Ever Wonder What Happens When You Catch a Tagged Fish?

Have you ever caught a tagged fish? This was the first I've seen firsthand. We had a pretty successful afternoon on the St. Louis River catching walleyes. It's been a cold spring and a late spawn, but we were able to get on them in shallow water (about 5 feet).

We caught our limit within the first hour of fishing. That may sound like we were nailing them, but the limit on the St. Louis River is 2 per person. The slot for keepers is between 15"-20" with one allowed over 20."

You find bigger walleye in the St. Louis River than you do in a lot of area lakes. Two 18" walleyes are a hearty meal. I generally release the fish over 20 inches, because those are good breeders!

Anyway, towards the end of our day, we caught this 17" walleye with a tag on it. Close to the dorsal fin was what looked like a spaghetti noodle coming out.

Once my fishing partner, Tom, put his reading glasses on, we could read that it said WDNR-Superior, WI. We looked for a serial number, but didn't find one.

When you catch a tagged fish, you're supposed to report it to the DNR. If the fish is in the slot, you can keep it, or you can release it. If you release it, leave the tag on. That's what we did. Providing the information helps researchers track the population, movement, and spawning locations.

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It was nice to get out on the St. Louis River. It really is a special place to fish and take in the wildlife. We had bald eagles circling over us most of the afternoon, and then we noticed two nests on an island. You don't see that every day.

We caught a total of 9 walleye and decent-sized perch in about 2 and a half hours. Not a bad day of fishing at all.

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