Skinny Walleyes

Does anyone think thinning out the walleye population would help these Mille Lac walleyes from having their ribs showing or is it genetics? The smaller walleyes seem to look better so I am not leaning toward genetics.

I shiver when I see some of these photos. If it were your pet they would have PETA after you.

Those skinny fish must be on the tail dancer/reef runner diet!

HUH?

I have seen a few Skinny Walleyes, but for the most part the majority have been healthy?? So I’m not sure where you are coming from??? Look at this Mille Lacs Walleye caught within the last year. He looks deathly skinny. Just curious as what you are basing your statement on???

24″ 6 lb 13 oz.

If you compared 16-24″ walleyes from Mille Lacs to ones from Upper Red or Gull you’d think the Mille Lacs eyes were pretty beefy.

That one look fine

Most of the skinny walleyes I have seen this year have been over 26 inches.Maybe these are just old fish or lack of forage but it is not uncommon to see some skinny ones in the summer.The good news is that with the recent bait hatch the fish are eating well and fattening up.The fish I have caught lately have hammered the bait and have had a lot more fight in them.They have also been releasing much better.Come fall you are going to see some very fat fish like the one pictured above.

speaking of fall, when are the full moon periods? Late Sept, or October? Thanks

September 26
October 25

I tend to agree….to a point. It might be just me, but the fish I have caught in the 22-26 inch range have all been fat healthy looking fish. Anything over 26 including a bunch of 27’s with 3 28 or over seem very skinny!

I agree, under 26, fat, healthy looking. Over that 26 mark and they have looked like tooth picks. Just in looking at the tourny weights, those over 28 fish tend to be light. My boat has been lucky enough to pull a few over 28 this year, they looked sick. Skinny and sores all over, pretty nasty looking. They reminded me alot of the 02 bite.

I think come fall that most of those 27″+ fish fatten right up though. The majority of those fish we’ve caught come Oct are healthy.

BIRDDOG

For the most part I still disagree, sure I have seen a few 26-29″ fish a little on the skinny side. But I have also seen some Fatty’s. See some of my reports of some nice fish.