Success in any outdoor endeavor requires learning about the species’ you pursue.

What’s the biggest walleye ever caught?  What temperatures do they prefer?  What do you really know about walleyes?

• Scientific Name: Walleye (sander viterus)
• Nickname(s): Colored pike, pickerel, yellow pike and yellow walleye
• Average Lifespan: 10 to 15 years in the wild.
• Average Length: 10″ to 15″
• Average Weight: 1 lbs. to 3 lbs.
• Range: North America
• Spawning Water Temperature: 43-50 degrees
• Biggest Walleye: According to the IGFA all tackle world record Mabry Happer caught a walleye in Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee on August 2nd 1960 that weighted 11.34 kg (25 lbs. 0 oz.)

About Walleye (Sander Vitreus)

Walleye (sander viterus) is a species of fish native to Canada and the northern United States. Walleye live in freshwater and are a perciform fish. Walleye are also called yellow walleye at times to distinguish it from blue walleye, which went extinct in the 1980s in the Great Lakes of North America. Walleye emerge from their eggs at about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in the late spring and can reach as much as 6 inches by fall. Their diet changes quickly as they begin to grow, changing from invertebrates to other fish. Technically walleye never stop growing and have a vicious appetite. Walleye are solitary fish, but there has been examples of them working in cooperation to capture prey. In clear water walleye will be found resting close to the bottom and searching for prey from the surface to the bottom during the evening. In water that is murky they tend to feed along the bottom throughout the entire day. You can easily identify a walleye (sander viterus) by its colors and color patterns. They are olive and gold in color, the dorsal fin is olive, grading into a gold hue on the flanks. They have five darker saddles that extend to the upper sides that break up the olive/gold pattern and the white color shades on the belly. Walleye have a very large mouth with razor sharp teeth. Learning as much as you can about the species you target will help you become a more well rounded and successful angler! Information for this piece gleaned from the International Game Fish Association at : http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackle&cn=Walleye  and the Fishing Tips Depot at http://www.fishingtipsdepot.com/walleye-fishing-tips.php#walleye-info