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| Has anyone ever TASTED a muskie? Like actually ATE one before? |
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Posts: 458
| Samantha you are opening a can of worms... |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | They taste like Carp.....which I never ate before either. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | musky baked is fantastic ...
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | jonnysled - 1/4/2013 6:55 AM musky baked is fantastic ... I agree... but you need some sort of bread or stuffing to soak up all the fish oil... or they tast like carp. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i'm sure it depends on the size of the fish not unlike pike ... the one i tried was about a 35"er ...
the logic that they don't taste good is flawed.
otherwise, not unlike walleyes ... the best "eaters" are the smaller ones.
i know a place that would be improved if more folks baked the small males that have stunted an otherwise good musky fishery. total cpr has it's flaws on some waters too. an opinion. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Better than walleye. Unfortunately. Ate one out of one of the waters Sled speaks of. Couldn't revive it... ate it... it was good. Lots of meat on her, we poached, baked and deep fried. It was all good. Cold water. |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | The fillets are long and make a great sub sandwich. You fillet out a couple 50's and you can serve up a pretty big party of people. Pitching a major sub shop chain on the idea this morning to get the commercial fishing rights for the meat. |
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| I'm surprised to hear that they taste so good because I have only heard the opposite. Do you suppose there are people who fish for them exclusively for the meat instead of the sport? |
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Posts: 1036
| When I was a kid I ate some that my neighbor grilled. I thought it was terrible.
But then again, I didn't eat onions, mushrooms, tomatos or green peppers then either.
As far as now? I'll stick with my tasty walleyes. |
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Posts: 1264
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Samantha - 1/4/2013 10:07 AM
I'm surprised to hear that they taste so good because I have only heard the opposite. Do you suppose there are people who fish for them exclusively for the meat instead of the sport?
I know a few. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Baked they were good. I didn't like them fried. |
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| I'd like to try it one day, but I'm not going to kill one just to see if I like it or not. It was probably more common table fare when people harvested any of them they caught, eh? Are there any restaurants that serve it? I don't think that's legal. |
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| jonnysled - 1/4/2013 7:44 AM i know a place that would be improved if more folks baked the small males that have stunted an otherwise good musky fishery. total cpr has it's flaws on some waters too. an opinion. Sort of like culling the herd? |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I had it twice. One years and years ago my brother caught a 33 I think (legal then) and kept it. I think it was boiled or baked and we ate it with melted butter. I remember it being pretty good. Then another, a friend's dad caught a 40 while walleye fishing that supposedly wouldn't release. I think that was prepared the same way and was surprisingly good for a fish of that size.
I guess if I had a fish that went totally stone dead on me I would probably keep it and eat it.
Tucker |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | in the case i'm mentioning the place is polluted with muskies but most are males in the 32-36" range. i'm not arguing against cpr, but unfortunately like most special-interest groups ours tends toward an all or nothing approach leaving out room for any form of logic that might include finding balance.
years ago you could get legitimate shots at big fish (4-footers), that just is not the case anymore and based on balance i'd say a "big" fish is 40" there now.
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Water temps were in the 39 degree range on the one we kept. Likely made a difference.
Lots of lakes with 28" size limits around. With a few exceptions they could use a few less 28-32" fish. I would assume the warm water period would be the worst time to keep one as far as table fare is concerned. Unless you bleed it and eat it fresh. Know a few (older) guys around here that eat every one they catch, which amounts to a fish or 3 a year. |
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| What is the size limit on this lake? Is that part of the problem of numerous and small fishes? Has there ever been any history of a limit decreasing instead of increasing? Would that help? |
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Posts: 323
Location: Waukee, IA | I put one on the smoker a long time ago and it tasted WONDERFUL! Back in the day it wasn't a big deal and the size limits allowed you to do it.  |
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| I like to eat them raw. Lift 'em outta the net and just start chowing. |
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Location: Smith Creek | Limit decreased on quite a few lakes in the last 20 years. Helps on some, doesn't make much difference on others. |
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Posts: 5874
| Samantha - 1/4/2013 10:07 AM
I'm surprised to hear that they taste so good because I have only heard the opposite. Do you suppose there are people who fish for them exclusively for the meat instead of the sport?
