Eating fish at the lake

[iceman_wine_n_dine]

I went ice fishing this weekend, boy was it cold. I brought along my green Coleman stove like any good Alberta outdoorsmen would do... and I caught myself a nice little trout. Well guess what?? I used my Cabelas seasoning I just bought and made myself up a tiny little dinner on the lake.
Anybody else have any nice weekend adventures? This old man wants to hear about it!

[kcward]

Hoping to get out tomorrow!

[EZM]

When the weather is a little less harsh and there is no wind we have been known to bring out a grill, coffee pot, camp stove onto the ice.

People usually each bring something and we all share. Last year a few groups went out and there were perogies, coffee, steak tips, jambalaya and smokies ..... it was pretty ridiculous ..... better than home ..... lol....

There are some serious gourmet meals going on around the fishing camp sometimes.

[Red Bullets]

I winter camped at Smoke lake 30 years ago and had a fire on shore where I roasted whitefish. I used green sticks and wire to hold the fish opened. Just granulated onion and garlic and pepper. When almost cooked some green willow sticks on the coals to make some smoke. Some of the best whitefish I ever ate.

I like catching brookies , making a fire and putting them on a stick like a weiner and over the fire. Within 10-15 minutes of catching them. No spice required. Yummy. Fins are like chips.

[thumper]

Been known to bring some cooked pearl rice and soya or teriyaki/soy along with me salmon fishing for a little on-board sashimi.

[flint guy]

I have been drinking tea and eating oatmeal in my tent. Fry pan is clean, cause I was skunked.

[Habfan]

Those last couple meals sound great !:sHa_sarcasticlol:

[1bluZebec]

Lol these are great responses. We did this yesterday out at wizard lake. It was tough getting the water to boil out in the elements yesterday. I couldn't find the lid for our pot to boil the water but having it even just really warm and almost hot was good enough for an amazing Starbucks instant coffee and awesome candy cane white hot chocolate for the kids. I love having the stove out ice fishing.

[Littlejet]

Always have the coffee pot on, fry up fish, chilli, grilled cheese, just about anything that we can think of. Was out in -45 wind chill, fishing in shirt sleeves. :)

101769

[Evil69]

When I lived in Thompson Manitoba and had a shack on Paint Lake we kinda got out of hand, some days I spent more time cooking than fishing. Some of our menu items included moose sausage & panfried taters, Grouse burgers, burbot chowder, Venison chili, venison Kabobs, An assortment of fish fries depending on the days catch. We always had a soup, coffee & tea. for the kids hot chocolate and smoked venison smokies to roast on the fire. First year we would take a full size cooler, by the end of my stay there in year four we were taking 3 or 4 full size coolers and 2 dry boxes. Good times.
Nowadays I mostly fish solo so it's a thermos of coffee, some pumpkin seeds and a few smokies....at least I have more time to fish ;)

[coyoteslayer]

Harv...............

Fishing like that is almost cheating!!!!!!!!!!!

[Littlejet]

Harv...............

Fishing like that is almost cheating!!!!!!!!!!!

No its not Pat!!!
:argue2:

[coyoteslayer]

Lol. I will have to come out one of these days and see how your new shanty is working out. I'll pull the sleds out if you ever get any snow.

[Littlejet]

Lol. I will have to come out one of these days and see how your new shanty is working out. I'll pull the sleds out if you ever get any snow.

Always have extra room, just let me know.

[iceman_wine_n_dine]

Great responses fellas (and ladies I hope). Was a nice surprise to log in after a few days with a nasty stomach bug and see all these great ideas! Keep them coming, folks!
I am not sure I have ever tried roasting a brook trout like a hot dog wiener. Did you gut it first or fry it all together?

[Littlejet]

Always have the coffee pot on, fry up fish, chilli, grilled cheese, just about anything that we can think of. Was out in -45 wind chill, fishing in shirt sleeves. :)

101769

Yum!!! Fresh walleye!!!!
101987

[iceman_wine_n_dine]

Yum!!! Fresh walleye!!!!
101987



That looks tasty!! Wish there was somewhere closer to edmonton a guy could have a walleye fry!

[Tfng]

Just as a heads up. An acquaintance of mine received a ticket on Cold lake for cooking fish while on the ice.

[EZM]

Just as a heads up. An acquaintance of mine received a ticket on Cold lake for cooking fish while on the ice.

I have cooked at the lake many times (including fish I had caught at the lake). On at least one occasion a CO came out checked licenses, etc.... not a word was mentioned.

He did try the "leading question" about limits, and I indicated that the fish in the pan counts towards my possession limit. He seemed satisfied with my response and went on his way.

What was your acquaintance charged with? I am certain he broke no law.

[thumper]

Roasted Brook trout on a stick = delicious

Best on little brookies - under 12"
We'd gut them and remove the head, then run a green willow branch from the head end in along the top of the rib cage - right beside the backbone.
Roast like a hot dog with the top side facing the coals. This causes the skin to crinkle and tighten up, opening the bottom flaps. Toast the flap side (bottom) when almost done.

[thumper]

Roasted Brook trout on a stick = delicious

Best on little brookies - under 12"
We'd gut them and remove the head, then run a green willow branch from the head end in along the top of the rib cage - right beside the backbone.
Roast like a hot dog with the top side facing the coals. This causes the skin to crinkle and tighten up, opening the bottom flaps. Toast the flap side (bottom) when almost done.

[Tfng]

I was not there that day nor did I see the ticket. He told me it was for cooking fish at the lake. Said the CO told him how can I know how many you have eaten?

I sure hope you're right, I love a good fish fry at the lake. Nothing beats caught ten minutes ago fish. I've been leery of it since.

