Are lake trout good to eat?

[Tfng]

They're my favourite.

[Ken07AOVette]

Of all the fish I have eaten, after catching, cleaning and cooking myself, I would have to say

most favorite to least
1-Dungeness crab cooked instantly out of the trap! I could eat them until I get dizzy
2-halibut-truly the chicken of the sea, you can make them taste like anything
3-rock cod- a truly 'delicate' fish, amazing./ling tie (Nigel caught the ling, only I have ever had)
4-coho
5-spring
6-walleye used to be my #1 until I went ocean fishing. Damn you Jamie!!!
7-perch- been forever since I had a good feed, have to try again sometime
8-pike
9-brookie
10-rainbow
11-lake trout

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Of all the fish I have eaten, after catching, cleaning and cooking myself, I would have to say

most favorite to least
1-Dungeness crab cooked instantly out of the trap! I could eat them until I get dizzy
2-halibut-truly the chicken of the sea, you can make them taste like anything
3-rock cod- a truly 'delicate' fish, amazing./ling tie (Nigel caught the ling, only I have ever had)
4-coho
5-spring
6-walleye used to be my #1 until I went ocean fishing. Damn you Jamie!!!
7-perch- been forever since I had a good feed, have to try again sometime
8-pike
9-brookie
10-rainbow
11-lake trout

I like crab, but I'd put ling cod and yellow eye before salmon, and my favorite salmon is sockeye.

I'd put rainbow right at the bottom with grayling.

Trout fat is about as pleasing to the palate as chicken fat.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Of all the fish I have eaten, after catching, cleaning and cooking myself, I would have to say

most favorite to least
1-Dungeness crab cooked instantly out of the trap! I could eat them until I get dizzy
2-halibut-truly the chicken of the sea, you can make them taste like anything
3-rock cod- a truly 'delicate' fish, amazing./ling tie (Nigel caught the ling, only I have ever had)
4-coho
5-spring
6-walleye used to be my #1 until I went ocean fishing. Damn you Jamie!!!
7-perch- been forever since I had a good feed, have to try again sometime
8-pike
9-brookie
10-rainbow
11-lake trout

Never had cut throats eh? Your on the island you need to hit a lake and give these little beauties a try, it will adjust your list.

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Like I said, if you know how to prepare them properly, you will have a hard time telling the difference. Next time you catch one of legal size try to clean it properly and cook it up. I've eaten enough of all three to know how much of a difference it will make.

I do clean them properly... Bled out then put on ice, once home filleted and bones, blood line etc removed.

Nowhere even close to walleye so unless you have some secret step that most people don't normally do when cleaning fish I am having a hard time believing you as mine didn't turn out anywhere near walleye.

Kind of turned out like an oilier stronger tasting version of a big warm water pike...

I agree with Ken's list although I prefer walleye and perch over salmon(say if I had to eat it every day).

[EZM]

It's really about taste - some people who don't like "fish" enjoy deep fried mild and white tasting fish like walleye or halibut or even cod but might hate salmon or char (lake trout).

It's just a different type of fish really.

BBQed or braised/baked with veg/white wine lakers are good eating. They are not at the top of my list, but they are decent.

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I do clean them properly... Bled out then put on ice, once home filleted and bones, blood line etc removed.

Nowhere even close to walleye so unless you have some secret step that most people don't normally do when cleaning fish I am having a hard time believing you as mine didn't turn out anywhere near walleye.

Kind of turned out like an oilier stronger tasting version of a big warm water pike...

I agree with Ken's list although I prefer walleye and perch over salmon(say if I had to eat it every day).

The secret is something you left out of your post. Remove ALL the fat, belly, back, and along the center of the fillet. I guarantee once you do this it will bring on a whole new taste, and possibly even texture.

[EZM]

My list .... in the spirit of the list ....

1) Tuna - grilled tastes like steak and season it with Montreal Steak seasoning mmmmm
2) Crab - in cakes made properly
3) Halibut
4) Cod
5) Salmon - sushi or grilled
6) Walleye / Pike / Perch out of cold water and properly dredged and seared
7) Prawns - hard to screw these up
8) Brookies - the best trout/char you can eat
9) Rainbows and other Trout
10) Lakers and other Char

Honourable mentions to Burbot and Bass

I've had Bull Trout (locally refered to as Dolly's) and they are terrible - probably a good thing since you can't harvest them here in Alberta.

I've also had Carp - truly disgusting

[Brian Adams]

Originally Posted by EZM

I've had Bull Trout (locally refered to as Dolly's) and they are terrible

Like you said, it's really about taste.
We liked them when they were legal to keep.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by EZM

It's really about taste - some people who don't like "fish" enjoy deep fried mild and white tasting fish like walleye or halibut or even cod but might hate salmon or char (lake trout).

It's just a different type of fish really.

