Giant Winter Walleye, are there any left?

February 17, 2010 17d Comments

Here is a giant walleye pulled out of the Ottawa River at Petrie Island a few years back by Mr. Bob Presland..I cant recall exactly what it weighed, but it was well over 10-pounds and I’m told just about pulled Bob’s arm off (and he was a Postie at the time)

 

Gordwinterjpg

Question is, are there any more giant winter walleye being caught in eastern ON or western QC these days?

If you know of any, please drop me a line!

Outdoorsguy

17 thoughts on “Giant Winter Walleye, are there any left?”

  1. It’s funny you should say that. I’ve found walleye numbers declining in my usual spots for the past 2 years. I don’t fish in the winter, but I have noticed this during spring/summer fishing from nothern Ontario to northen western Quebec. I questioned the weather of the past two summers, cold, overcast, and rainy. I also questioned to large amount of natural feed available because of the rain (frogs and insects). Mostly, I’ve questioned myself a lot. Anyone else experience the same?

    1. GPG, I had been hearing that too about local waters, just wondered if anyone else had.

      I have not pursued walleye specifically in a number of years, so I’m just going by what I hear.

      I like your theory on the weather though..combined with greater than average rainfall last summer. Water clarity and the presence of natural feed all play a factor, I’m sure..

      Thanks for the comment.

      Outdoorsguy

  2. Hey guys members of the B.H. have been fishing down and around petrie and it has not been too bad with some taken in at 8lbs and 6lbs . we were all just about raised around the island and this is the time of the year you want to make sure your hanging on to your rod . This is just to let you guys know that when we would enter national gro. derby we would win just about every year , one year at pickeral bay we were pulling them in at 9lbs,11lbs 13lbs , one derby we put in 65lbs of pickerel if anybody wants to see the results is go to national gros. they have a display case check it out . As for the declined fishing spots let the city know to STOP sendind sewage down to us ,! HA put me in as MAYOR and see how fas it would be repaired .

    1. Paul, I had heard all about you guys over the past few years, just wondered if you were an official club, or more of a group of fishing buddies.

      When is that big National Grocers event? Early March??

      Outdoorsguy

  4. The walleye weighed in at 15 lbs 4 oz., and was caught on a wooden tip up rod. I was using a live minnow.
    I would like to think that my skills as a fisherman caught this monster but the truth is I had a lucky moment.

    1. Bob, I thought you told me you had hunted that rare ‘eye’ for three years..stalking it with cat-like prowess until that fateful day came when you battled the beast head to head..eye to eye…struggling with all your mite until both angler and fish collapsed together on the ice; drained and exhausted in the culmination of a three year-long battle between fish and fisherman…

      That’s the way I remembered it….

      Outdoorsguy

      1. I would like to send out my condolences to family and friends of Mr. Jocelyn Belanger, the man who went through the ice and died at Petrie Island on Monday evening..

        I really wanted to create a new post to share my sadness and shock, but my Blog has been acting up these days.

        You know, each year around this time I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach when I drive by the huts at Petrie, and I do it almost every day! It is something I used to write about it my Outdoors Column every year..that precarious time between the end of Feb and March 15th when ice-anglers would scramble to get the huts off the ice..unfortunately the threat of fines from the MNR if you don’t remove your hut, makes people do irrational things sometimes..

        It is an extremely dangerous time of year and very sad to hear when something terrible like this happens so close to home.

        If anyone out there knew Mr Belanger, or has stories they would like to share, I invite you to write-in and share them with us.

        He sounded like a really nice guy and I know I personally would like to hear more about how he spent his life…

        Outdoorsguy

        Paul(Bent hooks) if anyone knew him, you must have?

  5. jeff,

    I can tell you that there are still lots of Monster Walleye in the St-laurence seaway. Is that considered eastern ON in your books?

    it’s not uncommon for us to pull out 8lbs plus walleyes from the area where I fish. You would of seen the pictures on iggy’s website.

    Note that all big walleyes 5lbs and up are catch and release for the group of fisherman I hang out with.

    let me know if you want a couple of pictures for your blog and I can email them to you. not sure how to post a picture on here.

    1. That would be considered eastern ON..and I suppose the Bay of Quinte would as well..where they still catch 10-pound plus walleye even in the gin clear water..I guess I referring more to the Ottawa- Gatineau area with that post.

      But those are certainly big fish, regardless of where you get them!

      Thanks Alain

      Outdoorsguy

  6. jeff.morrison said February 19, 2010 at 9:28 am
    Bob, I thought you told me you had hunted that rare ‘eye’ for three years..stalking it with cat-like prowess until that fateful day came when you battled the beast head to head..eye to eye…struggling with all your mite until both angler and fish collapsed together on the ice; drained and exhausted in the culmination of a three year-long battle between fish and fisherman…

    That’s the way I remembered it….

    NOW that my friends is a fishing story! LOL
    Good one Jeff!

  7. HEY jeff when it first started it was just the buddies then when we started meeting at the EDGEWATER HOTEL this was the best place to stop when we were out on the river 2 or 3 times a week and have a beverage and tell fishing storys to all the peopole in the place, and you could trade a 5gl. pail of fish to the owner for 12 egg rolles and a jug . By the time the edge water was gone we had about 50 members and as time goes by no place to meet peopole loose intrest now there”s only the original few . AND WE HAVE A BLAST EVERY TIME WERE TOGETHER. as for the N.G. event i’ll have to wait till PHIL gets back from Jamaica.

    1. Sounds like some great old times!!

      The Edgewater Hotel…where was that place located again, Paul??

      Outdoorsguy

  8. AH ! the good old EDGE ! this fine place if you go down hwy 17 east the house that is on the old look out point and {you can see this place from petrie} about 1mile down the road on the north side theres a big emty lot now .

    1. Ok Paul, so the Edge was 1 mile past the giant house on the point? On the north side of the road?

      Was it near that little park on the Highway, with the picnic tables and the boat launch?

      Outdoorsguy

  9. YES it was right across form the only house that was built on the south side of the hyw. if you go to google earth you can see the old lot with the well and boat ramp . Oh by the way that s the ramp that we use because petrie closes too early we like staying out till about 22:00 .

  10. HEY Does any body know what ever happened to the eels in the river,?? We have not caught one in years , it use to be fun to get them and there not bad eating .

Comments are closed.