Fishing Forum

[quote Brighamfish]I would say to start out DWR could make them taste better. Lol! I am not a fan of trout meat of any kind and lakers have a reputation for not being the greatest trout flavor to boot. I do love white meat fish however, burbot, bass, cats, eyes, gills etc etc. I still keep laker pups to give to friends that like trout but it's just not my favorite flavor. Most of the guys I fish with feel the same. I think this is the biggest hangup to getting people to keep more of the laker pups. They just don't want to take home 20 lbs of trout they will never get around to eating. If I didn't have friends who liked trout mine would most likely all be back in the lake.[/quote]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]If you learned how to can them, you would not be giving them away. Canning fish of any kind is simple actually and the product is as good as, if not better than, the canned fish you buy at the grocery store. I like to mix mine with some mayonnaise, some finely chopped sweet onion & celery, and some Dickensons Premium Sweet 'n' Hot Pepper & Onion Relish and use it to make mouth watering sandwiches or as a party cracker spread. I have yet to serve it to anybody that didn't want more.


Life is good - and with some canned lake trout, even better. [][/#][/font]
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[quote Fishassassin]After reading all the info on the post and all the responses I have two direct questions. Exactly what size range of lake trout are you suggesting we harvest? Secondly, how serious of a problem is this to the fishery?[/quote]

As mentioned, a laker pup is a lake trout (actually in the char family but we still call it a trout) under 28 inches. The problem is the younger pups are a very aggressive feeding fish that thrive even after being released multiple times, this leads to overpopulation and competition of resources for other species and stunted growth of their own species. Look at it this way, if 5 fish are eating the same slice of bread they may survive but not grow as large or as quickly, but if one or two fish are eating the same slice of bread then they will grow bigger and more quickly. Just in the last 10 years the number of mature lake trout is down by 30%. The laker pups are increasing in number by almost double the rate of the kokanee, nearly 50% of kokanee die when released and this adds to the problem.
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[quote Brighamfish]I would say to start out DWR could make them taste better. Lol! I am not a fan of trout meat of any kind and lakers have a reputation for not being the greatest trout flavor to boot. I do love white meat fish however, burbot, bass, cats, eyes, gills etc etc. I still keep laker pups to give to friends that like trout but it's just not my favorite flavor. Most of the guys I fish with feel the same. I think this is the biggest hangup to getting people to keep more of the laker pups. They just don't want to take home 20 lbs of trout they will never get around to eating. If I didn't have friends who liked trout mine would most likely all be back in the lake.[/quote]

Have you tried a properly smoked lake trout?
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[quote nofish2]I for one think the pups taste great. Now on the other hand, the bigger ones are very greasy and don't taste good at all.

I like to smoke them, fry them, BBQ them and bake them.

With the way the lake limits are you can get 3 kokes 1 bow and 8 Macks under 28" ,that will make a cooler full for anyone.[/quote]

Agreed, last summer I kept one that was just shy of 8 pounds and thought it was still small enough to eat well, but man it was greasy and the flesh wasn't firm. I will see if my wife will put together all of the recipes we have used for trout and post them on here sometime, oh my gosh there is some amazing ways to cook them.
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[quote love2fishUtah]I... Especially since in Yellowstone they claim the biggest threat is the large adults because they produce thousands of eggs when they spawn. Yet in FG they want to rid the lake of the smaller pups and keep the larger Lakers.
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It is also interesting to see fisherman at FG holding up big Laker trophies and then taking care to release them, and then see pictures of similar sized fish being netted and killed by the thousands in Yellowstone. There you are mandated to catch and kill every laker. They just drop them back into the lake.
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Again, it's all education. Anglers have a very hard time when it comes to big fish, and thus they always want to protect them. Even when that protection may be compounding the problem they want solved. You see this all the time with regulations, and it's usually due to some social issue instead of a biological issue.


[quote MACMAN]I won’t believe there is actually a problem until our biologists recommend a change in the current law, otherwise it’s useless information. Education isn’t going to work until laws change either. [/quote]
This isn't true. Education certainly can have a dramatic effect under current laws and regulations. Promoting the fishery and educating anglers to the benefits of harvesting fish (any size) allowed under currently regulations is not a bad thing. That is not wasted effort. It is important.


