Selecting the perfect size walleye to eat

Jason Pons holds just about the perfect eating walleye

There are so many walleye of all sizes in Red Lake now that we can be quite spoiled about those we choose to keep for eating. Last summer our walleye anglers were routinely boating 100 walleye or more in a single day. With that many fish to choose from, what's the best size to keep for the table?
For starters, let's examine all the factors that go into a great meal.
How thick is the fillet?
The best cooking results come when no part of the fillet is too thick. That way all parts of the fillet will cook similarly instead of thin areas being overcooked and thick areas being undercooked.
How quick does it cook?
A thinner fillet will cook in just a minute which means it absorbs less cooking oil. Thick fillets must "boil away" in the oil longer and gather an oily flavour.
How large is it?
Unfortunately, this is where so many people go wrong. They instinctively feel that a large piece of meat indicates they were successful anglers. It's the old, "bringing home the bacon" attitude. The truth is the best-eating, best-cooking, best-flavoured fish are the smaller ones. Certainly there is a limit to how small -- there needs to be some flesh to consume afterall.
In my opinion, the absolutely best-size walleye for eating is 15-16 inches. One such fish is usually plenty to feed a single person but if you are a really big eater, keep two of this size. All parts of the fillet will cook thoroughly and quickly and taste fantastic.
If you can't find fish of this size when you are looking for lunch, choose smaller ones, not bigger. Even a 13-inch walleye provides quite a bit of food. You never want to keep a walleye over 18 inches even though the law permits you one. These fish are too big for eating and are the important spawners.
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