How many of you actually eat your catches?

[shimano25]

How many of you anglers here actually eat your catches? Also, what kinds of fish species that you catch do you prefer to eat? I'm asking because for me part of the fun of angling is taking home some of your catch and putting it on your dinner plate.  

[John]

Personally I get my fix with a shore lunch once or twice a year.

[MCTFisher9120]

I kept 2 smaller Pike this summer while fishing, aside from that I still got a few pieces of meat in the freezer...hmm might cook that up tonight

[Guest natron]

I always keep a limit of walleye when I go walleye fishing. Once or twice a year I'll keep a few bass as well.

 

As far as preference, walleye (small guys, 14-15inchers), crappie are the best eaters. Actually, crappie I think is the best tasting fish on earth IMO

[ckrb2007]

I love the winter whitey feasts we have. I usually bring a few home and have a nice feed with the neighbours....although, I usually get the shaft. The fish is usually gone by the time I finish fryin' them up! LOL Oh yeah....nothing beats a meal of early ice perch.

[BillsTheBassMan]

I keep nothing on local rivers. When I'm lake fishing we'll keep the odd walleye or laker.

[jbailey]

walleye sometimes, but i like the thought of letting fish go and imagining how big they will get haha

[Guest natron]

walleye sometimes, but i like the thought of letting fish go and imagining how big they will get haha

 

 

haha, awesome! On Rainy River (my homebody of water) the walleye spawn here, so I get to see how big they get! Caught plenty this year in the 10-15lb range

[ontariofisherman]

all the fish I eat comes out of a box from the grocery store or a fish and chip place.

[crappieperchhunter]

Oh yeah....nothing beats a meal of early ice perch.

 

I'm with you on that statement....perch are my fav. Pretty much always have some in my freezer...but I'm keeping less these days cause the kids are moved out.

 

I also have a few feeds of other species like walleye,crappie, bluegills, whitefish and smelt throughout the year.

 

I have been missing out on a feed of creek specs for years now. Love those tasty little buggers...just don't have any close by spots to hit anymore.

[Homer Is King]

I try to follow the "limit your catch, not catch your limit" rule. I usually release most of what I catch. I may keep the odd walleye and I'll usually keep any crappie bigger than my hand (great eating!!!). Ice fishing I'll keep a pike or two for a lunch in the hut. Ice perch are awesome too!

 

I'm usually fishing panfish with the kids. We release most of them. We'll keep any that are gut hooked and won't make it.

 

crappieperchhunter, creek specs are great!

 

I'd prefer a steak dinner over a fish fry any day but this thread has my mouth watering!!

Edited August 25, 2010 by Homer Is King

[The Urban Fisherman]

In a year... roughly....

 

6 bass

20 Bluegill

6 Crappie

12 or so perch

4 Rainbows (12 to 17 inch stockers)

 

Walleye are my favorite but I don't get to target them... so none, but if they were readily available out of a small boat in my area I'd likely keep a couple limits a year.

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[brifishrgy]

nothing beats a fresh fish diner after a day of fishing

[adempsey]

If I am away for a week we'll have 0-3 fish dinners.

 

If it's a weekender, maybe 1 dinner but possibly none.

 

If it's a day trip, most likely none.

 

Ice fishing I will keep 1 or 2 whitefish or trout the entire season.

 

I think walleye, pike, perch and/or crappie make decent table fare. I only keep bass if there isn't enough of the others. Ling, catfish, splake, other trout are also fair game, but I don't often fish for these.

[Terry]

I take home a meal of perch every year

 

one meal of crappie every year

a pike or 2 a year for my wife..I don't like them

a few whitefish every year

a couple of meals of walleye each year.....

 

and anything that dies while I try to release it

 

and I never keep some for the freezer..eat it fresh or let it swim away

Edited August 25, 2010 by Terry

[uglyfish]

usually keep some perch and other pannies for some snacks. try to get a few walleye to keep in the freezer, a pike or 2 if i manage to get some, silver bass in the spring, a couple rainbows or salmon, and a few bass. usually just keep the bass that die in the live well during a bass tourney.

[danbouck]

I keep about 200 perch per year. About 195 are given away to friends and family.

[ld17]

I keep and eat perch, crappie and walleye. Enough for a few feeds throughout the year.

[Banger68]

When fishing for eats I go for Perch or Walleye. Even then I only keep enough for a couple meals. I can buy frozen fish. I also keep the odd Pike, trout, and Salmon, but not often (Pain cleaning Pike, don't get many Trout or Salmon) I let all my Bass and Musky go. Have eaten a couple gill hooked bass ... not my fav.

 

In order of preference to me

 

Walleye

Perch

Pike (but like I said ... pain to clean)

Crappie, but haven't fished for them for years.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Banger68

[misfish]

When I ate fresh water fish,my main fish were perch,crappie and whitefish.

[dave524]

It's like I have 2 very different fishing personalities. There is the C&R personality when fishing bass, carp, catfish, musky, pike, trout and salmon. Now whenever I target walleye, crappie and perch, I do so for a feed and freezer, if the fishing on Erie is hot, I'll let walleyes over about 5/6 pounds go amd keep the 3/4 pounders, better eating. That being said, when rigging on Lake Ontario, Cohoes under 10 go in the box, they are for me the best of the salmonoids/trout for the grill or smoker. The status of the freezer determines the walleye expiditions.

[bassjnkie]

Only Walleye for me, well..........when I actually have the time to target them. The funny part is I still buy the sportfihing license for a couple fish a year.

[bbog]

Funny no one mentioned Carp!

 

If I won't eat it, I won't target it...

 

Favourites are Perch, Crappie, Pike, Salmon, Lake Trout, Rainbow and sometimes Whitefish. I will supplement a camping meal with a freshly caugh Largemouth bass - but wouldn't bring them home ordinarily.

[BillsTheBassMan]

I know for certain that a lady in Fort Erie area will eat other people's catches or even fish she finds dead on the shore. Bowfin is her favourite

[OhioFisherman]

I kept a 5 or 6 pound walleye or steel head some years for the wife and kids to eat. I got my fish sandwich at McDonald`s on the way home.

 

Just way to much fun catching them for me to kill them off. I stopped mounting fish in the very early 80`s, it just seemed pointless, the memories were enough.