Walleye Fishing in the US, the Largest Ever Caught and Some of the Biggest State Records

Tensions are escalating between China and Taiwan after a recent altercation between China’s Coast Guard and a Taiwanese fishing vessel ended in the vessel and the 5 crew members being seized. The 110-mile straight separating the two countries has been a source of contention, with China claiming the strait and Taiwan as its own and Taiwan maintaining self-rule and continuing to fish on its side of the strait. It is interesting to note that Japan and the United States do not recognize China’s sovereignty in this area either.

China’s Coast Guard has seized 17 Taiwan vessels since 2003 for fishing during their imposed summer-time ban. Taiwan has detained five Chinese boats this year alone. Aggression from Chinese authorities has increased throughout this year, and their naval operations near and around Taiwan have been a source of intimidation for its citizens. China has also engaged in a dispute with the Philippines over several reefs in the South China Sea. Those in Washington who are keeping an eye on the situation have paid close attention to this unfolding drama and raised concerns over it.

Taiwan is a leader in tuna fishing and carries a commercial fishing industry worth $60 billion annually. By volume, tuna is the largest single fish commodity worldwide. In the US, walleye is one of the most common fish, occurring natively in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River drainage basins. They have also beenintroduced to all other states as a sport fish. Walleye are long, thin, torpedo-shaped fish. They range in color from dark olive brown to yellowish gold, with a white belly. They also have black mottling (spots) over most of its body. On the back, they have five or more black bands. Walleye sports two dorsal fins, one spiny and one soft-rayed.

The walleye has large pearlescent eyes, which is also where the name "walleye" comes from. These eyes allow the fish to see very well in low-light conditions. They will avoid bright light and feed in low light on other fish. They have a distinct advantage over their prey, as most fish do not see as well as the walleye. The following list contains every walleye state record over 15 pounds in the United States. 24/7 Wall St. consulted the official databases of each state’s Department of Natural Resources (or equivalent agency) to compile the list. The world record was corroborated by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). As sport fishing’s governing body, IGFA verifies and documents fishing world records.

Why Are We Talking About the Fishing Industry?

Walleye caught while fly fishing on the prairies in Alberta, Canada

In the US, 52.4 million anglers contribute $148 billion to the economy and facilitate 945,500 jobs across the country. They also contribute $1.8 billion to conservation efforts in order to maintain what they love to do. Fishing has been a much-loved pastime for generations here in the States and will continue to grow and be a part of the culture for years to come.

Let's look at the largest wall-eyes caught across the US.