Two Subspecies of Lake Trout

Guys:

First a report…

Looking for some help regarding the two subspecies of lakers in L. Superior… I posted up some pics from our most recent and most successful outing up to Saxon Harbor last

Sat. Sept. 7th.

James and Grant’s success had me itching to get to the Big Lake to start exploring our end of the lake. Though we were not in a position to run leadcore of any kind, there is still lots to learn about the area we were fishing. We had been up the previous two weeks trying to learn the Saxon area, prepping for cooler water temps to come back in. In all three of our outings (8/23 & 8/31) water temps were in the 69-70* range. We finally got some cooling (67*), though not a lot, our fishing picked up!!!

During our first outing staying in the 65′- 80′ depth range, we pickup our first laker in the shallower depth range. We were running spoons on dipsys and spin and glos on the riggers. We did manage a coho on a late subsequent pass through the same area that yielded the laker.

Second trip, we were basically running mono and snap weights as one system and fish seekers as the other system. So our depth control was based on these to systems. I did try to get my bro to pick some advanced 832 on his way, but it did not work out. So we did what we could with what we had and continued to learn more about the bottom contours.

Interestingly, we did find a hump and just as we came off it, we got a rip that we didn’t get hooked up. So we went one for two for the day, hot & flat, only saw 3 other nets in the air, was approached by WI CO’s, who told us it was slow in the area that was deluged by 7″ of rain.

Last day, with some pretty good intel, we ran to 85′ ran riggers to 80′, dipsys to 50′ getting 4 on the dipsys and 2 on the spoons on the riggers. We ran spoons in green and pink on both dipsys. Spoons in purple at the bottom and one spin in glo in pink 65′ down were our runners. We did run stickbaits up top targeting 30′ with 3 colors of leadcore. We were going to try to get this leadcore down further, but couldn’t come up with a concept with what we had to get spoons down deeper.

So you guys have answered my questions that I didn’t ask, so I am going to post secondary questions in another post. Thank you!!!

Mark

Not to steal your thunder Mark and I am not sure about sub species of lakers in Superior. But from my experience catching lakers on Nipigon they greatly vary in color and marking. Same with the pike and walleye. I believe they have a little natural chameleon in them. Spend a long time on a sand flat and the adjust to the sand color.

Either way I envy you for getting the opportunity to fish the big lake

There are two in Superior: the redfin and the sissowet. The redfins are the eaters and the sissowets are not real good on the table. As the name inplies, a redfin will have some red-orange tinging in the fins similar to a brook trout. The meat on a redfin is very orange while the sissowet has a yellowish meat that has oil showing as soon as the fillet removed or the gut opened.

I got creel checked in Port Wing. They said I had a regular lake trout and one that is not caught much on the south shore a siscowet lake trout it had a smaller head and its meat was marbled with fat and tasted horrible. Creel checker said they usually are never caught hook and line as they stay very deep eating fatty prey species. They are spotted by obese body tiny head. He also said there are redfin which are more prevalent on the north shore and around Isle Royal. He said they are the ones you want to eat. HE suggest feeding the Siscowet to the gulls. I should of it was horrible. If I ever get one again it gets released. I cannot tell from your photo but they do not look like sicowet lakers.

To sum it up most say 3 types.
Siscowette- very fatty meat, typically DEEP fish
“regular” – somewhat oily meat, most commonly caught
Red Fin/leans- very much like salmon meat

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To sum it up most say 3 types.
Siscowette- very fatty meat, typically DEEP fish
“regular” – somewhat oily meat, most commonly caught
Red Fin/leans- very much like salmon meat

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I’m agreeing with this one.

This may be a siscowet.

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To sum it up most say 3 types.
Siscowette- very fatty meat, typically DEEP fish
“regular” – somewhat oily meat, most commonly caught
Red Fin/leans- very much like salmon meat

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X2.
“Regulars” are commonly called humpers and are probably the most commonly caught on the lower shore. They are decent eating when fresh.

The red fins are more common the further up the shore you go. They are by far the best eating of all the lakers in my opinion. The meat is nice and red and salmon-like.

The siscowets are caught all over and are not worth putting a knife too. In the older commercial days, they were used for rendering down for fish oil…..ish.

T

We ended up with two different fleshes… Four of them were the beauty orange flesh, probably the regulars, flesh was a bit softer… the siscowets, I am assuming were the two fish that we cleaned with the grey flesh… I was told some guys cut them and put them back overboard… Not my preferred style, can these be smoked???

Mark

All I know is that one is lean with orange tasty meat and the other is robust with white fatty meat. A real grease bomb. We didn’t even keep the latter.

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I was told some guys cut them and put them back overboard… Not my preferred style, can these be smoked???

Mark

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Yes, they can be smoked and taste very good prepped that way.

How anyone in this day and age can suggest cutting an “undesired” fish before throwing it overboard to die drives me nuts. Those siscowets are amazing fish. If someone doesn’t want to keep one I can’t for the life of me understand why they wouldn’t just throw it back.

James:

Great to see you back at the keyboard, here’s hoping the rest of the body is starting to respond favorably as well!!!

I agree wholeheartedly regarding the knifing and throwing overboard. I have heard that from people who hate muskies, now siscowets and can we beleive that we are actaully fly fishing for CARP!!!

I for one will be saving and smoking a batch of mine!!!

Mark

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I was told some guys cut them and put them back overboard… Not my preferred style, can these be smoked???

Mark

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Yes, they can be smoked and taste very good prepped that way.

How anyone in this day and age can suggest cutting an “undesired” fish before throwing it overboard to die drives me nuts. Those siscowets are amazing fish. If someone doesn’t want to keep one I can’t for the life of me understand why they wouldn’t just throw it back.

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I think you may be labelling a regular lake trout as a siscowet.

Reefers or humpers…pick your name…. are great smoked. Their meat can range from a very pale yellowish tint to light pink or light orange. They are fine eating – especially fresh.

Siscowets, on the other hand, are basically not edible. If you have ever smoked a true siscowet, I would be surprised if you were able to actually eat it. I smoked one once and after WAY TOO LONG in the smoker, the meat was still an oily mushy mess. Back in the commercial netting days, they were rendered for oil and not used as any food. A regular lake trout has a fat content from 6-9% and a siscowet has from 50 up to 70%!(from what I recall reading) They are basically inedible.

I have knifed and disposed of siscowets a few different times, and none were intentional. Appearance does not always make an easy choice. IMO, it is tougher to tell a siscowet from a reefer in a lot of cases than to tell the difference bewtween a coho and small king or rainbow.

I recall a time I put the knife into a 12-13 lb siscowet in the apostles. When I saw what it was, we put it on the campfire. It bubbled and bubbled for an unbelievable amount of time. It acually burned very well! I am hardly a wanton waster, but an unusable fish is an unusable fish. If I would have realized what it was prior to keeping it, I would have released it.

T