17 replies to this topic

[Crankin Fishies]

Hey, I am new to the whole river fishing thing for salmon and what not and had a question about my catch. I went out this evening and managed to finally hook into 3 fish of some sort. If i could get some help on identifying these fish that would be great. I tried looking around on the net and I think they might be brown trout or a type of salmon?? but idk.

Thanks for any help

 

And sorry if the pics are bad, was trying to get the fish back in the water as quick as I could

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[Paul1913]

Chinook salmon

[Paul1913]

That first pic. tell me that's not a treble with lead on it.

[Paul1913]

ha ha ha

I'm on my phone so maybe I'm seeing things. .......

[Fishbully]

I'm on my phone so maybe I'm seeing things. .......

Looks like a spinner. All hens, coincidence?

[Crankin Fishies]

That first pic. tell me that's not a treble with lead on it.

No no, it is a spinner, no snagging here

 

Looks like a spinner. All hens, coincidence?

I landed 3. Two where Hens and the other a buck.(male not pictured)

 

 

I was fishing on the credit and I always thought that chinook salmon where stopped in streetsville?? How would do these fish get past their?

[Crankin Fishies]

and for the future, is it safe to eat these fish?

[Paul1913]

Good to hear.

Umm eating I'd go to Costco instead of eating those.

[Crankin Fishies]

Good to hear.

Umm eating I'd go to Costco instead of eating those.

Um okay, thats kinda what I thought. Some of them where looking pretty rough.

Any chance you know how the fish ladder works?? I was under the impression that chinooks where not lifted over...

[DILLIGAF?!]

Cool stuff. Definitely salmons. Browns can be easily identified even when under 3 ft of water even if not very clear. They give away a golden hue. That's why I get too excited everytime I see those signs. In the MNR booklet, I believe they mentioned you can consume these fish but to a certain limit, but my suggestion would be to just go to the groceries for that. Never tried eating my catch but carcasses of gutted salmon during the runs can be a good sign indicator that they don't taste that good.

[DILLIGAF?!]

That first pic. tell me that's not a treble with lead on it.

lol...your investigative instinct kicked in pretty fast....

[MuskieBait]

All Chinook Salmon as stated.

 

Brown Trout has black spots with white halos around these spots. Usually, there are red spots with white halos as well, but sometimes, these red spots are absent in lake run fish. The anal fin of the Brown Trout is also much shorter and more triangular in shape.

As for consumption, there are two factors:

1) Chinook Salmon in Lake Ontario is fit for consumption, but very restricted. Chinook Salmon less than 30" long should be consumed no more than twice a month. Each meal consists of an 8oz portion with skin and fat removed (belly fat, fat around fins, dark meat on lateral line). If you do not remove the fat, it is even more restrictive as the contamination is stored in the fatty tissue (PCBs). Women of child bearing age and children under 15 should NOT eat any salmon from Lake Ontario.

Check the link below for consumption guidelines for the Credit River. The guide is published by Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The data is usually updated every 2-5 years. Usually waterbodies that are more popular and closer to population centers are sampled more frequently.

https://www.ontario....ory?id=43357943

2) Chinook Salmon die after spawning. When they near spawning condition, their flesh is already degrading. Since they do not feed intensively in the river as they do in the lake, the energy that is needed to support the upstream migration and nest building is derived from the nutrient stored in the muscle. As more and more energy is used, the muscles degrade until the fish starts to decay. Some anglers jokingly call these fish "zombies" because the fish is left in a half dead state where the mind is still somewhat functioning but the body decays (often with skin and flesh hanging off the body).

All three of your fish are not considered fit for consumption. The first hen is clearly spawned out with an empty abdomen. The second male has small white areas on the belly and anal fin suggesting wounds from spawning activity is infected, not healed and rotting away. The skin under the jaw and on gill plate has also fallen off. The last hen has worn out tail from spawning with the skin and flesh turning white. She also looks spawned out as the abdomen is very empty.

The only Chinook Salmon I would eat now are 1) 3lb or under fish caught trolling in Lake Ontario (commonly called "shakers") or 2) small migrating males around 2-3lbs (commonly called "jacks") that are silver indicating that these fish are recent arrival from the lake with very little time spent in the river.

[Fisherman Dave]

I ate a Chinook from lake huron last weekend. It was a tad bit lighter than pictured, the meat was in between the bright pink and white, I would say a light pink, closer to white though. Certainly wasn't the greatest salmon I have ever eaten, a bit gamey, but it was still tasty coming from the smoker no doubt. Meat was firm, smelled a tad fishy but honestly I adore eating fish so I took a shot with the lack of rain in the forecast and I am happy about it.

