BSmaster

I think it is safer to eat fish from keuka than eating fish bought at Walmart (Aka China fish)  I don't see warning labels there.  I choose not to eat lakers because they are somewhat offensive and strong to me.  Not because of DDT.

 Not a bad fish in my book.

mine either.  Good job.

second that!  I am still try to break 30# barrier.  Nice fish!  I can tell it is heavy by the arch in your back.

As a rule, I try to avoid tournies.  I did fish in the same lake as one last year and I did notice dead fish at the launch after weigh in.  They probably thought I was a bottom feeder for getting my net out and pulling them off the bottom but I don't care.  They were still fresh and I hate seeing waste.  I chose not to judge them for not keeping the fish alive and then dumping them back into the lake.  I hope they got more than just a weight deduction.  Some heavy peer pressure to do better next time.

I was told the walleyes come in blue, black, and green with Green being normal.  I caught one that was blue grey a few years back and I kick myself for not getting a better picture of it.  Like stated above, they (Blue) are supposedly extinct.  Probably all the same fish with a slightly altered dna makeup.  Kinda like when they say it affects 1 in every 100 000.  I caught a perch once with walleye markings.  I have a decent picture of that somewhere.

Joe

I have driven by bass pro 4 times in 8 days and not gone in. That's self control.

If I drive within 30 minutes, I make an excuse to go there.  I don't travel to the mid-Atlantic coast without planning on a drive thru Hamburg.  Thankfully, It hasn't cost me my house yet.

They're all pink on the inside

I have heard that before...  but it was in a different context. 

1st I see a nice mess of perch.  Hmmm - looks good.

next I see a beautiful dish.

Then I read the description.

All of a sudden it hits me.  I have a walleye in the fridge.  And I haven't eaten yet.

Walleye lightly seasoned in old bay, pan fried in olive oil/butter.  Finished with garlic butter.  Placed over Rice Pilaf.  I Bobby Flay'd that Beache.  Thank you for the inspiration.  I have the bacon and the prosciutto but This just seemed to be a better choice for me tonight.

Joe

PS parsley was just garnish for the picture.

Nabbed these 2 (10 inchers) walleye fishing.  No eyes.

Joe

Justin, Truly sorry to hear about your dog.  I know that hurt.

If you want to do some river eye fishing this winter, I would be up for that.  Got to be a lot a places between Corning and binghamton holding eyes. We looked for them upstream yesterday but couldn't get them to bite.  If you need to give them away, thats ok too.

Joe

I don't care how big you are, how tough you are, how mean you are.  Don't mess with crazy.

another one of my favorites...  No sense being in the right if it gets you dead.

Pick your battles.  You don't have to win them all to win the war.

I been following this post.  Interesting comments.  Just report the guy.  I would start with Cuomo's task force on creating a safer NY.  That should keep the guy too busy to get out on the water.

Here is a video to lighten the mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg

Joe

PS mean people suck.  I don't like them either.

Was up on Sunday and it did have that murky green look.  Water at the inlet and the outlet was crystal clear.  I caught one nice bass and couldn't for the life of me figure out a pattern for the pike.  I saw them feeding but my presentation was way off.  I will have to rethink it for next time.

Joe

Its like Reel in the Outdoors without all the reflection.  Beautiful fish.

Joe

Love those mornings...

Sounds childish but I would be lying if i said I haven't found myself in the same position before.  I try to stay away from people but it just doesn't matter.  I always seem to end up in the way of an intolerant SOB who somehow has more rights than me, although, I don't ever see it.  It still can ruin my trip. 

On the flip side...  I did find myself getting a little bit annoyed with people at the boat launches this year.  It is not that hard people.

Sounds like I will be steering away from Oswego County.  I keep hearing things about theft and bs that goes on up there.  Makes me wonder.

We just got back from Old Forge this week.  No fishing.  Wife said no. but she liked the scenery so much I talked her into doing a full week of Adirondack exploring next summer (with boat in tow).  I told her we could stay a day or two and then drive to the next spot. We even talked about making our summer home up there when (if) we retire.  I do like the lifestyle up there.  If I don't move to Maine it will probably be the ADKs. 

Justin, as usual, excellent report.

Joe

Congratulations Kevin.  Sounds like a great time.

I caught a walleye on a beetle spin but I wouldn't suggest that people use it a technique.  Same with drop shotting for them.  If a walleye is hitting your jig or your bait he feels that and whatever weight is part of that which is probably more natural. but if you have weight somewhere else on your rig it is going to feel that weight in a different manner which is unatural and probably spit it.  So if you are drop shotting, it is probably a good presentation but I would suggest using a stinger because walleye are notorious for short hitting baits.  Sometimes in cold water I use a stinger on my shiners because the adult walleye will swim around for what seems like an eternity with half the bait sticking out of its mouth.  The Juvies engulf it right away so it is difficult to gauge when to hook set.  Stingers level the playing field.  I want to catch adult walleye without killing the next generation.

