# Blue walleye in ohio river!



## lil goose

We fished the river yesterday and caught a few walleye and sauger but the one walleye was a fish of a different color, it was blue!!! I have caught a lot of walleyes through the years Canada,Lake erie,inland lakes,and the ohio river but i have never caught or seen anyone catch a walleye that was blue like this one! As soon as i get my cable back i will post some pictures. I just wondered if anyone else have ever caught a blue walleye in the ohio river?


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## RBoyer

Maybe come down from the allegheney or mon rivers? We caught a couple this week on the allegheney that had more of a blue tint to them! 


-Ryan Boyer


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## Fish Assassin

It's a sign that the Kentucky Wildcats will win it all this year. Sorry just had to do that.


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## toboso

If you kept the fish--or even just some photos--the folks at Ohio Sea Grant would love to know about a possible blue pike. The species has been considered extirpated or extinct in Ohio.

www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu


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## eyecatcher929

toboso said:


> If you kept the fish--or even just some photos--the folks at Ohio Sea Grant would love to know about a possible blue pike. The species has been considered extirpated or extinct in Ohio.
> 
> www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu


That's cool and a good thing. Supposedly if someone catches any the dnr would like you to notify them. They were thought to be extinct in our region. I would like to see them make a comeback.


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## lil goose

toboso said:


> If you kept the fish--or even just some photos--the folks at Ohio Sea Grant would love to know about a possible blue pike. The species has been considered extirpated or extinct in Ohio.
> 
> www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu


This wasn't a pike this was with out a doubt a walleye! It was actually cool looking!!


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## icebucketjohn

Any pics?

Always take scale samples. You can send them to various departments for analysis.


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## I_Shock_Em

lil goose said:


> This wasn't a pike this was with out a doubt a walleye! It was actually cool looking!!


Blue pike and blue walleye are considered the same fish, just two different names


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## fishinnick

Just because a walleye has a blue tint to it doesn't mean it's a true blue pike(or blue walleye). I would still send the photo to the DNR just incase.....


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## buckeyebowman

lil goose said:


> This wasn't a pike this was with out a doubt a walleye! It was actually cool looking!!


As a kid, a lonnnnng time ago, I remember seeing cans of "Lake Erie Blue Pike" on grocery store shelves just like canned tuna and salmon. They were, however, a different species of fish than walleye. Looked just like 'em, but had the blue color.

I, and my fishing buddies, ran into this a few years back. We were fishing at Lake Ostaboningue in Quebec and were catching quite a few of these "blue" fish, and wondered the same thing. Are these blue pike? My one friend caught a 33 incher that was so dark blue on the back it looked like India Ink! And you're right, they really are cool looking!

Apparently it wasn't just my little group that noticed this and rumors about blue pike started going around pretty good. So much so that In Fisherman magazine took notice. Anyway, some fish were taken, DNA studies done, and the result was that they are *not* blue pike. They're just a color phase of walleye.

Ohio Sea Grant might still be interested to know that you're catching them in the Ohio River. Might be something new, might not. Who knows?


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## hatteras1

there was a report of one being caught near the canada side of erie.(some years back) their number is so low, their considered nearly extinct.. thats a good sign..........


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## lil goose

I have a buddy trying to get the pics. on here for me. I took them with a smart phone but apparently it is smarter than me because i can't seem to make it happen. I froze the blue walleye i plan on getting it mounted so if dnr or whoever wants scale samples it won't be any problem.


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## lil goose

If anyone knows how to get it from their phone to the forum call me and i will text you the pics. 330-205-0485


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## RWK

lil goose said:


> We fished the river yesterday and caught a few walleye and sauger but the one walleye was a fish of a different color, it was blue!!! I have caught a lot of walleyes through the years Canada,Lake erie,inland lakes,and the ohio river but i have never caught or seen anyone catch a walleye that was blue like this one! As soon as i get my cable back i will post some pictures. I just wondered if anyone else have ever caught a blue walleye in the ohio river?



How big was the fish,call you consevation dept. tell the what you got they might want to check if its a blue pike, they'll take dna.


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## pendog66

Here's one of the pics from goose

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## Saugeye Tom

pendog66 said:


> Here's one of the pics from goose
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Most definetly a blue walleye. Caught quite a few of them in The French river a few years back


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## Rod Hawg

Did you guys keep it? Hopefully a few of them are spawning in the rivers


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## Blorgus

The fish doesn't have the signature white tip on its tail that walleyes have?

