Walleye Pearls

[johnb340]

Have any of you icefishers made these?  The old timers used to tell me about making jewelry, necklaces, beads for fishing lures and of course being the youngster I was at the time had to try it.  I made some back then but don't know what ever happened to them.

For those that don't know what I'm talking about you can pop the eyes out and boil them in water and you'll have a white bead or pearl as they called them.  It might be a lost art form but I thought I'd share it for those that have never heard of it.

[Unclegillhunter]

Well I am interested. So PM me or post the process. Not looking to make more typing for you. Always looking for old skills,
Keep it safe! JDL

[meandcuznalfy]

I'd like to see it too, never heard of it, I've heard of something similar in the cheeks of ling.

[ronco]

I have never heard of this so I Googled it and this is what came up.
https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/walleye-pearls.214410/

[tater140]

I had a buddy show me one time. He just cut it out and we let it air dry.  It turned out like a rough white marble is the best i could describe it.

[johnb340]

huh, never heard that one tater140, how big was the marble? 

Unglegillhunter, it was a really easy process.  All I did was pop the whole eye out and boiled it, no exact science or anthing, don't remember how long it boiled but couldn't be too awful long.  Then I just popped or dug the pearl out and didn't need any finishing work.  It was round and small like a bead depending on size of walleye.

I'll have to boil a few sometime just to show my son and son in law. 

[tater140]

We cut the eye apart and it's the white center portion in the middle.  I think it was kinda jelly like.  Set it out and it dried out in a couple of hours.  I would say it dried down to about a pea size, maybe a little bigger.

[shiveringjoe]

I make a big batch of fish stock every year and depending on the species in the pot I'll find a bunch of "marbles" after a long boil. Never thought to do anything with them but they are more like the consistency of stiff rubber.