Walleye, fish of a lifetime

I try and go fishing as much as I can. We have river access on our property so it’s easy to wander down the hill and throw a line in any time of day or evening. Little did I know I would catch a walleye, fish of a lifetime.

On this particular day, I was using a 4 inch white/black shad body with a grub tail and a 1/4 oz pink and white jig head. I landed this 28″ Walleye. As this is the largest Walleye I have caught to date out of the river behind my house, I decided to have it mounted. Mike Hall of Allison, Iowa did the taxidermy. It looks better than I imagined.

Walleye are also great eating fish. I like to catch a few, filet them, and then have a fish fry with family and friends. Make sure you remove as many of the bones as you can when you filet the fish. I use a bread crumb with seasonings, such as cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, and pepper. Put canola, peanut, or vegetable oil in a pan so it’s an inch or so deep. Heat the oil until it’s hot and carefully add the fish. This usually doesn’t take long but depends on the thickness of your filet. Flip the fish over so it browns on both sides. When it’s done, place it on a plate with a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.

Serve it up with sides and some slices of lemon if you want. There isn’t anything better than fresh walleye!