A fish ive never come across

[billycap]

So went fishing with a long time local a couple weeks ago..
He pulls up this fish... tells me its a whitefish. Im like Ive never seen a whitefish with a head like that before. His reply... you have been fishing in alberta too long and thats 100% whitefish. Im saying sqawfish but he insists its a white.
What do you think?

[Xiph0id]

Weird azz fish.

[fish gunner]

So went fishing with a long time local a couple weeks ago..
He pulls up this fish... tells me its a whitefish. Im like Ive never seen a whitefish with a head like that before. His reply... you have been fishing in alberta too long and thats 100% whitefish. Im saying sqawfish but he insists its a white.
What do you think?

Sir I feel you are very correct..

[goldscud]

Northern pikeminnow

[jacenbeers]

Goldscud is 100% correct. That is a Northern pikeminnow also known as a squawfish. They are over running some lakes and rivers in BC. I caught over 150 in one day in the Nechako river over the course of a few hours.

[billycap]

Thanks guys thats what i thought... He took it home to eat.. have to ask him how that bc "whitefish" tasted. Caught many whites out of kinbasket but the first one of these. Hope they dont take over but I imagine they are no match for hungry bulls.

[chriscosta]

just saw one on facebook and it said they are not good to eat

[EZM]

lol .............. large mouth whitefish

those things are pretty fun to catch ........... okanagan lake has tons of the around docks.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Not whitefish, lol Dont know why people keep thinking they are.

[Rennich98]

Kept a few from Koocanusa to try...definitely not the best tasting fish out there but it was ok...just filled with about 1000000 little tiny bones

[Kurt505]

Sturgeon bait!

[wildwoods]

It's definitely a squawfish or pikeminnow(same thing). I've fished Shuswap lake for years and always come across these guys. The ones I've caught are typically green and yea full of bones. Taste not bad but not worth the effort. I caught and released a ten pounder three summers ago and was told later by a friend how invasive they are. He was adamant about eliminating every one you catch simply because they spawn like crazy and really hurt the rainbow and steelhead populations.

[fish gunner]

It's definitely a squawfish or pikeminnow(same thing). I've fished Shuswap lake for years and always come across these guys. The ones I've caught are typically green and yea full of bones. Taste not bad but not worth the effort. I caught and released a ten pounder three summers ago and was told later by a friend how invasive they are. He was adamant about eliminating every one you catch simply because they spawn like crazy and really hurt the rainbow and steelhead populations.

They are a scourge on game fish. They eat every thing and I have only ever found them in perch and bulls. Good indicator of trolling to slow in bc lakes.

[Speckle55]

Here is a read .. Northern Pikeminnow

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a488/Speckle55/northern_pikeminnow_zps54ddcd44.jpg (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Speckle55/media/northern_pikeminnow_zps54ddcd44.jpg.html)

David:)
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fish_profile/northern_pikeminnow.html

[billycap]

Good read thanks Dave

[wildwoods]

Thanks Dave.

[AdamJ]

quick and easy way to ID - does it have an adipose fin?
Nope...

[EZM]

quick and easy way to ID - does it have an adipose fin?
Nope...

Yeah and ........... what whitefish has a head that HUGE and a mouth that BIG .......

Those things run rampant in many lakes in BC and seem to eat anything.

[burbotman]

Yup northern pike minnow. We catch them down in Idaho. Bad rep for sure but personally I think they are an impressive species well adapted to their ecosystem

[marlin1]

doesn't look like a white to me but doesn't look like the squawfish I was catching off Okanagon lake either in the canal . The head does look like a squawfish though

[Lornce]

Definitly a fat Squawfish/pike minnow, I've caught thousands of these while growing up in the Okanagan Valley in BC. They are very eager to take a hook of almost any kind and sometimes you can rack up large numbers even from shoal. They can grow to a hefty size and are great for kids and new fishers. When I taught Fly casting in BC I used this species as a quick way to teach fish hookup and landing. They where always cooperative.

[Stewie]

Squawfish... Fun to catch but do not eat thm

[lone wolf]

Squawfish... Fun to catch but do not eat thm

Also make great bait when sturgeon are actively feeding.