Rep. Brennan Introduces Bill to Lure the Walleye State Fish

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) today announced his collaboration with State Rep. D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) to introduce HB 599 – a bill to make the walleye the official fish of the state of Ohio. 

Ohio has a state fossilized fish, fossil, flower, wildflower, mammal, insect, flower, wildflower, song, rock song, fruit, beverage, amphibian, etc., but is one of only three states, including Indiana and Iowa, that does not have a state fish. 

“The idea spawned when Matthew Kowaleski – a resident in my district – contacted me to let me know that Ohio does not have a state fish and that the walleye should be it. I asked him to give me some time walleye think it over,” said Rep. Brennan. “All kidding aside, the walleye is responsible for about $1 billion in economic activity in our state, is the fish that nets the most charter boats in Ohio, and the Ohio Walleye Trail is the draw of about half of the one million anglers in our state. So, considering any other fish is a red herring.”

Getting its name from its pearlescent eyes, which are due to a layer of tissue, the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light through the fish’s retinas to improve its night vision, the walleye has already been deemed the unofficial fish of Ohio by the National Wildlife Federation and the Buckeye state is already well known as the walleye capital of the world.  Further, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, there are 95M walleye in Lake Erie at least 2 years or older, ready to be caught and kept.  In comparison, there are roughly 600,000 white-tailed deer – our state mammal - across Ohio. Thus, there is close to 158 times more walleye in Lake Erie than there are deer in Ohio.

The bill is up for testimony and a committee vote later this month.