That muskies taste awful is a myth created to encourage C&R.
If properly prepared, they taste great. I haven't kept one since I started targetting them 20+ years ago. But I have eaten them previous to that, actually, quite often in the 60's when my Dad and Uncle caught them out of Butte des Mortes. I remember they were excellent table fare. |
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Posts: 8772
| I'd imagine the smaller ones would be a lot like pike - pretty tasty! I'd probaby eat one if it died (where legal) before I left it for the turtles and crayfish. I don't think a larger fish would be any good at all though. Between the mercury, PCB's, and other nasties that are likely to have built up in a 20 year old fish, I can't imagine eating one. |
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| we had a 47"er die on us last summer. We were going to let the Eagles get it but my buddy decided to filet it. Believe it or not it was great! Tasted a lot like pike. We fried it in a little butter and shore lunch. I still have some in my freezer. Sucked the fish died but it didn't go to waste. |
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| Why is catch and release pushed so much with muskies as opposed to other fish or do I just not hear about it? And why is eating other fish so commonplace but it hasn't really caught on with muskies? For C&R purposes like you mentioned Shep? I haven't been fishing for that long so I don't know a lot of the backstory and maybe that's why? |
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Posts: 1220
| Every spring a number of Fox Chain fish swim all the way up the river from Illinois until they hit a dead end near downtown Pewaukee. They are usually a pretty sorry looking, totally beat up and skinny lot. Not too unlike what the Bears look like right now (sorry!) Anyway, I will usually grab a sub sandwich and watch the kids fishing for them in about a foot of clear water where you can see them really clearly. All the regulars on Pewaukee leave these fish alone for the kids to catch, but there are always a few "good ole boys" that show up every single day for the "meat." You can't discourage them, and they love to brag up how good the skis are on the grill. It's sort of sickening to see them doing it, but I am told that the fish will die there anyway and my idea of transfering them across the street into the lake is not legal!
Edited by Junkman 1/4/2013 12:08 PM
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Posts: 8772
| Lots of factors involved there...
Look at "our" lake for example - there might be 200 adult muskies in the entire lake. And the larger fish would be upwards of 20 years old. Start eating them, and it won't be long before there just aren't many left, because there aren't many there to begin with. Contrast that with walleyes, estimates of which are upwards of 3-5 fish per acre. You're talking about 1500 - 2500 adult walleyes in the lake. They grow faster, they have better recruitment, and are easily sustained, even with the spearing quotas in place.
Another reason is that muskies are very expensive to raise and stock. And a lot of lakes have little or no natural reproduction, so the only muskies in there are muskies that were bought and paid for by the DNR, which has a very limited budget. |
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| esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 12:11 PM Lots of factors involved there... Look at "our" lake for example - there might be 200 adult muskies in the entire lake. And the larger fish would be upwards of 20 years old. Start eating them, and it won't be long before there just aren't many left, because there aren't many there to begin with. Contrast that with walleyes, estimates of which are upwards of 3-5 fish per acre. You're talking about 1500 - 2500 adult walleyes in the lake. They grow faster, they have better recruitment, and are easily sustained, even with the spearing quotas in place. Another reason is that muskies are very expensive to raise and stock. And a lot of lakes have little or no natural reproduction, so the only muskies in there are muskies that were bought and paid for by the DNR, which has a very limited budget. Well would it be too far fetched to say that if you allowed a certain limit for eater sized fish like they have on some lakes that it would actually HELP the growth and spawning and natural sustainability of muskies? |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | It is good. Very much like pike. The smaller ones are better. |
