Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mr Z on August 11, 2013, 05:23:04 PM

Title: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Mr Z on August 11, 2013, 05:23:04 PM
Hi,

This is my first year fishing pinks. For other species I always look at the color of the skin to decide if the fish is still good for eating. But for pinks I noticed a few of them still being pretty silver but with a hump. I was wondering if you'd consider those still good for eating?

Thanks for the help.

Ps: it's a pretty fun fishery :) I didn't realize how many fishes were coming I until I saw them
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Kype on August 11, 2013, 05:39:30 PM
Rather than just looking at the skin colour look for Sea Lice - long tailed Sea Lice are best.

Why?

Long Tailed Sea Lice = fish has been in freshwater less than 24hrs
Sea Lice = fish has been in freshwater less than 48hrs

Just Google Sea Lice and you'll see what they look like  :)

These are the very freshest of fish.

Enjoy  8)
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Mr Z on August 11, 2013, 06:22:29 PM
Hi Kype,

Good point on sea lice, those indicates really fresh salmon. I saw them on some salmons I caught in the ocean.

Having said that I wouldn't limit myself to only keep salmons with sea lice still on  ;)
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: adriaticum on August 11, 2013, 07:08:23 PM
Typically pinks with big humps are not good to eat.
It's not only how long they've been in fresh water, but also how far their maturity has progressed.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Rodney on August 12, 2013, 01:45:16 AM
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2011/110916-2.jpg)
Good for eating...

(http://www.dicknite.com/humpy%20with%20bob.jpg)
Not so good...
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: dcajaxs on August 12, 2013, 06:08:21 AM
nice filet on that last picture.  amazing the humps get that big. 
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: big spring on August 12, 2013, 09:16:17 AM
Depend on where you fish,rmd,new west,pinks are plenty & are easy to catch ,I'll not keep any humpy fish.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: fic on August 12, 2013, 02:02:41 PM
Wow, that hump looks like a big piece of cancerous lump.  Reminds me of the fish in the Simpsons.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: penn on August 12, 2013, 03:24:23 PM
A matter of opinion really . Try it to see if you like it , then you will know . The hump won't kill you . I don't eat them myself , with a hump , but each to his own . Usually there are lots of pinks available , so you can wait for a good one . They do go pale inside as they get the hump and darken .
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: penn on August 12, 2013, 03:25:34 PM
Wow, that hump looks like a big piece of cancerous lump.  Reminds me of the fish in the Simpsons.
That's pretty typical .
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: troutbreath on August 12, 2013, 03:53:32 PM
Only good to eat on Wednesdays.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: canso on August 12, 2013, 03:58:02 PM
Look for scales, maybe a small hump. You will notice an extra shine with scales not a mat Finnish. Same goes for chum and sockeye.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: bkk on August 12, 2013, 05:11:48 PM
Rather than just looking at the skin colour look for Sea Lice - long tailed Sea Lice are best.

Why?

Long Tailed Sea Lice = fish has been in freshwater less than 24hrs
Sea Lice = fish has been in freshwater less than 48hrs

Just Google Sea Lice and you'll see what they look like  :)

Actually the lice with long tails are the females and the short tailed ones are male. Has nothing to do with amount of time in freshwater.

These are the very freshest of fish.

Enjoy  8)
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Kype on August 12, 2013, 06:26:37 PM
bkk ....... don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia  ;)
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: RiverRunner on August 12, 2013, 07:31:49 PM
Only good to eat on Wednesdays.

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: milo on August 12, 2013, 07:52:55 PM
Wow, that hump looks like a big piece of cancerous lump.  Reminds me of the fish in the Simpsons.

Nah, nothing bad there.
It is a sexual/evolutionary thing: the bigger the hump, the more attractive he is to females and the more chance he will have to fertilize her eggs.  (Size matters!!!) ;D

Some would ask, "what about the guys with small humps? Do they get a chance?"

