lake trout vs. splake

[PBH]

Doggonfish asked for a lake trout vs. splake comparison in another thread. Here are two photos for comparison (photos courtesy of Hadley):






In the photos, note the extreme forked tails (lake trout) compared to the splake. Also, note the spots. On the lake trout the spots are irregular shapes. The splake are much rounder.

There you have it. Now there are no excuses.
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[doggonefishin]

Very nice, Thank you. []


RE: "There you have it. Now there are no excuses."

There is always that one fish in 100 down there that gives us a little extra conversation about its genealogy though. Part of what makes it fun I suppose.[] Can't wait to "practice" on 40-50 this Monday.
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[brookieguy1]

I know it's a little after-the-fact, but lake trout taste nasty, splake are delicious.
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[Fishrmn]

Pup mackinaw are pretty good. Once they reach 25 or 26 inches they start to taste lousy. I always try to get two pup macs, and two splake from Fish Lake.
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[gmwahl]

How are you guys cooking them to make them taste nasty? I live in garden city and generally keep at least ten throughout the year to BBQ, and I have yet to get a bad one. Maybe the lakers out of bear lake taste different than the gorge or fish lake as I've only eaten small pups from the gorge and none from fish lake to compare it to.
I fillet then Grill skin side down on a blistering hot grill till almost done , then flip flesh side down to finish, and almost all that eat it with us compare it to grilled salmon, and I have cooked up to 15 pounders! Very moist fish.
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[PBH]

wouldn't that depend on the fish? Like another person mentioned, lakers under 15 inches are most likely not living on a strictly pisciverous (fish) diet. If those lakers are feeding on the same thing as the splake thier same size, why wouldn't they taste similar?

I'd be willing to bet I could fry up some lake trout and some splake and have you eat both blindfolded, and you couldn't tell the difference.
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[DeadI]

Great post. I think I will take this down to fishlake next time I am down there and have them hang them up. It amazes me how many people that think they have caught a splake down there are actually catching the pups, which is fine but there is a size restriction on them and how may you can keep. Last summer I had a lengthy discussion that the 15 fish he had were mostly pup lakers and not splake. These photos would have been helpfull.
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[doggonefishin]

RE " It amazes me how many people that think they have caught a splake down there are actually catching the pups, which is fine but there is a size restriction on them and how may you can keep. Last summer I had a lengthy discussion that the 15 fish he had were mostly pup lakers and not splake."

Exactly, which is why I asked PBH about it. Among me and my friends, we may have 1-2 per trip (out of a large number) that we may "discuss" and we are moderately knowledgable about how to tell them apart, but from what I've seen most of the guys out there are rather clueless about the subject.

Anyway, as I said before, thanks again PBH, great stuff!
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[PBH]

[quote DeadI] I think I will take this down to fishlake next time I am down there and have them hang them up.[/quote]

I know that the DWR used to have some nice signs up at Fish Lake with the picture and descriptions. I also know that sometimes anglers, campers, and other recrationists can be slobby people that enjoy destroying things like this.

I guess what i'm saying is: go ahead and hang it. Don't expect it to last very long.
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