lake trout

[Seaweed]

Here is some good info on fixing Trout and Smallmouth that come up with extended swim bladders.

It doesn't kill the fish

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/Fizzing.pdf

Lake trout stomach flesh is the fishiest tasting .... the rest is very edible.   

[toguefisha]

They aren't bad on the grill basted with a little Italian dressing. As far as releasing them go, sometimes their air bladder is all bloated and they bob up and down in the whole when trying to release them.  Just run your finger along from their ass up towards their mouth until you hear them make a croak sound, it releases the air and then they can swim down.

[TastySalmon]

I've only eaten lakers from 2 lakes, but they're one of my favorite fishes to eat. The lakers I catch here in North Idaho eat a lot of mysis shrimp, so their meat can be as red as sockeye and oh so tasty.
 
Don't prick the air bladder. Fish have air bladders for a reason and it will kill them, though maybe not immediately.

[Flag!!Man]

I've eaten lots of em' & don't see where you guys are coming from??? They are a good eating fish??

[vivlamored]

 don't like them you can have everyone that i catch

[BottomDweller]

it's pretty much the only fish i eat.  i love 'em.  i like the red flesh the best: smoked, baked, and my favorite - beer-battered and deep-fried.  i like walleye and burbot better, but when it comes to salmonids, they are the best, along with salmon.

i've never had any problems with bringing them up from 150 ft down either, as long as i give them a chance to burp up the air that expands in their air-bladders as they ascend. 

[deadsmelthead]

it's pretty much the only fish i eat.  i love 'em.  i like the red flesh the best: smoked, baked, and my favorite - beer-battered and deep-fried.  i like walleye and burbot better, but when it comes to salmonids, they are the best, along with salmon.

i've never had any problems with bringing them up from 150 ft down either, as long as i give them a chance to burp up the air that expands in their air-bladders as they ascend. 

I could be wrong and I really don't feel like looking it up but I believe Lake Trout are Char not Salmonoids, along with Brookies,Dolly varden and Bull trout and probably a couple others but anyway just my bit of useless info.

As far as eating them I never ate one,I feel guilty even thinking about it because for the most part a 25 incher is like 20 years old. I know people who do and they all say the same thing and that is that they have to be a certain size. Man, with all this talk about them, I guess I am going to have to try cooking one up this year. what do some of you that enjoy them prefer, deep fryer, smoker ??

[Flag!!Man]

I guess it's just a matter of taste...Just had to defend them cause I really enjoy eating them & have made them for others and almost always get a good response from people. I bake mine in a glass dish...Lemon, Butter, Garlic....Clean Like a Stream trout, then throw it in the oven for about 1/2 hour, then I pull it out and pull all the skin off with a fork...Now add lemon juice then butter then garlic....Cook it until the meat starts busting apart....If you under cook it, it will turn people off

On another note; I have released alot more fish then I have kept! Lakes like Seventh lake where the DEC has confirmed an over Population of Lakers are good for harvesting fish & helping manage numbers.

[vivlamored]

i'll clean 100 perch and gills before one laker

[deadsmelthead]

i'll clean 100 perch and gills before one laker

Dude you must be real fast !!!!

[BottomDweller]

I could be wrong and I really don't feel like looking it up but I believe Lake Trout are Char not Salmonoids, along with Brookies,Dolly varden and Bull trout and probably a couple others but anyway just my bit of useless info...

...what do some of you that enjoy them prefer, deep fryer, smoker ??

the Family Salmonidae (salmonids) includes all salmons and trouts.  genus Salvelinus (in the Family Salmonidae) includes some trout and all char.  lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are included here.

if i have the time, resources, and motivation, a 5-8 lb laker cold-smoked over cherrywood chippings is the best, but the easiest way to make it really good is to batter and fry it.

[deadsmelthead]

the Family Salmonidae (salmonids) includes all salmons and trouts.  genus Salvelinus (in the Family Salmonidae) includes some trout and all char.  lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are included here.

if i have the time, resources, and motivation, a 5-8 lb laker cold-smoked over cherrywood chippings is the best, but the easiest way to make it really good is to batter and fry it.

See what I get for being lazy,I always thought the family was Char.. Thanks for the clarification.

I was thinking battered and deep fried would be hard not to try...thanx

[Scientist]

Here is some good info on fixing Trout and Smallmouth that come up with extended swim bladders.

It doesn't kill the fish

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/Fizzing.pdf

Lake trout stomach flesh is the fishiest tasting .... the rest is very edible.   

