to being in the right place at the right time for the fish of a lifetime.

[saj2025]

Labman....they guy that caught this fish isn't the one that is spreading the pictures. It's everyone else in the state! When it was caught several of us had our picture taken holding the fish and NO ONE in the group of guys that was there that day put 18-4 on the fish. That was someone way down the line. I am the guy holding the fish with the head missing. There were several guys there and they wanted a picture of the fish so I held it up so they could take a picture of just the fish. I'm not sure who took it and not sure who put the 18-4 on it but the real weight is 15 pounds 8 ounces.

[saj2025]

i seen a different picture of a different fish at the dam, you could see the dam in the back ground,picture is on my phone fish weighed 15 lbs.3 oz,,,the pictures on here have been doctored already so they fit together and that made the face gone,some body cropped that picture

The picture hasn't been cropped or doctored! It was taken on a cell phone some how ended up on every sportsmans cell phone in the state. The fish weighed 15-8.