They sure do. A big hump makes the male bigger and more visible to predators, especially when they are porpoising en route to the spawning grounds. Many alpha males have ended as bear/eagle food.

As for the content of the hump, it is basically cartilage and some fat...nothing horrible. If you catch a fish in decent shape (bright) that is already displaying a hump, just fillet it as usual and cut off the hump part. You will be left with a normal fillet.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: salmonlover on August 12, 2013, 08:37:38 PM
Only good to eat on Wednesdays.

Lol that's a good one.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Mr Z on August 12, 2013, 09:53:53 PM
Lol this is a crazy one. It must be like fishing a sail in the current.

Thanks for the tips guys. Yeah there are lots of pinks now so we can definitely effort to be picky. Seems like a as far as the hump is still small and the colour right the fist should still be good table fair.


(http://www.dicknite.com/humpy%20with%20bob.jpg)
Not so good...
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: crab on August 12, 2013, 11:49:59 PM
I've kept a few humped pinks from Fraser before. Aside from the flesh that is right beneath the hump,
the rest of the fish seemed to taste fine.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: juno on August 13, 2013, 07:40:00 PM
That's a good Question. I have seen people that keep anything. personaly if they are too humpy i will release them. but small humpys  seem to be fine for eating
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: troutbreath on August 13, 2013, 08:14:41 PM
Some old recipes to try  :P


http://www.geocities.com/tyshee.geo/recipe.htm

HUMPY HUMPS

When old partially spawned pink salmon with large
humps on their backs were caught, the hump was
consumed raw. This is still done today by some of the
local natives but not recommended.


FERMENTED SALTED HUMPY

Place an unsoaked salted humpy fillet on a piece of cotton

wood bark and leave it outside in a dark place for one

week. It will ferment without spoiling. Eat plain with fry

bread. It is not salty as the fermentation takes away the

salt. It is not recommended for consumption today.



Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Sandman on August 13, 2013, 09:59:59 PM
The presence of the hump or sea lice alone doesn't necessarily mean anything as I was catching pinks today off Furry Creek and many had humps already (that's still in salt chuck with plenty of sea lice).  Gauge the colour and certainly the large deformed hump like the one in the photo above should be released.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: Johnny Canuck on August 13, 2013, 10:35:17 PM
The humps help fill the smoker more  :P
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: zabber on August 14, 2013, 11:39:20 AM
I took home a more mature male the other day just to see how it would taste. It had lost it's "shine" already and had a bit of a hump. Flesh was white, but still firm upon getting cut into steaks. This is in contrast to the chromer fish, which tend to have pink flesh...

Anyways, it tasted alright grilled up. Meat was delicate, but kind of bland.

Definitely edible, but probably won't keep another fish that's that mature again.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: MoeJKU on August 14, 2013, 12:30:39 PM
Personal preference, I am picky, not because i don't like the taste of the other ones, i don't find much difference as they are all pretty bland. However when i get 4 i want 4 good specimens not 4 ugly things. Usually they go into the smoker, or i make jerky. But if i cut into steaks hot sauce and pepper make ever thing  taste better. And no franks is not hot sauce.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: troutbreath on August 14, 2013, 05:12:54 PM
All the pinks that I keep get made into fish pakora. Try it you'll like it. Best way to eat them I've found. They really make a good fish pakora.
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: zabber on August 14, 2013, 05:34:44 PM
fish pakora

As Homer Simpson would say: "mmmm... pakoooorrraaaa.... *drools*"
Title: Re: Pinks with a hump. Still good to eat?
Post by: juno on August 14, 2013, 07:33:35 PM
All the pinks that I keep get made into fish pakora. Try it you'll like it. Best way to eat them I've found. They really make a good fish pakora.
Pakora, sweet, I buy pakora at the local  indian meat shop. But it is cod.  what is the recepie? I also like to dip it a mix of tzatziki and franks.  thanks