After poll results were final, NBC4 reached out to every state lawmaker whose district borders Lake Erie. State Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) volunteered to carry an official bill as its primary sponsor.

“I was very surprised that we didn’t have an Ohio fish,” said Fedor, a 21-year veteran of the Ohio legislature. She had joined past debates when walleye were up against smallmouth bass, but no bill went through the whole process.

“We have a lot of official insects, amphibians and so forth, so it’s time to have an official Ohio fish,” she said. “And it’s a great way for people to come together in a positive way and really get that done.”