Yep.. I deep fry the little guys we get downrigging, that hit the boat DOA after ripping up from 100FOW, and they taste no different than an 'eye. Also good on the BBQ.. cook flesh side first, then flip and burn the skin side 'till it chars and they taste like BBQ chicken.. either that or it's just that " burned taste" I give everything on the grill. I did the first laker I got in the oven as suggested by many... wasn't fit for a dog.
The big guy that this thread is all about... probably long out of the breeding cycle and just out there cruising around eating anything that got in front of it's mouth (including that little laker Terry was reeling up last winter! LOL). Most just snap people off.. so the odd one hitting the wall that size doesn't get me the least bit excited from one of the largest inland fresh water lakes in Canada.