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[Zaphod]

Thanks.  I think I'm going to conclude, then, that I have a Mountain Whitefish.  The only strange thing about that is that this species is not listed anywhere (that I can find) as occurring in Buntzen Lake.  I don't think it's a trout -- it had absolutely no spots on it at all.  Also, it had no teeth.

Has anyone ever caught a Mountain Whitefish in Buntzen Lake?

[Rodney]

Or, could it possibly be....

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fish_profile/northern_pikeminnow.html



Just did a search on Fish Wizard. Species in Buntzen include:

Trout, Cutthroat Trout (Anadromous), Kokanee, Largescale Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow (formerly N. Squawfish), Peamouth Chub, Prickly Sculpin, Rainbow Trout, Redside Shiner, Sucker (General), Threespine Stickleback

[Koho]

Maybe the food source isn't that rich in the lake, or there's not enough shrimp to give it the deep red colour.

Other posters have mentioned that the kokes barely reach 12" long in Buntzen.  I've caught some fair sized kokanees in other lakes up to 17" or so.  These are lakes with a rich food source.  It even gets to the point that we release the shakers.    So maybe their diet is lacking there.
 

[Koho]

Or, could it possibly be....

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fish_profile/northern_pikeminnow.html



Just did a search on Fish Wizard. Species in Buntzen include:

Trout, Cutthroat Trout (Anadromous), Kokanee, Largescale Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow (formerly N. Squawfish), Peamouth Chub, Prickly Sculpin, Rainbow Trout, Redside Shiner, Sucker (General), Threespine Stickleback

So did your fish have an adipose fin?  If not, then it could be the pikeminnow.  

[Zaphod]

I think we have a winner.

The fish did not have an adipose fin, and having checked out a few other pikeminnow images online, I'm quite sure this is what I caught.

I am disappointed to find that they don't make good eating.

Just how bad is bad?  Has anyone here eaten one?

[Koho]

 

[Zaphod]

Is that a   because they're tasty, or a   that means "try and see"?

[Koho]

  for finally finding out what the fish was.
I haven't tried it myself, heard they are bony.

[Zaphod]

Yeah, I'm very happy to finally know.  Thanks to both you and Rod!

Learning to identify fish is a skill unto itself, and I think it's important to learn because of the regs and quotas and such.  Thanks again.

Has anyone else here ever eaten one of these?

[Rodney]

You're welcome. Identifying fish is always part of the fishing fun.

Not the best tasting fish as bones are plentiful. They are consumed by a lot of Asian anglers at this end as we don't usually mind the bones (picking them out that is).

FYI: For the minnow species (the ones that lack the adipose fin), except the endangered protected ones, the daily quota is 20 fish.

[Zaphod]

20 fish.. thanks.  That's good to know as I didn't think there was an upper limit for these.  I mustn't have paid close enough attention to the regs when I read them.

So the big complaint about eating these fish is the bones?  Can I take that to mean that the meat itself isn't all that bad?  (At least passably edible?)

I haven't been able to find a single recipe for these anywhere, so that makes me suspicious.

[Rodney]

Yes, bones are the biggest complaint. We are generally pretty spoiled here as we have plenty of bigger, tastier fish to go for. Fish such as these would be sought after heavily in parts of Asia.

Grill, pan fry, soup are all good... Just be very careful with the bones, they are thin, but not thin enough to become crusty when cooked for a long time.

As for daily quota of fish, if they are not listed in the book, it's usually 20 fish unless it is classified as an endangered species.

[Zaphod]

I'm very glad you mentioned that.  I thought it was unlimited unless otherwise specified.

By the way, fantastic website.  This is my first season fishing (ever) and I've gone to knowing absolutely nothing about it to being able to catch fish (although not exactly a prized fish, but fish nonetheless) in a relatively short time, mainly thanks to the information and people on this site.

I can also see how this can get very addictive.

Great job!

[Zaphod]

Also, supposing a person is going to fry this meat, should it be done fast, over a high heat, like trout?

[Joe Fish]

A friend of mine (Asian) served me up some pikeminnow once.  Taste was a bit "fishy", as in maybe not the freshest, and there were a lot of bones, but I'm still here, no serious side effects!  
Oh, he made it into soup, not fried.  Hope that helps.