I suppose I could have called fish and wildlife to confirm.

[alacringa]

I was not there that day nor did I see the ticket. He told me it was for cooking fish at the lake. Said the CO told him how can I know how many you have eaten?

I sure hope you're right, I love a good fish fry at the lake. Nothing beats caught ten minutes ago fish. I've been leery of it since.

I suppose I could have called fish and wildlife to confirm.

I suspect there's perhaps more to this than your friend told you. There is no charge for cooking fish at the lake; and a ticket won't be written (IME) unless there is evidence of an offence.

[Tfng]

I suspect there's perhaps more to this than your friend told you. There is no charge for cooking fish at the lake; and a ticket won't be written (IME) unless there is evidence of an offence.

Good! I won't worry about it anymore.

[Tomcatchesallthefish]

You guys have it all! I only will cook some hot dogs or bring sandwiches from my home, hot coffee in the Stanley bottle., I am going to try cooking more foods at the lake, I like the ideas I have read here, hopeful more to come.

[Team Beef]

IMO
The issue here is "if you cook a fish at the lake, say walleye / pike, how would the CO know how big the fish was. The regulations read that you are not allowed to process any fish with size limits unless you are at your place of residence. Once the fish is cooked, how is the CO to know what type of fish it was, unless it might be a trout.

[Angler]

IMO
The issue here is "if you cook a fish at the lake, say walleye / pike, how would the CO know how big the fish was. The regulations read that you are not allowed to process any fish with size limits unless you are at your place of residence. Once the fish is cooked, how is the CO to know what type of fish it was, unless it might be a trout.

That's why you gotta it quick! ))
If seriously, just cut fillets out and save remains of fish, before you ready to go home, they can measure it if need.

[Red Bullets]

Great responses fellas (and ladies I hope). Was a nice surprise to log in after a few days with a nasty stomach bug and see all these great ideas! Keep them coming, folks!
I am not sure I have ever tried roasting a brook trout like a hot dog wiener. Did you gut it first or fry it all together?

I gut the fish, leave the head on. a green stick thru the mouth and along the spine. Over the fire till the eyes turn white and the fins are crisp.

Then lay your trout on a flat surface/plate with the belly flaps opened facing down, and the back facing up. Hit along the entire back firmly. Then when you flip the fish over and grab the head , you can pull out the entire skeleton easily. Then eat the skin, fins and meat.

[Littlejet]

IMO
The issue here is "if you cook a fish at the lake, say walleye / pike, how would the CO know how big the fish was. The regulations read that you are not allowed to process any fish with size limits unless you are at your place of residence. Once the fish is cooked, how is the CO to know what type of fish it was, unless it might be a trout.

I have never had an issue with cooking fish at the lake, but then again I share with the CO. Shore lunch is a tradition that will never die!!!!

[Alarmedtadpole]

Smokies and hot dogs taste sooooo much better on the ice (especially if your fishing buddy cooks them) :)

[EZM]

The legal requirement is to keep the evidence of length and species where the law applies to slot sizes and species until it has transported to your residence.

When camping, overnight at a campsite, it is defined as your residence for the duration of your stay.

You should, however, only fillet the fish you are going to eat while in camp and leave the rest of the fish intact so that when you are transporting them home, you avoid any legal issues.

For Example, If I fillet a walleye, which is governed by length restrictions, I keep the head and spine intact and leave it in a bag until I'm done having shore lunch. At any point a CO can come by and inspect my fish .... no worries.

I have actually had this happen to me ...... end result .... it was cool.

It was a younger CO, at pigeon, but he could clearly see we had the heads tagged, he could see they were of appropriate slot size. He didn't seem to know what to do so he phoned his supervisor.

We did, in fact, remove the fillets to prepare them ( we were cleaning fish as he arrived at the cleaning station and I had already dropped the guts in the trash but had the bag with the skull, and spine intact and it had the tag properly affixed). It was clear the fish were legal.

It didn't seem that he knew exactly what to do .... but I was cool with him, explained the intent to fry them up and pointed out the fact that I had, in fact, taken the added step of having retained evidence of species and length and it could be clearly matched to the carcass.

At the end of the day these guys are there to protect our fishery, and if he thought something was amiss, he would have issued a ticket.

It simply wouldn't hold up in court anyways ..... so why bother issuing a ticket that doesn't result in a conviction. I don't think any reasonable CO would issue a charge. What would the charge be? The law states "retain evidence of length and species" it does not indicate "intact" although it is, admittedly, implied in the language.

I don't think any self respecting crown prosecutor would pursue the case and I am certain there would be no judge that would uphold the conviction based on the simple fact that the fish were taken legally and of the appropriate species and length.

Everything was on the up and up .... so off we went ..... pan fryers !!!!

[fisherkarin]

Omg! don't forget the pickles, cheeses, garlic bread for the jalapeno deer smokies (coleslaw goes nicely with the smokies) home made deer stew with biscuits etc... lol...some of my best meals have been 'invented' on the ice! lol!
slowly realizing I need two thermos' of coffee though :sHa_sarcasticlol:

Tight Lines Everyone!

[EZM]

Bring a coffee pot ....... nothing better than coffee (and maybe a splash of bailey's) out in the cold ......

[the pilot cock]

I eat way better on the ice than I do at home. Last year I took a buddy out to Lac Sante during the burbot spawn and actually found myself getting frustrated with how good the fishing was. I was right in the middle of trying to get the chicken thighs into foil with bbq sauce and onto the grill and the rice pilaf going but the fish wouldn't stop biting. When lunch was ready we had to stop fishing to enjoy the meal. It's hard to land a burbot with a plate of chicken, rice, caesar salad and garlic bread in your lap. It was awesome!