How often do you guys eat big fish?
Now that my skills are more refined, and perhaps just alot of luck(probably this), but I find myself with more fish over 20″s than years past. And not necessarily your typical eater sizes, and sometimes those 20-24″ fish just don’t look all that bad. Contaminants are an obvious concern. But sure would be nice once in awhile to check out the stomach contents as well.
Walleye wings!
https://www.google.com/search?q=walleye+wings&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS763US764&oq=walleye+wings&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.3655j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
How often do you guys eat big fish?
Rarely if ever. My personal rule is not to keep anything over 20″, and I’m pretty good about not breaking it. I take the cheeks out of anything over about 16″s though, and just started with the wings too! Those are the prime cuts!
18-20″ fish have worthwhile cheeks too
Cheeks was bad headliner, more curious to eating the big gals?
I agree, someone posted the wings last year I believe and those and cheeks are fantastic!
I do only grab the wings off cleaner water fish though.
Haven’t ate a walleye bigger than 19.5″….ever? Most lakes I fish have rules against that, but even the ones that don’t.
I like the 15-18″ fish the best, I think 16-17 is prime time for amount of meat and thickness(breading to meat ratio).
Same here Phil, can’t remember if a 19″+ ever been eaten.
The kiddos love fish more than me so I really like that 12-15″ honestly. Smaller the better for contaminants.
Wings are great, I had one nice walleye 26″er early this summer, the freezer was empty and the wife wanted to do a fish fry so I kept it (do not shun me) I did not like the idea all that much as I typically follow a nothing over 20″ rule as well. Lets just say I will not be keeping any more, the flavor was not too bad but did have a bit of a muddiness to it which the smaller <20″ fish lack. The texture was to be desired, it was tougher and seemed to lack the crisp flakiness of smaller fish. It was a good affirmation as to why I wont keep the big ones.
Anything over 20″ goes back for me unless I don’t think it’ll make it. 14-17″ is my preference.
Larger are OK if you want to grill them but for frying, the smaller fish are much better imho.
Basically agree with what Phil said.
Its hard to eat them when I can’t catch them 
Bigger the better, they all taste great. If you like keeping small ones go for it, you can keep cheeks out of about anything.
My family is really likes eating fish too and I’m super picky about what fish they eat so it’s 18″ or under eyes for them.
A fish fry with the guys, though? Sure, I’ll keep a low 20’s eye but it’s 1-2 times a year, if that happens at all. They fry up usually fine if you prep them well but I’d much rather let those mercury mamas swim away.
If I have not caught any fish and will be headed home soon I will stretch my tape measure up to 21”. 99% of the time 19” is my cutoff.
As far as contaminants go, if I’m in the cities or south it’s concern. If I’m up north, I don’t really give it a second thought.
I usually take one big 25”+ plus back from Canada every year.
Was forced to keep a 27” a few years back as it didn’t survive.
They tasted great. I couldn’t even tell the difference on the Canadians.
Up in Canada we have eaten a few 25 to 27 inch fish. Take your time to clean them and cut the mud lines out and you won’t even know the difference. But now if I’m in minneapolis I’d pass
Bigger fish taste just fine . If prepared right can’t taste any difference . The fillets are thicker , so slice them in half lengthwise, basically end up with four smaller fillets
I believe that the foul taste of big fish that most people dislike is the taste of guilt. Fishing northern waters, I have filleted many walleyes over the yrs in the 24”+ (up to 30”) range. Trim off the fat on the skin side of the meat, and they taste great. I can not imagine the old guys I go to Canada with several times each winter throwing back a 25” eye if they get one, and it’s not my place to tell them otherwise. Occasionally, maybe a couple times a yr, I like to whack a 24”+ fish for the bbq. They grill up wonderfully.
I like to whack a 24”+ fish for the bbq. They grill up wonderfully.
Yes they do grill up wonderfully…smallmouth bass that is. 20-24″ one’s are the best. Favorite all summer long.
Best big fish eating is muskie. Always bake one up for the holidays. (You need a lot of bacon) 
If I don’t catch one…you know you can buy them? Over in Wisconsin…Lac Courte Oreilles. (You didn’t read this here)
Walleye’s…meh, I only eat those at restaurant’s
Big bass ‘n’ muskie…best big fish eatin 
baked-muskie.jpg
grilled-smallmouth.jpg
Have you tried the barbequed Asian Carp with a drizzle of Asiago seasoning ?
The only place I keep big fish from is Erie. We bleed them and take the mud line off. You can’t tell them from a 15 incher foe taste.
We seem to keep what ever we feel like keeping and butchering it up. No bad feelings here. Some days let them all go, some days keep them all. big or small within our limits. Never seen an issue with the size of the fish. All the cheeks taste very good.
Maybe just cut out the cheeks and let the fish go? They should grow those back?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Timmy wrote:</div>
I like to whack a 24”+ fish for the bbq. They grill up wonderfully.Yes they do grill up wonderfully…smallmouth bass that is. 20-24″ one’s are the best. Favorite all summer long.
Best big fish eating is muskie. Always bake one up for the holidays. (You need a lot of bacon)
If I don’t catch one…you know you can buy them? Over in Wisconsin…Lac Courte Oreilles. (You didn’t read this here)
Walleye’s…meh, I only eat those at restaurant’s
Big <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass ‘n’ muskie…best big fish eatin
So true. I like a nice 52” Muskie slow baked. I usually start the meal with a nice bald eagle sashimi. Can’t beat that meal with a stick.
ya’ll ever tried a muskeaglbarnowl??
its kind of like a turduckhen only with a musky,eagle,and barn owl,finely chop the eagle and barn owl so that you can stuff at least a fifty inch musky with it.
wrap it with bacon,roll it in brown sugar,smoke with alder wood for ten minutes then switch over to hickory coals for another hour or so.
JK FWIW
ya’ll ever tried a muskeaglbarnowl??
its kind of like a turduckhen only with a musky,eagle,and barn owl,finely chop the eagle and barn owl so that you can stuff at least a fifty inch musky with it.
wrap it with bacon,roll it in brown sugar,smoke with alder wood for ten minutes then switch over to hickory coals for another hour or so.JK FWIW
Should a guy be worried about lead and mercury issues?
Back in my catch and release paranoia days, couldn’t get a 25″er to right itself. To my horror, took it home and filleted it feeling shameful and guilty. That fish tasted amazing. The guilt diminished with each tasty bite. Now I release most fish still, but don’t think twice about a questionable release on bigger walleyes. Fish die, they don’t live forever.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>iowaboy1 wrote:</div>
ya’ll ever tried a muskeaglbarnowl??
its kind of like a turduckhen only with a musky,eagle,and barn owl,finely chop the eagle and barn owl so that you can stuff at least a fifty inch musky with it.
wrap it with bacon,roll it in brown sugar,smoke with alder wood for ten minutes then switch over to hickory coals for another hour or so.JK FWIW
Should a guy be worried about lead and mercury issues?
I will answer with a resounding NO !! why??
unless you are buying avgas,there is no lead in gasoline anymore so you dont have to worry about fouling O2 sensors and spark plugs.
mercury issues??? thats why I am here,to help you with outboard problems.
uh,er,uhm,ahem,did I misunderstand the question??
LMAO!!
been eating big fish for years,eyes,pannies,perch,bass,cats,you name it,and I dont have any side effects yet at my age,nor do I glow in the dark.
that said,I do wish this nervous tick in my right eye,the never ending shake in my hands and a left foot that taps out the song NIB by black sabbath non stop would go away.
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