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| Junkman - 1/4/2013 12:07 PM Every spring a number of Fox Chain fish swim all the way up the river from Illinois until they hit a dead end near downtown Pewaukee. They are usually a pretty sorry looking, totally beat up and skinny lot. Not too unlike what the Bears look like right now (sorry!) Anyway, I will usually grab a sub sandwich and watch the kids fishing for them in about a foot of clear water where you can see them really clearly. All the regulars on Pewaukee leave these fish alone for the kids to catch, but there are always a few "good ole boys" that show up every single day for the "meat." You can't discourage them, and they love to brag up how good the skis are on the grill. It's sort of sickening to see them doing it, but I am told that the fish will die there anyway and my idea of transfering them across the street into the lake is not legal! Any idea why they swim all the way up there? Do they do it for the girls?  |
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Posts: 8772
| Samantha - 1/4/2013 12:27 PM
esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 12:11 PM Lots of factors involved there... Look at "our" lake for example - there might be 200 adult muskies in the entire lake. And the larger fish would be upwards of 20 years old. Start eating them, and it won't be long before there just aren't many left, because there aren't many there to begin with. Contrast that with walleyes, estimates of which are upwards of 3-5 fish per acre. You're talking about 1500 - 2500 adult walleyes in the lake. They grow faster, they have better recruitment, and are easily sustained, even with the spearing quotas in place. Another reason is that muskies are very expensive to raise and stock. And a lot of lakes have little or no natural reproduction, so the only muskies in there are muskies that were bought and paid for by the DNR, which has a very limited budget. Well would it be too far fetched to say that if you allowed a certain limit for eater sized fish like they have on some lakes that it would actually HELP the growth and spawning and natural sustainability of muskies?
There are lakes where some harvest would help. Identifying which ones and managing them seperately is probably not realistic considering the sheer number of lakes. Spawning is a whole different issue. My understanding of that is that a lot of lakes just don't have the right substrate for the eggs to survive. Too much runoff, too much sand/silt on the shoreline from development, water that warms too quickly in the spring...
They still go through the motions, but the eggs never reach maturity.
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Location: minocqua, wi. | aren't you two dating? |
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| jonnysled - 1/4/2013 1:05 PM aren't you two dating? Yes, for nearly 4 years, why? |
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| esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 12:55 PM Samantha - 1/4/2013 12:27 PM esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 12:11 PM Lots of factors involved there... Look at "our" lake for example - there might be 200 adult muskies in the entire lake. And the larger fish would be upwards of 20 years old. Start eating them, and it won't be long before there just aren't many left, because there aren't many there to begin with. Contrast that with walleyes, estimates of which are upwards of 3-5 fish per acre. You're talking about 1500 - 2500 adult walleyes in the lake. They grow faster, they have better recruitment, and are easily sustained, even with the spearing quotas in place. Another reason is that muskies are very expensive to raise and stock. And a lot of lakes have little or no natural reproduction, so the only muskies in there are muskies that were bought and paid for by the DNR, which has a very limited budget. Well would it be too far fetched to say that if you allowed a certain limit for eater sized fish like they have on some lakes that it would actually HELP the growth and spawning and natural sustainability of muskies? There are lakes where some harvest would help. Identifying which ones and managing them seperately is probably not realistic considering the sheer number of lakes. Spawning is a whole different issue. My understanding of that is that a lot of lakes just don't have the right substrate for the eggs to survive. Too much runoff, too much sand/silt on the shoreline from development, water that warms too quickly in the spring... They still go through the motions, but the eggs never reach maturity. Well if they can't reproduce there on their own why keep stocking them? Why not take that and stop them in bodies of water where they can manage their own populations - with the help of responsible anglers obviously. |
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Posts: 8772
| That would eliminate most of the fisheries in IL, IN, TN, S. WI, and many other places. You know those little lakes we fish up North? Think about what they would look like on a weekend if the only places to catch muskies were where they reproduce on their own. *shudder*
We need to get you out on the Fox Chain on a Saturday in July. That should answer your question. |
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| jonnysled - 1/4/2013 1:05 PM
aren't you two dating?