Maybe more sauger/sagueye than walleye

Also compare the expanded fins between the two fish in the picks

Not only are they shaped differently, but are also different as to their location
to the tailfin, inverse, and even the fin by the gill is shaped differently

Interesting fish. There are stories that back in the day, a cross breed of a Blue Pike and a Walleye were called "greys"

Link here is detail and actual photo of a Blue Pike
http://www.ontariofishes.ca/bigpic.php?FID=155&OMNR=333


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## jastew

What I've read about blue pike, is they were a close cousin to walleye and sauger. They only occurred in lake Erie and were caught out by commercial fishing in the late '60's, so they're extinct.

Walleye have a color variation that's blue, but it's still a walleye. 

Read a post on another forum about one caught in the Tenessee river, so I checked into it.

Of course, what you read can be wrong so there may still be some Blue Pike around.


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## hatteras1

pendog66 said:


> Here's one of the pics from goose
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


awesome pic.......:B


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## lil goose

Blorgus said:


> The fish doesn't have the signature white tip on its tail that walleyes have?
> 
> Maybe more sauger/sagueye than walleye
> 
> Also compare the expanded fins between the two fish in the picks
> 
> Not only are they shaped differently, but are also different as to their location
> to the tailfin, inverse, and even the fin by the gill is shaped differently
> 
> Interesting fish. There are stories that back in the day, a cross breed of a Blue Pike and a Walleye were called "greys"
> 
> Link here is detail and actual photo of a Blue Pike
> http://www.ontariofishes.ca/bigpic.php?FID=155&OMNR=333


If you zoom in,the tail does have the white tip the way the sun is on that side makes it hard to see.


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## Ozdog

Nice fish, but it wasn't enough for me to play the "blue pike song" LOL! No blue pike there guy.


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## pendog66

ive looked at the pictures and although it is a awesome fish. I think its a gray phase walleye.


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## Bad Bub

pendog66 said:


> ive looked at the pictures and although it is a awesome fish. I think its a gray phase walleye.


I agree. Looks like an eye that just moved up out of deep water. Low light level at depth will cause a fish's color to fade. Send the pic to the dnr and see what they have to say. Couldn't hurt.

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## lil goose

Look fellas i never once said anything about a blue pike if you read the original post i called it a walleye and as far as it being a gray tint maybe but what i am telling you is that i have caught thousands of walleye and never have i seen anything close to the pigmentation on this fish. I have pulled them out of 70+ ft. of water out of conneaut with their guts hanging out of their mouths and nothing even close. I am getting this fish mounted it is so unique.


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## BMustang

On rare occasion we will catch one with the color pigmentation of the one in the picture from the Spanish River area in Canada.

If you throw him on the cleaning table with a bunch of standard walleye, there is a distinct difference. Right or wrong, the folks up there call them - "Blue Pickerel", eh?


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## Snakecharmer

Whatever it is, it's a cool looking fish.


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## gkicker13

+1 for awesome fish, no matter what kind!!!


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## RBoyer

Awesome fish if I caught it it would be on my wall as well! 


-Ryan Boyer


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## Blorgus

In my original post that has a link to an actual photo of a Blue Pike, I never said what the fish species is.

The two fish in the photo are different if you look past the coloring and notice the fins. The blue/gray fish has rounder fins whereas the yellow fish has fins more elongated by the gill plate, like a willow blade versus Colorado blade.

This LINK is a Sauger
http://fish.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Percidae/sauger.html

This LINK is a Saugeye
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/fishid/Saugeye.jpg

This LINK is a Walleye
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10364_18958-45694--,00.html

The Blue Pike has larger eyes
http://www.ontariofishes.ca/bigpic.php?FID=155&OMNR=333


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## kyjake

Interesting thread,wasn't familiar with the blue pike until this thread.The fish does look pretty skinny for a walleye.If I ever catch one similar will put it back.Have caught walleye that were pretty dark green but never a blue one.
Jake


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## creekcrawler




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## eyecatcher929

I have been doing quite a bit of research since I saw this post and the pic you provided. Yes a blue walleye & blue pike are the same fish according to multiple dnr reports from multiple states and in Canada. All the pictures I viewed aloong side your photo, that most deffinately is a blue walleye. They are still plentifull in a lot of Canadian lakes and rivers. They were a huge target for fisherman years ago with a limit of 30 on lake erie. While the gold strain of walleye had a low limit like it does now. They were thought to be extinct in a lot of rivers and lakes in north America till about 5 years ago. Nice looking fish you got anyways. Hope they make a strong comeback.