[Crankin Fishies]

All Chinook Salmon as stated.

Brown Trout has black spots with white halos around these spots. Usually, there are red spots with white halos as well, but sometimes, these red spots are absent in lake run fish. The anal fin of the Brown Trout is also much shorter and more triangular in shape.

As for consumption, there are two factors:

1) Chinook Salmon in Lake Ontario is fit for consumption, but very restricted. Chinook Salmon less than 30" long should be consumed no more than twice a month. Each meals consist of an 8oz portion with skin and fat removed (belly fat, fat around fins, dark meat on lateral line). If you do not remove the fat, it is even more restrictive as the contamination is stored in the fatty tissue (PCBs). Women of child bearing age and children under 15 should NOT eat any salmon from Lake Ontario.

Check the link below for consumption guidelines for the Credit River. The guide is published by Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The data is usually updated every 2-5 years. Usually waterbodies that are more popular and closer to population centers are sampled more frequently.

https://www.ontario....ory?id=43357943

2) Chinook Salmon die after spawning. When they near spawning condition, their flesh is already degrading. Since they do not feed intensively in the lake, the energy that is needed to support the upstream migration and nest building is derived from the nutrient stored in the muscle. As more and more energy is used, the muscles degrade until the fish starts to decay. Some anglers jokingly call these fish "zombies" because the fish is left in a half dead state where the mind is still somewhat functioning but the body decays (often with skin and flesh hanging off the body).

All three of your fish are not considered fit for consumption. The first hen is clearly spawned out with an empty abdomen. The second male has small white areas on the belly and anal fin suggesting wounds from spawning activity is infected, not healed and rotting away. The skin under the jaw and on gill plate has also fallen off. The last hen has worn out tail from spawning with the skin and flesh turning white. She also looks spawned out as the abdomen is very empty.

The only Chinook Salmon I would eat now are 1) 3lb or under fish caught trolling in Lake Ontario (commonly called "shakers") or 2) small migrating males around 2-3lbs (commonly called "jacks") that are silver indicating that these fish are recent arrival from the lake with very little time spent in the river.

Ah thanks for that. This form is turning out to be a really valuable resource for me and my new found hobby!
Thank you

[MuskieBait]

BTW, some people will say that even fish that have clearly worn out fins and whitish skin are "fit for consumption"...and you will see people taking spawned out and dying fish on the rivers. Personally, I find that even fish that are in pre-spawn condition have chewy flesh and the fatty tissue between the muscle turns rubbery. After the muscles degrade, what's left is just a lot of connective tissue giving the meat a tougher texture. The flavour is often really fishy and not in a good way. I tried it once and said never again. It is very different from a silver fish from the lake or even the river mouth. A small Chinook Salmon (about 2lbs) from the lake is almost as good as any Rainbow Trout you buy from the store.

But everyone has a different taste. Personally, I simply avoid taking salmon or trout due to their restricted consumption level regardless if they are caught in the lake or in the rivers. But that's just me.

[Crankin Fishies]

BTW, some people will say that even fish that have clearly worn out fins and whitish skin are "fit for consumption"...and you will see people taking spawned out and dying fish on the rivers. Personally, I find that even fish that are in pre-spawn condition have chewy flesh and the fatty tissue between the muscle turns rubbery. After the muscles degrade, what's left is just a lot of connective tissue giving the meat a tougher texture. The flavour is often really fishy and not in a good way. I tried it once and said never again. It is very different from a silver fish from the lake or even the river mouth. A small Chinook Salmon (about 2lbs) from the lake is almost as good as any Rainbow Trout you buy from the store.

But everyone has a different taste. Personally, I simply avoid taking salmon or trout due to their restricted consumption level regardless if they are caught in the lake or in the rivers. But that's just me.

Okay, I guess I will just stick to the store bought stuff for salmon. As for steelhead are they any better tasting then salmon?. From my understanding steelhead still eat while spawning and return to the lake after, so I would think that there meat doesn't degrade like salmons do, as they still have to leave in it. But idk I am just a noob

Sorry for all the questions

[bigugly]

Myself am not a fan of steelhead, love catching them but think they taste like mud it that's just me. Between my two sons and I we kept two last year. One devoured a worm right into the gills and could not revive it the other was kept for eggs and the boys ate it. They like it. I normally try to get them in as quick as I can then revive and release as I want to continue to catch these beautiful fish for years to come. That's just me though, we all need to fish within our ethics and it's perfectly legal to keep them. Keep in mind these fish to live and eat in same water as the salmon and have restrictions on consumption as well. I'd rather not eat from a source that restricts consumption. Lol. Now perch from Simcoe.....