[quote MACMAN]It’s going to be really hard to convince me to spend my precious time on the lake going after my least desired fish in the lake. [/quote]

But that's just you. What about all those other "non angler" boaters that frequent the lake? Do you think they'd snub their nose to an opportunity to catch fish that are supposedly an easy catch?? No way! There are a lot of people that frequent that lake without any specific fish in mind -- that's a great target group to educate and promote lake trout fishing to!

Lake Powell, Yellowstone, and FG are certainly all different. But that doesn't mean utilizing similar techniques to accomplish a goal isn't wise. Education is certainly a key component of effectively managing a fishery like FG.
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I think PBH hit the nail on the head. Id love to catch a limit of pups. What are those who cant keep them off their hooks doing? Trolling depth? Lures/ setups? Are they jigging?
Some of the best fish ive eaten was lake trout.
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[quote kyLURE] Id love to catch a limit of pups. What are those who cant keep them off their hooks doing? Trolling depth? Lures/ setups? Are the jigging? .[/quote]


This ^^ is exactly why Wayne's Words was started. While there were many people who knew (and know) how to catch stripers, there were many who did (and don't) know how.

While many of you might be struggling to keep those small lake trout away from your lines, there are far more who don't have any idea how to catch them.

If you don't educate people on how to do it, it will never happen.
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[quote PBH][quote kyLURE] Id love to catch a limit of pups. What are those who cant keep them off their hooks doing? Trolling depth? Lures/ setups? Are the jigging? .[/quote]


This ^^ is exactly why Wayne's Words was started. While there were many people who knew (and know) how to catch stripers, there were many who did (and don't) know how.

While many of you might be struggling to keep those small lake trout away from your lines, there are far more who don't have any idea how to catch them.

If you don't educate people on how to do it, it will never happen.[/quote]

There is an endless amount of info online including dozens of videos showing exactly how and when to do it, I bought my first real boat 3 years ago and most of what I put into practice I learned online.
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Awesome! I'll look into that! Thanks
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This guide will even mark your map for free [url "https://www.flashyfishlures.com/blog/2016/07/catching-big-lake-trout-flaming-gorge-easy-1-2-3/"]https://www.flashyfishlures.com/blog/2016/07/catching-big-lake-trout-flaming-gorge-easy-1-2-3/[/url]
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You know Dubob that might just be worth trying. I was no fan of deer till I started canning it too. With the right seasoning, like Montreal steak seasoning, deer tastes just like roast beef when canned. I have no doubt a good canned laker recipe could be delicious. Sounds like you mix up your canned laker just like I would a tunafish sandwich. Are you seasoning the fish at all when you can it?
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Here's a link to some outreach materials to help anglers understand the current situation and benefits of harvesting small lake trout. There's also documents on angling and cooking tips, for both burbot and lake trout.

[url "https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Green-River-Region/Flaming-Gorge-Management"]https://wgfd.wyo.gov/...ing-Gorge-Management[/url]

KSL Outdoors also did a show on Flaming Gorge pup lake trout in December. The same techniques will apply given the current reservoir conditions.

[url "https://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=1112&sid=46232972&title=help-flaming-gorge-by-catching-and-keeping-a-limit-of-lake-trout-pups"]https://www.ksl.com/...t-of-lake-trout-pups[/url]

Someone also mentioned derbies to increase harvest on pups. Buckboard did an ice derby with a most weight for pups under 25-inches back in February. Lucerne will be doing the same thing at the Flaming Gorge Derby from May 19-20th, so it's catching on. If you're interested in the rules and registration for the upcoming derby, they can be found here:

[url "http://www.flaminggorgefishderby.com/"]http://www.flaminggorgefishderby.com/[/url]

You should also expect to see more outreach and education from WGFD and UDWR in the near future, hopefully to help anglers be more efficient at locating/catching/harvesting pups in Flaming Gorge.

Hope that helps, Ryno
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[quote Brighamfish]Sounds like you mix up your canned laker just like I would a tunafish sandwich. [font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Bingo! And its WAY better than tuna fish.[/#800000][/font] []
Are you seasoning the fish at all when you can it? [font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I put 1 teaspoon of Season-All OR 1 tablespoon of Catalina salad dressing in pint jars before adding the fish. I also remove the skin before canning. I don't care if there are bones in the meat or not as they are softened to edible in the canning process.[/#800000][/font][/quote]
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How about a unlimited harvest on Lakers under 24”?