EXCELLENT LINK!!!! Thanks for the info!!!!

[Troys947]

I've posted this before, but Lakers are great eating. I really only like them 2 ways though. Both ways you have to fillet and de-bone the fish, then cube the fish up into like 1" cubes. Soaking them in milk for a bit, then rolling them in finely crushed Ritz crackers and frying them in hot oil is great! The other way is to make a good Chowdah with the cubed fish.

[troutguy1377]

i'll clean 100 perch and gills before one laker
Hey vivlamored what lakes in New York have you eatin lakers out of?? If you havent tried them out of Indian lake or Blue Mtn lake give them a try ,you just might change your mind.[ /quote]

[vivlamored]

ontario and fulton chain lakes

[troutguy1377]

I have eaten them out of ontario also and compared to Blue mtn or Indian its like apples to oranges way better out of these two lakes.Pretty good out of piseco if you can ever get a keeper.Tight lines and good luck cleaning those panfish.

[vivlamored]

 nothing beats a good pan fish fry i love it

[troutguy1377]

nothing beats a good pan fish fry i love it
I dont want to hijack this post but since were on the topic how do you cook your pans.Ever had perch prepared poor man shrimp style.

[vivlamored]

all the time

[troutguy1377]

all the time
[I must admit that poor man shrimp is better than any trout.tight lines VIV./quote]

[SPARKYICE]

why do they call it poor man's shrimp?
by the time i got my perch to the plate
i'd have to sell them for $25 a pound to break even!

[winni bound]

 cut the white oil sacks out on each side of the dorsal fin. not as oily, and tastes less fishy.    winni bound

[Drifter_016]

There are few fish I find as tastey as our lakers North of 60.
I love them baked, pan fried, barbecued, deep fried.
Our trout are nowhere near as oily as those soutern trout. Some of our trout feed almost exclusively on bugs, these trout have flesh as red as any salmon out there.
So don't discount the table quality completely, the ones from the far north are excellent.

[catchumall]

There are few fish I find as tastey as our lakers North of 60.
I love them baked, pan fried, barbecued, deep fried.
Our trout are nowhere near as oily as those soutern trout. Some of our trout feed almost exclusively on bugs, these trout have flesh as red as any salmon out there.
So don't discount the table quality completely, the ones from the far north are excellent.

I agree, I have eaten a lot of Lakers from Michigan to Alaska and I believe that northern Canada and Alaska Lakers taste noticeably better than others and it doesn't seem to matter much how you cook them.

[er-e-is]

There are few fish I find as tastey as our lakers North of 60.
I love them baked, pan fried, barbecued, deep fried.
Our trout are nowhere near as oily as those soutern trout. Some of our trout feed almost exclusively on bugs, these trout have flesh as red as any salmon out there.
So don't discount the table quality completely, the ones from the far north are excellent.

I agree, the lakers we get here are excellent table fare.

[PeteTown]

yes I think lakers south of the border are terrible polution etc? true north is the best

[viciouscircle]

I know everyone has different tastes so its only my opinion, but i think Lake Trout is an awesome eating fish, just 2 of the normal size ones up here and you have enough food for...well ....lots of folk. My wife was not into eating it at first because she said Trout taste like 'dirt', and when we were in Southern Ontario a couple years back i landed a couple of nice Rainbows, and yup, they tasted exactly like dirt. thats not to say all the trout everywhere tasste like mud, its just it put her off trying. So after lots of reference to 'Green eggs and Ham' she tried it and loved it, as i do, now she'll it it on a train, she'll even eat in in the rain. Sorry...i digress.

Grill it with butter and lemon with skin off, and lots of crushed black peppercorns...AWESOME!!

[Flag!!Man]

I really like em' too. While cooking one the other day my wife complained about the smell. I think the Odor while cooking one turns people off before they even get the meat in their mouth; or even when they do try it that smell while cooking the fish is still in their head. The Senses are tied together.

[iced]

I had the rare chance to eat a rainbow, grayling and a laker in one day on a camping trip. I thought I would like the grayling. I cooked them all the same way, bled ,skinned and fletted, cooked on a flat rock on coals in the camp fire. I was surprised that i liked the laker. From then on I love them. since they are a slow growing fish I don't eat many and I have never ate one that is over 6 lbs but I think the bad taste thing is a roomer. some Friends kept one the other day that was 16 lbs and said it was great.