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WALLEYE When I think about fishing, I can't help but remember the late Dr. Leppo who was an avid fisherman. He fished summer and winter. In fact, he told me once, while examining one of our children, "The Lord will not count in your age the number of days you spent fishing". Leppo also said, "the composition of fish is the same as the composition of the brain, therefore, fish is brain food." He was known for blindfolding his fishing partners so as not to reveal the location of his "secret lakes". Linda Summer, who grew up next to Basswood Falls, tells of walleye "fishing" with her sister when they were kids. Their fishing gear consisted of their own two hands. She said, "The walleye were so slow at the bottom of the falls that all we had to do was pick them out of the water, klonk them on the head, and bring them home for Mom to cook." Today's walleye fishermen are much more high-tech than that. A stroll through a fisherman's supply store is an experience. I walked under a canopy of fishing rods, past glittering walls of lures, jigs and bobbers, just to get the feel. Someone at the checkout counter claimed, "the best walleye fishing is right off my own dock". I almost ran after him to hear more. Another commented at how he couldn't get through this store for less than a hundred bucks. I wondered about that-you could buy a lot of fish for that, but I guess that isn't the point. Either you live to fish or fish to eat. Some people go for both. There's nothing in the world like the flavor of fresh-caught walleye. "One of these days", I thought, " I'll get out fishing." I made this comment aloud at another sporting goods store, and was invited by Kurt Michaelicek, who worked there, to go fishing with him and his dad. THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY It was obvious from the talk in the boat. The love of fishing is passed from father to son. Nine-year old Jason told me that I needed to let out a little more line. "There, like that", he advised. "I've got one!" It was Grandpa Harry, his pole bending toward the water. A scramble with the net, and Kurt brought it in. A 17-inch keeper! We've got the photos to prove it. As Harry was measuring the fish on the ruler fastened to the back of the boat, the walleye's tail flipped up and it was gone. Let's just call it an unintentional catch and release. I bet that walleye won't bite at just any leech again! WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE TO FISH? Butch Furtman, our local media walleye-fishing expert says that the St. Louis River estuary is an excellent place for fishing walleye. Also, the small lakes north of Duluth, like Boulder and Rice Lake are popular. Until about the end of June, fishing is good right off shore in cool, shallow waters. Later on, when the waters warm up, the walleye move into deeper waters. Walleye run in schools, so if you have luck in one spot, it's a good place to keep fishing. But, you can't keep them all. There are rules. Walleye between 19 and 27 inches are protected to keep a healthy fish population. Besides that, the limit is six fish a day. HOW BIG DO WALLEYE GET? The record walleye ever caught was 17.8 pounds. A trophy walleye is anything over ten pounds. But the best eating fish is two to three pounds in size, and just imagine - it took 4 to 5 years for them to get that big. Most agree that live bait (minnows or leeches) is best for walleye fishing early in the season. However, Peter Elliott, who, with has dad, Chuck Elliott, caught their limits on the fishing opener on Lake Vermilion, used the Finnish "rapala" lures. So, thanks to Chuck and Pete, I had a nice bunch of walleye to experiment with. Incidentally, the Finnish lure, the "rapala" is pronounced "raw-paw-law"; the accent is on the first syllable just as you'd put it in a high school cheer. To say "ray-pal-la" is completely wrong, and no self-respecting Finn would pretend to understand this pronunciation. It's even better, if you roll the "r". ABOUT COOKING WALLEYE In spite of my feeble experience as a fisherperson, I do love to cook and eat walleye. It's a delicious, mildly flavored fish, that when correctly filleted has hardly a bone in it. The very best treatment is the simplest coating of crumbs or flour and a bit of salt and pepper, and just a flash in a hot pan on both sides. I like a squeeze of lemon. Almost everyone agrees that too much spice destroys walleye's delicate flavor. With the trend toward spicier flavors, innovative cooks have come up with coatings and seasonings for walleye that pack a mild punch. Butch Furtman's special seasoning mix is one example. He markets his coating mix in sporting goods stores. I tried it and liked both the flavor and convenience. You use just what you need and then close the can to put it away. GRANDPA HARRY'S CORNFLAKE
COATED WALLEYE WALLEYE CHOWDER WALLEYE EN PAPILLOTE
(pah-pee-yoht) WALLEYE
WITH PARMESAN AND ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS WALLEYE WITH TORTILLA
CRUST AND MANGO SALSA WALLEYE WITH FRESH
BASIL WALLEYE WITH GARLIC
BUTTER BEER BATTERED WALLEYE |
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4244 Emerson Road, Duluth, MN 55803 218-721-3026