Hit my 1000th cast

[hook_sets]

Got off work early Friday, the weather was beautiful.  I head down to Utah Lake to see if anyone is catching catfish.  Talked with a few people and they said it was slow.  I decided to try for walleye along the dike.  I keep hearing that people catching a few here and there.  After casting for 3 hrs, I was rewarded by the fish god with this 27 incher. 

[Fritzfishin]

What a beauty! Did you let her go to make more?

[2knots]

Congrats, very nice eye

[Piscophilic]

Wow, that's great! I guess I have about 800 more casts to go. I have a hard time doing all the casts when there are cats to catch. I'm glad you had the patience to be rewarded.

[hook_sets]

What a beauty! Did you let her go to make more?

She got invited for dinner

[TubeDude]

Nice.  Don't let the pseudo-ecologists beat you up about keeping a spawning female.  Contrary to what some might tell you, they are still good eating and removing a few is not going to upset the walleye balance in Utah Lake.  However, a lot of us still release most of the fat females "just because" it seems like the right thing to do. 

Walleyes don't live more than 1/2 or 1/3 as long as catfish...and they grow bigger faster.  Your fish is probably only about 4 or 5 years old and the flesh should be prime...with no accumulation of PCBs or any other nasty stuff.  I have eaten a lot of big walleyes and have never found any to be less than fantastic.  And there are a lot more big spawning females than many might believe.  Just because few anglers catch them does not mean they are not plentiful.  The carp nets often contain quite a few of the big girls.  But when they get bigger they eat bigger meals than most anglers show them...with their wimpy jigs.  Although I have caught quite a few large ones on small jigs during the post spawn feedup time.

[Jig-fisher]

Nice! That is one big mama! I would have kept it too. I love to eat fish and a big walleye would be great on the table.

[hook_sets]

Nice.  Don't let the pseudo-ecologists beat you up about keeping a spawning female.  Contrary to what some might tell you, they are still good eating and removing a few is not going to upset the walleye balance in Utah Lake.  However, a lot of us still release most of the fat females "just because" it seems like the right thing to do. 

Walleyes don't live more than 1/2 or 1/3 as long as catfish...and they grow bigger faster.  Your fish is probably only about 4 or 5 years old and the flesh should be prime...with no accumulation of PCBs or any other nasty stuff.  I have eaten a lot of big walleyes and have never found any to be less than fantastic.  And there are a lot more big spawning females than many might believe.  Just because few anglers catch them does not mean they are not plentiful.  The carp nets often contain quite a few of the big girls.  But when they get bigger they eat bigger meals than most anglers show them...with their wimpy jigs.  Although I have caught quite a few large ones on small jigs during the post spawn feedup time.

Agreed, well said.

[MWScott72]

Walleye are the best eating freshwater fish around. Enjoy the feast!!

[Therapist]

Way to go Hook_sets!! Rick has been freezing his dorsal posterior off in South Dakota, fighting 2ft of ice!! You are one up on him for the year, don't think he has a walleye yet!! nice fish!!

[hook_sets]

Way to go Hook_sets!! Rick has been freezing his dorsal posterior off in South Dakota, fighting 2ft of ice!!  You are one up on him for the year, don't think he has a walleye yet!!  nice fish!!

Rick will be back Monday and will be making up his time on walleye fishing.  I am sure he will get some this coming week.

[Therapist]

Yep, your time for gloating is short !! Have a happy Easter !!

[wiperhunter2]

Congrats on the nice eye, were you using any bait on your jigs?

[hook_sets]

Congrats on the nice eye, were you using any bait on your jigs?

I didn’t use any bait, just 8 oz jig with 3 inch curly tail.  I caught her on orange and white.  Also on tequila sunrise color.  But all typical colors use for walleye will work.  Sometimes they will hit bait like minnows, shrimp, and white bass meat.