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Posts: 8879
| Thinking about the 58" thread and it got me thinking...
All of the biggest fish I've seen and caught have all had this yellow/straw color. Aside from the obvious width, height, and size of the head you see on the really big ones when you see them coming, is there a typical size where they lose their green coloration? Is it an age thing? Genetics? Never seen a big green one or a smaller blond one... |
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Posts: 2115
| I’ve definitely seen 40” blondies, just caught a 52” green out of the weeds today, not 58 but it wasn’t bad  |
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| Saw a big blondie on Eagle two years ago. At dusk, just as we were ready to return to lodge, big one grabbed a walleye another guy was reeling it. Hung on, with everything but the head in its mouth for about 10 minutes. He would get close and it would dive. Finally just let go. The GM at Temple Bay was a little surprised, he said normally the blond fish were more common in a different part of the lake. Fish was upper 40s and very wide and deep. |
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Posts: 1364
Location: E. Tenn | Could it be the "blonde" fish spend most of their time in open water, while their "green" bretheren spend their time in and around weeds? |
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Posts: 1721
Location: Brighton CO. | I've heard of the big blodies of Vermillion but I remember my first Muskie I caught and kept back in 1977 it was 40". I caught it in front of my grandparents home at the edge of my swimming area, right on the inside of the Weed bed. It was tannish on the one side and barred on the other. Someone I talked to thought that maybe the fish was new to the area. A couple hours earlier I went for a rare morning swim where I caught this fish. |
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Posts: 1297
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | miket55 - 8/29/2026 4:45 PM
Could it be the "blonde" fish spend most of their time in open water, while their "green" bretheren spend their time in and around weeds?  yup |
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Posts: 7144
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Could it be the water you see these fish in?
Eagle fish CAN be big and blonde, usually are. BUT, get one that's been living in a weed bed (not on the rocks) they're a lot greener in color. |
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Posts: 7144
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Slamr - 8/31/2026 8:43 AM
Could it be the water you see these fish in?
Eagle fish CAN be big and blonde, usually are. BUT, get one that's been living in a weed bed (not on the rocks) they're a lot greener in color.
I see now that someone already said that.
How about them Bears? |
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Posts: 8879
| Over the years fishing Eagle that’s been my experience, but I’ve never heard any discussion about the how, when, and where one encounters those blonde fish. I’ve seen them in other places like KY, IN, and once or twice in WI. It seems like they are always on the larger end of the spectrum. Any BST’s?? |
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Posts: 1529
| I always associated the big blondies as being large Leech Lake strain fish that spent most of their time in deeper water near rocks. But that's mostly because that's what's in the waters that I've seen them. No true knowledge. |
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Posts: 360
| sorry.won't open.
Edited by dickP 9/1/2026 7:45 AM
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Posts: 360
| https://apis.mail.yahoo.com/ws/v3/mailboxes/@.id==VjN-cQrlMMhDoxe68w...
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Posts: 426
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | Fish can definitely modify the intensity of the opaqueness of the colouration of their skin cells (melanophores). They are more dynamic than the melanocytes in mammals in that they are able to more rapidly change colouration: for camouflage, spawning, etc. I think that musky spending more time in open water do tend to be "blonde", but in reality they are more silvery which is common in pelagic fish as it a type of camouflage or blending in called counterillumination/reflector shielding. It is why pelagic fish such as ciscoes, sardines shiners are silver, as well as their pelagic predator counterparts (salmon, tuna, etc).
In reflecting back on fish caught, I think really "intense" blonde fish that we have converted are typically the less common spotted variety that we get up here (in the LOTW/Wpg River system, more frequent in say Wabigoon), so I think how they reflect light compared to a barred fish gives that effect. Certainly some of the larger barred fish seem to lighten up (given the smaller ones tend to have opaque bars), but I don't think they are as blonde when large, but clearly easy to distinguish from a large pike. We have caught fish up to 49" that are very dark fish (one shade less than pike) out of the weeds and blonde spotted fish from essentially the same sort of areas, but always near deep water. Interesting to know how rapidly they lighten up in their daily movements if they are capable of doing so.
PS. Congrats on the great fish, IAJustin.
Edited by Angling Oracle 9/1/2026 9:38 AM
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