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Member
Posts: 1195
Location: Orland Park, IL | Ontario is at 36 degrees. Erie at 43 degrees. No hard water yet.
What a merry christmas!!!
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Excellent fish Mark.
I've always wanted to ask people who fish Quinte this question. And asking you (who I consider a friend) seems the best option for a truthful answer without any drama or perceived innuendo on eithers part, as some others might or would take it the wrong way. And I'm not trying to poo-poo or detract from how GREAT just fishing for and catching trophy walleyes in those numbers on a lake like Quinte is. Nor open a can of rotten worms to spoil the experience. I simply want to know.
In general (to me) larger walleyes taste stronger. Any walleye I catch 6 pounds or over is generally let go and the smaller ones (15 to 19 inches) prefered and kept for table fare. If the bigger fish are going to die because of the catching process it is usually smoked or put on the wall. I also noticed the Quinte walleyes are darker yellow and black in appearance. This is, in my experience (and in most cases) the color type and pattern that both Canadian walleyes and deeper ranging Great Lakes (Green Bay) (LBDN) walleyes have in most instances. And often are the walleyes having the higher more stringent health warnings as to how many you can safely eat per month because of pollutants. These warnings are the same here in Michigan on Saginaw Bay with some of our rivers having even higher warning levels, but have been scaled back in recent years. Is this also the case or to a higher degree with the Quinte Walleyes?
Edited by walleye express 12/26/2011 9:56 AM
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Member
Posts: 1195
Location: Orland Park, IL | Quinte is a big catch and release fishery this time of the year. We release quite a few. Usually the ones kept are those that either are limited health wise (bloody gills) or keeping a fish for the table. Over the last 3 years I kept 4 fish, with a replica for the boys 14.6 (many thanks to Walleye First and Lax Tax).
Here in buffalo, what passes for a fish fry is a big, honkin piece of greasy Haddock for $8. Terrible. So, I like to have fish frys every month or so for some friends, mainly football dads from the boys team. These guys dont like the taste of fish. Thats why they love haddock. No taste, very very mild fish.
I have cooked some of these walleyes up and had rave reviews. Like the salmon from ontario, you have to be careful in the meat selection. No bellys, mainly shoulder straps, and no red meat at all. Yes, a bit fish is older, being in the water longer, so I would imagine heath content is worse.
A lot has to do with prep work. It starts with bleeding them in the livewell. And since the pallates I am serving are very susceptable to "fish taste", filleting is key. A soak in salt water while filleting is good. Then a healthy freeze, no freezer burn. Excellent trimming of red meat, and the chunked into smaller pieces. Thaw, then another healthy soak in milk and we are good to go.
We eat quite a bit of fish in the household. Mainly erie walleyes. I still miss my limits of 18inch bago walleyes. We dont waste it, but enjoy it a lot. | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Thank's Mark, good tips.
To me, that salt bath for the fillets right after cleaning is and/or should be a major part of the process. It pulls any blood left in the fillet out, breaks down and floats away the fatty tissues which contain most of the bad things. Also cutting them in smaller pieces and coating with some good batter is key for the "They tastes fishy" crowd. 
Edited by walleye express 12/26/2011 2:19 PM
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Member
Posts: 650
| Express, here in NY the state pamplet has a bunch of eating fish advisories plus some specific for certain waters... I once toured the state lab which was right near my old house. needless to say I don't keep fish much anymore... If I do, jumbo perch or 15"walleye... 16"+ back they go... I'm also quite beat after fishing so cleaning a bunch of fish not on my list. I may however have to hit Marks house sometime for the fry... almost out that way Xmas eve for the Tebow. game...
I got a trip to quinte on my radar for next fall... St. Lawrence river too... big walleyes getting caught... very quiet secret stuff... most of my vacation days will be used sept oct. | |
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