# Put back that Pig!



## Garyoutlaw77 (Feb 3, 2005)

I love a good Fish fry & have gourged on enough to notice a drastic taste difforance depending on body of water & Fish size. Daaaa!
I have started to put back the real big Perch & Crappie because of the taste even when the dark meat along the lat. line is cut out.
Anyone here have the same game plan ?


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Only during the spring spawn for me. I can catch 200 fish a day then. If i catch 14 and 15" fish during any of those days, i throw them back. I'll keep a dozen 12" fish for eating, a couple times a week. They dont last long in my freezer with the 5 daughters i have that dont fish anywhere else but my freezer now.


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2008)

I let go all of my big fish out of respect, with the exception as if i get one mounted ( hasn't happened yet). The lake needs them more then I do, I'm not starving but thats just me.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I like the 10"-12" crappies the best.


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

I will let some big ones go during the spawn if I'm having a good day. If I have plenty of 10-12" then the 12+ live on.

The rest of the year most of my crappies are caught while bass fishing and released.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

if i keep fish it usually crappie, but i usually only take maybe 3 between 10-13in, release anything i cant eat that day. i always get a kick out of peoples reactions when you toss back a 13-14in crappie, oh i try to always release the really nice fish, 14+. if its gills, 5-6 per person eating, i like the thick ones 6-8in, colder the water the better.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> I love a good Fish fry & have gourged on enough to notice a drastic taste difforance depending on body of water & Fish size.


I 100% agree with you. A few people on this board think I'm full of it when I say inland walleye taste much better than Lake Erie walleye. The LE walleye have a smell and a taste I don't really care for where the inland walleye are much sweeter.

I throw back crappie over 12" and keep the smaller ones for eating.

I would also include the time of year or temperature of the water influence the taste of the fish. I don't keep summer crappie and I don't like them frozen.
They are the only type of fish I eat that I don't think freeze well.


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## krustydawg (Apr 26, 2004)

Lewzer said:


> I 100&#37; agree with you. A few people on this board think I'm full of it when I say inland walleye taste much better than Lake Erie walleye. The LE walleye have a smell and a taste I don't really care for where the inland walleye are much sweeter.
> 
> I throw back crappie over 12" and keep the smaller ones for eating.
> 
> ...


You never did tell me how the Lake Erie walleye I gave you smelled and tasted ! Well out with it ! Don't worry you won't hurt my feelings if you don't have something positive to say....


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Hey Lewzer, i agree with you on the walleyes. I let my buddy have the big ones from erie and i'll take the ones 20" and smaller. On inland lakes like skeeter, i like them 14 to 17". They have the sweetest meat on eyes, i've ever tasted. I'll vacuum seal them and they'll stay good for months.


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

Lewzer said:


> I 100&#37; agree with you. A few people on this board think I'm full of it when I say inland walleye taste much better than Lake Erie walleye. The LE walleye have a smell and a taste I don't really care for where the inland walleye are much sweeter.


It's only one way to convince me of this. Pass me a couple of limits from your farvorite inland lake and I'll do the rest. And I promise I'll give you my honest opinion.


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Hey Rodney, get your vibees ready. Mosquito will be thumpin in another week or so.


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## krustydawg (Apr 26, 2004)

Hook N Book said:


> It's only one way to convince me of this. Pass me a couple of limits from your farvorite inland lake and I'll do the rest. And I promise I'll give you my honest opinion.


I already tried that. I gave Mike a bag of Erie eyes and got no love in return !


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> You never did tell me how the Lake Erie walleye I gave you smelled and tasted ! Well out with it ! Don't worry you won't hurt my feelings if you don't have something positive to say....


Hi Krusty, 
You were one of those I was thinking of as I wrote that. Your walleye was well....some of the best I've had out of Erie. 

It still didn't compare to the inland walleye though. 
I will save a batch of my May Mosquito walleyes for you this year and even run the bag of frozen luv up to you in Huron to try since I didn't get back up there last summer. 
Then we can go fishing!
I shared your LE walleyes with my fishing buddy. He didn't b**%& as bad as he did when I shared a bag of LE walleye I got from my boss so that must mean something.

Seriously though, I think your filleting technique had something to do with the taste or lack of bad taste. I was really impressed with your speed and skill with the knife.


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## krustydawg (Apr 26, 2004)

Lewzer said:


> Hi Krusty,
> You were one of those I was thinking of as I wrote that. Your walleye was well....some of the best I've had out of Erie.
> 
> It still didn't compare to the inland walleye though.
> ...



Sounds good, I'm just givin' ya hardtime ! Let me know when you wanna hit Erie out of Huron again with me, won't be long ! The boat goes in the 3rd week in April unless the basin is full of debris


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

....Garyoutlaw77....I agree with you put back the pig....I used to keep big 5 and 6 pound bass from Twin Lakes and could taste a difference to the smaller ones....Same with the walleyes from lake Erie those 8 to 10 pounders have a strong fishey taste.... But if you don't know the difference people will eat anything....Thankfully my wife loves fish but if it has a strong fishey taste she will not eat it.....
:F GOOD FISHING GUYS:F


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Lewzer said:


> I 100&#37; agree with you. A few people on this board think I'm full of it when I say inland walleye taste much better than Lake Erie walleye. The LE walleye have a smell and a taste I don't really care for where the inland walleye are much sweeter.
> 
> I throw back crappie over 12" and keep the smaller ones for eating.
> 
> ...


Did you ever try freezing cold water caught crappie in a freezer bag and first cover the filets with water? I've had spring caught crappie during the following winter and they taste as good(and still firm-fleshed) as the ones I ate in the spring.


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