BTW, this is based on river experience.  Guys on the lake may have different ideas.

Justin, That is quite the list.

Kevin, Taste for me goes crappie, walleye, perch.  After that the separation is too close.  Ocean fishes...  I haven't had enough to know.  But grilled mako is really good.  I love the Striped bass.  Halibut, Dauphin, cod, marlin, sword.

Panfisher, I kept a lot of pickerel one year because there were too many of them in my fishing spot.  I tried several ways of filleting them and they do not fillet out as easily as pike (at least for me).  I found it easiest to fillet them normal, leave the bones in and par boil them.  Painstakingly remove the bones and make fish patties and refry with seasoning (old bay).  My wife doesn't like anything other than tuna and she liked it.  But when I say painstaking, it is that.  But this is what worked for me.  I thought about grinding them but then I figured I had a lot of time invested in cleaning up the grinder.  Nice flavor to the fish but I have been letting them go this year.  I agree with pike in the 24-30 inch range.  I have little trouble filleting out the Y bones and that is some good eats. 

getting me hungry thinking about it,

Joe

Those cats are something.  Good size ones make you think you have a nice walleye.  Big ones make you wonder what you are snagged on, at least for a few seconds.  Kevin, I have tried cooking them different ways too.  I don't like them either - Mushy.  I used to let them go but I know a guy who loves em.  He chunks them up and rolls them in corn meal and deep fries them.  I guess using the fryer to remove the skanky oil and replace it with the artery clogging oil.  I usually fillet fish for people without expecting anything in return but these things are so fatty I told this guy he owes me a draft pick to be named later.  These shouldn't be confused with bullheads.  I like bullheads.

This is a list of fish I sometimes catch but was not the intention.

Carp - do not fish for them but catch them often while fishing for Kings in the fall with skein.

Cats - Catch them like carp on skein but also with creek chubs fishing for walleye.

Pickerel - summer bass fishing.

Well, I believe you learn something new everyday.  I never heard of Pike and pickerel getting together but after catching a rather large chain Thursday, I decided to look at the picture again.  After looking at images on the internet, I am certain it is a chain.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  This thing was thick.  I am guessing at 25 inches it went about 5.5 - 6 lbs but it could have been more.  I need to invest in a boga.  The stringer was used to keep it under control so I could get a picture of it.  It swam away without an unnecessary injury to me or the fish.  What I wanted to show is this hybrid fish that I had never heard of.  There are a lot more people on this site with more knowledge on this matter than me.  Does this hybrid thing occur everywhere or is it select locations?

The next pic is off from the Vermont page showing the three possible pike - pickerel situations.  Top to bottom is Pickerel, Pike-Pickerel Hybrid, and Pike.  I believe this is from Lake Champlain.

Educate me,

Joe

I been wanting to get up there for awhile but I am getting hammered by the 3 "W"s.  Wife, Work, Weather.  Hard for me to coordinate a 3hr drive 1 way with those Pesky Ws.

Please keep up the reports.    It is probably the closest I am gonna get to it this year.

Nice fish.

Joe

springwater rod and gun club used to stock it yearly with walleye, apparently the DEC polled a bunch of fisherman and decided that they wanted to focus on creating a naturally sustaining rainbow population. After that happened, I guess they pulled Springwaters permit to stock. Personally I would love to see a healthy walleye population in Hemlock, there are tons of trout lakes.

I admit that I haven't looked real hard or spent hours doing a study, however, I have seen rainbow parr in the creeks.  I haven't seen juvie walleyes/fry in the Creeks.  I agree with you.  I think it would be much nicer to see sustainable walleye.  I bet there are a lot more people who disagree with us than agree with us.  I noticed the warm water lakes are getting pressure this year.  Maybe this is a good indicator for the DEC in future decisions, kinda like that with Owasco. 

To the original post.  That is a beautiful fish regardless of where it came from.  I definitely would be proud of that one.  Yes, I knew right away where you caught it.  Beautiful lake.

Tight lines,

Joe

That's an awesome story.  I agree with your statement on musky fishing - Be prepared for after you catch it or you likely have killed it.  Justin, your reports make me want to go fish Otisco.  I don't plan on it, but you got me thinking about it.

Tight lines,

Joe

Justin,

I know what you are talking about.  I got a 25 inch post spawn fish from Consesus this spring that was over 8lbs.  Last season, I got a prespawn 25 incher from the river that weighed 5lbs.  I do not remember seeing that much fat but then again this was opening day so post spawn recent.  What I remember is it was so round that it looked like a bass in the water at one point.  The girth was incredible.  Any walleye (over 20) is a good walleye.

Glad to see you getting into them.  Been slow for me this year (so far).

Joe