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Okay, I have noticed a big difference in the meat on fillets from Lake George in Cullman vs fish from Lake Catoma, or Cotaco Creek. What would cause that? The fish from Lake George is flakier or not a firm vs other two? Is that from Diet? Or the fish from one lake George are older fish?
Very very interesting!!!
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I read somewhere that a diet rich in shad makes for mushy fillets. Livewell or in a cooler of ice? Iced down in a cooler as soon as they are caught is supposed to make for firmer fillets
I hadn't thought about that. On Lake George we put in live well. But Catoma I know it was in a cooler of ice. Maybe thats why! Thank You for the insight!Quote:
Originally Posted by DockShootinJack
The thread " Cold water crappie" discuss this at length. You can find the thread by typing the phrase into the search bar. I would attach a link, if I remembered how. It is one of the top threads in the search
BINGO!!! I think the mystery has been solved
Bamadad sent you a pm.
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Crappie from cooler water are definitely better and any time you catch a fish the quality seems better if it's immediately iced down.
Cold water and ice are a must for keeping the fish in good eating condition!
Im not sure what causes it, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that the fillets from the river “wheeler” and the fillets from cedar are totally different. Cedar are firmer and hyper white. Wheeler are mushy and have a yellowish tint to them. They are both good, but the cedar fillets are way better, less fishy taste, if that makes sense. All of my fish go in a 70qt cooler, with whatever body of water im fishing water in it. No ice…
An old man told me that there are only two places he likes to fish, and that is because the fish taste better from those places.
I used to actually catch a few fish. Back when I was a surf fisherman. Anyways I would add ice to my cooler and a little bit of water to make a nice slurry. Fish dropped down in to that will enter suspended animation immediately. They can lay atop ice and it takes much longer to get them as cold. Have friends that sprinkle rock salt on their ice.
My issue is that I might only catch a few, so I am using the live well so they can be released later. Can’t wait until I can catch me a mess.
I ketch fish primarily in 4 different lakes and biggest difference I see is in a couple they have better shoulders on them as far as filets. keep them in a livewell mostly or a 5 gallon bucket which is fine for a while if you keep water fresh and colder. try to get them on ice as soon as possible in warmer weather. often if fishing good and wanting to get back on water will leave them overnight on ice and those filets are firmer when you clean them for sure.
I have noticed this was well. Probably what they eat and the water, soft water or hard water how much lime and ph. But I'm just guessing. Also I can clean fish from one river and my hands will smell like fish way long that other rivers or lakes
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I have eaten crappie from different parts of the country and have always heard that colder the water the better they was but from my experience that's false some of the best crappie I have eaten came from Mississippi in the middle of summer and everyone in my family can tell the difference as soon as they take a bite.
Especially this time of yearQuote:
Originally Posted by Bob D
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Put a little baking soda in the water with the filets and they wil be firm and white. Do when freezing also .
I freeze half gallon jugs of water and then only fill the live well partially, and put 3-5 of those jugs in the live well. That gets the water good and cold in the live well and the fish do not get soft from the water being to warm. Then I put them on ice when I put them in a cooler before filleting. It's a little bit of work, but the quality of the fish for eating is much better!