trophy or food???????

[slay-n-filet]

Well I'm guilty. We usually fish for the 15 - 20 inch 'eyes for taste purposes. We also plan a few trips per season for the huge lake Ontario monsters! We got directions but missed a turn and the shoals for a perch fishing spot. We thought we hit the spot but boy were we wrong! We stumbled on an hot spot for lunker 'eyes. Both my fishing partner and i lost ten dollars worth of are favorite rattle pimples before we realized just what we were dealing with. Now a new game plan, side by side in a little clam 2000 ice shanty. Soon he hooked and got one up to the hole. Wet up to my shoulder I grabbed his fish and to surprise it was a 25-3\4 inch walleye over 8lbs! we moved 200 yards,within ten minuets had two more monsters on ice! Close to dark and 6 hours of white out conditions we departed. If we didn't think that sturgeon were breaking us off we would have limits on the ice. Next trip we upgraded poles and braided fire wire. The bigger the fish the stronger the taste in my opinion. So food we fish for and we send back the lunkers for all you trophy guys. Chaumont bay, Henderson harbor NY great spot!

[Jim111]

I greatly prefer the smaller fish for eating. Those big, plump hen fish deserve to go back, I feel, but that's just my opinion. Each to his/her own, I guess? I think the bigger fish get "rubbery" when cooked. -Jim

[KenDOdoubleG]

While ice fishing I say food. Call me crazy, but I carry a 6" auger. If I get a trophy 'eye ice fishing, it lives to be caught another day. I agree with you guys...the smaller ones taste better.

[doc morgan-Blue gil killa]

18 to 22 inchers are the best for eatin..the big females go back to spawn..

[fishinfirefighter]

On Lake Winnipeg and the Red River where I do most of my walleye fishin I generally release anything over 20 inches .
The 17-to 19 inch fish are the best eaters IMO.
Problem is up here somedays it's hard to catch em that small.

[56987]

Trophys go back. I release anything over 3 lbs (Walleye) I prefer waleye between 15 - 17 inches and I agree the smaller ones taste sweeter.

[Richard Cranium]

They all get released...right into some batter and hot oil! I only manage to catch maybe 15 in an entire season on the ice, so there is NO freebies with me. They all taste good, but as stated, the smaller ones are better!

[bui boater]

i live 5 miles from lake erie in erie pa, and i get some 10-12lbers.if you intend on eating one of these bohemouths try filleting ALL the red/silver from the lateral line, and trimming as much of the rib/belly meat as possible. this will make eating them much better. some guys i talk to only take the backstraps, almost makes me sick to waste a big fish like that. if the entire fillet is all white with no other debris on it, they taste alright. once i put frechs' french fried onions, and potato buds on em slam em in the oil , its difficult to tell the taste between a 3lber' and 10lber'.