The Walleye

Walleye are one of the most popular game-fish in the nation. Their original range was across Canada and then in a triangular shape southward with the point of the triangle terminating in Alabama. Over the last hundred years walleye have been stocked in waters in almost every state.

In Canada, walleye are called pickerel, jackfish or dore´ while in the U.S. they are commonly called walleyed pike.

Walleye are closely related to saugers and belong to the perch family. They are not related to pike.

Walleye are often unpredictable, are constantly on the move and will bite like mad one day then disappear for a week for no apparent reason. And, when they decide to quit biting, almost nothing will change their minds.

Walleye have big marble-like eyes which have a layer of reflective pigment in the retina. This gives walleye a built in advantage – they can see well in dim light – but their most common prey, yellow perch, cannot. This highly developed night vision allows walleye to do most of their feeding at night.