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## Capital outdoorsman

Interesting. The material I read said that blue walleye and blue pike were not the same fish. Blue walleyes can be caught today in several areas in canada and some parts of the US. They are not genetically the same as the blue pike. Some believe they are a mixed strain and some say blue walleye are mutation. 

Here is an interesting story/article on em:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/julaug08/blue_pike.html


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## Blorgus

Blue Pike are not walleye.










Although from the same family, perch, they have different genetics and species names.

Here is a good read and slideshow

http://bluewalleyes.wikidot.com/what-is-a-blue-pike


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## guppygill

Eyecatcher, you've been greatly misinformed. Blue Pike are extinct and are not making a comeback unless someone has some DNA from the original Blue Pike that inhabited Lake Erie. This is from a fish scientist.


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## hang_loose

Blorgus said:


> Blue Pike are not walleye.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Although from the same family, perch, they have different genetics and species names.
> 
> Here is a good read and slideshow
> 
> http://bluewalleyes.wikidot.com/what-is-a-blue-pike


Just read your weather report and it made me turn" burr burr burr" blue. -9 now and going down to -13. The only thing I want to see blue is a plate full of fried gill filets plus cole slaw and fries. A PBR would go great with that too!!!.


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## P-NUT

guppygill said:


> Eyecatcher, you've been greatly misinformed. Blue Pike are extinct and are not making a comeback unless someone has some DNA from the original Blue Pike that inhabited Lake Erie. This is from a fish scientist.


Don't forget that scientists also said that the coelacanth was extinct. Doesn't mean that blue pike are around but it is nice to think someone could stumble across one!


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## rod bender bob

P-NUT said:


> Don't forget that scientists also said that the coelacanth was extinct. Doesn't mean that blue pike are around but it is nice to think someone could stumble across one!


Check out the Sea Grant Lake Erie board, fish samples have been tested, no DNR found in any samples. Most blue eyes are due to pigment from environment. This is a common discussion.


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## lil goose

I want to thank everyone for the compliments. I contacted ohio sea grant they have yet to call me back. Heading back down sunday will post if i have any luck!!!


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## P-NUT

rod bender bob said:


> Check out the Sea Grant Lake Erie board, fish samples have been tested, no DNR found in any samples. Most blue eyes are due to pigment from environment. This is a common discussion.


I realize this. It's just nice to think that a small population has somehow managed to escape detection all these years. Not likely. But you say MOST blue eyes are due to pigment from environment. What about the others? Aha! The plot thickens! lol


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## Rod Hawg

Never say never. Erie is a huge lake. The 13th largest in the world. With all those tributaries and all that open water for fish to hide. You never know. It is unlikely that Blue Pike are still in there. But I think it serves as a good lesson to us what can happen when our rescources are handled poorly. Just my .2c


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## Eugene

I agree, never say never, but the likelihood of blue pike remaining in Lake Erie is slim in the extreme. There isn't really any similarity between the cases of coelacanth and blue pike. The biggest problems are blue pike's similarity to walleye and the huge abundance of walleye. As blue pike became more and more rare with less and less likelihood of finding other blue pike with which to reproduce, those a little more like the more common yellow walleye in spawning habit would have gone about spawning themselves out of existence. That intergradation makes it extremely unlikely any pure strains of blue pike could have persisted. Here is an interesting relevant thread from a forum I used to be partially responsible for on the day job:
http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/discuss/index.php/topic,889

Obviously, as mentioned by others, there is no chance that the catch discussed here is a blue pike.

...And nice catch, Mr. Goose. It was good to chat today.


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## dgatrell27

I caught one in seneca spillway that was darker blue than that one a ew yrs back in June. I thot there was somthing wrong with it, didnt know it was special! it was close to 7lbs. At least I released it. Wish i had mounted it now...


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## Rod Hawg

dgatrell27 said:


> I caught one in seneca spillway that was darker blue than that one a ew yrs back in June. I thot there was somthing wrong with it, didnt know it was special! it was close to 7lbs. At least I released it. Wish i had mounted it now...


 Could have a fiberglass replica done. If you want a good taxedermist I could send you a pm


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