Eyes n Leapers,

I've been following the "Blue Walleye" search for 20 years. I assume you are talking about "Blue Pike," the fish species that is considered extinct in Lake Erie.

No true Blue Pike have been recorded in Lake Erie since, if I remember correctly, the early to mid 1960's. There are reports every year of "Blue Pike" being caught, but these are not true Blue Pike, they are a color phase of Walleye.

Biologists have been tracking this issue for years, and have DNA tested fish which were thought to be Blue Pike (getting DNA from old preserved true Blue Pike has not been easy, since the liquid used to preserve them breaks done the DNA). The best they've come up with is a hybrid Walleye/Blue Pike from upper Canada. To the best of anyone's knowledge to date, the true Blue Pike is still considered extinct, but some hold out hope that there are still a few of them left, somewhere (rumors abound about Blue Pike being stocked in Canadian and other waters back in the day).

If you do catch an odd looking bluish walleye, yes, definately take a flesh sample along with several photographs (if you can't preserve the whole fish for inspection). You never know, you just might be the one who finds the first real Blue Pike in Lake Erie in 40 years!

Best of Luck,

West Basin