Culling the mud hens

[seamonkey84]

We did our best today to pull out some numbers today, getting use to using some new equipment too. My friend got a set a planer boards to use along with the lead core.


Had what was probably the biggest fish I’ve ever had on the end of my line, got it to just two colors out, and it came unbuttoned before we even saw it.

[MG39]

Good Chi, nice to get some of those skinny, slimey rats out of there.

[TightLinesMaine]

Like the topic title name lol

[fish wayniac]

Chi, Nice haul on the Togue , sounds like a good outing. Were you guys dragging lures?

[seamonkey84]

Good Chi, nice to get some of those skinny, slimey rats out of there.

Got that slimy part right, I almost wanted to roll them in sand as I was cleaning them. The water and ice in the box was like syrup.

Chi, Nice haul on the Togue , sounds like a good outing. Were you guys dragging lures?

Various spoons on leadcore. We changed colors on a couple rods a few times through the morning and afternoon, but I couldn’t tell you what they were since it was all my buddies gear. Felt a little weird not using any of my own rods/lures, he wanted to get use to using his new line counter reels and planer boards before bringing clients out with them. We’ve always just used fly rods with sinking line or leadcore  for trolling.

Oh, I thought I knew fish anatomy fairly well, but I’m a bit confused with what was going on here. To me this looks like ovaries and male gonads...

[stguy]

Are you asking about the stuff on the right hand side of the picture, beside the eggs, or this?

https://fishbio.com/field-notes/inside-fishbio/hermaphroditic-fish-boy-girl-or-both

FYI, the eggs in that fish are about 1/2 of what they usually are this time of year, seeing that in all the females we've  been catching this year.

[seamonkey84]

Yea the white organ besides the eggs. Then again I wasn’t pay much attention to the other ones I opened up, besides looking for stomach content. There wasn’t much of anything in their stomachs even though we were catching them around the bait we were marking.
We caught several small salmon as well, all about 12” or so. As soon as we saw that they were small salmon, we gave them slack to try to let them shake the hook themselves. Just no point in handling them.

[stguy]

That is the small intestine, called the pyloric caeca, I've  seen a few of them that were white like that this year,  seen a bunch of strange things like that this year.

Got one the other day that had a 10" rubber squid in it's  stomach with a 4/0 or 5/0 stainless steel hook still in it, the stomach was actually dissolving the hook, I can't  believe the fish was able to swallow it.

And yes those small salmon are becoming a nuisance, but you gotta have small ones before you can have big ones.

[Jethro]

Thank you for your service! I will be doing my best in a few weeks as well!

[seamonkey84]

I’m going to need some recipes for these. I breaded and pan fried a fillet, and it wasn’t too bad. These were all 21-25”,but def had a stronger flavor than the other trout I’m use to. I don’t eat much fish, but since I’m keeping them I might as well try some. Most of my share went to family members.

[TightLinesMaine]

I’m going to need some recipes for these. I breaded and pan fried a fillet, and it wasn’t too bad. These were all 21-25”,but def had a stronger flavor than the other trout I’m use to. I don’t eat much fish, but since I’m keeping them I might as well try some. Most of my share went to family members.

how 'bout Lake trout flavored mead? 

[zwiggles]

I’m going to need some recipes for these. I breaded and pan fried a fillet, and it wasn’t too bad. These were all 21-25”,but def had a stronger flavor than the other trout I’m use to. I don’t eat much fish, but since I’m keeping them I might as well try some. Most of my share went to family members.

The best way I have found is to “gill” them alive so they bleed out, and then immediately on ice. Gut them and remove the head, and cook the whole trout in tinfoil on the grill. Having eaten more than a few this is the best way I have had it. Either with lemon/butter/herbs or a bbq sauce goes in to season it.

Then you can basically peel off all the bones, and the meat for whatever reason does seem to taste better. If you would like I can post a recipe for a home made bbq/marinade sauce that is great on all the cold water fish I have had.

That being said I don’t keep them unless they’re not going to make it (I have yet to fish your “big lake” for them). Still prefer rainbows over anything else we get trolling.

[JDK]

Make sure the skin is off and as much fat as humanly possible.  A couple of thoughts:

Poor man's lobster

You can also cut the fillets into smaller sections, roll in shake and bake for fish, and fry in a light oil.

[SHaRPS]

Brine then smoke them. I repeat, BRINE then smoke them. Fish candy.

[seamonkey84]

how 'bout Lake trout flavored mead? 

Although an orange mead might go well with fish.
Cheers lol
My Black Deathberry melomel (fruit mead)