Hard Ice fishing

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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Nov 21, 2015
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I have heard this before, have you had them from clear, ice cold water?

Flatheads, catfish, shrimp, crappie, big headed carp, salmon, trout, walleye, bass, blue gills. Is my ranking.

Notable, the 1.5" thick slabs, allow grilling, that would destroy most fish fillets.

Catfish, is highly localized, in taste.
 

itrebebag99

Plecostomus
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Mar 16, 2017
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Flatheads, catfish, shrimp, crappie, big headed carp, salmon, trout, walleye, bass, blue gills. Is my ranking.
From best to worst? No, just no way. No way that bigheads taste better than walleye. If it is from worst to best, no way bigheads taste better than crappie.
 

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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Nov 21, 2015
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Walleye have good texture, but their kind of like a mushroom. They don't have a signature flavor. I was spring walleye fishing, when I snagged my first big head.

My wife likes tilapia, better than walleye??
 

elting44

Piranha
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Oct 8, 2007
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If carp are anything like catfish, it depends on how they are butchered and how old/large the fish is, as well as the water quality.

For example, a 2-5 lb catfish, properly cleaned with the red meat/blood line removed tastes better than fish that are 10lbs+. Not to mention it's better for the fishery when the large fish are released to continue spawning.

In the case of invasive Asian carp species, I guess harvesting as many as you can is the modus operandi.

That being said, a nice walleye or even yellow perch caught through the ice and cooked properly is pretty tough to beat imo
 

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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The local lake, 18,000 acres, once supported 18" crappies, coolers full of white bass, hybrid wipers of 15 pounds.
It was even stocked with millions of walleye fry, before the DNR, quit managing, and gave the lake to the migrating waterfowl.
The dam has prevented the fish from moving up river. The lake is completely over run with gizzards shad.
Last summer I caught about 2 white bass for every day of hard fishing,
So if I can fill the freezer with 60 pounds of white meat fillets, on one day of hard fishing.
Last summer, I used catfish trot lines, over the 7 days, I was off work, I never caught a single catfish. 20180119_152317.jpg
Big heads lined up and ready to be set down river, in spring, to rot, and add some pollution.
Some one else's Catch, It is illegal to release them. They do sustain about 155 Bald Eagles, and some huge raccoons.
 

Thekid

Potamotrygon
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Sep 18, 2014
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This out on red rock? I might just need to take a trip out sometime
 

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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Yes, on the Des Moines river, below the dam at the Ivans campground, on the big sand bar.
 
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