Keeping Boots

[creditmaster]

Hey guys just been thinking and reading some other threads on other forms about people keeping boots (Generally chinook salmon that have already spawned and are slowly decomposing while continuing to live)

i personal would probably not eat them but have seen people do keep and eat them claiming it is perfectly safe to eat (within reasonable time i.e. not chunks falling off the fish ) and i want to know

are they safe to eat? i personal have cut open a freshly dead female chinny that had already spawned and found the meat looks totally fine but i am not going to risk eating them without more compelling information

any info would be appreciated

thanks

[MJL]

Unless it was the absolute last form of sustenance on this earth and the only way to survive, I might consider eating a dirty boot...Then again, what would be the point of living?

 

Perhaps the only reason people keep the dead ones (or near dead) is because they are obviously the easiest to land...They generally don't fight back when they're hooked.LOL

 

You also have to consider that the Ontario guide to eating sportfish does not recommend eating chinook salmon over 20" from Western Lake Ontario (for kids and women of child bearing age) - That's considered pretty small as far as Lake O chinooks go on average - And that's the fresh fish still swimming in Lake Ontario.LOL

[John Bacon]

In terms of the fishing guide. I don't see how a salmon would pick up any additional contaminants in the rivers since they don't feed. So as far as safe to eat, I would say they are just as safe or just as bad (two different perpestives) as fresh caught fish from the lake.

 

I do suspect that they won't taste as good as a spring or summer fish from the lake.