Do you eat the big ones?

[lazzlo]

Hi, I keep the shaker salmon for eats, does anyone eat the 20+ ones? Are they polluted as bad as people say they are? I usally tell people Lake Ontario is cleaner than the majority of lakes up north. How big in size is the limit you would eat? When they are silver of course. I assume if it's a 30 pounder a smoker is probably the best way?

Thanks!

[Landshark]

I eat a pound of bacon for breakfast, a pound of bacon for lunch, and I smoke cigs for dinner. I am not worried about a lil mercury. In all seriousness I think most guys will tell you the smaller fish taste better. As far as contaminents I suppose the largers do have more because they are both older and larger. I also believe guys only really start worrying about having to put them in the smoker when the fish start to darken up. That being said there is nothing wrong with smoking a nice silver mid summer fish. It is just a personal preference thing but when they do darken I think most smoke em

[ray koziatek]

Well its getting to that time and ill say it again,,,,in the lake bleed em on a stringer ,gut em and gill to if you can....pack on ice (not in ice water)

whel i fillet i cut the belly meat to the bottom of the ribs so now ya got a 6 or 8 in wide (top to bottom ) filet. then do the final skin removal and go light on pressure so 90% of the lateral line stays on the skin then do a "V" cut to remove all of latteral line,then ill cut the pin bones out.its not the prettiest filet but all the crap is gone and what ya got left is good as eating as you can get from fresh water salmon...

PS 2 or 3 days in the fridge tends to taste better also,dont know why.

Stream run get bad reviews mostly because guys let em soak in 70 deg water for 4 or 5 hours after the good morning run.....I still bleed out and take em to the van and pack in ice....they actually taste better due to the fact they have stopped eating for the last few weeks and all the strong baitfish oils have passed and sorta cleaned from system, have ya ever heard of putting fresh clams in cornmeal water to flush out the sand? Kinda sorta same princable...now if ya think yer gonna get a nice meal from a old groudy beat up fish,stop on the way home when ya see a nice bloated deer and have surf and turf...

[jekyll]

Big ones go to the smoker.

[Big Dave]

Well its getting to that time and ill say it again,,,,in the lake bleed em on a stringer ,gut em and gill to if you can....pack on ice (not in ice water)

whel i fillet i cut the belly meat to the bottom of the ribs so now ya got a 6 or 8 in wide (top to bottom ) filet. then do the final skin removal and go light on pressure so 90% of the lateral line stays on the skin then do a "V" cut to remove all of latteral line,then ill cut the pin bones out.its not the prettiest filet but all the crap is gone and what ya got left is good as eating as you can get from fresh water salmon...

PS 2 or 3 days in the fridge tends to taste better also,dont know why.

Stream run get bad reviews mostly because guys let em soak in 70 deg water for 4 or 5 hours after the good morning run.....I still bleed out and take em to the van and pack in ice....they actually taste better due to the fact they have stopped eating for the last few weeks and all the strong baitfish oils have passed and sorta cleaned from system, have ya ever heard of putting fresh clams in cornmeal water to flush out the sand? Kinda sorta same princable...now if ya think yer gonna get a nice meal from a old groudy beat up fish,stop on the way home when ya see a nice bloated deer and have surf and turf...

Thats how we do ours !!! Freeze some, can some, smoke 1or2 . Remove all the "dark meat" fat.

[Rippin'Line]

"SURF AND TURF". Lmao

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Storm Warning II]

I actually prefer the big ones on the grill...

[BSmaster]

IMO

Salmon = not much difference.

Trout = keep the barely legal and let the very large go.

[lazzlo]

Thanks for the input!