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Does anyone know why the meat on Razorbacks and other large stripers is different from the small stripers? Surprisingly, we have
found that the meat on smaller stripers tastes much better. The texture of the larger stripers is not firm after it is cooked. There is a considerable difference between the appearance of the fillets as well. The smaller stripers produce firm, slightly off white fillets while the larger stripers produce very soft, white fillets. Is it because of their diet?
The Razorbacks also look unhealthy. They're so thin and they put up absolutely no fight. They are more or less dead weight. I get a better fight out of a 1 lb striper than I do a 4 lb Razorback. I'm wondering if this is due to a lack of shad or other food sources. Anyway, these are my observations from Temple Bar and Overton Arm. I do not recall catching any Razorbacks in the Boulder Basin.
Best regards,
Paul
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Hello everyone,
I thought I would repost this thread to see if anyone had insight on this subject. Maybe no one else is coming across this phenomenon but me.
Best regards,
Paul
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Hey there Whizzle,
I'm sorry I should have been more clear in my post. I'm not talking about the "razorback suckers." I'm talking about stripers that are unusually thin but very long. I've caught many stripers in the Temple Basin that are about 20-28 inches in length but they only weigh 4-5 lbs. They are extremely thin from the dorsal fin down. They barely have any meat to them. And when you catch one of them, there is very little fight in them. Just feels like dead weight in the water.
All I know is that I have caught and filleted a ton of stripers, and there is a considerable difference between the meat of a smaller striper and a larger striper. The color, texture and taste are clearly better with the small stripers. Anyway, just wondering why there are so many of these "razorback stripers". Even if they feed solely on shad, there's no reason why their bodies should be so thin. I just haven't been able to figure it out yet.
Best regards,
Paul
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Hilarious Doz...very candid but well put.
Best regards,
Paul
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Oh, I'm sorry... Miscommunication. Well, thats the whole problem with Lake Meads fishery. There just aren't enough shad to go around. With the water levels dropping like they are, all the near-shore brushy structure that the shad use to hide from predators, and spawn in, is gone. When they are shelter-less, they get forced out into open water making them an easier target for the stripers. This hurts the shad spawn, and every year, the numbers are dwindling. Without enough food to fatten them up, those 5 year old stripers are starting to look anorexic. Its a situation that is only going to get worse as more and more water is sucked out of Mead. I'm worried about what our fishery might be like in 5 years. Either way, the only thing we can do about it is to try and take as many small (less than 20 inches) stripers as we can so the bigger boys can have a decent meal. EVERYONE - STOP THROWING BACK THE TINY GUYS. IF YOU DON'T EAT THEM, GIVE THEM TO SOMEONE WHO WILL! IF THEY WON'T EAT THEM, THEM MAKE A COMPOST PILE! I KNOW IT DOESN'T SOUND MORAL, BUT ITS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN!!!! NDOW WOULD NOT HAVE INSTATED AN OPEN LIMIT ON SMALL STRIPERS IF THIS WERE NOT THE CASE! IF WE DON'T, YOU WONT BE ABLE TO CATCH A STRIPER BIGGER THAN 10 INCHES OUT OF MEAD IN A FEW YEARS. WE CANT LET THIS HAPPEN! STOP THE STUNTING OF STRIPERS IN OUR LAKE!!!!!!
The Whizzle
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I agree!!!! I have been out latlely and the fish are in poor condition. They deflate when you try to clean them and the meat is not as good as the smaller ones. 5 lb fish heads with 2lb bodies.
Stripercraze
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I agree with you that we need to reduce the striper population. I do tend to return the smaller ones back into the water. I usually release those that are smaller than 12 inches. However, I also use stripers as live bait. There have been occasions where I have caught stripers that are only 3-4 inches long. The only thing I have ever caught off them are big catfish. I've used live sunfish/crappie that are also about 3-4 inches long, which have been great for catching larger stripers.
I do not release "razorback stripers." They're usually half dead by the time I reel them up so there's no point in releasing them. I figure those types of stripers are just doomed and they're better off being fed to the coyotes. This will allow the healthier stripers to have access to more shad. So basically, don't release the small stripers or the "razorback stripers."
Thanks for your candid suggestion.
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Paul
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Hello Mead stripers,
Just a bit of information on the Nevada side of the lake I think that it is against the law to use any kind of game fish for bait.
The only things Nevada allows per there fishing seasons and regulations booklet are as follows.
Mosquitofish,Carp,Flathead Minnow,Golden Shiner,Red Shiner,Threadfin Shad and Gold fish. You may also use Waterdogs,Grasshopper,Earthworms and cray fish.
I do not know what the Arizona side allows.
Stripercraze
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It is legal to use sunfish, but yes, using live stripers, or any cut piece of dead stripers (except maybe the guts and eggs) is illegal. Thats on both the nevada and arizona side.
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Thanks for the heads up gentlemen. I'll make sure to release the tiny stripers next time. I guess I just wanted to appease my curiosity and see whether something huge would bite on them. I only use sunfish if I manage to catch them on the side of the houseboat. They tend to stay in shallower waters right next to the houseboat as shelter. Anyway, I'll be good next time.
Best regards,
Paul
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e to remove every striper from Lake Mead that I can!