is this a big fish

[Praire fishermen]

I live in North Battleford Saskatchewan Canada. Me and another guy were fishing in a small river close to town about 40 feet wide no deeper than 6 feet deep and we caught two walleye. both 2.5 pounds one being 22 inches and one 23 inches. I was just wondering if these are big for this size of river because we have never caught ones these big even in the saskatchewan river (500 meters accross 35 feet deep in low spots.they seemed perfect eating size but unfoutranetly we cant eat them due to high mercury levels in our rivers here.So please help me I must know

[capt.kirk]

They are not what I would call BIG fish,but they are good eating size,
to bad about the mercury problem,it must be very high,to keep you
from eating that size.KIRK

[nosnag]

Kirk,
The mining and chemicals for removing the bark from the logs has ruined way too many waters up north.We used to travel up there for Christmas trees to sell,and heard that story over and over again.It is a real shame that industries have ruined so much pristine waters.
BILL

[Sal_jr]

brother, in saskatchewan, if it is anything like manitoba and ontario shouldproduce BIG BIG walleye.
It was not uncommon to fill a cooler with 9 pounders years ago, and even just 5 years ago, I had 27 walleye over 27 inches in just 2 hours up in Ontario, including a 32 incher.

At night I'd say use a 1/2 oz white jig head with a 2" mister twister and a leech on the hook, and jig it at the nearest hole by the mouth of any good river up there or any feeder creek. In the morning go with a chartreuse 1/2 oz jig and matching tail with the leech.

Another favorite is at dusk use a 3 inch or 4 inch blueback rapala and troll for them through that hole at dusk till morning. At the morning use a firetiger pattern and in daylight go with a blackback. The latitude and the leaf-stained waters tend to take to those lures best at those times. Put a split shot 18 inches in front of it and either backtroll or troll SUPER slow. You want that minnow to glance off the bottom and barely make it.
I landed a lot of em in cold cold water conditions that way... especially Aikens Lake in Manitoba.

For that size river, the eyes are alright. But in may for you I think bigger girls are still holding up in there trying to build some mass and eat well before going deep for the year into wherever that river leads.

[wewamohawk]

i use to get lots of walleyes in new York state then they put in two big plants and the water got real bad and we were told not to eat the fish to bad we use to get some real big walleyes