monster walleye

[gettum]

In Holland, and probably also elsewhere in Europe, there is a fish called "zander" that looks a lot like a walleye, except it gets much bigger: up to 45 pounds! A while ago apparently there was an attempt to introduce this fish into North Dakota. Does anyone know what came of this? Personally I hope it did not go anywhere. I would like to catch really big fish just as much as the next guy, but I would hate to see another failed attempt at messing with mother nature. If something goes wrong it could have bad consequences. Say the zander took over but was very sensitive to some condition, perhaps extreme cold or some disease, that would kill all of them off, but that walleye would have survived. Then we'd be in a heap of trouble!

[mnjimcarp]

sounds like the CARP fish from europe. look at what a disaster the transplanted Carp has turned out to be. to think this was going to be another game fish!

[Backwater Eddy]

The program was scraped by the G&F, but there were a few caught in nets last year so they may need to kill the lake to insure that none remain.

It was a controlled test lake so none could move to other waters.

I personally would have liked to seen it followed through, no different then them stocking trout all over the state.

[carpangler]

You mean a carp isn't a game fish?? Shucks man....to think I've been wasting my time trying to sneak up on those pigs then burning up fly reels trying to land them. By the way, someone should tell the carp they aren't worthy of the term game fish. Maybe I could talk to the DNR into making them a game animal for when I bow hunt them. :-)

[MarkG]

From what I remember,reading about Zander ,they spawned later in the year during more stable weather at warmer water temps than walleyes,which supposedly gave them a better reproductive success rate. Walleyes would probably not have co-existed very successfully with them.I was happy to hear it wont happen.

[gettum]

Thanks for the information, Backwater Eddy. That makes not only MarkG, but also me feel better.
gettum

[BD]

I wonder if a walleye / zander cross would be possable / sterile? Hooking into a 40+ lb. zandeye could get me smiling! What a mount!!!