| The world famous Walleye fish. The Walleye. Whether called Dore, Jacksalmon , Grass Pike , Gum Pike , Yellow Pickerel , or just plain old Marble Eyes: the Walleye can be said to be without question one of North America’s most sought after fish and game angler’s favorite pastime.
Adored by gourmets for its more than superb table and eating qualities and by sports fisherman and anglers for its crafty ways and stubborn stubborn fight, the Walleye fish drives its name and namesake from its most prominent and well known feature – it bulging , ever glossy eyes.
The eyes of Walleye fish indeed. Always it seems both crystal clear and glistening; these magnificent organs deserve much more than a mention in brief passing. It is the eyes that help fit the Walleye fish into its more than unique niche and niches and determine, create and modify much of how this species of fish reacts. This most unusual construction, of the visual organ, of the Walleye fish species allows Walleye fish to see so well during low light and low level light levels not only during the dusk and evening times but in addition to hazy, overcast time periods of time as well as during low light level times such as during evenings and during rainstorms. It’s all in the eyes.
Even though Walleye fish can feed very effectively in the very dead of night or in the light of the day time periods, they feed most efficiently and effectively at the twilight period of the day. Twilight time periods after all is when prey is still active but their ability to see is diminishing rapidly , diminishing very very rapidly. Thus it can be said that the Walleye fish is often considered primarily a “twilight feeder”.
Besides the “eyes”, other prominent Walleye features include its “torpedo” shaped body ,usually five times longer than deep, two distinct spined dorsal fins: and finally a broad “forked” tail with a pronounced “white spot” on its lower tip. It can be said however that color of the fish species can vary greatly and is not a reliable guide to Walleye fish identification and naming. It all depends on the water. Dark backed Walleye fish may range in coloration from olive drab, or dark olive along the sides and white and gold underneath, to slate gray, gold or even blue colorations along the sides of the fish as well as white or pale yellow basic colors below.
Ichthyologists (fish scientists), refer to the Walleye fish as “cool water “fish as opposed to the opposite end of the spectrum – Largemouth Bass which can be said to represent the opposite end of the spectrum – that is “warm water” fish species or finally as different as well as distinct from “cold water “fish such as typified by cold lake water Lake Trout. This is not to say Walleyes can not survive in other water types, but they flourish best in cool water environments such as might be found in northern Canadian lakes – such as at Lake Manitoba Narrows.
At the end of a good fishing day it can be said that nothing else beats the fight of a good Walleye fish or tastes as good freshly fried up in the pan. |
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