That fish was the record largely because the previous record holder was stripped after documentation questioned the validity of the former record walleye allegedly caught in 1960 by Mabry Harper at Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee. THE BIG THE BAD THE UGLY OF THE WORLD RECORD WALLEYE(S)įor most of my adult life, the world record walleye was the 22-pound, 11-ounce walleye caught by Al Nelson in 1982 on Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas during a tournament. Mabry Harper’s Wife with the world record walleye. Yes, as you might guess, there is some controversy around the walleye world record. And just mutants when you start talking about a couple walleyes that have come to be known as the world records off and on.

So they are enormous fish when they get to that size. That means 38 states have records weighing more than 10 pounds.īut a 10-pound walleye is going to be something like 28 inches or longer with a big pot belly. In fact 10 pounds would only be the state record in 6 of the 44 states with walleye records. But generally speaking and looking at numerous state record walleye catches, a trophy walleye is generally any walleye weighing more than 10 pounds. WHAT IS A BIG WALLEYEĪ big fish is relative to it’s location. Yes there are some transplants in states like Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and even Texas, but for the most part when people talk walleye fishing, they are talking Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Michigan, Ohio, New York, etc. While their distribution has expanded some, and 44 states actually have walleye state records, they are mostly a northern tier fish in North America from about Ohio north. That makes them very popular with anglers. Walleyes are a unique type of sport fish and some of the best table fare you can eat. Then they ended up catching the biggest walleye ever in that state and on at least one or two rare occasions, the world record walleye. I imagine most folks that broke the state record for walleye just hoped they chose the best walleye lures and would catch some. It’s spring, and that means walleye and walleye fishermen are starting to get after it, many in the hopes of walleye fishing for their biggest fish ever in the prespawn.

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