Yeah, but we don't talk much! How do you think we made it four years?  |
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| esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 1:59 PM That would eliminate most of the fisheries in IL, IN, TN, S. WI, and many other places. You know those little lakes we fish up North? Think about what they would look like on a weekend if the only places to catch muskies were where they reproduce on their own. *shudder* We need to get you out on the Fox Chain on a Saturday in July. That should answer your question. Ah okay, I have a very clear picture in my mind now. Yeah, let's stock all the places we can. i don't want my little lakes to be the Fox Chain! I've heard stories. Those who want it can keep it. |
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| esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 2:32 PM jonnysled - 1/4/2013 1:05 PM aren't you two dating? Yeah, but we don't talk much! How do you think we made it four years? ; ) Well we do, I just don't listen. |
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Posts: 8772
| Samantha - 1/4/2013 2:59 PM
esoxaddict - 1/4/2013 2:32 PM jonnysled - 1/4/2013 1:05 PM aren't you two dating? Yeah, but we don't talk much! How do you think we made it four years? ; ) Well we do, I just don't listen.
What?? |
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| LOL! Very funny, baby. |
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Location: oswego, il | Sled, I think they went over on their data plan. |
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Location: West Chester, OH | ToddM - 1/4/2013 9:36 AM
The fillets are long and make a great sub sandwich. You fillet out a couple 50's and you can serve up a pretty big party of people. Pitching a major sub shop chain on the idea this morning to get the commercial fishing rights for the meat.
You go, Todd!
Greetings from the home of the soon to be Super Bowl Champions! 
Steve Petree |
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Posts: 232
Location: Sun Prairie, WI | Many, many, years ago, it was very common to eat musky. Either cut in steaks and baked or smoked. Almost as good as pike, which are about the best fish there is to eat. |
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| Back in the 1970s, I had it a couple times. It was baked both times, at a high heat. The cook coated it with a flour mixture. The flour soaked up the oil, then you peeled off the skin and ate the meat, dipping in melted butter. Have since done this with large northern pike and it is very good. |
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Posts: 62
| don't we all ?!? ;)) |
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| North of 8 - 1/6/2013 6:43 PM
Back in the 1970s, I had it a couple times. It was baked both times, at a high heat. The cook coated it with a flour mixture. The flour soaked up the oil, then you peeled off the skin and ate the meat, dipping in melted butter. Have since done this with large northern pike and it is very good.
I was pretty well baked in the 80's... |
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| 50"ers taste a lot like bald eagle |
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| Sled this topic is beautiful. And they taste real good toooooooo |
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Posts: 317
| Johnnysled has a good point. In CERTAIN waters, Muskies can overpopulate and stunt like any other fish. In most waters I would support total C&R. They are apex predators. Selective harvest/slots for other gamefish and panfish. Total C&R for all species is not a good idea and sometimes backfires. |
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Posts: 40
Location: B;acksburg Virginia | i had a 49 incher die on me about 5 years ago, only one i have ever kept. i took it home filleted it out and rolled it in a cornmeal, flower and spice mixture and pan fried it in a little olive oil. it was great tender flakey meat very good eatin |
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| Catch a muskie leave it out on a rock pile. Soon after an eagle will eat it. Find the Eagle. kill the Eagle and eat this famous dish the Indian call "Eaglkie" |
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| MuskyStalker - 1/10/2013 10:28 AM Johnnysled has a good point. In CERTAIN waters, Muskies can overpopulate and stunt like any other fish. In most waters I would support total C&R. They are apex predators. Selective harvest/slots for other gamefish and panfish. Total C&R for all species is not a good idea and sometimes backfires. Maybe we can eat more muskies from those lakes. Funny that I have no problem with eating a pike, but muskies are sacred to me. back in the water they go. I don't think I would eat an Eagle either. Or an eaglkie lol.
Edited by Samantha 1/11/2013 8:36 AM
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Posts: 415
| Samantha - 1/11/2013 8:35 AM
. Funny that I have no problem with eating a pike, but muskies are sacred to me.
They are totally different species. I eat pike also because they are delicious and handle the harvest in the bodies of water I take them from. |
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Fresh fish!