BBQed or braised/baked with veg/white wine lakers are good eating. They are not at the top of my list, but they are decent.

Agree and it has mostly to do with fat content of the fish species.

I also prefer mild tasting fish.

[buck12]

Of course they are, smaller ones are the best. Flour season salt and Lemon pepper. Got me hungry now.
Tight lines

[ROA]

I find the taste of a laker just isn't good enough to justify killing one.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by ROA

I find the taste of a laker just isn't good enough to justify killing one.

totally agree

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

The secret is something you left out of your post. Remove ALL the fat, belly, back, and along the center of the fillet. I guarantee once you do this it will bring on a whole new taste, and possibly even texture.

I did trim mine most of that off. I always remove the blood line, any dark meat and any patches of fat from my fish.

I will just agree to disagree. I find the effort of trying to catch a keeper walleye, the extra work to clean it and the inferior product are not worth the hassle. I love fishing for lakers but only for sport, if I want something to put on the table there are multiple other species I can catch easier.

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I did trim mine most of that off. I always remove the blood line, any dark meat and any patches of fat from my fish.

I will just agree to disagree. I find the effort of trying to catch a keeper walleye, the extra work to clean it and the inferior product are not worth the hassle. I love fishing for lakers but only for sport, if I want something to put on the table there are multiple other species I can catch easier.

I think you meant the extra effort in catching a keeper laker, but I understand.

[Talking moose]

Depends what lake they come from. I've only at lakers from 3 lakes. Cold, peerless, and McKay lake north of Yellowknife. All done the same way, (from the bonk on the head to plate). The lake trout from McKay tasted decent, the others were not as good. Perhaps they feed on different types of fish up there that resulted in better tasting fish. I'm not sure.

[Penner]

Food for thought - the indigenous folks whom regularly net Cold Lake try to avoid Lakers while netting. They target Whitefish and will keep any Walleye and Pike but any accidental Lakers caught are usually fed to the dogs.

I agree that crab, lobster, prawns are ddddddelicious but they are not fish. With that in mind my top 15...

1. Halibut (love it cooked a dozen different ways)
2. Sockeye (maple glazed or just salt, pepper, lemon, butter)
3. Sea Bass (love it cooked a dozen different ways)
4. Arctic Char (not farmed but wild from up North)
5. Mahi Mahi (love it cooked a dozen different ways)
6. Tuna Yellow Fin (sashmi or seared)
7. Wahoo (love it cooked a dozen different ways)
8. Grouper (pan fried with any type of fruit salsa is unreal)
9. Coho (maple glazed, just salt, pepper, lemon, butter, or smoked)
10. Chinook (maple glazed or just salt, pepper, lemon, butter, or smoked)
11. Eastern Brook (ones out of Maligne are top drawer)
12. Haddock (lemon peppered pan fried or fish and chips)
13. Cod (fish and chips)
14. Whitefish (smoked only)
15. Walleye (from the Lakeland or other cooler/deeper waters)

My top 5 I won't bother with
1. Swordfish (it's horrible and what they charge for it blows my mind???)
2. Shark (had to try it once just to say I did)
3. Bass (had them a few time in Ontario mushy flavorless)
4. Goldeye (heard they were good but i had them smoked in Manitoba really greasy)
5. Lake Trout (small smoked ones are pretty good, anything other than that no thanks chewy, greasy, and very bland)

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Penner

Food for thought - the indigenous folks whom regularly net Cold Lake try to avoid Lakers while netting. They target Whitefish and will keep any Walleye and Pike but any accidental Lakers caught are usually fed to the dogs.

My blood just boiled a little

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

My blood just boiled a little

At least they didnt go to waste.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by huntsfurfish

At least they didnt go to waste.

They sure did

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by ken07aovette

they sure did

ok

[denied access]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

They are great when smoked.

How do you get them to stay lit????

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Penner

7. Wahoo (love it cooked a dozen different ways)

Interesting that Wahoo was so high up on your list.

I caught one in St. Lucia and we tried cooking it on the bbq and pan fried. It was very tough although that was mainly because my step father overcooked it both times.

How well done do you cook/prefer it?

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

They sure did

They fed the dogs better than being chucked on shore....

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by denied access

How do you get them to stay lit????

They are greasy, once that starts the smoke will start...

[Penner]

Originally Posted by RavYak

Interesting that Wahoo was so high up on your list.

I caught one in St. Lucia and we tried cooking it on the bbq and pan fried. It was very tough although that was mainly because my step father overcooked it both times.

How well done do you cook/prefer it?

I find people often over cook fish. My Dad was the worst at over cooking everything. In fact things I disliked as a kid I now like.

Wahoo I had twice was prepared differently. First time it was grilled and topped with a mango/pepper salsa and a cherry sauce/reduction. Second time pan seared blackened with cajan spices.

[Penner]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

My blood just boiled a little

X2