Lots of people would go for a weekend and keep 100+ fish.
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We want to manage the fishery not kill it. Making limits so high that you kill it out or doing a bash like for berbot or nets like in yellowstone, wont work in FG. Lakers are wanted just need to be controlled. One of my favorite fishing trips of the year is FG in the fall and I keep my limit for a month of fishing. pups are great and I catch my share of bigger fish as well. I like Educate idea and letting people know just how good and fun lake trout fishing can be.
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[quote Gemcityslayer]How about a unlimited harvest on Lakers under 24”?

Lots of people would go for a weekend and keep 100+ fish.[/quote]

Years back they increased the limit to 8, they have a hard time getting people to keep that many as it is and increasing that number would do little to help if most are not even keeping the 8 limit beforehand.
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Years ago there was a study done by, I believe, MN. They found that if they wanted more fish KEPT for a specific species that they had to give anglers a "target" to shoot for.

Unlimited and people would catch a few, kept what they wanted, then quit.

Too high a limit was as bad as unlimited.

Set a low limit, and they would of course catch and quit.

But, set a high limit, but an achievable limit, and people would spend more time and effort on the water to catch and keep that extra fish, or few fish, for bragging rights.

How many times have you heard someone at the boat ramp say, ya, I caught my limit; All s, puffed up chest, so tall that their hat touched the sky.

I know that they 8 fish limit is an issue for some, and education is of course an issue with that, but ......

I am not going to drive from Sandy Utah to FG for one day of fishing. I am not going to drive to FG for 8 pups or 8 fish total. In all honesty, I will drive there for C&R but that was not the case when I was younger.

Lake Powell and FG have several things in common, but the biggest one is the distance from major populations centers.

If you expect anglers to keep more Lakers, you have to attract more anglers. The ones that C&R, or the ones that don't keep the 8 fish limit now, are not going to help you. We are set in our ways or have reasons we don't keep more fish. But, you are not going to get the average fisherman from SLC for 8 fish.

Tough problem, and I am glad to see the movement on this, but all I can say is that this is one tough nut to crack.

[quote Anglinarcher]Years ago there was a study done by, I believe, MN. They found that if they wanted more fish KEPT for a specific species that they had to give anglers a "target" to shoot for.

Unlimited and people would catch a few, kept what they wanted, then quit.

Too high a limit was as bad as unlimited.

Set a low limit, and they would of course catch and quit.

But, set a high limit, but an achievable limit, and people would spend more time and effort on the water to catch and keep that extra fish, or few fish, for bragging rights.

How many times have you heard someone at the boat ramp say, ya, I caught my limit; All s, puffed up chest, so tall that their hat touched the sky.

I know that they 8 fish limit is an issue for some, and education is of course an issue with that, but ......

I am not going to drive from Sandy Utah to FG for one day of fishing. I am not going to drive to FG for 8 pups or 8 fish total. In all honesty, I will drive there for C&R but that was not the case when I was younger.

Lake Powell and FG have several things in common, but the biggest one is the distance from major populations centers.

If you expect anglers to keep more Lakers, you have to attract more anglers. The ones that C&R, or the ones that don't keep the 8 fish limit now, are not going to help you. We are set in our ways or have reasons we don't keep more fish. But, you are not going to get the average fisherman from SLC for 8 fish.

Tough problem, and I am glad to see the movement on this, but all I can say is that this is one tough nut to crack.[/quote]

There are campgrounds and hotels/motels there for a reason, we have never done it as a day trip and never intend to. And the limit is you can keep 8 lakers and 3 kokes per person per trip, that's a lot of fish for 2-3 people.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Boy, you struck a nerve there. That is one of the things about FG that just makes me livid; the ONE DAY POSSASSION LIMIT. Especially when you consider that the possession limit at your HOME OF RESIDENCE is now unlimited. What that means is that if you live year round in Manila or within an hours drive of FG, then you can fish as many days in a row as you like and keep a limit each and every day you fish as long as you return home each day and leave the fish there. If, like probably 95% of the fishing population at FG, you live several hours away, then you are limited to a one day possession on ALL species of fish caught except burbot which are unlimited. Strawberry is the same way. Bovine excrement of the highest odor, I tell ya.[/#800000][/font]
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I just want to make sure that i am understanding the regulations correctly. If i make a weekend trip up there with my wife and 4 kids, does that mean that I can keep 48 Lakers? My boys would flip for that opportunity. I have never been to the Gorge but i recently purchased a boat and look forward to giving it a try this year. It would be nice if there was a Wayne's Words for the Gorge. I have never caught a laker and have no idea where to start. Sounds like i need to start hitting youtube
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