# 12/11/2022 steel head



## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Trip up North this morning provided a much NEEDED result ☺

...I did the Eastlake area at 7:45 am with 4 cars and six people fishing...by 8:30 there were 3 times as many people. I made a move and with my 3rd cast I got into a very nice (Short) but wide/tall male with 🔵 and silver Cleo. Over the next several minutes I hook up with 3 more steelhead. 

I have been struggling last 2 months and it felt good to put hooks in faces today. 2 made the bucket ride back home as I was in need of meat and fresh eggs.

I fished both the Chagrin and Grand River today. A lot of people out fishing and some (guide) work on the Grand. Fly guys everywhere hahaha. I find myself just watching sometimes and almost falling into a trance. 

Tying up eggs tonight.

Don.


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## Crack77 (Mar 19, 2021)

Nice report, I was going to try the Grand today but figured it might be a bit crowded and I only have been there twice & don't know a lot of options of where to go there. I went to Elk instead, knowing it would be very low water and managed 2 fish from one hole & then left figuring not worth walking with so low conditions. Went over around Ashtabula & pulled a couple from where I know they hang out.
Question: I have kept exactly 5 fish in the 10 years or so that I have been steel heading just for a couple friends who have requested them and I have never eaten one. Do you fillet them just like an Eye or is there anything different? I have a friend who wants to smoke one but I would have to cut it.
Thanks


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Fillet it just like any other fish. I keep the skin on the fillets. Rinse and trim it up around edges and done. They are just like store bought. 

Don.


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## TRIPLE-J (Sep 18, 2006)

Hey twisted how do you like that bubba knife???
Sorry to get off topic


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Brother Kenny bought me the BUBBA for birthday and I love it! Cordless and 4 blades.
7" flex
9" flex
9" stiff
12" stiff

Handle is a bit big but comfortable. It's a great knife for Large fish like walleye/steel head and any long type fish. I guess I would give it an 9 out of 10 rating. I still love my rapala knives and use on the smaller pan fish whatnot.

Teaman


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Off topic:

The 2 steel head I brought home this past (Sunday) had different color fillets. The male was light/flesh colored and the female was orange 🍊 in color. I know that diet has a lot to do with meat color but was wondering if the eggs play apart with the darker orange color? 

Don.


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## TRIPLE-J (Sep 18, 2006)

Ive had them where the meat is actually white


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

The longer that they are in the river the more skin color they get and the meat gets lighter in color…a chrome fish is fresh from the lake and the meat will be deep red/orange color


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## Trouthunter (Jan 22, 2018)

joekacz said:


> The longer that they are in the river the more skin color they get and the meat gets lighter in color…a chrome fish is fresh from the lake and the meat will be deep red/orange color


That’s what I was thinking, the amount of time in the river is the difference.


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## MechMark (Nov 3, 2021)

The darker the skin, the lighter the meat usually.


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## westbranchbob (Jan 1, 2011)

I can actually say I've caught chrome from the lake and had almost white to a deep orange fillet...based on fish shape and size I'd wager a bet that it has something to do with the different strains...I only started running into this 3 years ago...but ya and as far as eating goes...I keep about 10 or so a year and if the flesh is white it gets the smoker...if it's orange it hits the skillet...I fillet mine just like twisted then pull the pin bones with tweezers and portion the fillets out for the pan...better than most salmon imo unless you get coho.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk


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## TRIPLE-J (Sep 18, 2006)

All the fish i clean are silver fish fresh from the lake


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## JoyAnonymous (Sep 14, 2021)

Dang that second one is dark as hell, godspeed on cooking it. Typically I try and get them as chrome and blue backed as possible and then smoke them.


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