We know you’re tired of hearing it. But we’re going to keep saying it. Let BIG fish go! In short, these fish lay thousands of eggs and are very important to the health of the fishery. We won’t bore you in this post with all the statistics, but there is a new page on our website here that has links to the signs you have seen posted around camp with specific data about the age and maturity of walleye.
There are a select few people that still are stuck in the mindset of keeping the biggest fish possible. We know what you’re thinking. You came to Canada to catch a trophy fish and you want to keep it. Fair point. BUT you should definitely check out replicas. Measure the length and girth of your fish and take a good picture. They can cost roughly the same as a skin mount. The technology has also gotten much better. Replicas are easy to clean and will look great long after a skin mount starts to lose its luster. And the bonus is that big trophy you released can go back to grow and be caught another day.
Or you’re thinking I can only take back two or four fish so I want to make my over 18″ fish as big as possible to get the most meat I can. Again, we will politely tell you that you’re on the wrong track here. Big fish over 20″ won’t taste as good as a plump 16 or 17 incher anyway. These fish are older and their flesh reflects it. That extra bite of meat isn’t worth the spawning power you’re stripping out of the fishery by keeping that big fish. In fact, Carrie and I don’t even take any fish home with us. It just doesn’t taste as good as eating fresh fish during your trip. Enjoy some shore lunches during your trip or opt to take a 19″ walleye as your over fish instead.
We strongly encourage you to consider the big impact your decisions make when choosing which fish to keep during your trip up to Eagle Falls Lodge.